(February 28, 2021) It’s been forty five years since the Miami-based Raw Soul Express recorded their debut album for the famed T.K. Records. Although the band didn’t become a household name like their fellow label mates KC & the Sunshine Band and George McCrae, the band’s roster has weathered the test of time and remains unchanged with multi-instrumentalist Rick Washington, keyboardist Chris Perkins, guitarist Tommy Johnson, saxophonist John McMinn and bassist Albie Manno still on board. It’s almost unheard for a group of this size to stay glued for this long, but their strong brotherhood and love of music keeps them together. “Over the years we have bonded as musicians and friends from the time of the band’s inception up until present. More than fellow musicians, we are a family,” Chris Perkins says.
While most bands have taken a hiatus in performing and recording new music during the COVID-19 pandemic, these events haven’t slowed Raw Soul Express down one bit. Their latest single, “Fate of the World,” a non-preachy protest song possessing funk-jazz riffs, focuses on the current climate and hits on a wide range of subjects including the COVID-19 crisis, Black Lives Matter, global warming and the economy through its companion music video. “Because the song was written by Rick [Washington] and myself some 25 years ago, I had no idea in 2019 when I was planning to make the video in 2020 what the images were going to be,” Albie Manno explains. “To me it just affirms that what we’ve been doing all along is what we were meant to do. As artists I believe we should reflect on the times, [whether] good or bad.”
Check out the new single from Raw Soul Express and let us know if you’re on board.
By J Matthew Cobb
Raw Soul Express – “Fate of the World”
