Sunday Nights with Vinny

12/10/2024

https://www.mcrmidnightcafe.com/
Today on Saturday Night R&B Countdown, we are playing Cash Box Magazine's Top 40 R&B Songs of 10/12/1978 including bonus tracks.
The fun starts at 7:00 PM EDT! Join us on the "Good To The Soul" Channel..

08/10/2024

HAPPY 77th BIRTHDAY Sheila Diana Ferguson, singer, songwriter, actress, and author. She was the second longest-serving member of the 1970s female soul music group The Three Degrees, singing lead vocals on most of the group's biggest hits, most notably "When Will I See You Again", which was a huge international success topping the UK Singles Chart and peaked at #2 in the US.
Following her departure from The Three Degrees in 1986, Ferguson went on to have her own solo singing career, touring internationally, making multiple TV appearances, and releasing a solo album titled A New Kind of Medicine. She has forged a prolific stage and screen career in the UK, starring in numerous musicals, soul legend tours, and her own sitcom Land of Hope and Gloria. She is also the best-selling author of Soul Food: Classic Cuisine from the Deep South,

07/10/2024

Whitney Houston's mom, singer Cissy Houston, is dead at 91.

06/10/2024

Remembering Millie Small (Millicent Dolly May Small, CD) on the day of her birth, Jamaican singer-songwriter, best known for her 1964 recording of "My Boy Lollipop".
In her teens, she recorded a duet with Owen Gray ("Sugar Plum") in 1962 and later recorded with Roy Panton for Coxsone Dodd's Studio One record label as 'Roy and Millie'. They had a local hit with "We'll Meet".

These hits brought her to the attention of Chris Blackwell who became her manager and legal guardian, who in late 1963 took her to Forest Hill, London, where she was given intensive training in dancing and diction. There she made her fourth recording, an Ernest Ranglin rearrangement of "My Boy Lollipop", a song originally released by Barbie Gaye in late 1956. Released in March 1964, Small's version was a massive hit, reaching number two both in the UK Singles Chart and in the US Billboard Hot 100, and number three in Canada. It also topped the chart in Australia. Initially it sold over 600,000 copies in the United Kingdom. Including singles sales, album usage and compilation inclusions, the song has since sold more than seven million copies worldwide. Her later recordings, "Sweet William" and "Bloodshot Eyes", also charted in the UK, at numbers 30 and 48 respectively, and "Sweet William" also peaked at number 40 in the US, her only other American chart single. "My Boy Lollipop" re-charted in the UK in 1987 at no. 46.

"My Boy Lollipop" was doubly significant in British pop history. It was the first major hit for Island Records (although it was actually released on the Fontana label because Chris Blackwell, Island's owner, did not want to overextend its then-meagre resources; in the US, the record appeared on the Smash Records subsidiary of Mercury Records), and Small was the first artist to have a hit that was recorded in the bluebeat style (she was billed as "The Blue Beat Girl" on the single's label in the US). This was a music genre that had recently emerged from Jamaica, and was a direct ancestor of reggae. R.I.P.

02/10/2024

www.rnbmusicsociety.com
Remembering The Late, Great Harry Ray (Left) of The Moments/Ray, Goodman & Brown who passed away 32 years ago on October 1, 1992.

Ray, Goodman & Brown is an American R&B vocal group.

The group originated as The Moments, who formed in the mid-1960s and whose greatest successes came in the 1970s with hits including "Love on a Two-Way Street", "Sexy Mama" and "Look at Me (I'm in Love)". In 1979, for contractual reasons they changed their name to Ray, Goodman & Brown and had further hits, including "Special Lady"

Between the first album's release and The Moments' #1 hit, Sylvia Robinson's brother-in-law Johnny Moore (who appeared with Goodman and Brown on the cover of the group's 1970 second album); however, Moore was absent from a live appearance. Since The Moments were now considered a headline attraction, he was fired; Goodman and Brown worked as a duo until new arrival Harry Ray rounded out the trio. This lineup became Sylvia Robinson's favorite, and the one most heavily promoted by All Platinum. Ray sang lead while Brown recovered from vocal overexertion, and was the lead voice on many of The Moments' subsequent hits including the follow-up "If I Didn’t Care" ( #7 R&B, #44 pop, 1970), "Sexy Mama" ( #3 R&B, #17 pop, 1973) and "Look At Me (I'm In Love)" ( #1 R&B, #39 pop, 1975).

After Brown recovered, they shared lead-vocal duties; occasionally Goodman took a turn, and served as spokesman for the group. Their album, entitled A Moment With The Moments, showed Goodman, Brown and Johnny Moore on the cover and was hastily released while Brown was still recovering. The release numbers ran out of sequence in their hurry to support the single "If I Didn't Care" in 1970. This was the first Moments lead vocal for Ray, and the only track on which Ray appeared. Another remix of "Love On A Two Way Street" was included, but the rest of the album consisted of tracks recorded before Brown's illness (mainly B-sides from earlier singles). Moore was gone from the group by the time the album reached the charts. After Brown's voice returned Stang began releasing singles from the On Top album, with Ray and Brown dividing lead vocals. Ray also recorded a duet with Sylvia Robinson, "Sho Nuff Boogie" (credited as Sylvia and the Moments), in 1973.

30/09/2024

HAPPY 89th BIRTHDAY Johnny Mathis (John Royce "Johnny" Mathis), singer of popular music. Starting his career with singles of standard music, he became highly popular as an album artist, with several dozen of his albums achieving gold or platinum status and 73 making the Billboard charts to date. Mathis has received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and has been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame for three separate recordings.
Although he is frequently described as a romantic singer, his discography includes traditional pop, Brazilian and Spanish music, soul, rhythm and blues, show tunes, Tin Pan Alley, soft rock, blues, country music, and even a few disco songs for his album Mathis Magic in 1979. Mathis has also recorded six albums of Christmas music. In a 1968 interview, Mathis cited Lena Horne, Nat King Cole, and Bing Crosby among his musical influences.

30/09/2024

HAPPY 81st BIRTHDAY the legendary singer Marilyn McCoo of the dynamic vocal group, The 5th Dimension!

She hosted the 1980s music countdown series Solid Gold. Since 1969, she has been married to singer Billy Davis Jr., the founder and co-member of the 5th Dimension. McCoo has a four-octave vocal range.

29/09/2024

https://www.mcrmidnightcafe.com/
Sorry for the late notice:
Tonight we are playing the Billboard Top 40 Easy Listening hits of 9/29/1986 including bonus tracks.
The fun starts at 7:00 PM EDT, join us!
We're on Midnight Cafe Radio! You can click here or use Alexa and say
"Hey Alexa, Play Midnight Cafe Radio on Tunein!"

21/09/2024

https://www.mcrmidnightcafe.com/
Today on Saturday Night R&B Countdown, we are playing the Billboard Top 40 R&B Songs of 9/21/1977 including bonus tracks.
The fun starts at 7:00 PM EDT! Join us on the "Good To The Soul" Channel..

18/09/2024

HAPPY 85th BIRTHDAY Lamonte McLemore, vocalist. He was a founding member of The 5th Dimension, a popular vocal group of the late 1960s and early 1970s. In 2014, McLemore wrote and published his autobiography with Robert-Allan Arno, From the Hobo Flats to The 5th Dimension - A Life Fulfilled in Baseball, Photography, and Music.
McLemore was born in St. Louis, Missouri. He is a professional photographer for Pl***oy, Ebony, Jet, People, and Harper's Bazaar magazines.

15/09/2024

https://www.mcrmidnightcafe.com/
Sorry for the late notice:
Tonight we are playing the Billboard Top 40 Easy Listening hits of 9/15/1980 including bonus tracks.
The fun starts at 7:00 PM EDT, join us!
We're on Midnight Cafe Radio! You can click here or use Alexa and say
"Hey Alexa, Play Midnight Cafe Radio on Tunein!"

13/09/2024

Remembering conductor, composer, arranger and record producer, Gene Page who was born on this date September 13, 1939 in Los Angeles, CA.

His sound can be heard in the arrangements he did for Jefferson Starship, Righteous Brothers ("Lovin' Feelin'"), the Supremes, The Four Tops, Barbra Streisand, Johnny Mathis, Donna Loren, Martha and the Vandellas, Cher, Barry White, the Love Unlimited Orchestra, Dionne Warwick, Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, George Benson, the Jackson 5, Roberta Flack, Elton John ("Philadelphia Freedom"), Leo Sayer, Marvin Gaye, the Temptations, Frankie Valli, Helen Reddy and Lionel Richie among many others.

In addition, he released four solo albums and scored various motion picture soundtracks that include "Brewster McCloud" and "Fun with Dick and Jane". In 1972, he was hired to score the Blaxplotation film "Blacula".

He was one of the most prolific arrangers/conductors of popular music during his time and worked on more than 200 gold and platinum records.

Page passed away August 24, 1998 at the age of 58.

09/09/2024

WHAT DID YOU THINK OF THIS SONG & FILM?

On this date in 1967, TO SIR WITH LOVE by LULU debuted at No. 74 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart, marking the beginning of an extraordinary journey for the Scottish singer's most successful single in the United States.

👇 WATCH THE VIDEO IN THE COMMENTS BELOW 👇

The song, serving as the theme for James Clavell's film of the same name, was a collaborative effort between lyricist Don Black and composer Mark London. Lulu's involvement extended beyond her vocal performance, as director Clavell was so impressed with her that he expanded her role in the film and entrusted her with the theme song. The production brought together some of the most influential figures in the British music scene, including producer Mickie Most and musical director John Paul Jones (later of Led Zeppelin fame).

06/09/2024

This week in September of 1966, the self-titled, third studio album by Cher was released on Imperial Records, produced by Sonny Bono. It was arranged/conducted by Harold Battiste. The LP went on to peak at #59 on the Billboard 200.

Despite the lack of impact it had on the market there were three singles released: the ballad "Alfie", "I Feel Something in the Air" and "Sunny".

Track listing:

Side One:

1. "Sunny"
2. "Twelfth of Never"
3. "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me"
4. "I Feel Something in the Air (Magic in the Air)"
5. "Will You Love Me Tomorrow"
6. "Until It's Time for You to Go"

Side Two

1. "Cruel War"
2. "Catch the Wind"
3. "The Pied Piper"
4. "Homeward Bound"
5. "I Want You"
6. "Alfie"

It was recorded at Gold Star Studios in Hollywood, engineered by Stan Ross.

Personnel:

Cher - lead vocals
Carol Kaye, Don Peake, Dr. John - guitar
David Cohen, Mike Post - 12-string guitar
Lyle Ritz - electric bass guitar
Cliff Hills - upright bass
Gabriel Mekler - piano
Michel Rubini - harpsichord
Frank Capp - drums
Gene Estes, Jim Gordon, Jungle Geno - percussion
George Poole - violin, flute

06/09/2024

Sylvester James Jr. (September 6, 1947 – December 16, 1988), known as Sylvester.

Sylvester James was an American singer-songwriter. Primarily active in the genres of disco, rhythm and blues, and soul, he was known for his flamboyant and androgynous appearance, falsetto singing voice, and hit disco singles in the late 1970s and 1980s. Sylvester developed a love of singing through the gospel choir of his Pentecostal church. Leaving the church after the congregation expressed disapproval of his homosexuality, he found friendship among a group of black cross-dressers and transgender women who called themselves the Disquotays. Moving to San Francisco in 1970 at the age of 22, Sylvester embraced the counterculture and joined the avant-garde drag troupe the Cockettes, producing solo segments of their shows which were heavily influenced by female blues and jazz singers such as Billie Holiday and Josephine Baker. During the Cockettes' critically panned tour of New York City, Sylvester left them to pursue his career elsewhere. He came to front Sylvester and his Hot Band, a rock act that released two commercially unsuccessful albums on Blue Thumb Records in 1973 before disbanding.

Focusing on a solo career, Sylvester signed a recording contract with Harvey Fuqua of Fantasy Records and obtained three new backing singers in the form of Martha Wash and Izora Rhodes – the "Two Tons O' Fun" – as well as Jeanie Tracy. His first solo album, Sylvester (1977), was a moderate success. This was followed with the acclaimed disco album Step II (1978), which spawned the singles "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)" and "Dance (Disco Heat)", both of which were hits in the U.S. and Europe. Distancing himself from the disco genre, he recorded four more albums – including a live album – with Fantasy Records. After leaving this label, he signed to Megatone Records, the dance-oriented company founded by friend and collaborator Patrick Cowley, where he recorded four more albums, including the Cowley penned hit Hi-NRG track "Do Ya Wanna Funk".

Sylvester was an activist who campaigned against the spread of HIV/AIDS. He died from complications arising from the virus in 1988, leaving all future royalties from his work to San Francisco-based HIV/AIDS charities. In an interview with the NME, he stated, "I don't believe that AIDS is the wrath of God. People have a tendency to blame everything on God. Sylvester was 41 at the time of his death, and is buried at Inglewood Memorial Park in Inglewood, California.

06/09/2024

Sad News! RIP

9:09 AM PT -- Sergios' family have issued a statement ... telling TMZ his wife of 54 years, Gracinha Leporace Mendes, and their children were by his side when he died.