Leela James: New Soul From An Old Soul
On first listen, Leela James' "Tell Me You Love Me" sounds like it could have been recorded in the '70s, but it's actually a cut from her latest album, released earlier this year. James' heart lies in a bygone era of American music, to the point where she even looks like she belongs in another decade. Sometimes it's not so easy being an old soul in a hip-hop world.
"She looks like she'd be dancing on Soul Train in 1975," says Stephanie Williams, music director of the Tom Joyner Morning Show. Williams is talking about the cover of James' latest CD, where James has white, over-the-knee boots on, and bigger hair than Chaka Khan ever had. Williams says James sounds like one of the singers that she used to see in smoky clubs in Memphis when she was growing up.
"Her voice has wisdom to it," says Williams. "It's like her voice has lived a life that she has yet to live."
This kind of neo-soul is not exactly the stuff radio hits are made of these days, so support from the Tom Joyner Morning Show was a major boost to James' career. Joyner reaches about 8 million people daily, and it's an older crowd. Williams says the show's "urban adult contemporary" format is right for artists like James.
"They have to come over the grown-folks side a lot of times, to the urban AC side where they can get the exposure they need," Williams says. "Grown people can listen to grown people's music without the hip-hop and the things we have out there now on our kids' iPods."
Selling Your Soul
James says most of the rest of the people in the music business haven't known what to do with her. In 2005, she was signed to Warner Bros., a major label. It started out well; her first CD was a tribute to some of the soul stars of the 1960s and '70s. But being on a major label didn't turn out to be the triumph that James hoped it would.
"We can't go back to yesterday," says James. "But can't we just put the thongs away?"
For many artists, being on a major label would represent a triumph. But for James, it didn't turn out that way.
"They didn't really know what to do with me. I'm a soul singer, a black artist," she says. "Warner wasn't really known for doing that kind of music ... You don't have to be buck naked to sell your soul, to sell your record."
James' new CD is on Stax, a smaller label that was once home to soul icons such as The Staple Singers and Otis Redding.
"Stax, being that it's a legendary soul label, the whole process of recording the album in itself was smooth sailing," James says. "They get it. They get a soul voice."
Stax has been mostly dormant since the early 1980s -- until the Concord Music Group bought the label in 2004 and relaunched it. A spokesperson for the company said Stax would like to help artists develop their careers rather than chase hit-driven radio formats.
But James says she'd be just fine with a radio hit. And here's another challenge for a soul artist in the 21st century: It's hard to top those great songs from the 1960s and '70s.
"You take an Al Green record, or something by Marvin Gaye ... when you hear those timeless records, there's not too much that can compare to that kind of stuff," James says.
9(MDAyNzUwMDI2MDEyNTA3MTU5NzcyNTQyNA004))
- My Soul by Leela James
MELISSA BLOCK, host:
Finally, this hour, take a guess. What year was this song released?
(Soundbite of song, "Tell Me You Love Me")
Ms. LEELA JAMES (Singer): (Singing) I unpacked my chest for you. Do everything that you want me to. Can't believe I gave you all my love. What in the world was I thinking of? I just...
BLOCK: 1967 maybe? 1971? Well, how about 2010? This song is from the latest album by Leela James. She's a singer whose heart is in a bygone era of American music.
As NPR's Elizabeth Blair reports, it's not so easy to be an old soul in a hip-hop world.
ELIZABETH BLAIR: Leela James even looks like she belongs in another decade.
Ms. STEPHANIE WILLIAMS (Music Director, "Tom Joyner Morning Show"): She looks like she will be dancing on "Soul Train" in 1975.
(Soundbite of laughter)
BLAIR: Stephanie Williams, music director of the "Tom Joyner Morning Show," is talking about the cover of Leela James' latest CD. James has these white, over-the-knee boots on and her hair is huge - bigger than Chaka Khan's ever was.
(Soundbite of song, "Let It Roll")
Ms. JAMES: (Singing) Why are you stressing? Why are you worrying about it? When there's a will, there's a way out around it. If you can't change it, just forget all about it. Let it roll. Yeah.
BLAIR: Leela James sounds like the kind of singers Stephanie Williams used to see in smoky clubs in Memphis when she was growing up.
Ms. WILLIAMS: Her voice has this wisdom to it. It's like her voice has lived a life that she has yet to live, you know?
(Soundbite of song, "Let It Roll")
Ms. JAMES: (Singing) Just let it roll and let it roll. Let it roll. Just let it roll.
BLAIR: This kind of neo-soul is not exactly the stuff radio hits are made of these days. So support from the "Tom Joyner Morning Show" was a major boost to Leela James' career. Tom Joyner reaches about 8 million people daily. And it's an older crowd. Stephanie Williams says their urban AC or adult contemporary format is right for artists like James.
Ms. WILLIAMS: They have to come over to the grown folks' side a lot of times, to the urban AC side where they can get the exposure, you know, that they need. And grown people can listen to grown people's music without, you know, the hip-hop and the things we have out there right now...
(Soundbite of laughter)
Ms. WILLIAMS: ...on our kids' iPods.
BLAIR: Leela James says most of the rest of the people in the music business haven't known what to do with her. In 2005, she was signed to Warner Bros., a major label. It started out well. Her first CD was a tribute to some of the soul stars of the 1960s and '70s. In her song "Music," she names some of her heroes. Aretha, Chaka, Gladys.
(Soundbite of song, "Music")
Ms. JAMES: (Singing) Somebody playing on the guitar strings makes me think of my favorite songs. Mmm. It reminds me of when I heard Aretha sang, Gladys, Tina and Chaka Khan. Mmm. We can't go back to yesterday. But can't we just put the thongs away?
BLAIR: We can't go back to yesterday, but can't we just put the thongs away? Leela James.
Ms. JAMES: You don't have to be butt-naked in your videos or whatever to sell your soul, to sell the record.
BLAIR: For other artists, being on a major label would've been a triumph. But for James, it didn't turn out that way.
Ms. JAMES: They didn't really know what to do with me, you know? I'm a soul singer, a black artist. And Warner really wasn't known for that type of music.
BLAIR: Leela James' new CD is on Stax, a smaller label that was once home to such soul icons as The Staple Singers and Otis Redding.
Ms. JAMES: And Stax, being that it's a legendary soul label, the whole process of recording the album in itself was like smooth sailing. They get it. They get - I mean, that's - they get a soul voice.
(Soundbite of song, "Tell Me You Love Me")
Ms. JAMES: (Singing) ...all night long. 'Cause when you leave me, babe, I'm thinkin' 'bout you always. I'm ashamed to say how much I want you to stay.
BLAIR: Stax has been pretty much dormant since the early 1980s until the Concord Music Group bought the label in 2004 and relaunched it. A spokesperson for the company said they'd like to help artists develop their careers rather than chase hit-driven radio formats. But Leela James says she'd be just fine with a radio hit.
And here's another challenge for a soul artist in the 21st century: It's hard to top those great songs from the 1960s and '70s.
Ms. JAMES: You take a Al Green record like - or something by Marvin Gaye, when you hear those timeless records, there's not too much that can compare to that kind of stuff.
BLAIR: So Leela James doesn't mind doing covers of those songs in her concerts. No doubt she'll do some tonight when she performs at the "Tom Joyner Family Reunion" in Orlando.
Elizabeth Blair, NPR News.
(Soundbite of song "A Change is Gonna Come")
Ms. JAMES: (Singing) It's been a long, a long time comin', but I, I know a change gonna come.
ROBERT SIEGEL, host: You're listening to ALL THINGS CONSIDERED from NPR News. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright National Public Radio.
