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Pop Rock Nation

Tag: R.I.P.

  • R.I.P. Teddy Pendergrass

    It’s crazy to think that in the past seven or eight years, we’ve lost so many influential male soul singers: Barry White, Rick James, Luther Vandross, Gerald LeVert and Michael Jackson have all left us in the fairly recent past, and just last night, it was learned that the legendary Teddy Pendergrass passed away at the age of 59.

    Teddy was influential in several ways. As a vocalist, he brought some serious fire and brimstone to soul music. It figures that the man was a child preacher. If you listen to some of his early hits with Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes-“If You Don’t Know Me By Now” jumps out immediately-that man was testifyin’. He was definitely one of the genre’s most distinctive voices. He was also soul music’s first real unadulterated sex symbol-hosting “For Women Only” concerts and recording songs that spoke directly to his female audience. Remember the Eddie Murphy bit in “Delirious” about Teddy?

    Teddy was also one of the first male R&B superstars-he was the first male soul singer to have his first four albums go Platinum. Despite never having a big pop hit as a solo artist, he was a big enough name to co-host the American Music Awards back in 1981. His career was temporarily halted by an auto accident that left him paralyzed from the neck down, but he returned to recording in 1984 and remained a fixture on the R&B charts for another decade-scoring two #1 hits during that period.

    It seems that with each superstar we lose, the golden era of soul music fades further and further away. Thanks for the music, T.P. You’ll be missed.

  • R.I.P. Willie Mitchell

    Willie Mitchell is certainly not a household name, but his productions rank among the best of soul music. While Mitchell was an artist in his own right, he is best known as the vice-president of Memphis soul label Hi Records and the producer of some of the label’s biggest hits, including Ann Peebles’ “I Can’t Stand the Rain”. Of course, no conversation about Hi Records or Willie Mitchell would be incomplete without mentioning the work he did with Al Green. The two formed one of the greatest artist/producer alliances in modern pop music history-spinning off classics ranging from “Let’s Stay Together” and “Love & Happiness” to “I’m Glad You’re Mine” and “Simply Beautiful”. Mitchell died today in Memphis at the age of 81.

    Mitchell’s production style was never ostentatious. His songs generally tended to simmer, which made him a perfect fit for Reverend Al. The songs had a churchy quality to them but were certainly romantic if not downright sensual. That push and pull between religion and worldliness is what defines soul music, and very few people composed and produced it better than Willie Mitchell.

    Check out “Simply Beautiful”, my favorite Al Green song. Everything fits together perfectly-gently strummed guitar (with a hint of country/western flavor), the organ that pops in a minute or so into the song, Al’s practically whispered vocal. Perfection. Today’s R&B producers (who are not really producers but beatmakers-there’s a difference) should take note.