Blued-Eyed Soul Is Just Soul

Good Sunday afternoon!  Lastnight while driving home, I was surfing the channels, going between an assortment of talk shows and music stations when the sounds of one of my favorite groups from back in the day flowed from the speakers.  It was "Person to Person" by the Average White Band, or AWB. My mind immediate traveled back to high school.  It was then that AWB was churning out their best music; "Cut the Cake," 'School Boy Crush", "Pick Up the Pieces," "A Love of Your Own," and so many more. When the song concluded, the DJ, expressing his appreciation for AWB, said "That was AWB, bringing some blue-eyed soul."

Thinking back, when I first heard AWB, their music was so funky, soulful and cool, it never occured to me that they weren't black. And while their name told us that they were in fact white, still, there was nothing average about this band.  I can still remember a few debates about the ethnicity of AWB when they first hit the scene. Of course there was no Youtube, and music videos were extremely rare, so questions loomed until you either purchased the album or saw them on television. I can't recall, but
I don't think AWB's first album had pictures.  But it didn't matter, because they quickly established themselves as a bonafide R&B group, and their music became a staple at every set (we went to sets, parties were for kids).

Here's the Average White Band from just a few years ago...and boy, have they still got it.

...Now don't you be afraid, to give your heart
You never know till you try it, yeah
Don't deny it to yourself
Don't you be afraid, just walk right on in
The door is standing open
You know I'm always hoping

To this day, whenever I hear the opening baseline to "I Need Your Lovin'," I purse my lips and bob my head because one of my favorite super jams, by one of my favorite artists, Ms. Teena Marie (Lady T), is playing.  A protege of Rick James, Teena took things to an entirely new level--she was high energy, super soulful and always seemed like she was having big fun performing the music she loved. Teena Marie was never a white artist doing black music, she was a soul artist that happened to be white.  I watched the epidsode on Teena Marie on TV One's Unsung, and thought it was interesting when her best friend from high school, and member of a singing group they belonged to said that she didn't even realize that Teena was white until she had become a celebrity.

From sizzling duos with Rick James to her solo ballads and uptempo songs, Teena Marie rarely missed the mark. An enormously talented singer, writer and musician (guitar, percussions and piano), Teena however never achieved the level of fame that she had both earned and richly deserved. Sadly, on  December 26, 2010, Teena Maried passed away.  Following an official autopsy, the LA County Coroner's office found no apparent signs of trauma or other discernable cause of death and determined that she died of natural causes.

Love speaks fast

Coming on strong

I don't want the fire without the flame, no

Mother Nature gave me two hands to hold you

I'm not talking pressures or material games

But M-O-N-E-Y

Never did a thing for  L-O-V-I-N

I never understand what people says are in, no

Ask me what I need

And then there's Bobby Caldwell, a real cool cat...as smooth as they come.  Bobby Caldwell is kind of like a cross between a smooth R&B crooner and a MOR artist.  I can't think of anyone else that has that sound, which is why it works.  Back in the day, when Bobby Caldwell released an album, I made sure that it was in my collection.  Today, I guess Robin Thicke (the Jon B wannbe) would be most similar to Caldwell. "What You Want Do For Love" is probably his biggest hit, but my favorite is "Coming Down From Love."  Bobby Caldwell still records and performs throughout the year.  He's also contributed soundtracks for movies and videos. 

From the beginning
You were my life
And through the seasons
I made the sacrifice

So I guess what this all boils down to is that soul is soul, regardless of the color of the artists' iris. Actually, you can really say that for all forms of music.