| A musician credited with giving Gospel, Blues, Pop, | | | | thick, Duke-style Funk. To hear a lighter, cheerful |
| Rock, R&B and Soul music a healthy dose of | | | | side, check out a delicate, piano-laced ballad (another |
| premium grade originality is Billy Preston. Billy Preston | | | | fave of mine) with bassist bassist (that's not a typo!) |
| made many hot, instrumental recordings like many | | | | Stanley Clarke, called "Sweet Baby." I saw them |
| other recording acts such as Dennis Coffey; his | | | | perform this song and others at a memorable Jazz |
| "Scorpio" featured one of the longest bass solos I | | | | festival in Atlanta's Piedmont Park. On the bill were |
| ever listened to. It lasted for almost 90 seconds. | | | | many acts, including a Diva's Diva: the late, great |
| Other acts that made great instrumentals include the | | | | Phyllis Hyman. Stanley Clarke and George Duke used |
| Average White Band ("Pick Up The Pieces"), Barry | | | | the latest technology, like a bass guitar with red LED |
| White with his Love Unlimited Orchestra ("Love's | | | | lights on the frets (Clarke), and a wireless MIDI |
| Theme"), Edgar Winter ("Frankenstein"), and another | | | | system for his keyboards (Duke). Watch for more |
| personal favorite of mine, The Incredible Bongo Band | | | | info elsewhere in this book on these two phenomenal |
| ("Bongo Rock"). Of the most popular Billy Preston | | | | musicians. |
| releases with A&M Records was the 1972 song | | | | Now, back to where we left off: Syreeta also |
| "Outa-Space." It was on the B-side of the single "I | | | | collaborated with the songwriting team of |
| Wrote A Simple Song," and peaked at #2 on the | | | | Holland-Dozier-Holland, who along with "The |
| charts. | | | | Corporation" (I still don't know who they are), wrote |
| The 1973 #1 hit "Will It Go Round in Circles" spent | | | | songs for TONS of Motown artists - The Jackson 5 |
| two weeks at the pinnacle; "Space Race" and | | | | was just one of many groups that benefited from |
| "Nothing from Nothing" each went to #1 in 1974. By | | | | this service. While the J5's lead singer went on to |
| 1980, he racked up a huge, international #1 hit - "With | | | | reign as the King of Pop (Mikey), brother Jermaine |
| You I'm Born Again," featuring the serene grace of | | | | became a solo artist in his own right. He was also |
| co-vocalist Syreeta. As a relative unknown, Syreeta | | | | blessed to have Syreeta as a singer with him. |
| got her name in the business from being a singer's | | | | Unfortunately, on July 6, 2004, cancer sent this |
| singer. She later got married to Motown prodigy and | | | | Heavenly voice back to 'headquarters,' to sing directly |
| musician Stevland Hardaway Judkins in 1970. He | | | | for The Most High...with all the other angels. |
| would change his name to Stevland Morris before | | | | But before the multi-talented keyboardist, composer |
| coming to terms as "Little" Stevie Wonder when he | | | | and singer known as Billy Preston was heard in |
| busted out on the playing field. | | | | concert halls and on the radio, he was already earning |
| Together, Syreeta and Stevie wrote some of my | | | | a respectable reputation. Early in his career, he toured |
| favorite Stevie Wonder songs, like "If You Really | | | | with established acts like Mahalia Jackson, Sam Cooke |
| Love Me," "It's A Shame," and "Signed, Sealed, | | | | and Little Richard. Prior to his newfound radio |
| Delivered." Let me run a few more names you should | | | | popularity, he joined the Ray Charles Revue and also |
| know by you 'right quick,' and we'll get 'right back' to | | | | worked with The Beatles. Preston eventually |
| Syreeta. During the 70s, another female singer | | | | expanded his horizons into the Pop music genre by |
| named Deniece Williams got her big break as a | | | | playing keyboards on a few Beatles tracks, most |
| vocalist with Stevie Wonder's backup vocal group | | | | notably "Get Back," and "Let It Be." |
| "Wonderlove." Signed to Columbia Records, she | | | | Originally from Houston, Texas, Billy Preston began his |
| released some of her best hits with legendary | | | | career during the 1950s at church. His mother was a |
| producer, George Duke, who laid his own path | | | | church organist, and he worked his way up to the |
| making music like Jazz, Fusion, R&B and Funk. | | | | position of choir director. By the age of 10, he played |
| Back in the early 80s, George Duke was doing what | | | | a young W.C. Handy in the film "St. Louis Blues." His |
| more and more recording artists are just getting into | | | | work as organist for the impeccable Mahalia Jackson |
| these days, diversifying: in addition to being a | | | | revealed his talents to big-wigs like Sam Cooke with |
| performer on the road and a producer in the studio, | | | | his SAR Records. Along the course of their union, |
| he also wrote a column in a popular musician's | | | | they recorded a duet called "Little Red Rooster." |
| periodical - Keyboard Magazine. I enjoyed reading the | | | | Because I'm a fan of sound creation, I took note of |
| information he shared, and got a lot out of it. | | | | this song the very first time I heard it. Even before |
| Hopefully, some of the same will happen with this | | | | sampling and synthesized sound effects became |
| book and YOU. | | | | popular on records, Preston was making the organ |
| George Duke provided all kinds of valuable | | | | sound like a dog, owl, and rooster. I remind you that |
| information in the mag, and made even better music | | | | this particular song was recorded in 1963, which was |
| in the studio! Duke also did well producing vocalists | | | | long before sampling ever became popular. "Little Red |
| like Diana Reeves and LTD frontman Jeffery | | | | Rooster" was trendy enough to also be recorded and |
| Osborne. If you ever get a chance to check out | | | | performed by Rock acts like The Rolling Stones. |
| George's song "Dukey Stick," you'll hear some real | | | | |