Daddy B. Nice’s Corner 2020 – news and opinion on Southern Soul RnB music and artists

February 21, 2020

Mr. X (Mark Safford) Passes (by Tony Gideon)

Daddy B. Nice,

It is with great sadness in my heart that I am passing on this information. Happened around 2:00 AM October 22, 2019. (Heart Attack). We had just finished our phone conversation around midnight, Over the past 10+ years that we worked together, we had become quite close, he was like a Son to me. Would have informed you earlier but lost my computers and quite a bit of information and contacts 2 years ago in storm. Still recovering information. As you may or may not know, I am 82 years old and have been in the Music Industry 63+ years, starting here in Birmingham, AL (1956) moving with my Vocal Group, The Daylighters to Chicago,IL (1958). Started with Bea & Baby Records (1959). (Singer, Songwriter, Producer, Promotion – Marketing). As you may have heard, Mark had a stroke approximately 3 years ago and never fully recovered. But, he was one of the most positive individuals I have met during my lifetime. He was still writing, Playing keyboards (with one hand) and Producing. (He was not able to play the guitar anymore). He was as talented as any of the musicians that I worked with through the years. This includes friends of mine that I worked with over the years, (Willie Henderson who produced Tyrone Davis early hits, “Can I Change My Mind” and more .. Thomas ‘Tom Tom’ Washington (Arranger for Earth Wind & Fire and more) .. Gerald Sims (who joined The Daylighters in 1959 as guitarist along with Betty Everett), etc. Mark was special. He will surely be missed. I will keep in touch now that I have you in my system again.

Sincerely,

T.F. ‘Tony’ Gideon – LIP International/Sound Mindz Records

Daddy B. Nice on Tony Gideon:

I don’t think any one e-mail music-submitter has frustrated me as much over the years as Tony Gideon. First, the e-mail submissions came in almost daily, clogging the box. Second, in almost every instance the mp3’s were old music, music I was familiar with and had heard long before. Finally, the songs were often labeled “new” when they were really “old,” and more than once I contemplated “outing” Tony Gideon for this practice. Now, reading his account of himself (82 years old and still passionate about the music), my annoyance has blossomed into understanding and admiration. I’m currently reading Denise LaSalle’s autobiography (like eating candy) in her vernacular about all the music people in her life. It’s made me doubly mellow about all the people in this business trying to “do what they do” the best they can. Even the story of Mark Safford’s passing is somehow Tony Gideon-like, i.e. after-the-fact. When I first read the letter, I went through a thought process. “Did I know this? That Mr. X had died?”–and just forgotten? Obscure as he was, Mr. X’s songs (first sold to Senator Jones and The Love Doctor) have really held up. And if I had known of Safford’s death, I would have memorialized it in the Artist Guide to Mr. X.. No. Mark Safford’s passing is “breaking news” in the Tony Gideon fashion, and we are the richer and more well-informed for it. DBN. 

See Daddy B. Nice’s Artist Guide to Mr. X.

February 3, 2020

TOP TEN “SPILLOVER”: Top 40 Southern Soul Singles

An expanded list of the songs vying for “Top Ten Singles” in February 2020 

1. “Love Train”—Avail Hollywood 

2. “Da Fire”—Dee Dee Simon 

3. “Funky Forty”—Arthur Young 
4. “Funky Forty Reply”—Rosalyn Candy 
5. “That’s Life”—T.K. Soul 
6. “Mr. VIP”—Coldrank 
7. “Facebook”—Ricky White 
8. “That Booty”—Solomon Thompson feat. Lebrado 
9. “Country Folks Party”—Narvel Echols 
10. “Lookin’ Good”—King South feat. Jeter Jones 

11. “Don’t Cry No More (Party Remix)”—Gregg A. Smith feat. Jeter Jones 
12. “You Are The One”—Willie Clayton 
13. “Box Top Chevy”—Avail Hollywood 
14. “Put It On Him”—Dee Dee Simon 
15. “Hap Here”—Hisyde 
13. “Playing House”—Candace G. 
14. “All I Do Is Cry”—Isaac J. feat. Miss Portia 

15. “Cake”—Big Yayo 
16. “Boom Boom Room (Remix)”—P2K feat. J-Wonn 
17. “Eye Candy”—MeMe Yahsal 
18. “Cake”—Big Yayo 
19. “Treat Her Right”—Calvin Richardson 
20. “Ride It”—Highway Heavy feat. Champagne 

21. “Can I Get Some”—Ronnie Bell 
22. “When I Go Down”—Willie Clayton 
23. “Shake It Baby”—Stan Butler feat. West Love 

24. “Back Dat Booty”—Donyale Renee feat. The Party King 
25. “Twerk It”—King Fred feat. Lady Soul 
26. “New 2 Someone Else”—Big Yayo 
27. “Coming Home To Stay”—Dee Bradley 
28. “Private Party”—Highway Heavy feat. Dave Mack & Tyree Neal 
29. “Let It Go”—Darryl Morris Band 
30. “Make Love To Myself”—Jules Truly 

31. “Walk That Walk”—William Calhoun 
32. “Party”—Hummin’ Boy 
33. “Operation Move Around”—Frank Lucas 
34. “That Side Chick Song”—Evette Busby 
35. “Jump On It”—Coco Wade 
36. “In The Morning”—Corey Rudolph feat. Little Kim Stewart 
37. “Snowstorm Shorty”—Cat Clark 
38. “Country Roots”—Annie Washington 
39. “OSBL”—AshleyMarie 
40. “Come And Get It”—C-Wright 

–Daddy B. Nice