Renaissance (The Miracles album)

Renaissance (Tamla T-325L) was a critically acclaimed 1973 album by R&B group The Miracles on Motown Records' Tamla label, noted as the first-ever album by the group not to feature original lead singer Smokey Robinson on lead vocals. Instead, his replacement, new lead singer, Billy Griffin did the lead chores on this album.

History

Once Robinson decided to retire from the group to concentrate on his duties as Vice President of the Motown Record Corporation, Miracles members Claudette Robinson (Smokey's then-wife) and Marv Tarplin decided to leave as well. Tarplin,after staying for a year, decided to leave the Miracles and began touring and working with Smokey. Claudette retired to concentrate on raising the couple's two children, Berry and Tamla. The other Miracles, Bobby Rogers, Pete Moore, and Ronnie White,decided to conduct a nationwide search for a singer to replace Smokey. After auditioning several hopefuls, the group decided on Billy Griffin, a native of Baltimore, Maryland. In the 2006 Miracles DVD release The Definitive Performances (1963-1987), Miracles Pete Moore & Bobby Rogers, commented that the group decided on Billy because, in addition to being a great singer,he also demonstrated " some writing ability". Smokey Robinson served as the album's executive producer, and took pains to add, in the album's liner notes, that Billy was "a determined young man with a fresh new sound, who is sure to become dynamic in the industry". In his answer to "unnamed skeptics" who claimed that The Miracles couldn't make it without him ...his reply was, concerning the new lineup, " All you have to do is listen".

Miracles (Don Williams song)

"Miracles" is a song written by Roger Cook, and recorded by American country music artist Don Williams. It was released in July 1981 as the first single from the album Especially for You. The song reached number 4 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracke chart.

Chart performance

References

External links

George Huff (singer)

George Clayton Huff, Jr. (born November 4, 1980 in New Orleans, Louisiana) is an American singer. He placed first among male contestants and overall fifth-place finalist on the third season of the reality/talent-search television series American Idol.

Biography

Huff is originally from New Orleans, Louisiana; he is currently a student at the University of Oklahoma. Huff auditioned for the third season of American Idol in Houston, Texas; he was a member of the fourth group of semifinalists. He was actually not among those originally chosen for the semifinal round, but was put through when contestant Donnie Williams was disqualified for a drunk driving arrest.

American Idol

Huff was not voted through to the final round from his group of semifinalists, but got another second chance when he was brought back for the wildcard round and put through as a finalist by contest judge Simon Cowell. During this period, New Orleans Fox Affiliate WVUE would hold specials including Huff's family cheering George on during the latest episodes.

"@" (album)

"@" is a studio album by John Zorn and Thurston Moore. It is the first collaborative album by the duo and was recorded in New York City in February, 2013 and released by Tzadik Records in September 2013. The album consists of improvised music by Zorn and Moore that was recorded in the studio in real time with no edits or overdubs.

Reception

Allmusic said "@ finds two of New York City's longest-running fringe dwellers churning out sheets of collaborative sounds that conjoin their respective and distinct states of constant freak-out... These seven improvisations sound inspired without feeling at all heavy-handed or urgent. More so, @ succeeds with the type of conversational playing that could only be achieved by two masters so deep into their craft that it probably feels a lot like breathing to them by now".

Track listing

All compositions by John Zorn and Thurston Moore

( ) (album)

( ) is the third full-length album from Icelandic band Sigur Rós, first released in October 2002. It comprises eight untitled tracks, divided into two parts: the first four tracks are lighter and more optimistic, while the latter four are bleaker and more melancholic. The two halves are divided by a 36-second silence, and the album opens and closes with a click of distortion. Lead singer Jón Þór Birgisson ("Jónsi") sang the album's lyrics entirely in "Hopelandic", a made-up language consisting of gibberish words. ( ) reached No. 51 on the Billboard 200 and was positively received by critics, although some reviewers found the album weaker than the band's previous album Ágætis byrjun.

Production

?! (album)

?! is the third studio album by Italian rapper Caparezza, and his first release not to use the former stage name MikiMix.

Reception

Reviewing the album for Allmusic, Jason Birchmeier wrote, "The Italian rapper drops his rhymes with just as much fluency and dexterity as his American peers throughout the album. [...] Caparezza's mastery of the Italian dialect [makes] this album so stunning."

Track listing

References