Beyoncé’s 2003 smash hit “Crazy in Love” is more than just a defining moment in her career—it marks the public beginning of one of music’s most powerful partnerships: Beyoncé and Jay-Z. Their chemistry, both as artists and as a couple, shines through the song, offering a glimpse of the love and collaboration that would soon take the industry by storm. Producer Rich Harrison crafted the beat with…

SUNDAY MATINEE MUSIC VIDEO: “There Will Never Be Any Peace (Until God Sits At The Conference Table)” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vhi79SjPjzE I pay tribute to the late, great gospel-soul singer-songwriter Eugene Record (born with a perfect name for the work). He’s best known as a member of The Chi-Lites. He wrote their evergreen hits “Have You Seen Her?” and “Oh Girl,” and his songs keep getting covered. One this I perform Eugene’s timeless composition which he wrote during the turbulent Vietnam War era, and it’s been covered by artists including Blind Boys of Alabama. I was introduced to song by my friend, British singer-songwriter Steve Lambert (ex-Roman Holliday), who insisted that I listen to Nick Lowe’s intimate remake of Eugene’s spiritual song—with lyrics that seem very relevant today! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vhi79SjPjzE

The Chi-Lites are an American R&B/Soul vocal quartet from Chicago. Forming at Chicago’s Hyde Park High School in 1959, The group’s original lineup consisted of singers Robert Lester, Eugene Record, Creadel Jones, Clarence Johnson, Burt Bowen, Eddie Reed and Marshall Thompson.The Chi-Lites’ greatest fame came during the late 1960s through the early 1970s (with members Record, Jones, Lester and…

My dad is entering a new decade, this birthday is a big one. Dad likes the Chi-Lites, not necessarily the music they were putting out in 1983, although still a young man by then he had three kids and another on the way. Our dad likes 1960s and 70s soul, before synths, the soul that had orchestras, the soul Rod Stewart sight do on a covers album off just before Christmas. Happy birthday, dad