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News
Angie Whitney December 2, 2008 It could be said that the debut album, ‘That’s What Love Is All About’ from vocalist Angie Whitney has been a long time coming. However, the wait for this excellent collection of sophisticated soul has been more than worthwhile and includes the added bonus of what are arguably two of the best ‘old school soul’ tracks of 2008. Whitney learned her vocal trade in Los Angeles during the early seventies when Motown was king and girl groups like The Ronettes ruled the charts. Singing with her twin sister Rachel and cousin Yvonne she toured with the legendary Spinners and was managed by Cornelius Grant who at the time was the guitar player and musical director for The Temptations. When plans that Grant had to develop the trio into the next smash hit girl group floundered, Angie finally found time to work on her voice, develop her vocal range and do her own thing. In the 90’s she joined the Art Deco and His Society Orchestra with whom she stayed for 8 years and when the band finally split she joined with five former band members to become Easy Street. Although by early 2000 Angie had become first call singer for a whole host of groups, an enforced hiatus to care for her ailing husband (who now is sadly deceased) did nothing to diminish her passion for music. Now, in a new and exciting partnership with producer and song writer Michael B Sutton, ‘That’s What Love Is All About’ has put her career right back on track. In fact the title track was originally recorded by Jerry Butler but is an original song written by Michael Sutton and Mack David. It’s a sensitive number which allows Whitney to evoke a ‘3-00 am’ kind of a mood and she remains in excellent form for her faithful reproduction of Billie Holliday’s ‘Now Baby Or Never’. The turned down ‘Black Rose Of Harlem’ is in complete contrast to Leslie Gore’s ‘Love Me By Name’ which Whitney uses to confirm she can handle huge dramatic productions as well as anyone and when, with ‘Excuse Me (I’ve Got A Life To Catch)’, Angie gets the chance to turn a little funky she carries it off with aplomb. The duet she shares with Sutton for ‘Sweet Love Affair’ carries with it a distinctly cinematic quality while the mid tempo ‘Flight’ is in the best traditions of great romantic ballads. However, truth to tell, the album contains two cuts that tower above all others and which in their own right makes the album a must for all lovers of stupendous soul. ‘Don’t Tease Me Now’ has all the credentials of timeless R & B. A compelling smoker that builds then finally ignites into a sultry sax driven crescendo it is surpassed only by the wonderful ‘Overnight Success’. Urban tinged yet classically soulful, the string arrangements are stunning, the vibe is intoxicating and overall it is certain to become one my top twenty tracks of the year. ‘That’s What Love Is All About’, which was recorded in early 2007 at the Jam Factory Studios in Sherman Oaks, CA is out on the up and coming on Little Dizzy Records. For more information go to www.littledizzyrecords.com |
Veteran Soul Diva Angie Whitney to August 8, 2008 Angie Whitney , her twin sister Rachel, and her cousin Yvonne started their career singing back-up for The Spinners. One of the biggest Soul Groups of the 1970's, The Spinners legendary music lives on today with classic songs such as: “Could It Be I'm Falling In Love", “Ghetto Child", “Working My Way Back To You", “The Rubberband Man" and more! Angie says, “We toured with them and learned so much. Cornelius Grant was our manger at the time. He was also the guitar player and musical director for The Temptations. He took us under his wing. He wanted to develop a girl group at the time. He was so controlling but I paid close attention to him because I wanted to be in show biz. We rehearsed so much but we all got antsy and it fell apart." By the early 80's Angie finally stopped working with her twin and her cousin and was able to do her own thing. She started singing with a group called Drive All Night. In the 90's she joined the Art Deco and His Society Orchestra. She stayed with them for 8 years. Angie and five former members of Art Deco then formed their own group called Easy Street. By early 2000 Angie was getting calls from many bands and was the first call singer with 3 or 4 groups. She worked days and continued to sing. She got married and kept singing. Angie says, “However, my husband became ill around that time and it stopped me from proceeding with my career because I was taking care of him full time, but I filled my husband's life with love, comfort and joy until the day he died in my arms. That's what love and life is about." Angie declares, “Now is the time for me. I'm so excited. This is my first CD and I'm thrilled to be able to release it on Little Dizzy Records ." The debut CD entitled, That's What Love Is All About will be available digitally August 26, 2008. The CD was recorded in early 2007. It was produced by former Motown writer, Michael B. Sutton. It was recorded at Jam Factory Studios in Sherman Oaks, CA. The record takes you on a beautiful journey about love. Every song has a story. “Don't Tease Me" shows off a cool sax solo and features strings and 3 part harmony. "That's What Love Is All About" was recorded by Jerry Butler back in the day but is an original song written by Michael Sutton and Mack David (8 Academy Award nominations/ Induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1975). The song is a soulful ballad that speaks of misery and ecstasy. Angie adds, “All my feelings are on that CD... it's a positive CD." Its lush melodies and beautiful vocals tell her story. Take the journey with Angie and you'll feel her emotion break through in every song. |
An Interview with Angie Whitney Fans of good music should give Angie Whitney's debut CD "That's What Love Is All About" a try. Find out more about the woman behind the music in this exclusive interview with entertainment writer Shelia M Goss.
Shelia: What do you do in your spare time when you want to relax and unwind?
Shelia: What was the last good movie you saw?
Shelia: What artists do you listen to the most?
Shelia: Pick three songs from your CD and tell me about it. |
Angie Whitney- An Inspiring Story Let’s take a trip back to the future and twist and shout into the 60’s and catapult ourselves into the early 70’s when Motown was king and girl groups like Diana Ross and The Supremes and The Ronettes ruled the charts. Angie Whitney was an aspiring singer living in Los Angeles with her twin sister, Rachel and her cousin, Yvonne. The twins had been singing together since they were 4 years old. Angie was shy but loved to get up and sing in front of people. Angie, her twin sister and her cousin started singing back-up for The Spinners who charted 5- Top 100 singles and 2- Top 10 hits. They were one of the biggest Soul groups of the 1970’s. The Spinners classic songs such as: “Could It Be I’m Falling In Love”, “Ghetto Child”, “Working My Way Back To You”, “The Rubberband Man” and more are considered Pop classics. Angie says, “We toured with them and learned so much. Cornelius Grant was our manger at the time. He was also the guitar player and musical director for The Temptations. He took us under his wing. He wanted to develop a girl group at the time. He was so controlling but I paid close attention to him because I wanted to be in show biz. We rehearsed so much but we all got antsy and it fell apart.” Angie finally had time to work on her voice. She wanted desperately to sing on her own. Angie explains, “I’m an Alto and my lower register is developed. I could never sing high with confidence until I was able to take lessons. That’s when I learned how to change keys! I use so many different tones and voices that I’m able to express my feelings with my voice. Now I can take songs to new and provocative levels.” By the early 80’s Angie finally stopped working with her twin and her cousin and was able to do her own thing. She started singing with a group called Drive All Night. In the 90’s she joined the Art Deco and His Society Orchestra. She stayed with them for 8 years. Angie and five former members of Art Deco then formed their own group called Easy Street. By early 2000 Angie was getting calls from many bands and was the first call singer with 3 or 4 groups. She worked days and continued to sing. She got married and kept singing. Angie says, “My husband became ill around that time and it stopped me from proceeding with my career because I was taking care of him full time, but I filled my husband’s life with love, comfort and joy until the day he died in my arms. That’s what love and life is about.” Angie declares, “Now is the time for me. I’m so excited. This is my first CD and I’m thrilled to be able to release it on Little Dizzy Records.” The debut CD entitled, That’s What Love Is All About will be available digitally August 26, 2008. The CD was recorded in early 2007. It was produced by former Motown writer, Michael B. Sutton. It was recorded at Jam Factory Studios in Sherman Oaks, CA. The record takes you on a beautiful journey about love. Every song has a story. “Don’t Tease Me” shows off a cool sax solo and features strings and 3 part harmony. “Love Me By Name” is a dramatic ballad. When you’re young you make stupid mistakes and as you get older you just want someone to love you. The song was written by Leslie Gore who wrote “It’s My Party”. “That’s What Love Is All About” was recorded by Jerry Butler back in the day but is an original song written by Michael Sutton and Mack David (8 Academy Award nominations/ Induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1975). The song is a soulful ballad that speaks of misery and ecstasy. Angie adds, “All my feelings are on that CD... it’s a positive CD.” Its lush melodies and beautiful vocals tell her story. Take the journey with Angie and you’ll feel her emotion break through in every song. Press Quotes
Often, “adult contemporary” feels more like “adult ancient,” but there's no tired beatmaking or saccharine production in Whitney's debut disc. Instead, we hear husky soul vocals bring an earthiness to sharp synth beats and airy saxophone. It's all the mellow with none of the dull. ”
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