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  1. #1
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    Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis Jr. - Blackbird: Lennon-McCartney Icons [[2021)

    Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr. are founding members and lead singers of the original 5th Dimension. Marilyn and Billy left the group and won a Grammy award, which is among their collection of seven Grammy wins, with an even greater number of nominations. Billy Davis, Jr. has continued to attract attention as a soloist and a duo partner with his wife, Marilyn McCoo. Although Marilyn and Billy tour regularly, Blackbird: Lennon-McCartney Icons is their first major studio album in three decades, and it is inspired by the turbulent and tragic experiences of lives lost in the ongoing struggle for human rights and equality.
    Tracklist:
    1. Got To Get You Into My Life [[feat. Yancyy) [[4:28)
    2. The Fool On The Hill [[feat. Natalie Hanna Mendoza) [[3:50)
    3. Blackbird [[3:11)
    4. Yesterday [[3:16)
    5. Ticket To Ride [[4:27)
    6. The Long and Winding Road [[3:25)
    7. Silly Love Songs [[4:18)
    8. Help! [[5:11)
    9. [[Just Like) Starting Over [feat. James Gadson] [[feat. James Gadson) [[4:38)
    10. And I Love Her [[4:00)

  2. #2
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    Hi Jack - and the lp has a nice start on the charts!

  3. #3
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    https://beatles-freak.com/2021/04/22...illy-davis-jr/

    Guest Album Review: “Blackbird: Lennon-McCartney Icons” by Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis, Jr.







    Another excellent review from Amy McGrath Hughes:
    This album is available for pre-order from EE1/BMG and will be released April 30, 2021.
    There is no small coincidence in my mind about what went down in Minneapolis on April 20 and hearing the beautiful voice of Marilyn McCoo singing The Beatles “Blackbird” in a way only she can – uplifting and soulful – to see how timely and timeless the band’s music has always been.
    With husband Billy Davis, Jr., this dynamic duo is back [[and really, were they ever far away?) releasing a collection of Lennon & McCartney covers entitled Blackbird: Lennon-McCartney Icons. Way past what they both acknowledge to be relevant inspiration in today’s music culture, it really should come as no surprise that these legendary vocalists have truly risen above any sort of categorization and are in a class all by themselves.
    I can say without question that the choice of songs is point on with their history and perspective in the entertainment industry. Having risen to fame in The 5Th Dimension in the late ‘60s and then going onto a stellar career in show business [[breaking barriers for hosting their own variety show in the ‘70s), one can only say bravo for them reappearing with the collective voice their audience has never lost touch with.
    With the songs that appear on Blackbird, it’s the vocal arrangements [[and classy orchestration) that give this album its standout appeal. Both McCoo and Davis are in stellar form with the chosen material and are masters of interpretation with these well-known compositions. To be honest, any remake of a Lennon-McCartney song has got to be solid and believable for it to be worthwhile. McCoo & Davis’ tribute give the meaning and message more than enough power to sustain an entire collection.
    While “Blackbird” the song has always held poignant historical weight, I appreciated the choices brought here: Davis’ laidback vocal in “Ticket To Ride” has just the right amount of jazzy inflection and fierce reading to render the original unrecognizable. McCoo’s smoky phrasing for “The Long and Winding Road” and her syncopated reading of “Yesterday” are the gifts that keep on giving. Meanwhile Davis’ powerful rendition of “Help!” literally gave me goosebumps with his gospel, throaty vocal rising to the occasion; it leaves you with one of those head-shaking moments wondering “where did THAT come from?”
    Lennon and McCartney also each get a solo tribute: the duet are tender on Lennon’s “[[Just Like) Starting Over” while Davis rips up [[are you ready for this?) McCartney’s “Silly Love Songs.” Yes, you read that right. He hits the right amount of high melody that McCartney could only be dreaming of these days. And it’s to Davis’ credit he can do it justice.
    Of course, their duet “And I Love Her” is magical. However what shows off the best range of their chemistry are the tunes tailor-made for their vocal give-and-take: “Got To Get You Into My Life” [[featuring saxophonist Yancyy) and “The Fool On The Hill” [[sharing a guest vocal with Natalie Hanna Mendoza) are highlights that remind you: keep on listening to this album or you are definitely going to be missing out on something special.
    Producer Nic Mendoza has perfectly captured two unmistakable vocalists still in their prime. The social injustices we continue to endure and the over-arching messages of remembrance here are undeniably powerful and personal for both McCoo & Davis. Collectively, they have overcome obstacles once thought unthinkable and for all that this amazing collection has to offer to today’s music generation…
    I give this album 4 out of 4 beetles!

  4. #4
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    Oct 2012
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    I absolutely love this new album!

    I must admit I’m a bit surprised they didn’t record “Imagine”… I know it’s been done to death, but it seems like it would have hit here musically and thematically…

    Also, I’d have loved “Here Comes The Sun” to be included, but it’s not written by Lennon OR McCartney!

  5. #5
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    May 2014
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    I haven't heard the entire album yet, but what I have heard, I am VERY impressed.

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