Lost Gem: “Cosby’s” Malcolm-Jamal Warner teamed with Lalah Hathaway for a musical winner
To many people he will always be known as Theo from the iconic television show The Cosby Show, but Malcolm-Jamal Warner has fashioned for himself a career that incorporates both acting and music, with four albums under his belt as the guitarist and founder of the group Miles Long. “It’s funny, people aren’t so much […]
Lost Gem: The Crusaders and Nancy Wilson knew “The Way It Goes” in brilliant collaboration
When tracing the evolution of female singers from Sarah Vaughn, Dinah Washington and the great jazz vocalists of the 40s and 50s to the modern jazz and soul stylists of artists such as Anita Baker and Diana Krall, all roads run through the late, great Nancy Wilson. Physically beautiful and a uniquely gifted song stylist able […]
SoulTracks Lost Gem: The Persuasions took us “500 Miles” from home
The Persuasions remained a happy mystery in popular music for over five decades. While groups such as the Nylons, Pentatonix and Take 6 made slick, tight a cappella or nearly-a cappella sounds slightly more mainstream, the Persuasions defied every popular convention on their way to near cult status. Eschewing trends, they sang raw, soulful a […]
Lost Gem: Michael Jackson’s lost “Groove” song became Siedah’s gem
While most fans know the dozens of solo hits that Michael Jackson released, fewer know of the many, many songs he recorded that never left the vault. While Jackson was recording his Bad album, the follow-up to his earth shattering Thriller LP, one of the songs tested was a mild dance groove composed by legendary […]
Lost Gem: Prince Phillip Mitchell made us “So Happy”
Among the many pleasures that come with being a staff writer for SoulTracks comes when I’m asked to write about a song by an artist that I am not immediately familiar with, such as “I’m So Happy,” a track from Prince Phillip Mitchell’s 1979 album Top of the Line, the tune featured in this Lost Gem segment. […]
Lost Gem: Earth Wind & Fire gave us an iconic heartbreaker
“You Went Away” was not one of the songs from Earth, Wind & Fire’s 1980 album Faces that was released as a single. The breakup ballad is one of the many strong album tracks that make Faces an album that hard core EW&F fans love. Other beloved album cuts from Faces include “In Time,” “Sailaway” […]
Lost Gem: “Emotion” had two beautiful lives in the 80s
Last summer, my wife and I went to Chicago to visit my oldest daughter. She was living in Hyde Park at the time and when we went there I had to make a stop at Hyde Park Records. If you’re looking for some classic, long lost vinyl, you’ll find it at Hyde Park Records. I […]
SoulTracks Sunday Gem: Monica, Fred Hammond and James Fortune helped us “Hold On”
Back in 2012, a lot of folks were discovering James Fortune and FIYA, and their popularity blew up even more with a beautiful song of faith and perseverance. “Hold On” was all that, a song that made listeners want to stand up and give praise. Making the event more, well, eventful, was the presence of two legendary singers, the Fred Hammond […]
Lost Gem: Roy Ayers weaved a tapestry with “You Send Me”
Music fans suffered a massive loss when Roy Ayers passed away at the age of 84 in early 2025. The tributes focused on one of his best known and loved songs, “Everybody Loves the Sunshine,” which is going to be a summer cookout jam forever. Ayers’ collaborations with Eric Benet, Erykah Badu and a host […]
Lost Gem: EWF’s Maurice White made solo magic with “I Need You”
After a decade and a half of making some of the most essential music of the 1970s and early 80s, Earth, Wind & Fire went on a hiatus in 1984. The magic that made the band the among the most compelling act in popular music appeared to be fading. Their 1983 album Electric Universe was […]
