When it comes to archival reissues of classic soul music, The Numero Group is setting the bar high with a combination of great taste and brilliant scholarship.
Ken Shane’s Soul Serenade
465 Articles
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Ken Shane
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You’ve heard all the big hits from Detroit, Memphis, and New Orleans. How about Allentown, PA? That’s the home of Jay & the Techniques who hit it big in 1967.
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Ken Shane
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Otis Redding would have turned 70 tomorrow. The great New Orleans musician Wardell Quezergue died this week. Ken Shane pays tribute to both artists.
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Ken Shane
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The Holland-Dozier-Holland song “Baby Don’t You Do It” had some great cover versions, but it’s hard to to to the Marvin Gaye original.
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Ken Shane
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Jerry Leiber, a founding father of rock and roll, and one of the greatest songwriters in the history of popular music, died this week. Ken Shane pays tribute.
Ken Shane
1 Min Read
Lowman Pauling and the 5 Royales were a seminal influence on the young Steve Cropper. The legendary guitarist pays tribute to the group on a fine new album.
Ken Shane
1 Min Read
The Marvelettes were Motown’s first successful female group, and they scored the company’s first number one pop hit. In all they scored 21 hits in eight years.
Ken Shane
1 Min Read
Despite having a number of hits, Brook Benton had been largely forgotten by the mid-’60s. Then in 1970 he returned with the biggest hit of his career.
Ken Shane
1 Min Read
Ken Shane will be covering the Newport Folk Festival for Popdose again this weekend. Among the artists he looks forward to seeing is soul legend Mavis Staples.
Ken Shane
2 Min Read
Ken Shane celebrates the life and music of songwriter/producer Jerry Ragovoy who died this week at age 80.
Ken Shane
1 Min Read
In which our own Ken Shane and Jim Fusilli of the Wall Street Journal debate the merits of Phil Spector’s work in light of his murder conviction.
Ken Shane
1 Min Read
On Monday, America celebrated its 235th birthday. On Tuesday, a jury in Florida affirmed one of the principles that this country was founded on.
Ken Shane
1 Min Read
In 1959 Ace Records erased Huey “Piano” Smith’s vocal from a song that he wrote, substituting one by white singer Frankie Ford. So much for the good old days.
Ken Shane
1 Min Read
As part of a week of tributes to the late Clarence Clemons, Ken Shane features a musician who had a major impact on Clarence’s musical style.
Ken Shane
1 Min Read
Carl Gardner, the original lead singer of the Coasters died last week. He was the voice on a string of great singles for the group. Ken Shane pays tribute.
Ken Shane
1 Min Read
Caught up in the HBO series Treme, Ken Shane is in a New Orleans mood this week. He delivers up a Crescent City classic from the Wild Tchoupitoulas.
Ken Shane
1 Min Read
May 21 marked the 40th anniversary of the release of Marvin Gaye’s landmark album What’s Going On. Ken Shane has an appreciation.
Ken Shane
1 Min Read
Soul Serenade continues the Bob Dylan 70th birthday celebration with covers of Dylan songs by legendary soul artists Etta James, and the Persuasions.
Ken Shane
1 Min Read
Ken Shane reflects on the first birthday of his weekly Soul Serenade column and gifts another classic soul megamix to our readers.
Ken Shane
1 Min Read
“Dedicated To The One I Love” is a song that has been covered many times over the years. Ken Shane thinks that a 1972 version by The Temprees was distinctive.
Ken Shane
1 Min Read
The Stax label released many of the seminal records in soul music history. The Stax Remasters series launches next week. We have a set for one lucky reader.
Ken Shane
1 Min Read
Seeing the right Facebook post at the right time led Ken Shane to a very special Internet radio show. His Saturday nights have never been the same.
Ken Shane
1 Min Read
Arnold McCuller calls “Soon As I Get Paid” his musical autobiography. He could haven’t chosen better songs or better players to help him to tell his story.
Ken Shane
1 Min Read
Just when Freddie Scott decided to give up on recording and focus on songwriting, an opportunity came along to record a song that would change his life.
Ken Shane
1 Min Read
The Platters scored a number of huge hits in the ’50s before problems derailed them. Unexpectedly, they returned with a pair of indelible singles in 1966-67.
Ken Shane
1 Min Read
In 1982, Teddy Pendergrass was on top of the music world when he performed in London. A few weeks later, a tragic car accident changed everything.
Ken Shane
1 Min Read
By late 1968, the Rascals string of hit singles was coming to and end, but there was still a lot of great music to be heard from the blue-eyed soul legends.
Ken Shane
1 Min Read
It’s a big week in Austin, and that city’s Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears have done their hometown proud with a scintillating, soulful sophomore album.
Ken Shane
1 Min Read
The Chi-Lites got together in the late ’50s, but they didn’t have their first huge hit until they released the unforgettable “Have You Seen Her” in 1971.
Ken Shane
1 Min Read
In 1973 the legendary Bay Area funk band broke out with their third album, which included some of their best-known songs. Ken Shane recalls their biggest hit.