European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - August 10, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse Steve win by Shera Gross associated press Early 25 years after he hit the British pop music scene As a teen age vocalist Steve Winwood is recapturing the popularity of his youth with the help of Nashville and Memphis session men. The grammy award winning artist s new album and no. 1 single of the same name Roll with it hark Back to his Days in the midt1960s with the rhythm and blues styled Spencer Davis group. The move to Tennessee he says gave him the Chance to go Back to his musical roots on the new album. It certainly reflects the fact that i be been in Tennessee Winwood said in an interview in Nashville. It has a Memphis feel to a lot of the songs. Since i be. Been Down Here i be had a Strong interest in the musical history of the Winwood had his first taste of stardom at the age of 1 6 when he was the Lead vocalist on the Spencer Davis group s hit Gimme some lovin. He later had stints with traffic and Blind Faith before going on to a Solo career. Two recent albums arc of a diver and Back in the High life went Platinum and the single higher love from the latter won Winwood grammy for record of the year and Best male pop vocalist in 1986. He Calls his latest release a Happy there s nothing Melancholic about it he said. Winwood credits several factors for the upbeat mood of the up. Rolls with the blues at 40 years old i m having the Best album and the Best part of my career that i be Ever had. I m also very happily married and i have a Beautiful Little girl he said. Winwood married Eugenia Crafton of Nashville in january 1987. They have a baby daughter Mary Clare and keep Homes in Nashville and Britain. On his latest work he tapped trumpeter Wayne Jackson and saxophonist Andrew love of the Memphis horns for the album. Nashville s Mike Lawler plays keyboards and Michael Rhodes plays Bass on the album and during Winwood s 31-City tour of the United states this summer. Winwood loves the rhythm and blues sound that first made him popular with the Spencer Davis group and he still listens to it. But when asked if a reunion was possible the Veteran Rocker said it in t Likely. There Are no plans at All for a reunion. I could t say it in t entirely impossible but my brother former band mate Muff has t played Bass in 10 to 12 years he said. Roll with it has a distinctive rhythm and blues sound that comes with the Gutsy brass of the Memphis horns and the Bop of the Hammond b-3 Organ. Winwood is unsure if renewed interest in the blues among american audiences is contributing to his Success. I m never quite sure about audiences he said. I am getting More influenced by rhythm and blues. But about audiences i Don t really know. I tend to think it s a mistake to aim for a certain though he now lives and works in the country music . Times Winwood has rediscovered his musical roots. Capital of the world Winwood seemed a bit surprised by the diversity of musicians available. He plans to collaborate with More Nashville musicians although he has t decided who. I will use and am using musicians from Nashville but i Don t think it will have the obvious effect. I won t be using a fiddle player or steel guitar he joked. But there Are great musicians Here not Only in the country Field but great Rock n Roll players. I Don t think it will affect the music so much. It won t affect the writing. Wherever i go it usually comes out sounding like a Steve Winwood Ling s wonderful for the Punk Funk King by John f. Bonfatti associated press bad boy Rick James. R ick James the self professed King of Punk Funk Rock Calls his latest album wonderful with Good s the Way i feel since i be been off motown said James referring to the legendary recording Label which released the string of singles you and i super Freak cold blooded that catapulted James to super stardom during the past 10 years. The release of wonderful last month on Warner Bros. Records Marks a new phase in his career. He said his fans will hear a Joy in it that i Haven t had for it s just a very Happy album said James who is known for his risque lyrics throbbing dance rhythms and Long curly hair. With so Many years of unhappiness with motown so Many of my albums after Street songs which was my biggest album were kind of downhill As far As the ambiance and the Joy because i really was t feeling a lot. On this album i kind of got it All working at motown which produced such stars As the Jacksons the supreme Stevie wonder Smokey Robinson and the miracles and the four tops was initially invigorating for James. Then the tension Between the sexually graphic themes coursing through much of his work and motown s traditionally conservative approach began getting to him. They never totally understood what i was trying to do where i was trying to come from with my music he said. For the whole 10 years it was a constant Battle in me trying to acquaint them with what i wanted to say and How i wanted to say the parting was not amicable motown is suing James for not fulfilling his contracts with them and James is suing motown claiming the company owes him Money and never gave a proper accounting of his royalties. Motown denies All of that 1,000 percent said company attorney Mark got Ridge. James denies the charges motown has made against him. During the past three years James has spent much of his time producing both the artists in his stable the Mary Jane girls Val Young and process and the Doo rags and others including comedian Eddie Murphy. He also says that during that time he s been free of a cocaine addiction that he feels was a serious threat to his life. There was a bad period in my life some years ago when i got into a serious cocaine habit $10,000 to $15,000 a week said James. I did t really see it. My lawyers and my accountants and friends really saw it before i did. They saw that my usage of Coke was getting to be a million Dollar a year habit. I did t see it until i went into rehab and i did t understand it until i got James said he got caught up in living the bad boy Persona he had cultivated. There was a time where i was just trying to live the image wholeheartedly i was t thinking about the person James Johnson he said. I mean Rick James was just a Man made image the image i created. Just trying to live Rick James almost killed he was born James a. Johnson or. On Buffalo s rough East Side 39 years ago. James who retains the Youthful swagger of his earlier years says his drug rehabilitation made him More patient and less angry. I was like the angry Young Man years ago he said. It was t anything specific. I was angry at the politics of the country. I was angry about the poor people in Ethiopia. I was angry at bigots and racism. I was angry that the Buffalo Bills were losing. You name it and i d be angry about the Buffalo area remains Home for James who lived for several years in los Angeles. The West coast is crazy too crazy for me he said. I live Here because my roots Are Here. It s very important for me to maintain a Strong relationship with my Mother and my family and i can t do that Long distance. It gives me an wonderful is James first up in almost two years. I be sold close to 30 million albums he said. It s not like 30 million people that bought your music Are going to forget about you. I be never really had worries about being forgotten i be had worries about losing myself in the however with plans for a world tour during the last half of the year James said he is scared about his return to the limelight. I m horrified he said. It s a question of fear of the unknown of not knowing what the reception will of of the charts top pop singles 1. Roll with it Steve Winwood 2. Hands to heaven breathe 3. Make me lose control Eric Carmen 4. Sign your name Terence Trent d arby5.1.2-3 Gloria Estefan & Miami sound machine 6 i Don t Wanna go on with you like that Elton John 7.1 Don t Wanna live without your love Chicago 8. Monkey George michael9. Hold on to the nights Richard Marx 10. Just got paid Johnny Kemp top up s 1. Hysteria def Leppard 2. Roll with it Steve Winwood 3 appetite for destruction guns n1 roses 4. Tracy Chapman Tracy Chapman 5. Dirty dancing soundtrack 6.ou812 Vanhalen 7. Faith George Michael 8. He s the do i m the rapper . Jazzy Jeff & the prince9. Open up and say Ash Poison fresh 10. Let it Loose Gloria Estefan & Miami sound machine top country singles 1 Don t close your eyes Keith Whitley 2. Bluest eyes in Texas restless heart 3. The wanderer Eddie Rabbitt 4. Give a Little love the judds 5 i could t leave you if i tried Rodney Crowell 6. A Little bit in love Patty Loveless 7. Just say yes Highway 101 8.1 have you Glen Campbell 9. Real Good feel Good song Mel Mcdaniel 10. Joe knows How to love Eddy Raven top Black singles 1. Off on your own Al b. Surel 2.mamacitatroop3 loosey s rap Rick James & Roxanne Shante 4. Groove me guy5. Sign your name Terence Trent d Arby 6 off the Hook . S latest arrival 7. Nice n1 slow Freddie Jackson 8. Watching you Loose ends9. Make it last forever Keith sweat 10 husband Shirley Murdock compiled by billboard wednesday August 10, 1988 the stars and stripes Page 17
