The Soultronics

Last updated
The Soultronics
Also known asD'Angelo & The Soultronics
Origin United States
Genres Funk, neo soul, R&B, soul
Occupation(s) Supergroup, backing band
Years active2000, 2002
Labels Virgin
Past members D’Angelo
James Poyser
Pino Palladino
Questlove
Russell Gunn
Frank Lacy
Anthony Hamilton
Roy Hargrove (deceased)
Chalmers Alford (deceased)
Shelby Johnson
F. Knuckles
Jack "JK" King III
Jacques Schwarz-Bart

The Soultronics was an R&B and neo soul supergroup formed in 2000, which served as the backing band for musician D'Angelo in 2000 during The Voodoo Tour, the supporting tour for his second studio album Voodoo . Several members of the group, including drummer Questlove of hip hop group The Roots, keyboardist James Poyser, trumpeter Roy Hargrove, and Welsh bassist Pino Palladino, had previously contributed to D'Angelo's Voodoo [1] and are also associated with the Soulquarians musical collective. Along with performing during the tour, The Soultronics contributed to Red Hot + Riot: The Music and Spirit of Fela Kuti (2002), a charity release inspired by the music of Afrobeat artist Fela Kuti. [2]

Contents

Background

On January 25, 2000, D'Angelo released his second studio album, Voodoo (2000). After releasing several singles, he and his label, Virgin Records, decided to go on a several month worldwide tour, The Voodoo Tour. [1] D'Angelo decided to surround himself with a group for the duration of the tour, composed with artists close or not so close surrounding. Because of its composition, The Soultronics is considered a supergroup, composed of artists who are themselves already part of a group, or from different musical origins. The large-scale group consisted of up to thirteen members. [3]

Although created for D'Angelo's tour, the group was actually created by three other artists and close friends of D'Angelo's: Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson of The Roots, James Poyser and Pino Palladino, all of whom contributed to Voodoo. [2] Questlove and Poyser, along with D'Angelo, are members of the neo soul collective Soulquarians and although Palladino was never officially part of the group, he was a very active collaborator, and worked on many of these artists' albums. [4] During the tour, J Dilla and his group Slum Village opened on several dates, while R&B singer Anthony Hamilton sang backup within the Soultronics on occasion. [5] [6] Hamilton was joined as a backup singer by Shelby Johnson and Jack "JK" King III. [3]

Tour and aftermath

The performances during The Voodoo Tour earned rave reviews from several music critics and publications, receiving praise for D'Angelo's energy and "charisma as a live performer" and the Soultronics group, [7] [8] while earning comparisons to outings by the legendary funk bands Parliament and Sly & the Family Stone. [9] On one of the live outings, Rolling Stone 's Touré described the appearance of the performers, stating "The Soultronics begin each show in all black, but beyond that one requirement, each looks completely distinct. One man is in a deacon's robe, another in a long cape with a knit ski cap that says FBI. There’s a feather boa, a few badass leather coats, and Questlove's mighty Afro. There's a P-Funkish freaky flair to the Soultronics' look." [3]

The group was broken up at the end of the tour; the tour started in early 2000 and ended at the beginning of late 2000 when D'Angelo's issues towards performing worsened. [1] A live album and a Soultronics studio effort were set for after the tour, the latter of which Questlove had stated that "[It will be] funk with a feeling. This was a very, very hot band, and we feel like it has a lot more potential than what we got to do during [D'Angelo's] tour." [10] However, hopes for both releases waned as D'Angelo's problems with alcoholism escalated, and impatient Virgin executives cut off funding for his expected third album in 2004. [1]

Band Members

Although some artists only participated sporadically during the tour, its members included:

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">D'Angelo</span> American singer

Michael Eugene Archer, better known by his stage name D'Angelo, is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer. He first garnered attention after co-producing the single "U Will Know" for R&B supergroup Black Men United. His debut studio album, Brown Sugar (1995), was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA); and received widespread acclaim from music critics, who have credited the album for ushering in the neo soul movement. Its third single "Lady", reached the top ten on the Billboard Hot 100.

<i>Voodoo</i> (DAngelo album) 2000 studio album by DAngelo

Voodoo is the second studio album by American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist D'Angelo, released on January 25, 2000, through Virgin Records. D'Angelo recorded the album during 1998 and 1999 at Electric Lady Studios in New York City, with an extensive line-up of musicians associated with the Soulquarians musical collective. Produced primarily by the singer, Voodoo features a loose, groove-based funk sound and serves as a departure from the more conventional song structure of his debut album, Brown Sugar (1995). Its lyrics explore themes of spirituality, love, sexuality, maturation, and fatherhood.

Neo soul is a genre of popular music. As a term, it was coined by music industry entrepreneur Kedar Massenburg during the late 1990s to market and describe a style of music that emerged from soul and contemporary R&B. Heavily based in soul music, neo soul is distinguished by a less conventional sound than its contemporary R&B counterpart, with incorporated elements ranging from funk, jazz fusion, hip hop, and African music to pop, rock, and electronic music. It has been noted by music writers for its traditional R&B influences, conscious-driven lyrics, and strong female presence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pino Palladino</span> Welsh bassist and record producer (born 1957)

Giuseppe Henry "Pino" Palladino is a Welsh musician, songwriter, and record producer. A prolific session bassist, he has played bass for acts such as The Who, the John Mayer Trio, Nine Inch Nails, Gary Numan, Jeff Beck and D'Angelo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Questlove</span> American hip hop musician (born 1971)

Ahmir K. Thompson, known professionally as Questlove, is an American musician, record producer, disc jockey, filmmaker, music journalist, and actor. He is the drummer and joint frontman for the hip hop band the Roots. The Roots have been serving as the in-house band for The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon since 2014, after having fulfilled the same role on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. Questlove is also one of the producers of the cast album of the Broadway musical Hamilton. He is the co-founder of the websites Okayplayer and OkayAfrica. He is also known for the podcast Questlove Supreme. Additionally, he is an adjunct professor at the Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music at New York University.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roy Hargrove</span> American jazz trumpeter (1969–2018)

Roy Anthony Hargrove was an American jazz musician and composer whose principal instruments were the trumpet and flugelhorn. He achieved worldwide acclaim after winning two Grammy Awards for differing styles of jazz in 1998 and 2002. Hargrove primarily played in the hard bop style for the majority of his albums, but also had a penchant for genre-crossing exploration and collaboration with a variety of hip hop, soul, R&B and alternative rock artists. As Hargrove told one reporter, "I've been around all kinds of musicians, and if a cat can play, a cat can play. If it's gospel, funk, R&B, jazz or hip-hop, if it's something that gets in your ear and it's good, that's what matters."

<i>Mamas Gun</i> 2000 studio album by Erykah Badu

Mama's Gun is the second studio album by American singer Erykah Badu. It was recorded between 1999 and 2000 at Electric Lady Studios in New York and released on November 21, 2000, by Motown Records. A neo soul album, Mama's Gun incorporates elements of funk, soul, and jazz styles. It has confessional lyrics by Badu, which cover themes of insecurity, personal relationships, and social issues. The album has been viewed by critics as a female companion to neo soul artist D'Angelo's second album Voodoo (2000), which features a similar musical style and direction. Critics have also noted that while Badu's first album Baduizm contained its share of cryptic lyricism, Mama's Gun is much more direct in its approach, and places the artist in a subjective position more than its predecessor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Poyser</span> American record producer and songwriter

James Jason Poyser is an American songwriter, record producer, musician and current member of the hip hop band The Roots.

<i>Things Fall Apart</i> (album) 1999 studio album by the Roots

Things Fall Apart is the fourth studio album by American hip hop band the Roots, released on February 23, 1999, by MCA Records. Recording sessions for the album took place at Electric Lady Studios during 1997 to 1998, coinciding with recording for other projects of the Soulquarians collective, including D'Angelo's Voodoo (2000), Erykah Badu's Mama's Gun (2000), and Common's Like Water for Chocolate (2000). According to Spin magazine, the album became a landmark moment for the Roots and the collective, as it "swelled the Roots clique into a movement-style posse".

<i>Like Water for Chocolate</i> (album) 2000 studio album by Common

Like Water for Chocolate is the fourth studio album by American rapper Common, released on March 28, 2000, through MCA Records. It was Common's first major label album and was both a critical and commercial breakthrough, receiving widespread acclaim from major magazine publications and selling 70,000 copies in its first week. The album was certified Gold on August 11, 2000, by the Recording Industry Association of America. According to Nielsen SoundScan, the album had sold 748,000 copies by March 2005. The video for "The Light" was frequently shown on MTV, adding to Common's exposure. The album also formally marked the formation of the Soulquarians, a collective composed of Questlove, J Dilla, keyboardist James Poyser, soul artist D'Angelo and bassist Pino Palladino, among numerous other collaborators. This group of musicians would also be featured on Common's next album, Electric Circus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Soulquarians</span> American musical collective

The Soulquarians were a rotating collective of experimental Black music artists active during the late 1990s and early 2000s. Members of the collective included singer and multi-instrumentalist D'Angelo, drummer and producer Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson, producer J Dilla, singer-songwriter Erykah Badu, trumpeter Roy Hargrove, keyboardist James Poyser, singer Bilal, bassist Pino Palladino, rapper-producers Q-Tip and Mos Def, and rappers Talib Kweli and Common. Prior to its formation, Q-Tip, Common, Mos Def, and Talib Kweli were members of the Native Tongues collective, while Q-Tip's original group A Tribe Called Quest served as another inspiration behind the Soulquarians.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geto Heaven Remix T.S.O.I. (The Sound of Illadelph)</span> 2001 single by Common and Macy Gray

"Geto Heaven Remix T.S.O.I. " is the third single from rapper Common's 2000 album Like Water for Chocolate. It features Macy Gray and was produced by Questlove and James Poyser, both of whom are members of the Soulquarians. Its title is a reference to MFSB's 1974 "TSOP "; it contains positive lyrics that are pro-woman and slightly religious. It is featured on the alternate release of Like Water for Chocolate, but on the original pressing, a song named "Geto Heaven Part 2" is found instead. "Geto Heaven Part 2" features D'Angelo and was originally intended to be on the latter's 2000 album Voodoo. The remix reached number sixty-one on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. A music video directed by Nzingha Stewart was made for the remix.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Feel Like Makin' Love (Roberta Flack song)</span> 1974 single by Roberta Flack

"Feel Like Makin' Love" is a song composed by singer-songwriter and producer Eugene McDaniels, and recorded originally by soul singer-songwriter Roberta Flack. The song has been covered by R&B and jazz artists including Gladys Knight and the Pips, Lou Rawls, Isaac Hays, George Benson, Larry Coryell, Johnny Mathis, and Marlena Shaw.

Chalmers Edward "Spanky" Alford was an American gospel, jazz, and neo-soul guitarist. Alford was born in Philadelphia. He was well known for his playing style, utilizing chord embellishments. He had an illustrious career as a gospel quartet guitar player in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s with groups such as the Mighty Clouds of Joy. His most notable contributions are to the D'Angelo album Voodoo, and his contributions to music from other popular artists including Tupac Shakur, Roy Hargrove, and The Roots.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Left & Right (D'Angelo song)</span> 1999 single by DAngelo featuring Method Man & Redman

"Left & Right" is the second single from neo soul musician D'Angelo's album Voodoo. The song features guest vocals by hip hop duo Method Man & Redman who also co-wrote the song. The music video was directed by Malik Sayeed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Devil's Pie</span> 1998 single by DAngelo

"Devil's Pie" is a song by American R&B and neo soul musician D'Angelo, released October 31, 1998, on Virgin Records. It was issued as a promotional single for his second studio album, 2000's Voodoo. The song was composed by D'Angelo and hip hop producer DJ Premier of the group Gang Starr. "Devil's Pie" served as a departure for D'Angelo from the urban contemporary style of his previous commercially successful singles to the more experimental, "jam"-like sound that is predominant on Voodoo, as well as the use of sampling in his music. The song appeared on the soundtrack to the 1998 film Belly. DJ Premier originally made the track for Canibus but later offered it to D'Angelo after Canibus rejected the song.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Send It On (D'Angelo song)</span> 2000 single by DAngelo

"Send It On" is a song by American R&B recording artist D'Angelo. It was released by Virgin Records on March 25, 2000, as a radio single in promotion of D'Angelo's second studio album Voodoo (2000). He wrote the song, with his brother Luther Archer and R&B singer Angie Stone, in 1998 at a recording studio in Virginia after the birth of his son. It was produced by D'Angelo at Electric Lady Studios in New York City.

<i>Black Messiah</i> (album) 2014 studio album by DAngelo and the Vanguard

Black Messiah is the third studio album by American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist D'Angelo, credited to D'Angelo and the Vanguard. It was released on December 15, 2014, through RCA Records, more than a decade after his previous solo release Voodoo. The album was produced and mostly written by D'Angelo, who collaborated with musicians including percussionist Questlove, bassist Pino Palladino, guitarist Isaiah Sharkey, and horn player Roy Hargrove. He pursued an entirely analog and murky funk sound for the record, lending it comparisons to the 1971 Sly & the Family Stone album There's a Riot Goin' On.

The Voodoo World Tour was a concert tour by American R&B/neo soul singer D'Angelo in support of his Platinum selling album, Voodoo. The tour started March 1, with the first of five nights in Los Angeles, CA at the House of Blues. The singer's itinerary included two North American Legs, as well as dates throughout Europe and South America.

The following list is a discography of production by J Dilla, an American hip hop record producer and recording artist from Detroit, Michigan. It includes a list of songs produced, co-produced and remixed by year, artist, album and title.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Peisner, David. "Body & Soul". Spin : 64–72. August 2008
  2. 1 2 Discography: The Soultronics. Discogs. Retrieved on 2009-09-30.
  3. 1 2 3 Touré. "D'Angelo Is Holding Your Hand [ dead link ]". Rolling Stone: May 2000.
  4. Columnist. De La Soul & Common: On the Spitkicker Tour Archived 2011-02-17 at the Wayback Machine . MTV. Retrieved on 2009-09-30.
  5. Nelson, Trevor. Ayia Napa 2000 Slum Village Interview. BBC Radio 1. Retrieved on 2008-11-30.
  6. Collar, Matt. Biography: Anthony Hamilton. Allmusic. Retrieved on 2008-11-30.
  7. Columnist. Corner(s)tones of Neo-Soul: D'Angelo ... A Story So Far, Part 1 Archived July 20, 2011, at the Wayback Machine . JazzandSoul. Retrieved on 2008-12-20.
  8. Hilburn, Robert. At Midyear, Shining Gems in a Dull Season. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved on 2008-12-20.
  9. Bell, Tanya. "D'Angelo Serves Up Pure Unadulterated Soul". The Gazette : August 3, 2000.
  10. Graff, Gary. D'Angelo's Works in Progress. ABC News. Retrieved on 2009-09-30.