A l'occasion d'une magnifique réédition de l'oeuvre du bonhomme, je ne résiste pas à vous glisser ici un petit morceau de Syl Johnson, le bluesman américain du Mississipi; samplé par la crème de a crème du hip hop, le Wu Tang ou encore les geto boys, Syl Johnson est donc une légende vivante, et GMT veut lui faire un petit coucou. A beautiful re edition of Syl Johnson Discography is about to be released in the Us, and I can't resist dropping you here one of the track of the bluesman. Syl Johnson has been sampled [...]
Numero Group's next release is a 6xLP/4xCD box set looking back on Syl Johnson's complete works. The re-issue label has put out some tremendous records in the past, but Johnson's is probably going to be my favorite of their discography when it gets released on Tuesday. The first track from the comp. emerged yesterday, and [...]
![Syl Johnson - Complete Mythology [4CD + 6LP]](http://cdn.elbo.ws/posts/2893388_lg.jpg)
Syl Johnson (born in 1936) never got the real exposure that he deserved during his prime. And, that's where Numero Group comes in to make right on previous wrongs. This group prides itself in the fact that they re-release music that may of been overlooked over the years and they do it in style. The re-releases consist of amazing packaging and extensive information and liner notes that put more context on the music itself. Syl Johson is a perfect choice for a re-release considering the fact that he has just as much soul in his music as [...]
If you aren't aware of who Syl Johnson is, a quick summary is that he was a soul singer out of Chicago in the 60s-70s, and was often overshadowed by his label-mate, Al Green, on Memphis' Hi-Records through his later career. He is also one of hip-hop's most sampled artists, particularly by RZA of the Wu-Tang Clan, who built songs around Johnson breaks frequently (Shame On A Nigga, Hollow Bones, etc.). Hearsay soul historian favorite , Numero , has been working on issuing an anthology of Johnson's pre-Hi Records work for a few years now, [...]
Over the course of the legendary Syl Johnson's over 50 year career, the Chicago soul singer has amassed a voluminous catalog of some of the soulfulest tunes around. That catalog is getting the Numero Group treatment in the form of the box set, Syl Johnson: Complete Mythology , a four CD, six LP collection that spans the entirety of Johnson's storied career. To celebrate this release Johnson will take the stage at the Old Town School of Folk Music on November 27 and for the first time [...]
" Celestial Navigations: The Short Films of Al Jarnow ," the first film compilation by Numero Group , will make its Chicago debut this Friday and Saturday night at the Gene Siskel Film Center . For producer Michael Slaboch, seeing this labor of love come to fruition has been a long time coming and so far has garnered two sold out screenings at the 92Y Tribeca in Manhattan. "The project took four years from first thought to the screening in New York City last weekend," said Slaboch. "The first two and a half years [...]
Time to pay some dues here. Or: presenting some artists I discovered through the enthusiastic posts of fellow music bloggers over the past couple of years. So here´s a ten pack of pure gratitude, featuring soul from Terry Callier, Rodriguez, Shuggie Otis and Syl Johnson, folk from the Incredible String Band, country by Willis Alan Ramsey and Tom T. Hall (cheers Paul!), afrofunk by Segun Bucknor and more modern sounds by Wooden Shjips and Sunburned Hand Of The Man. And yup, I actually bought [...]
MP3: JC Brooks and the Uptown Sound - Baltimore Is the New Brooklyn Editor's note: This is fairly late because, well, I'm a busy guy. But I think it deserves space and praise. The merits of Numero Group's mission, the compiling and reissuing of obscure soul, are apparent. The burning question in my mind, however, is how bright an idea is it to drag these performers out of obscurity, and thrust them into the limelight. Reports from the label's first Eccentric Soul Revue performance in [...]
Coming off the heels of their successful and sold-out performance at the Park West last April, the local independent label Numero Group will be taking it's Eccentric Soul Revue on the road, starting with a show at Lincoln Hall this Saturday. The tour is being co-sponsored by Shlitz and will include many special guests at stops along the way. Added to the roster from the Spring concert is local singer Linda Balintine , whose [...]
Syl Johnson's raw soul and funk has always been a deep favorite of mine. Somewhat always pushing outside of what the mainstream doing, Syl still managed to break into the charts several times, but never gaining the real recognition that he deserved, which he explored early on in a wave of introspection and churning wonder on Is It Becasue I'm Black?, which then became something of a self fulfilling prophecy. Throwback : Syl Johnson - Is It Because I'm Black (don lowed) -- Although this song certainly resonates with [...]
A thing of beauty is a joy forever - John Keats There is hardly anything more frustrating or disheartening than looking for something that you cant find, or expecting something to be where it isn't. It doesn't really matter what it is; could be keys or a paper, could be love, could be god. Whatever it is, seems like it should be there, you believe it should be there, you think you've done the right things for it to be there, but it's not there. There are reasons you expect it, there are reasons you're hopeful, [...]
tomorrow night! be there! download: syl johnson - right on download: renaldo domino - let me come within download: the notations - i can't stop download: nate evans - main squeeze download: the final solution - where there's a will related: [...]
During a particularly brutal episode ( that is banned on US television…funny story, that ) of Aaron McGruder's Boondocks , Syl Johnson's "Is It Because I'm Black?" begins playing at the nadir of the episode (check around the 5:55 mark of the video below). As the scene played through, it served as a pointed reminder that the show's often hilarious racial humor is rooted in some very sad realities. Not including how often it has been sampled and covered, I've heard "Is It Because I'm Black?" several times before, but only [...]
wilco unveiled this long, lazy rocker, a self proclaimed work in progress, at lollapalooza over the weekend while decked in matching nudie suits...nice... you ain't no picasso has the entire show if your interested, which sounds like it was a much cooler scene than rage was on the other side of the park...anyway, the boys also turned up in wrigley yesterday to sing the seventh inning stretch (in another set of matching outfits)...the cubs ended up coming back, by the way, after dropping a late lead...finally, pop headwound has been posting some old [...]
chicago's got a lot going for it right about now; the summer's officially begun, blues fest is in full swing, the cubs have the best record in baseball, the bulls are looking at the number one pick in a couple weeks, our chances of hosting the 2016 olympics keep looking better, & the next president of the united states calls the city home...plus it's a pretty great place to live...so in honor, i've put together a little chicago mix for all of you...but in trying to focus on songs about the city, as opposed to those that just take place [...]
Les chansons à message ont généralement tendance à me gonfler un peu mais celle-là jamais ô grand jamais. Elle est habitée, plaintive, sensuelle, d'une rage froide rarement égalée. Bref c'est un classique incontestable de la musique Noire. Syl Johnson "Is it because I'm black" Comme pas mal de gens de ma génération je l'ai découvert grâce au Wu Tang Clan qui le samplent avec brio sur cet excellent titre de 2000 extrait de "The W". [...]
syl johnson - concrete reservation (mp3) syl johnson - everybody needs love (mp3) nope, nothing to do with ali g or staines of nuffink, but a nod towards one of the most overlooked soul artists in musical history. syl johnson was born in mississippi in 1936 and was originally a blues artist. he moved into soul during the 60s, releasing music on labels such as twinight and hi. his potically charged and ghetto themed soul is some of the [...]
Syl Johnson - "I Hate I Walked Away" "I Hate I Walked Away" is a self-flagellation of sorts, an abasement of every atom of Syl Johnson's being. The song regards a bed that Johnson made, but in which he does not wish to lie. He hurt a woman who loved him, broke her trust, and now he wants her back. SJ knows that he's not going to reingratiate himself with his ex-lover by buying her something expensive or by serenading her with one of his lascivious love songs. He's learned from experience that he cannot win her back in a [...]
I've had a subscription to Numero Group for a year now and I'm blown away by the quality and obscurity of every release I receive in the mail. From French electro-samba to Detroit gospel-funk, Numero's founders Tom Lunt, Rob Sevier, and Ken Shipley don't fuck around when it comes to diggin' shit up. Upon renewing my subscription I promptly found Twinight's Lunar Rotation, the latest edition to the Eccentric Soul series, on my doorstep. It's a double disc jam packed with singles from '67-'72 released by the Chicagoland independent label Twinight. Although Twinight was Syl [...]
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