Daddy B. Nice’s Corner – news and opinion on Southern Soul RnB music and artists
Watch for the next three songs tomorrow!
Top 25 Southern Soul Singles Of 2022
DBN notes: Merry Christmas everybody!
I’m going to count down the Top 25 Songs of 2022 over the next 10 days until New Years, posting two or three songs per day (with YouTube links) at the top of the page HERE.
December 16, 2022
Daddy B. Nice’s News & Notes
White Tennessee farm boy and fiddle player Jim Stewart, who founded Stax Records with his sister (who mortgaged her house to obtain the new label’s financing), died December 5th at the age of 92. In an ironic twist of fate Stewart, a black music-loving white man befriended by Rufus Thomas, the patriarch of Memphis soul, and his daughter Carla, was ultimately responsible for birthing what is generally regarded the “blackest”-sounding soul music in America, the legendary Stax Records. To wit, the “st” and “tx” in Stax were a combination of the two initials taken from Stewart and his sister’s names. Stewart’s death came after most of the performers he collaborated with had passed. Rufus Thomas himself died at 84, a relatively lofty age for a performer. Read the engrossing obituary by Bob Mehr at “The Memphis Commercial Appeal”……
Pictured (William Bell, an early Stax artist)
Wendell B has been “on the mend”. Here’s hoping he’ll make it to the New Year’s Eve gig at the Coliseum in Jackson Mississippi with Adrian Bagher, L.J. Echols, Arthur Young, Big Yayo and Calvin Richardson. See the Concert Calendar.……
Jus Epic’s effervescent “Country Girl,” featuring Money Waters (I love that twist on Muddy Waters) has a great new official video on YouTube. “Texas, Looo-siana, Mississippi, ‘Bama,” goes the rousing second verse. “Let me see you get down. Represent right now…” See the video.
Watch for Bobby Rush’s new twist on his 1995 single “One Monkey Don’t Stop No Show.” Sound familiar? Well, of course. It’s a big line in King George’s blockbuster single “Keep On Rollin'”. And guess who Bobby Rush is tweaking it for? King George, of course. DJ Handyman played an exclusive preview on WMPR (Jackson, Mississippi) on December 1st….
Lee Field’s new album “Sentimental Fool” (his twenty-third!) is profiled by Heikki Suosalo in November’s Soul Express, including insights from Fields himself. Read the review. Moreover, a “trailer” at the end of the piece announces a new documentary—Lee Fields–Faithful Man—playing at select theaters in the U.K. and U.S. “I’ve been married to the same woman for 53 years, but we had our trials and tribulations,” Fields says, “so it’s just letting the world know what we’ve been through…There’s a lot of sadness in it, and a lot of happiness in it.” Also read about Field’s out-of-print masterpiece, “I’ll Put My Life On The Line (Tell Me Where To Be)” in Daddy B. Nice’s Artist Guide……
Sir Charles Jones and Jeter Jones (the Jones Boys, though not related) aren’t about to let 2022 end without publishing an album each (for Jeter, his second of the year). Jeter’s new one is called Sugar Hill Highway 84.
Sir Charles’ latest, My Life’s Testimony, is being marketed as “Christian” music (as in gospel). The most dramatic line from the set (“I put the gun to my head/On Highway 55”) is also from a highway—I-55 (north/south)—known to southern soul musicians as their most travelled thoroughfare…..
Ever wonder how many southern soul songs Omar Cunningham has written? Your Daddy B. Nice is on it. Cunningham’s career is a classic case of choosing the path less taken. Typically, a legitimate southern soul songwriter yearns to take it to the stage. (Think of Chris Mabrey becoming Big Yayo.) Omar took the opposite path. Originally a performer, he’s gradually become more celebrated for writing hit songs for other artists than for his solo career, and if there’s a more prolific and influential composer in his generation (excluding difficult comparisons to the top solo singer/songwriters), I don’t know who it’d be. Read Omar Cunningham (Songwriter Supreme).
Merry Christmas to all!
—Daddy B. Nice
December 3, 2022
TOP 40 SOUTHERN SOUL SINGLES
An expanded list of the songs vying for “Top Ten Singles” in December 2022.
1. “Can I Get It”—Ciddy Boi P feat. Till 1 & Mississippi Hummin’ Boy
2. “Let Me Take You There”—Stephanie McDee
3. “Whoop Dat Preacher”—Stan Butler
4. “I Love It Here”—Jay Morris Group
5. “Let’s Play”—Karen Wolfe
6. “If My Girl Can’t Come”—LaMorris Williams
7. “Ooh Aah”—Rosalyn Candy
8. “Hot Grits”—Mz. Pat feat. Ciddy Boi P
9. “Don’t Play Wit It”—Breeze MrDo2Much feat. Jeter Jones
10. “Good Woman”—Miss Lady Blues
11. “U-Turn”—P2K DaDiddy feat. King George
12. “Double Crosser”—Vick Allen
13. “Put It On Me”—Jeter Jones
14. “2 Step”—Mark Holloway
15. “Knee Deep Part 3”—J. Morris Group
16. “I Luv You Better”—Mr. Don’t Leave
17. “Landlord”—Mr. Fredlo
18. “Sip And Roll”—Ciddy Boi P
19. “Still Looking For A Lady”—T.K. Soul
20. “Ain’t Got Time”—Big Mel
21. “Bad Bitch”—LaMorris Williams
22. “Mr. Johnny”—Keneisha
23. “Do My Thang”—Big Sett
24. “I Got To Get Your Number”—Jaye Hammer
25. “Mr. Big Stuff”—Evette Busby
26. “Country Girl”—Triple Boss Boys feat. Jeter Jones
27. “It’s The Weekend”—Kayla The Love Note
28. “Stay”—Melani feat. Cupid
29. “I Wanna Party”—Kuntry Boy D
30. “Bayou Classy Lady”—Ciddy Boi P feat. Keyun & The Zydeco Masters
31. “That Good Good”—Stephanie McDee
32. “If The Shoe Fits”—Leroy Germaine
33. “Aunt Betty”—Joe Nice feat. Mr. Sam
34. “Come On Over”—Mr. Sipp
35. “Slow Dance”—Cupid feat. Mr. Talk Box
36. “Won’t You Rock Me Baby”—Ms. Mickenzie
37. “Simple Girl”—R.B. Johnson
38. “She Got That Good”—T.K. Soul
39. “Highway 55”—Sir Charles Jones
40. “One Monkey Can Stop The Show”—Bobby Rush