Newport Folk Festival 2012 has returned to the tradition of presenting a Friday night concert before the Saturday and Sunday events get under way. There was no Friday night concert…
Ken Shane
844 Articles
Ken Shane lives in Narragansett, R.I. He is a freelance writer and far and away the oldest Popdose writer. In fact, he may be the oldest writer, period. He wants you to know that he generally does not share his colleagues' love for the music of the '80s, and he does not forgive them for loving it. (Ken passed away in November 2022. R.I.P. —Ed.)
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Shelby Lynne has been out on the road promoting last year’s fine album “Revelation Road.” Ken Shane was there when the tour hit Fall River, MA.
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The Philly vocal group Blue Magic are best known for their huge 1974 hit “Sideshow,” but they sent hits up the R&B charts for several years in the 1970’s.
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Maxine Brown was one of the most respected soul singers of the ’60s. Then a fateful decision by her label left her in the lurch.
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Gladys Knight & the Pips were one of the biggest acts of the ’70s. They reached their Motown peak with a Jim Weatherly penned hit in 1973.
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Columbia Records released the debut album from Bob Dylan 50 years ago today. An appreciation from Ken Shane.
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Believe it or not, the Miracles only had one #1 hit while Smokey Robinson was their singer. Ken Shane recalls “The Tears of a Clown.”
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In the wake of Robbie McIntosh’s death the previous year, AWB had a tough time making their third album. Fortunately they persevered and completed Cut the Cake.
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Right in the middle of their epic hit making career, Earth, Wind & Fire delivered one of the most indelible singles of all time. Ken Shane remembers “September”
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Billy Stewart brought a unique vocal style to ’60s soul and created some of the most memorable records of the decade.
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Isaac Hayes and David Porter wrote a string of hits for Sam & Dave in the ’60s. Ken Shane recalls perhaps the greatest of them all.
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The Four Tops smash “Bernadette” was just one of the hundreds of Motown hits that featured the bass playing of the legendary James Jamerson.
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The Jarmels only had one hit, but it was a big one. “A Little Bit of Soap” climbed to the upper reaches of the Pop Chart in September, 1961.
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The world of soul, R&B, and funk lost three of its greatest artists last week. Ken Shane remembers Etta James, Johnny Otis, and Jimmy Castor.
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McKinley Mitchell was an under appreciated R&B singer who scaled the heights of the R&B charts in the ’60s with the stunning ballad “The Town I Live In.”
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Jellyfish recorded only two albums during their brief career. Neither has ever appeared on vinyl. Now both have been reissued in splendid new vinyl editions.
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Patti LaBelle and the Blue Belles had a big hit in 1962 with “I Sold My Heart To the Junkman.” Or did they?
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In 1970 Alex Chilton was fed up with is role in the Box Tops and still a year away from Big Star. The music he made that summer was a bridge to the future.
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The Watts 103rd St. Rhythm Band featured an ever-shifting cast of musicians until Charles Wright solidified the lineup for the funk classic “Express Yourself.”
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Deon Jackson was a one-hit wonder. He had other, lesser hits, but he will always be remembered for his 1965 smash.
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Jerry Butler has had a lot of hits over the course of his illustrious career, but it was a lesser-known 1967 single that found a place in Ken Shane’s heart.
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Tyrone Davis was another artist who had more hits than you might recall right away. His biggest by far though was 1970’s “Turn Back the Hands of Time.”
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Howard Tate died on Saturday. After making stunning records with Jerry Ragavoy in the ’60s, he spent years in the wilderness before making a triumphant comeback
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On a recent Saturday night Ken Shane caught a set by Trombone Shorty in RI. It was hot, it was sweaty, it was funky.
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On a Thanksgiving night 35 years ago tomorrow, the Band bid farewell at The Last Waltz. Among the show’s many highlights was Van Morrison’s scintillating rendition of “Caravan.”
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Ken Shane first saw Tower of Power live back in the ’70s, and he’s seen them many times since. After 44 years as a band, they can still bring the soul thunder.
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Jon Stebbins has penned fine books about Beach Boys Dennis Wilson, and David Marks. “The Beach Boys FAQ” aspires to be the last word on the history of the band.
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Led by vocalist Tre Williams, who can hold his own with the greats, The Revelations return with a brilliantly soulful new album, “Concrete Blues.”