mercredi 17 juin 2026
Fred Alexander (Lakeside Drummer) dies
(June 15, 2026) We received the bad news today of the passing of longtime member of R&B supergroup Lakeside, Fred Alexander.
Stephen Shockley of the group posted on social media: Today is a Very Sad Day for our band Lakeside because we lost Fred Alexander…The little General…… The Backbone to all of our Records with his lock down drum playing …The most Driven and persistent Man I’ve ever known… That’s why he became administrator of our organization… i mean .. he could find a gig in the back of a Goodwill… under a rock or buried in the mud…. He kept us working after all seemed lost some twelve years ago… He made sure that our taxes were paid.. He Kept our Trademark consistent and up to date… he Made sure that our plane flights were always taken care of… and he loved doing the job.. But most of all , he was a Brother… We rode together through all of our albums, all of our concerts Tv Shows, Ups And Downs…. Until the wheels fell off… Unfortunately For us and Mr. Fred Alexander… Today was that Day … after 49 years together in friendship music and Brotherhood…God stepped in and said “I can take care of him a little better so yall Hand him over.. I Got This.. Rest In Heaven Little General… I love you and We All Do with all our Hearts Fred….you’ll be missed.. Those are some little BIG Shoes to fill!!!
Another in the long line of talented funk acts to come out of Dayton, Ohio, Lakeside was formed around 1970 by members of two local groups, the Nomads and the Young Undergrounds. The group was truly unique in that it essentially consisted of two groups: a stand up 4-man vocal group, and a full-on four person (later five person) funk band. Alexander joined the group in 1977.
The mega-sized group won a contest that sent the members to Chicago to record a session for Curtis Mayfield’s Curtom label. The recording never materialized, and the group made the decision to move to California to jumpstart their careers. There, Lakeside Express picked up new member, drummer Fred Alexander, and became one of the most popular club acts in L.A. Their popularity attracted music empresario Dick Griffey, who became their manager and, after shortening the group’s name to Lakeside, negotiated for them an ill-fated contract with Motown.
The Motown experience was the first of several where record company executives attempted to shape a sound for Lakeside that was inconsistent with the group’s own unique vibe. The Motown relationship ended quickly, without any releases, but those recordings ultimately became part of the group’s debut album on ABC Records, a disc that failed to chart. As ABC shut its doors, Griffey decided to move Lakeside to his own nascent SOLAR Records, an LA-based label that would develop a signature sound and become the hottest record imprint of the early 80s.
With their name shortened to Lakeside, the group’s 1978 SOLAR debut single, “It’s All the Way Live,” shot to the top 5 on the R&B Charts and paved the way for their SOLAR album Shot of Love. With group members actively shaping their musical direction, Lakeside began an Imperial Period of successful albums and memorable singles that have continued to receive airplay decades after their original release. Lakeside’s gritty funk songs and hand-drawn album covers, portraying group members as pirates, G-Men, Arabian Knights, etc., gave them a unique position among the numerous soul/funk groups of that time.
During the early 80s, Lakeside’s musical party continued with such funk gems as “Your Wish Is My Command,” “Raid” and their biggest hit, “Fantastic Voyage” (later remade by Coolio). But Lakeside also showed itself to be a legitimate soul group, most notably on a wonderfully gritty remake of the Beatles’ “I Wanna Hold Your Hand,” a cut that bore almost no resemblance to the pop classic original but which became one of the great soul songs of 1982.
By the late 80s, radio was changing, with hip-hop and electronic R&B acts moving to the forefront. The Lakeside brand of funk was out of favor, and the group’s attempts to mimic the sounds of the day sounded less authentic than the recordings of their heyday.
By the 90s, without a record contract, and with touring revenue down, members began to leave Lakeside, and internal squabbles about money and control led to a split of those who had remained. Lead singer Wood formed his own touring version of Lakeside with all new members, while Shockley led a more familiar version of the band called The Original Lakeside, ultimately attracting six other longtime members back into the fold, including Alexander. That version of the group continues to tour in multi-act funk and R&B shows to this day, still sounding great.
Today we will mourn the passing of a great drummer who was also part of the “glue” that kept an all-time favorite band chugging along nearly a half century after he joined. Rest in peace.
Club Nouveau Collection
Club Nouveau (/nuːvoʊ/) is an American R&B group formed by record producer/performer Jay King in 1986 in Sacramento, California, following the breakup of the Timex Social Club.[2] The group's name (French for "Club New") was changed from its original incarnation, "Jet Set", to capitalize on the breakup. The group was signed by Warner Bros. Records, on which Club Nouveau released its first three albums. Club Nouveau's go-go version of Bill Withers's song "Lean on Me" won a Grammy Award for Best R&B Song in 1987.
From its debut album, Life, Love & Pain, which was released in 1986,[2] the group scored four consecutive hits: "Jealousy" (essentially an answer song responding to Timex Social Club's hit "Rumors"), "Situation #9", "Lean on Me" and "Why You Treat Me So Bad". The latter two both made it to #2 on the Billboard R&B chart the next year, with "Lean on Me" going on to become a big Billboard Hot 100 hit.[2] "Jealousy" also made an appearance on the soundtrack for the film Modern Girls. "Why You Treat Me So Bad" was interpolated by the hip-hop duo Luniz, on its hit single "I Got 5 on It", and subsequently by rapper/record producer Puff Daddy on his #1 R&B single "Satisfy You".
The group's original lineup consisted of Jay King, Valerie Watson, Samuelle Prater, Denzil Foster, and Thomas McElroy.[2] Foster and McElroy soon left to form their own production team and focus on working with other acts. Prater, who had performed lead vocals on "Lean on Me", eventually left as well[4] to pursue a solo career but reunited with the group in 2009.
The group's next albums—beginning with Listen to the Message—were laced with an evolving social consciousness.[5] Notable recordings include "You Ain't No Friend of Mine" from Under A Nouveau Groove; a dancehall-influenced version of the Gospel classic "Oh, Happy Day", from A New Beginning; "Let It Go" from Everything Is Black; and "What Kind of Love" from The Collection Volume I. The group also recorded "Step by Step" for the Who's That Girl soundtrack.
Club Nouveau was nominated for a Grammy for Best R&B Performance in 1987. The group's version of "Lean on Me" was its most celebrated hit, resulting in a Grammy nomination for Song of the Year in addition to winning the Grammy for Best R&B Song that same year.[3] "Lean on Me" was also nominated for two American Music Awards, nominated and won a Bammy Award, a BRE Drummer award, a Bay Area Star award and it won two NARM (National Association of Recording Merchandisers) awards.
The 2015 lineup consists of King, Watson, and Prater.
In 2017, as part of Warner Music's divestment requirements as a result of its purchase of Parlophone, the group's Warner Bros. recordings were acquired by Tommy Boy Records, which worked 12-inch singles from its first album to clubs as a result of its emerging relationship with Warner and from being an expert in the format.
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dimanche 7 juin 2026
Roberta Flack And Peabo Bryson – Live & More 1980
with some nicely recorded tracks from a gig at The Holiday Star Theater in Merrillville, IN (not too far south of Chicago) in the dawn of the 80s – and some tight studio material, too! It's got a some terrific live versions of some of the biggest hits from both singers – plus their great duets. Titles include "Don't Make Me Wait Too Long", a nice version of "Back Together Again" – which was originally done by Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway, "Killing Me Softly", "God Don't Like Ugly", "Feel The Fire", and "Only Heaven Can Wait/You Are My Heaven".
Peabo Bryson and Roberta Flack - Born to Love 1983
Born to Love is a 1983 studio album of duets by American singers Peabo Bryson and Roberta Flack. It was released by Bryson's label Capitol Records on July 22, 1983, in the United States. The album yielded the hit single "Tonight, I Celebrate My Love", written by Gerry Goffin and Michael Masser. The track "Maybe" was written and recorded for the film Romantic Comedy (1983).
By the time the 1980s rolled around, Peabo Bryson was a bona fide R&B/quiet storm star, and Born to Love further solidified his place in the upper echelon of not only R&B, but pop music as well. A full album of duets with Roberta Flack (who has the knack of pairing herself with quality singing partners), the most obvious hit on the record was the opening track. "Tonight I Celebrate My Love" became a bona fide phenomenon on the R&B charts, became a highly requested wedding song, and has been licensed to numerous compilations over the years. There are some other quality songs on this record (the Bacharach/Bayer Sager penned "Blame It on Me" and the minor hit "You're Lookin' Like Love to Me"), but they all unquestionably remain in the giant shadow of "Tonight." Not an essential album by any means, but nonetheless an enjoyable listen.
Peabo Bryson & Natalie Cole - Were The Best Of Friends 1979
Peabo Bryson was never a hardcore soul purist; he's someone to listen to if you like your R&B laced with lots of pop and adult contemporary. So when Capitol united Natalie Cole with Bryson for this duet album in 1979, you can be certain that the label had its eye on both the R&B charts and the pop charts. And Capitol wasn't disappointed by the LP's performance; We're the Best of Friends was black enough for R&B and quiet storm stations, but pop enough for adult contemporary audiences. On the whole, this slick album isn't mind-blowing, but most of the tracks are pleasant -- and that is true of "I Want to Be Where You Are" and the hit single "Gimme Some Time," as well as the title song. Arguably, the best thing on the record is Cole and Bryson's remake of Bobby Caldwell's "What You Won't Do for Love," an obvious choice for quiet storm formats in 1979. Also noteworthy is a medley of Harold Arlen's "Let's Fall in Love" and Sam Cooke's "You Send Me," which was arranged by the late Nelson Riddle. Although the two songs are from different eras (the '30s and the late '50s), they prove compatible. We're the Best of Friends isn't one of Cole's more essential efforts, but it's a decent outing that her hardcore fans appreciated.
Peabo Bryson - Stand for Love (2018)
Stand for Love is the twenty-first studio album by American singer Peabo Bryson. It was released on August 3, 2018, by Perspective Records, with distribution overseen by Caroline, the independent services wing of Capitol Records, his former label.[2] Bryson's first album in a decade, it marked his debut with Perspective, the label by production duo Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis with whom he worked on the entire album.[3] Stand for Love was preceded by its lead single, "Love Like Yours and Mine" which reached number three on the US Adult R&B Songs chart.
Old school Peabo CD. Reminds you of the way songs are supposed to be song. i like it !!!
Peabo Bryson - Missing You (2007)
Missing You is the twentieth studio album by American singer Peabo Bryson. It was released by Peak Records on October 2, 2007. The album reached number 41 on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, becoming Bryson's highest-charting album since Can You Stop the Rain (1991).
By calling this comeback album Missing You, veteran soul balladeer Peabo Bryson turns the tables on those who, he hopes, have been missing him. His 20th album, it is his first non-holiday studio recording of new material in eight years, since Private Music took Unconditional Love to number 75 in Billboard's R&B chart in 1999. The 56-year-old has not been inactive by any means since then, but he has not interested the major labels, which moved on to younger, hipper lovermen. The first question with a new album for such a performer is to what extent he may have felt it necessary to accommodate himself to new styles, but that question is to some extent answered in advance by noting that he chose to align himself with Peak Records, a label known for smooth jazz. Missing You is not without its contemporary touches, notably in the computer-generated rhythm tracks. But Bryson is not really out to compete with Usher and R. Kelly for the hearts of teenagers here. There are no guest rappers, and the hip-hop elements are kept to a minimum; Missing You is an album intended primarily for Bryson's existing fan base and secondarily for smooth jazz fans. Presumably, there are quite a few of the former who will recall the 45 songs Bryson placed in the R&B singles charts between 1976 and 1993. They are likely to revel in the familiar combination of proclamations of undying love like "Count on Me" and "I Promise I Do" and laments of lost love like "Missing You" and "Don't Make Me Cry." Smooth jazz fans, meanwhile, will welcome the guest appearances by Boney James ("Don't Make Me Cry"), Norman Brown ("10,000 Reasons"), and Paul Taylor (a cover of Angela Bofill's "I Try"). Other notable instrumentalists are producer Barry J. Eastmond, who plays piano on the title song, and Bryson himself, who handles a lead acoustic guitar part on "To Love About." This is material the singer will have no problem integrating into a stage act dominated by his greatest hits, and it should be welcomed by those who enjoyed his earlier work. It may have been a long time between albums, but musically Bryson acts as though no time at all has passed.
Peabo Bryson - Unconditional Love (1999)
Unconditional Love is the eighteenth studio album by American singer Peabo Bryson. It was released in the United States by Private Music, a division of the Windham Hill Group, on April 27, 1999. Bryson, along with Regina Troupe, produced the majority of the album himself, but also worked with Masaru Nishiyama and frequent collaborator Robbie Buchanan on several tracks. It peaked at no. 75 on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
Peabo Bryson - Peace on Earth (1997)
eace on Earth is the seventeenth studio album by American singer Peabo Bryson. It was released by Angel Records on November 4, 1997 in the United States. Produced by Canadian musician Robbie Buchanan, it marked Bryson's first Christmas album. The standard edition of Peace on Earth consists of ten tracks, featuring the original song "Born on Christmas Day" and nine cover versions of Christmas standards and carols, two of which are duets featuring recording artists Sandi Patti and Roberta Flack. Upon release, Peace on Earth failed to chart, though Christmas with You, a 2005 reissue, released by Time Life, peaked at number 10 on the US Top Holiday Albums chart in 2006.
Peabo Bryson - Through the Fire (1994)
Through the Fire is the sixteenth studio album by American singer Peabo Bryson. It was released by Columbia Records on June 14, 1994, in the United States and marked Bryson's first full-length album after the release of his number-one hit duets "Beauty and the Beast" (1991) and "A Whole New World" (1992). The singer reteamed with David Foster, Walter Afanasieff, and Dwight Watkins and consulted upcoming producers Keith Rawls, Keith Thomas and Marc Freeman to work with him on the majority of Through the Fire which was titled after Bryson's cover of the Foster-penned Chaka Khan song (1984).
Peabo Bryson - Can You Stop the Rain (1991)
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Can You Stop the Rain is the fifteenth studio album by American singer Peabo Bryson. It was released by Columbia Records on June 4, 1991[1] in the United States. Following the release of All My Love (1989), his sole return release with his longtime label, Capitol Records, the singer signed with label Columbia to complete work on his next project along with Walter Afanasieff, Peter Bunetta, Rick Chudacoff, and Barry Mann. Bryson himself became instrumental in composing and producing several songs on his own for the album along with Sir Gant and Dwight W. Watkins.
Can You Stop the Rain reached number one on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, becoming Bryson's first album to do so.[3] It also peaked at number 88 on the US Billboard 200 for the week ending September 14, 1991.[4] This marked Bryson's highest-charting album since Straight from the Heart in 1984.[2] In 1994, Can You Stop the Rain was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
Having returned to Capitol Records for 1989's All My Love and enjoyed a career uptick, Peabo Bryson moved again to Columbia Records, where he completed his comeback to the commercial status he had enjoyed in the early '80s. Bryson seemed to have reconciled himself to the public's view of him as primarily a balladeer, and he delivered the goods, especially on the title track, a number one R&B hit, and on the Cynthia Weil/Barry Mann tune "Closer Than Close," which also hit the R&B Top Ten. (Bryson helped his own cause considerably by involving himself in the writing and production of five of the 11 songs.) The album topped the R&B charts, and although Bryson still had trouble crossing over to the pop charts, it was his biggest seller in seven years. The album's success, however, was quickly overshadowed by Bryson's soundtrack work, as he placed hits from the Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin scores in the charts later in 1991 and 1992.
Peabo Bryson - All My Love (1989)
All My Love is the fourteenth studio album by American singer Peabo Bryson. It was released by Capitol Records in May 1989 in the United States. The album marked Bryson's first release with the label after four years with Elektra Records.
Peabo Bryson switched labels in 1989, returning to Capitol, the place where he'd enjoyed his greatest success in the late '70s and early '80s. The results were both immediate and satisfying. This album was not only one of his strongest in many years, but such songs as "Show and Tell" and "Palm of Your Hand" got widespread urban contemporary airplay, and D'Atra Hicks got a career boost from doing a duet with Bryson on the album.
Peabo Bryson - Positive (1988)
Peabo Bryson's final album for Elektra was largely undistinguished, although he sang with more conviction and got better material and production than on most of his other Elektra albums. He scored another hit with a familiar weapon: the duet. This time his partner was Regina Belle, with whom he would enjoy more success on another soundtrack project.
Peabo Bryson - Quiet Storm (1986)
A prototype album for late-'80s urban contemporary music. Bryson made some over-produced, effectively sung ballads and a few decent up-tempo tracks, and the results were disappointing but mildly successful. The album did get extensive publicity and support, but there were no hits.
Peabo Bryson - Take No Prisoners (1985)
Take No Prisoners is the eleventh studio album by American singer-songwriter Peabo Bryson It was released by Elektra Records in June 1985 in the United States.[1] Produced by Arif Mardin and Tommy LiPuma, the album peaked at number 102 on the US Billboard 200 and number 40 on the US R&B albums chart.
Three singles were released, including the title track and the pop crossover ballad "Love Always Finds a Way", the latter of which peaked at number 26 on the US Adult Contemporary chart in early 1986.[3] The album's title track became a minor hit on both the pop and R&B charts, supported by a Miami Vice-inspired music video.[4] In addition to Chaka Khan, contributing artists include Jennifer Holliday, Kashif, and Robbie Buchanan.
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