Soul music excited to be working with Cliff Richard

All soul music ever has announced exciting plans to try and break the lucrative Cliff Richard market by recording an album of duets with Cliff.

The genre will promote the album with live dates in Las Vegas, the natural home of Cliff Richard.

Soul music said it couldn't wait to work with Cliff:

Soul music said: "No one would have expected me to sing a bunch of soul songs with Cliff Richard but I'm going to try and I'm going to do my soul, he's going to do their soul, and we should end up sounding soulicious."

Actually, Cliff really does use the phrase "sounding soulicious" in his statement about the album.

Cliff says this, too:

He admitted it was "difficult to be new when you've been singing for 52 years", but added: "If we can finish this, I will have died and gone to heaven."

Suddenly, I feel like this is a project which deserves our full encouragement.

[update: They've just spoken about this on Today - apparently the album came about (genuinely) after Gloria Hunniford met David Gest on Celebrity Cash In The Attic and said that Cliff might like to meet some of David's friends.

In other news: Homes Under The Hammer brokers new Pink Floyd album.]

Soulobit: Solomon Burke

Self-styled "legendary king of rock and soul" Solomon Burke has died in Amsterdam.

Best known for Everybody Needs Somebody To Love, Burke's official website perhaps slightly over-states his position in the pantheon:

Solomon Burke burst onto the scene, shattered the cultural barriers of the time, scored a massive hit with “Just Out Of Reach (Of My Two Empty Arms)” and quickly redefined the way the world would think about music.
[...]
Burke, a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer since 2001, is more than simply a pioneering American legend from another time and place--he is an innovator whose timeless music spans generations and has inspired millions of fans and hundreds of recording artists across the decades.

You can understand the self-satisfaction a bit; he started his career at the age of 14 with a gospel hit, Christmas Presents From Heaven, which sold a million copies, and he was working all the way up to his death.

Alongside the music, Burke was a preacher and the spiritual leader of The House of God For All People. Although given that he set up the church, that still shows a little self-regard.

Solomon Burke had 21 children; he died at Schiphol Airport of unknown causes on Saturday night. He was 70.

Soulobit: Al Goodman

Al Goodman, the 'Goodman' in Ray, Goodman and Brown, has died.

Originally drafted in by the Stang label to replace the original Moments, the trio were a major soul act during the 1970s, best known for the crossover Love On A Two Way Street. A falling out towards the end of the decade saw The Moments leave the label, but - unable to use the name - they reinvented themselves as Ray, Goodman and Brown. "No-one can take our names from us" was the deep reason for the basic name.

Signing to Polydor, they crossed over again to the main charts with Special Lady. They were going against the grain of the market, though, as soul got slicker and slicker, and by the time of their third Polydor record, their style was left looking somewhat outdated.

The departure, and then death, of Ray didn't actually stop the band from touring, and the wheel of fashion turned enough for Goodman and Brown to get an invite to work with Alicia Keys in 2003.

At the time of Goodman's death, the band were piloting ideas for a radio show.

Al Goodman was 63. He died on Monday.

Soulobit: Randy Cain

Randy Cain, founding member of The Delfonics, has died.

Cain stayed with the band until 1971, during the period when they recorded their two key Philly Sound classics, La La Means I Love You and Ready Or Not (Here I Come). After quitting the band, Cain went on to help turn the rougher-sounding Shades Of Love into Blue Magic. With his guidance, Magic went on to nab a top ten hit with Sideshow.

Cain joined a reformulated Delfonics in the 1980s, fulfilling the rule of reunion acts in that they then split, and carried on with at least two versions Delfonics on the circuit for a time. Cain, however, backed the wrong horse and a rival Delfonics, built around his original replacement Major Harris, would be the one to get the sweeter gigs.

Randy Cain died on Thursday; the coroners office of Maple Shade New Jersey has not released any further details.

Brown, only with less Brown

James Brown's Soul Generals are to remain a going concern, even although James Brown isn't. Instead, Daryl Brown - the General's saxophonist - says that they're going to adopt a Have I Got News For You style revolving leadership:

"We're the ones who can keep his legacy alive," he said from his home in Georgia.

"There will be no attempt to replace The Godfather of Soul, with the same single performer.

"Instead, band members will take turns in the spotlight."

Boris Johnson is rumoured to be in talks already.

Timberlake takes it easy

Justin Timberlake is, apparently, winding it down:

"I've had a good share of the spotlight. I don't feel I need too much of it right now. I want to write country music, because I grew up in Tennessee, soul music and I want to be involved in hip-hop."

Jazz is breathing a sign of relief, but it's still not coming out hiding.

We love the suggestion that working in country and soul is somehow akin to toiling away in obscurity.