Sheldon Taylor's Souls of Black Notes

 In April 1986, Whitney Houston's Greatest Love of All was rising fast on the charts. Released a few weeks earlier as the final single from her triple-platinum debut Whitney Houston album, it was looking to be every bit the success of her previous hits like You Give Good Love, How Will I Know, and Saving All My Love For You. Composed, arranged, and produced by Michael Masser and lyrics penned by Linda Creed, Houston’s thrilling rendition of the 1977 original is permanently lodged in the public consciousness but the song's history and lyrical inspiration have been lost with time.               By 1976, Linda Creed was looking to spread her wings. As a staff writer at Philadelphia International Records, she joined forces with producer Thom Bell’s to create some of the greatest songs in the Philly Soul songbook.  In just four and a half years they'd racked up over 20 platinum and gold singles and albums. Creed was just twenty-t...

                               The success of Beyoncé's eponymous album confirms her status as the premiere artist of her generation. The album's visual format and initial single purchase point via iTunes expands alternate distribution possibilities beyond conventional record label support.   Husband Jay-Z's Samsung  download strategy was the sign of things to come, Magna Carta: Holy Grail's  revolutionary delivery to consumers resulted in another platinum seller in the Jay-Z catalog, becoming the 13th straight number one album of his career. If Magna Carta was a home run, Beyonce'  is a grand slam. With Columbia Records backed physical product on the way, Mrs. Knowles-Carter will probably have the distinction of having 2014's first number one album. While it is clear s...