Remy was one of the most promising new Motown artists in early 2000s. He is from Canada and this is one of his most popular songs. I bought the CD in 2002:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpfs4V_10r4
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Remy was one of the most promising new Motown artists in early 2000s. He is from Canada and this is one of his most popular songs. I bought the CD in 2002:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpfs4V_10r4
I remember him.
I was a teenager, back when BET still actually aired music videos, "Take A Message" in regular airplay. Brian McKnight, Erykah Badu, India.Arie, Remy Shand, the Temptations, Smokey Robinson, Kem, Stevie Wonder. The last great Motown renaissance, my opinion.
A very talented guy for sure. He should have become an major star.Quote:
Originally Posted by marv2
His website:
https://www.remyshandworld.com/
I have to agree with you Ngroove. That was the last time I viewed Motown as a standalone label. Remy Shand was very underrated in my opinion and deserved much more support and promotion. He wrote all the songs and played all the instruments on his first album@!Quote:
Originally Posted by Ngroove
Thank you Jack!Quote:
Originally Posted by jack020
A great Motown AlbumQuote:
Originally Posted by marv2
Must have taken a lot of time, really well produced. A real talented guy
I remember getting good reviews and a lot of buzz...then he seemed to just disappear
Remy was gonna be the next big thing in my eyes. Had a sexy ass hell voice. Then as Jay said, he just vanished. Shame... I think he wrote and produced every track too.
There is something wrong in the World when you have lessor talents like Justin TimberFAKE, Robin Thicke and Justin Bieber make it big, but a true and great talent like Remy Shand gets overlooked:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLXIJtSbhwM
From 2002 and Regis & Kelly Show:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyY0PgXrQJ0
Ironically for this nation, I think the fact that Remy was white worked against him. I can remember someone suggesting to me to check him out and I dismissed the review because I was not the least bit interested in a white dude doing what was called Neo Soul. It was a great thing to see a fresh crop of Black artists who were getting back to the roots of soul music during the late 90s/early 2000s, so there was definitely a reaction to seeing a white singer getting in on it too. I vividly recall laughter when Remy's name was brought up in conversation one time. We did not take him seriously. I wonder how much his race might have impeded his progress even within the industry. Fast forward to this point in my life and his race wouldn't matter. I'm listening to what has been posted in this thread and kicking myself for sleeping on what was some great stuff.
You ever hear of the Righteous Brothers? I liked Remy's music from the first time I heard it!Quote:
Originally Posted by RanRan79
Back in the late 90s, BET also aired Jennifer Lopez music videos. But then again, one could take it as her sound could fit in with the rest of the station, or "She's hot".Quote:
Originally Posted by RanRan79
My memory of Remy Shand, was his mellow smooth, yes, even "soulful" falsetto, on "Take A Message", while watching late night BET. I even noticed "Motown Records" on the credits. My thoughts on it, was "Awesome", not just that Motown still survived in relevancy with fresh talent, but also that anyone, of still proper soulful talent, can be Motown, and that was before I learned of Rare Earth, and all I knew of Teena Marie then, was "Lovergirl".
I do have to admit, that after that, I completely forgot about him for years, because for years, that was it.
I have owned the cd for years and still play it from time to time. Well produced and definitely my kind of music. Without checking online, did he not kind of turn his back on fame and disappear for quite some time?? .
Of course, as well as other so called Blue Eyed Soul singers. But while the RB's sang so called soulfully, I wouldn't categorize their music as soul music. And even if I did, it wouldn't have any bearing on how I felt about Remy. After all, I grew up loving Teena Marie and the Young Rascals, among other non Black acts who were essentially making their bread and butter in "Black" music.Quote:
Originally Posted by marv2
Neo Soul was a relatively new genre and I think on some level perhaps there was a fear that it would be co-opted as other forms of music had been in the past. Or maybe it was more simply "who is this white boy trying to do our music?" and not taking him seriously. And I wonder if Remy ran into both lanes of thinking within the industry. The crazy thing is that, fast forward to recent years, and the "mainstream" artists that I tend to dig the most are white/other artists with some soul. If I want soul from Black artists I mostly have to dig through the internet for people with no real name recognition because the industry has decided that minstrel shows is the name of the game for Black artists that they will promote. Go figure.
Yeah I remember Remy getting some BET airtime late at night. JLo did too, but that wasn't out of the ordinary because she was Latino.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ngroove
I totally understand the argument some people, younger people are making in regards to cultural appropriation. Just look at the Grammy Awards of the last few years. I also notice that many will buy music if it sounds good and sounds authentic. Remember Lisa Stansfield:Quote:
Originally Posted by RanRan79
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVuuatjHGnY
Then you had people like Kenny G, Bobby Caldwell, Gino Vannelli and even Hall & Oates that were very popular on "Urban" radio [[I hate that term by the way).
All great artists. I LOVED Lisa Stansfield. Still do. I still play her stuff often. And I keep Hall and Oates in rotation. I grew up listening to all these people and loving them. I don't know if Remy ever really faced a backlash, along the lines of what I've been talking about, outside of my little circle, so my comments about how things might have gone to the left is based solely off of my anecdotal memories. I vividly recall the popularity of Hall and Oates and Lisa Stansfield and I don't remember anyone taking issue with them, also Teena Marie.
I have heard some negative comments about Kenny G a time or two, with claims that his work is inauthentic for the genre. Not being a big jazz fan, or smooth jazz [[although I think the older I get the more I start to dig it) fan, I was never sure whether the remarks I heard were from true jazz fans or people who were neg on Kenny's race.
Funny thing, but until about 5 years ago I didn't even know Bobby Caldwell was white! Lol
George Michael was another one that got a lot of play on the r&b stations. I remember everybody loved him.
I bought George Michael's first solo album as soon as I heard it. I bought his first album of the 2000s called Music from the Last Century a friend in Montreal recommended and I loved it. There have been many white musicians/artists in the R&B genre that I have really enjoyed over the years and not because they were trying to mimic black artists,but because the music was just good. I even liked one or two of Eminem's cuts believe it or not.Quote:
Originally Posted by RanRan79
Not so long ago, in one of the "old school" soul stations in my area, I've just heard Phil Collins' "Sussudio". At first, I completely cracked up, dismissing it as just "an eighties pop song", before I decided to go "What the hey" and sang along to it.Quote:
Originally Posted by RanRan79
Phil Collins, while his take on "You Can't Hurry Love" was the first version of the song I've heard, however but also, my opinion, his takes on "Uptight [[Everything's Alright)" and "Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever" is like Pat Boone "rock and rolling" Little Richard.
But really, back in my youth, I've had just as much fun listening to Paula Abdul's "Straight Up", Nu Shooz's "I Can't Wait", and Lisa Stansfield's "Around The World" as much as I've had fun listening to anything Bobby Brown, Prince, and Michael Jackson.
I can relate to that. In the early 2000s pop and hip-hop were blending as Rodney Jerkins, the Neptunes and Timbaland were crowding urban playlists with white pop artists and black hip-hop artists. Just a few years prior, someone coined the term "neo-soul" because plain ole "soul" music was non-commercial and could not be marketed to mass audiences. So I resented non-black artists -- and hip-hop artists -- encroaching on the tiny share of the market in which traditional soul artists, or so-called "neo-soul" artists, were allowed to thrive.Quote:
Originally Posted by RanRan79
Today, I take whatever I can get. Jarrod Lawson is one of my favorites. I am eagerly awaiting his next effort.
Absolutely. All of those folks were popular around my way. I'd add to that names like Taylor Dayne, Culture Club/Boy George, Expose, and Gloria Estefan/Miami Sound Machine and some others. In the 80s my world was pretty exclusively Black on a social level and these artists were all popular with the folks I knew. Still today I play these artists like they're new. Especially Gloria and Miami Sound. I'm a HUGE fan.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ngroove
Never heard of Jarrod until your mention. Just checked him out. Instant fan. Thank you.Quote:
Originally Posted by Guy
Just checked out Remy's album and it sounds great!
Jarrod Lawson is a very talented guy. His album has been one of favorites over the past few years. He is wonderful on stage too.Quote:
Originally Posted by Guy
Yes, Bluebrock. Jarrod's live performances probably surpass his studio recordings. He is a very talented musician and vocalist, and his band is awesome. I wasn't convinced until I saw him live a few years ago -- he is the real thing.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bluebrock
RanRan79, I am glad you found him and like him. More traditional Soul music lovers should know of him.
Speaking of white artists having a hard time to successfully record R&B, I remember Jon B. spent years trying to get a recording deal as an R&B artist only for labels to turn him down until Tracey Edmonds [[Babyface's wife at the time) heard his demo and decided to sign him. Jon talked about it on his Unsung. It's pretty fascinating that you just never know what type of prejudice you receive sometimes even with folks that seem more "privileged" and yet Jon, to me, always felt more like a black man than a white boy to me lol
Yes he is the real deal. Awesome voice and great stage presence. He also has great confidence in his own abilities. I don't mean to imply that he is big headed, but he certainly knows he is a great performer, and anyone who has not yet checked him out should do so without hesitation.Quote:
Originally Posted by Guy
Back in 2001 I remember thinking wow a white guy sounding like Marvin. Getting on to nearly 20 years later I still see where that opinion came from. Having played it through tonight I also hear lots of other influences but he still sounds original. It hasn't aged much to my ears. This fella should've gone to be much bigger.