Formed in Detroit, Michigan in 1960, The Temptations have one of the longest tenures on Motown, second only to Stevie Wonder. The group, known for its recognizable choreography, distinct harmonies, and onstage suits, were as influential to soul as the Beatles were to rock and pop. Having sold over 22 million albums, The Temptations are one of the most successful groups in music history and were the definitive male vocal group of the 1960s. ‘The Temptations – Classic Soul Hits’ is set for UK release on 3rd March 2008.

Over the course of their career, the Temptations have had number one hit records on both sides of the Atlantic. Smash hits included here on this collection include “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)”, “My Girl” and “I Can’t Get Next To You”.

The quintet were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1999 and in 2001, their album from the previous year, Ear-Resistible won the group its third Grammy – this time for Best Traditional Vocal R&B Performance. Three classic Temptations songs, “My Girl”, “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg” and “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone”, were included in The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll – a list of the most influential songs that helped shape Rock and Roll as we know it today. All three songs can be found on this collection.

So enduring is The Temptations’ popularity, they are planning a nationwide UK tour for 2008.

The Temptations – Classic Soul Hits track listing:

1. Can I Get A Witness
2. How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)
3. Ain’t Too Proud To Beg
4. Hold On I’m Comin’
5. My Girl
6. This Ole Heart Of Mine (Is Weak For You)
7. Ain’t Nothin’ Like The Real Thing
8. Never Never Gonna Give You Up
9. What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted
10. Papa Was A Rollin’ Stone
11. Never Can Say Goodbye
12. I’ll be There
13. Don’t Leave Me This Way
14. Just My Imagination
15. Ooo Baby Baby
16. Reach Out & Touch
17. I Hear A Symphony
18. Get Ready
19. Cloud Nine
20. Respect Yourself
21. Treat Her Like A Lady
22. Ain’t No Mountain High Enough
23. Ain’t No Sunshine
24. All I Need
25. For Once In My Life
26. I Can’t Get Next To You
27. I Heard It Through The Grapevine
28. I’m Here

The Temptations on amazon.co.uk

The Temptations on amazon.com

Universal Music TV

The Temptations Official Website

Robert Cray is one of the few blues artists who managed to cultivate a mainstream following in the 1980s and 90s. During the course of a long-running career that began in the 1970s, he uniquely blended elements of rhythm & blues, pop and traditional blues to win fans over to a more contemporary blues sound.

In 1988 Cray consolidated his burgeoning reputation with the excellent album ‘Don’t Be Afraid Of The Dark’, which featured some raucous saxophone sounds care of David Sanborn. For the follow-up ‘Midnight Stroll’, Cray adopted a new line-up that made for a tougher sound, moving him away from mainstream blues towards R&B and soul.

Robert Cray continues to record and perform live, and to date has received five Grammy Awards for his innovative style.

This double CD, set for UK release on January 28th, 2008, features the very best of Robert Cray’s BBC Concert performances, recorded between 1988-1991 during the tours to promote the Grammy Award winning albums ‘Don’t Be Afraid Of The Dark’ and ‘Midnight Stroll’, both of which made the UK and US charts.

Robert Cray Live at the BBC tracklisting:

I Guess I Showed Her (1988)
Foul Play (1988)
Don’t Be Afraid Of The Dark (1988)
Baby You Don’t Even Care (1988)
Night Patrol (1988)
Nothing But A Woman (1988)
Phone Booth (1991)
These Things (1991)
My Problem (1991)
The Forecast Calls For Pain (1991)
Consequences (1991)
Right Next Door (1991)
Acting This Way (1991)
Smoking Gun (1991)

“Robert Cray is not only making great music, he’s making history. With a few exceptions…it used to be that there was the blues and there were the masses and never the twain shall meet. But Cray, who obviously is respected in blues circles, is a press darling and crossover smash.” (Dan Forte – Guitar Player)

Watch Robert Cray – “Don’t Be Afraid Of The Dark” video

Robert Cray: Live at the BBC on amazon.co.uk

Robert Cray – Live At The BBC on amazon.com (US)

Robert Cray on Myspace
Robert Cray Official Website

Dionne Warwick is one of the most astounding female singers of the 20th century. Her career spans over 40 years – she has won 5 Grammy Awards and is second only to Aretha Franklin with the most Billboard Hot 100 singles during 1955-1999.

Her first Hit in the UK was in 1964 with “Walk On By”. This went to #9, and since then she has gone on to have great chart success with “Heartbreaker” and “All The Love In The World”. She is one of the only African-American female recording artists that has stayed true to her soul roots and not branched into Pop or mainstream R&B.

Dionne Warwick – ‘The Love Collection’, set for release 4th February, 2008, is a selection of all her best Love Songs on one amazing disc. The album includes solo work “Say A Little Prayer” and “I Just Don’t Know What To Do With Myself”.

Also present are duets with legends Luther Vandross, “How Many Times Can We Say Goodbye”, and Stevie Wonder, “It’s You” and the incredible ensemble with Elton John, Glady’s Knight and Stevie Wonder in “That’s What Friends Are For”. To celebrate ‘The Love Collection’ Dionne Warwick shall be performing at the London Palladium the night before the release.

Show that special someone how much you care with one of the most romantic singers of all time.

Dionne Warwick – ‘The Love Collection’ track list:

1. Heartbreaker
2. Walk On By
3. I Say A Little Prayer
4. Do You Know The Way To San Jose
5. All The Love In The World
6. That’s What Friends Are For (with Elton John Gladys Knight & Stevie Wonder)
7. Deja Vu
8. So Amazing
9. It’s You (with Stevie Wonder)
10. The Look Of Love
11. How Many Times Can We Say Goodbye (with Luther Vandross)
12. Anyone Who Had A Heart
13. Friends In Love (with Johnny Mathis)
14. I Don’t Need Another Love (with The Detroit Spinners)
15. I’ll Never Fall In Love Again
16. Reach Out For Me
17. Love Power (with Jeffrey Osborne)
18. (They Long To Be) Close To You
19. I Just Don’t Know What To Do With Myself
20. What The World Needs Now

Dionne Warwick is scheduled to perform at the London Palladium on 3rd February 2008.

For more information, go to:

Dionne Warwick Official Website

The twist of fate that marks out a favourite son or daughter to rise from the depths of a small seaside community in the North of Wales is hard to fathom. Duffy seems to have been chosen to sing. From her earliest memories, she just knew her destiny. She was going to be a singer.

Watch “Rockferry” video + single review!

In August 2004, Duffy came to the attention of Rough Trade’s Jeannette Lee who became both her manager and her mentor. Just as Vicki Wickham guided Dusty Springfield to the best musical collaborations of the day; or Jerry Wexler and Ahmet Ertegun helped Aretha find her true voice in the Muscle Shoals Memphis studio; Rough Trade pointed Duffy in the direction of Bernard Butler in London’s Crouch End.

The fruit of their very first musical session is “Rockferry” which set the tone and musical direction of the album. Duffy spent the next couple years honing and developing her songwriting skills all the while discovering hidden musical gems that inspired her.

The results will be unveiled with her forthcoming album next year but for now we have the single “Rockferry” available to download from November l9th, 2007 and released as a 2-track 7″ vinyl December 3rd on A&M.

The Observer Music Monthly said of “Rockferry” – “it makes the hairs on the back of your neck prickle with it’s bewitching grace”.

Duffy says “There’s a side of me that’s trying to hold it together but then there’s a side of me that just wants to scream, run out onstage and say “I’m here!”

Watch Syrup & Honey video with Duffy and Bernard recording in the studio:

Duffy Syrup and Honey video link

Duffy Official Website

British soul singer and multi-instrumentalist Kirsten Price performs songs from her recently completed debut offering, (recently featured on CSI and The L-Word). A genre straddling a blend of old school soul, classic compositional chops and 21st century technology that defies definition.

With a voice that just pulls you in, and an attitude that threatens to spit you out, you’ll be glad you came along for the ride.

Watch the new music video “Freedom” by Kirsten Price:

For more information about Kirsten Price go to Kirsten Price on Myspace

Thelma Houston, the dynamic voice behind the disco anthem “Don’t Leave Me This Way,” is back with her first album in over 17 years. In a clever twist, Houston uses A Woman’s Touch (in stores August 14th 2007 via Shout! Factory) to transform songs made famous by some of the biggest singers – male singers – in R&B and pop.

The new Cd was entirely conceived by Thelma Houston, as well as executive produced by Thelma in association with Stephen Ford of Diva Central, Inc. A Woman’s Touch is filled with songs she has long been a fan of. “They are songs I always wished I had recorded,” she explains, “and I loved doing them from a woman’s standpoint.” But Houston doesn’t just put a female spin on the lyrics, she takes over and completely reworks the songs through soul, R&B, blues and dance floor filters. “Ain’t That Peculiar,” and Sting’s “Brand New Day,” get bluesy, sassy make overs, while “Disco Heat/Mighty Real” (a nod to Houston’s disco past and tribute to her old friend Sylvester) starts out a poignant gospel song and closes with Studio 54-era exuberance.

Thelma Houston revisits another friend from her early career, covering Jimmy Webb’s “By The Time I Get To Phoenix,” (Webb wrote and produced Houston’s 1969 debut album), rebuilding it with incredible old school R&B flair. And then there’s Thelma’s triumphant return to her dance floor roots with a fierce version of Luther Vandross’ “Never Too Much.”

A Grammy Award winning artist who has released more than 21 albums, “I feel blessed because I’ve never stopped working and I love what I do. I can truly say that I appreciate my career and sometimes it really feels like I’m just getting started,” says Houston.

In the years since “Don’t Leave Me This Way,” topped the pop and dance charts, Houston has toured incessantly, performing over 200 shows each year, including an opening slot on Cher’s Farewell tour. She was recently inducted into the Dance Music Hall of Fame and honored on the television show Showtime at the Apollo as an Apollo Legend.

Most recently she was cast in the role of Madam Zin Zanni in the highly popular play, Teatro Zin Zanni, performed internationally in the touring cast of Fame, starred in the musical Big Otis’ Jump Up Blues Revue (by Tony Award winning director Otis Sallid) and appeared in Oprah Winfrey’s Beloved. A tireless supporter of AIDS related charities, Houston was honored by the City of West Hollywood (CA) in 2003, when it declared January 29th “Thelma Houston Day.”

Born in Leland, MS, Houston moved to Long Beach, CA as a child and continues to reside in Los Angeles today. She signed with Motown Records in 1971 and in 1977, won the Grammy Award for “Best R&B Female Vocal Performance” for “Don’t Leave Me This Way.” Her other hits include “If It’s the Last Thing I Do,” “Lean On Me,” “I’m Here Again,” “Saturday Night, Sunday Morning,” “If You Feel It,” and a Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis produced Top 20 R&B dance track “You Used to Hold Me So Tight.”

Contact: Chip Schutzman
Company: Miles High Productions
Address: 6622 Delongpre Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90028
Tel: 323-806-0400
Fax: 323-462-0829
Email
Thelma Houston Website
Thelma Houston MySpace Link
Thelma Houston Amazon Link

PR Distributed By MuzikReviews.com for Miles High Productions

Douglas James Hall is a new up and coming artist currently breaking on the London acoustic scene.

Originally from the West Country and Brighton, Douglas has been making waves on the London open mic circuit playing various gigs across London – headlining at both the Viva Viva acoustic night and Priory Park Festival.

Playing a blend of acoustic based raw & aggressive pop, soul and blues, his songs are funky and fresh, often with a humorous or darker undertone.

With building media and label interest Douglas James Hall is definitely one to watch!

Listen to Waste Of Time – MP3

For more free downloads go to Doug Hall’s Myspace page.

“Retro yet fresh oozing with soul, funk and passion. Doug’s talents extend far beyond the recording studio. Got to be heard live! … Never have my ears bled so much…” – Rik Dobson, Sony BMG

“A perfect compliment for the fast approaching summer! On second listen…it’s very Bradley Nowell…and ain’t no bad thing” – Chuck Clark, Sony BMG

Douglas James Hall’s Upcoming Gigs:

15 August 2007, 21:00 – LEONARDS BAR Northampton Rd EC1
Cost: 5 pound with flyer
Description: Excellent venue and cheap as chips!!!

16th September 2007 Goodship, Kilburn

Douglas James Hall on Myspace

Sam Sparro orbits into our stratosphere like a messenger from the future sent to hold off the end of summer blues with one last wild party. As he says in the lead track “S.A.M.S.P.A.R.R.O.” of the EP Black & Gold, out August 21 2007 on Modus Vivendi Music, he has a lot to say and a lot to do.

In “S.A.M.S.P.A.R.R.O.,” Sam blasts through the sound barrier on an incessant meladrone beat, brandishing a vocoder to synthesize his voice, shrouding the purity of his lush, soulful instrument to minimize the impact upon ears dulled by lesser pop singers. He’s the dance scene shepherd preparing to lead us to sounds and places we long to go.

And so the road is paved in Black & Gold. The journey is ours for the taking, led by the cunning musicologist out to show us a good time. Through six brisk tracks, Sam thrusts into the limelight sounds and textures at once foreign and familiar – 70s soul grooves, 80s freestyle beats, 90s garage – cornerstones from the heydays of youth when idealism ruled and our personal soundtracks reflected the upward trajectory of our lives. Like a cheeky historian, Sam culls the archives of forgotten record bins and coaxes his findings in unexpected ways – creating an infectious musical soundscape loaded with sex appeal. And soon we are enraptured, knowing full well how his heart beats.

Watch Sam Sparro – Black and Gold video:

Then he opens his mouth and the soul speaks. We are Chaka-d by the beauty of his R&B stylings, momentarily thrown back to a sugar shack in the Bayou where honey-suckled voices reigned supreme. Sam is smooth, delicious and all too good for us. “You must have thought I was a snack because your sticking to me like cling wrap,” he croons on “Cling Wrap,” knowing full well that by the time we reach this point, the penultimate track on the EP, he so has us craving more…and fearing that the party may soon end.

Sam Sparro on amazon.co.uk

Sam Sparro Official Website
Sam Sparro on Myspace

Ray Lamontagne’s latest single “Jolene” off of his debut album Trouble is set for release in the UK on May 7, 2007. (The single is not a cover of Dolly Parton’s song “Jolene” by the way.)

Last year I watched Ray Lamontagne perform his single, “Trouble” live at the Top of the Pops studios in London. The other performances that day were by Muse, Guillemots, Ne-Yo, Busta Rhymes and The Fratellis. It was quite an eclectic mix of artists and it’s certainly not every day that you get the chance to see them all together in the same place performing for an intimate studio audience.

Before the bands were due to go on, I remember seeing Ray walking around the Top of the Pops studio and also outside in the BBC courtyard area. There were a couple times that I wanted to go up to him to say hi and that I too am a New Englander who once lived in New Hampshire and spent summers in his home state of Maine. But a rumor was going around that he was shy and didn’t like “being approached”. I’m not sure if it’s true or not, but because of it I didn’t approach him. Oh well. Maybe another time.

Watch the video of Ray Lamontagne performing “Trouble” on Top of the Pops.

Watch a video of Ray Lamontagne performing his single “Jolene”

08/18 Folks Festival Lyons, CO
10/16 St. Davids Cardiff, UK
10/17 Manchester Apollo Manchester, UK
10/18 St Georges Bradford, UK
10/19 Opera House Blackpool, UK
10/22 Olympia Dublin, IE
10/23 Olympia Dublin, IE
10/26 Dome Brighton, UK
10/27 Colston Hall Bristol, UK
10/28 Pavillions Plymouth, UK
10/29 Guildhall Southampton, UK
10/31 Music Hall Aberdeen, UK
11/01 Card Hall Dundee, UK
11/02 Playhouse Edinburgh, UK
11/04 Civic Hall Wolverhampton, UK
11/05 Royal Albert Hall London, UK
11/06 Royal Albert Hall London, UK

Ray Lamontagne Official Website
Ray Lamontagne on Myspace
14th Floor Records

By: Jenny May

Comprised of drummer Jim Bridges, bassist Phil Raney, guitarist Joe Gothard, keyboardist Brandon Howard, percussionist Hector Maldonado, saxophonist Keith Newton, and trumpeter Lee Savory, these accomplished musicians have shared bills with jazz heavyweights like Spyro Gyra, The Rippingtons, Al Jarreau, Larry Carlton, Rick Braun, Paul Taylor, and Jonathan Butler.

A high-energy, jazz/R&B/soul sound that is compared with the likes of Spyro Gyra, & The Ohio Players, JAZZIZ declared UJC as “a blend of smooth jazz textures and fiery funk.”

Flushed with lushly rhythmic grooves, funky bass lines, a smokin’ hot brass section, UJC has created an URBAN JAZZ revolution. Don’t miss your chance to catch them live in 2007!

Urban Jazz Coalition
www.urbanjazzcoalition.com

Combining their impressive rhythm section with perfect falsetto harmonies and guitar solo’s that make audience members spark up their lighters in a “you rock” glee. The Truckee Brothers break the conventional rock mold with their new release drawing on psychedelic, bluesy and soulful back beats.

In a hilarious salute to female wrestling, the band has put together a video for their new single, “Gritty Pretty” – a song birthed out of the 1970’s garage rock / retro vein – featuring vintage footage of women wrestlers. Get a good Truckee chuckle and view the “Gritty Pretty” video on You Tube here

“Peat and Cady Truckee weave their constant harmonies, each testing their…guitars to their rock ‘n’ roll limits, bashing away percussively like the strings were a horrible ex-girlfriend. Their sound is sharp and punchy, their lyrics bubbling with innuendo, and …their songs are explosive.” – Helen Keen – MAVERICK MAGAZINE (UK)

“Hell, I wanna share the stage with them, get on the same bill at a gig in San Diego or wherever.”- Mike Watt (Minutemen/Stooges)

Find more info on the Truckee Brothers at www.Myspace.com/TruckeeBrothers

Holland tour dates are as follows:

April 17th, Cafe de Stiels – Haarlem
April 18th, Het Bluescafe – Apeldoorn
April 19th, Het Hjigend Hert – Breda
April 20th, Jerry’s Muziekcafe – Veldhoven
April 22th, Het Meterhuis – Haarlem

Karlex soulfully fusses the vibes of his native island with funky guitar sounds and heavy bass, in a unique blend called Afro Groove. “Ghetto Fabulous” has been making waves in France since its release  in September 2006. The album was selected by “Arte TV” as an October Event and by “Radio Africa No 1” as Album Of The Week leading up to  the release. Karlex was invited to perform on his song “I’ve Got News  For You…” France 2’s ‘Live Acoustic’, while also being chosen by  Acoustic Fuel as a ‘Daily ReFill – In Celebration of Black History Month.’

“Karlex brings in smooth and mellow sounds with a deep blend of funk, reggae, and soul. From the get go with conviction he brings in a caribbean folk flow with the deep track ‘Ghetto Fabulous’.” Catask Music & Entertainment

For more information on Karlex, visit http://www.myspace.com/karlex  or http://www.sonicbids.com/karlex

Karlex is a member of the MusicDish Network, a complete artist development program, leveraging brand development, saturated and relationship marketing, digital distribution and industry outreach to support emerging artists’ and bands’ careers.
http://www.musicdish.net

A duo consisting of vocalist Roger Smith and multi-instrumentalist Thor Madsen, the New York-based Lemon generates body heat from their funky, sweltering grooves. The propulsive “Ain’t Coming Back” recalls Peter Gabriel in his mid-’80s prime as Smith’s deeply emotional and urgent vocals fuel Madsen’s grinding keyboards while “One Night Stand” is reminiscent of Prince’s midnight eroticism.

“The warmth of Smith’s singing is complemented beautifully by Madsen’s dreamy keyboard textures,” raved renowned U.K. Adam Harrington.

Take a taste of Lemon now.

http://www.lemoncentral.com
http://www.myspace.com/lemonmusic

Still Waters was released September 12, 2006 and it features the first single “Wrong Again,” co-written by Setara. “Can’t Stop The River,” a track written by Seal, Springsteen’s “If I Should Fall,” and Dylan’s “Make You Feel My Love,” highlight the album. The depth and emotive nucleus of “I Can Hurt” and the striking opener “Love Me Still,” all make this an album filled with quality tracks from start to finish.

Louise, who was born in Reading, England, says, “I’ve lived with this passion for so long I can’t wait to share it.” This passion and commitment to her music is the driving force behind her creativity. The excitement Louise feels for her craft comes pouring out of her soul on every track.

Still Waters features a select group of musicians that back Setara, giving the vocalist quality layers of sound and texture that are a perfect match for her style and inflection. Rudiments of soul, gospel, R & B, and blues are all part of the mix. Each element finds a way into every tune, making the recording a sparkling and moving mixture of contemporary pop that transcends all age barriers and genres.

Louise Setara is touring in support of Still Waters and the album is available directly from her website or Amazon.com. Her website also includes a detailed biography, tour information, and other interesting information.

Contact: Chip Schutzman
Company: Miles High Productions
Address: 6622 Delongpre Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90028
Tel: 323-806-0400
Fax: 323-462-0829
Website
Email
Amazon Link

PR Created and Distributed By MuzikReviews.com For Miles High Productions