Mr. Percy Sledge, a well-loved soul singer died this past Tuesday at age 73. Sledge is, obviously, best known for his chart-topping deep soul hymn, "When a Man Loves a Woman." Y'all, WHAT A KILLER! The song not only became a standard, but was also the first US number one song recorded at Alabama's famed Muscle Shoals studio and the first record to go gold for Atlantic Records. Oh, If you wanna hear the story story of how he was discovered, dig this bit from the Muscle Shoals documentary—it's simple, but sweet. Thankfully, Sledge's genius wasn't just a one-off; his catalog is full of simmering soul heat: "Take Time to Know Her, "Warm & Tender Love," "Cover Me," "It Tears Me Up," "Sudden Stop," and, when given the chance, he could also heat up the dance floor with jams like "Heart of a Child" and "Baby Help Me." By the '70s, his hits tapered off, so, besides an occasional new album, he spent the next four decades touring all over Europe and Africa.
Sledge's '60s sides were some of the first soul singles I ever spent serious time tracking down. All his sides for Atlantic are keepers! I was in my mid-20s when I first REALLY listened to a heavy like "Out of Left Field" and it hooked me, BIG TIME. I think I connected with his songs, deeply, as he was singing about adult emotions—his heart-wrenching delivery and church-like reverence was not something "teenaged"—it seemed grown up. Damn, I hate that I never saw him perform live.
Mingiedi Mawangu, the founder of Congotronics collective Konono Nº1, died on Wednesday in his home country of the Democratic Republic of the Congo; he was 85. Mawangu is remembered for being the founder of Konono Nº1, a group formed sometime in the '60s to play indigenous dance music. They were formed, however, for a particular performance that needed to be electrified, so Mawangu built an electric likembe—an invention that defined the group's sound. Sadly, Konono Nº1 were unknown, in the US at least, until 2005 when Crammed Discs released Konono Nº1's album, Congotronics. The group was later tapped by Björk to collaborate on a track, "Earth Intruders," for her album, Volta; they also were the opening on her 2007 tour. Mawangu had retired from the group a few years ago. No cause of death was given.
