"Joy and Pain"
[song written by Frankie Beverly]
This latest Smooth Soul Survivor is, on my part, a real piece of self indulgence. It's an all time personal favourite and one of those tracks unique to soul music that just get into your head and stay with you your whole life. It has stood the test of time, attracted the attention of several musical styles and come right through to the present day.
The artist responsible for the tune is Frankie Beverly who, together with his band Maze, is newly featured in the SoulTracks artists section. The track, and you probably guessed it already, is ‘Joy and Pain'.
Beverly, who was born in Philadelphia in 1946, started out musically in his hometown with a band named the Butlers. The Butlers became Raw Soul and it was this band that, in the early seventies, switched its base to San Francisco and reformed as Maze.
"Joy and Pain"
[song written by Frankie Beverly]
This latest Smooth Soul Survivor is, on my part, a real piece of self indulgence. It's an all time personal favourite and one of those tracks unique to soul music that just get into your head and stay with you your whole life. It has stood the test of time, attracted the attention of several musical styles and come right through to the present day.
The artist responsible for the tune is Frankie Beverly who, together with his band Maze, is newly featured in the SoulTracks artists section. The track, and you probably guessed it already, is ‘Joy and Pain'.
Beverly, who was born in Philadelphia in 1946, started out musically in his hometown with a band named the Butlers. The Butlers became Raw Soul and it was this band that, in the early seventies, switched its base to San Francisco and reformed as Maze.
Maze, who have been described as perhaps the ultimate urban contemporary group, were definitely fan favourites who received little critical acclaim, notice or adulation except from soul and R & B writers. From 1977 to 1989 they recorded for that unsung goldmine of soul music, Capitol, before moving on to the new pastures of Warner Brothers.
It was in 1980, during their Capitol hey day, that Maze recorded ‘Joy and Pain', including it on the album of the same name. From day one it became a modern day classic with an enduring cult interest from serious soul fans, an interest that has been confirmed over and over by the number of quality covers it has attracted.
Look out for the 1999 album ‘Smooth Jazz Radio Hits' and hear the Count Basic version of the track which can also be found on Basic's own ‘Live' album from 1997, the 1996 release ‘This Is Acid Jazz Volume 5' and the smooth jazz compilation from Jazz FM, ‘Pacific Coast Highway'.
Also from 1996, on the recording ‘Nu Movement Volume 1', ‘Joy And Pain' again gets the acid jazz treatment with a version from Larry Searight, Todd Hunter and the Kevin O'Neal Ensemble while the excellent fusion trumpet player, Tom Browne, has it on his 1999 release ‘R N Browne'.
Donna Allen features it on her 1988 album ‘Heaven And Earth' while a more unusual example can be found courtesy of stand up comic Sinbad on his 1996 recording ‘Summer Jam'.
The track can also be found on the 1989 ‘Monster TV Rap Hits' with a version by Rob Base. Rapper Rob Base, aka Robert Ginyard, caused something of a stir when, together with DJ E-Z Rock, he sampled ‘Joy and Pain' for inclusion on their 1988 recording ‘It Takes Two'. The reason for this was that he took the track without the knowledge or consent of Frankie Beverly who, subsequently, threatened the management of Base with legal action. This notwithstanding the Rob Base sample proved to be extremely popular and the version can now be found on numerous compilations including the 1994 ‘Jointz From Back In Da Day', ‘Old Skoolin' from 1996 and ‘Slammin Ol Skool Trax' in the same year.
The original Maze version appears on many compilations and ‘best of' releases. On of the most memorable of these is the 1989 ‘The Greatest Hits Of Maze' which, as well as including the original LP version, also provides a street wise variant, heavy on urban rhythms and featuring a rap solo by Kurtis Blow.
So that's it, ‘Joy and Pain', the definitive modern day classic. Yet another Smooth Soul Survivor.
By Denis Poole