Charles Bradley

Charles Bradley – Victim of Love (2013)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/88,2 kHz | Time – 40:29 minutes | 853 MB | Genre: Soul, R&B
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Dunham/Daptone Records

Since the release of 2011’s award winning debut, No Time for Dreaming, Charles Bradley has transformed from a rising star in the Daptone galaxy into a bona-fide headliner, now affectionately known across the globe as “The Screaming Eagle of Soul.” The raw emotion and soulfulness of Bradley’s voice lifts him up among the greats of the golden age of Soul – Otis, JB, Wilson Pickett, and Darrell Banks. Anyone who has had the privilege of hearing him sing has experienced how Bradley can captivate an entire audience with a simple “Ooooo…” Bradley and writer/producer/multi-instrumentalist Thomas “TNT” Brenneck returned to Dunham studios and recorded the most exciting Daptone release to date, Victim of Love. On this album, Bradley moves past his “Heartaches and Pain” to the great promise of hope and love. Though quite at home among the music that has affirmed Daptone as the world’s #1 authority on Soul Music, Victim of Love proves to be a genre-bending masterpiece, picking up where the early 70’s Temptations left off and edging boldly forward into psychedelic soul exploration.

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Charles Bradley – Changes (2016)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/44,1 kHz | Time – 40:21 minutes | 457 MB | Genre: Soul, R&B
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Daptone Records

Charles Bradley has already proved that he is not simply a clone of James Brown, but rather the worthy heir to The Godfather of Soul. With Changes, the Brooklyn soulman rediscovered by the folks at Daptone Records releases a third album on which his impressive voice can lend itself to any melody. Just listening to the eponymous track on the album, an intense cover of an original song by Black Sabbath! The man nicknamed the ‘Screaming Eagle of Soul’ excels in ballads here, but even more impressive are the more up-tempo songs like Ain’t It A Sin – Bradley shows himself to be a master of his chosen art. A great vintage from a big character in soul music right now.

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Charles Bradley – Black Velvet (2018)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/88,2 kHz | Time – 37:35 minutes | 745 MB | Genre: R&B, Soul
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Daptone Records

On September 23rd 2017 a great voice of Soul music passed away. Charles Bradley would have turned 70 years old on November 5th 2018. Daptone Records unveils this posthumous album that for one last time shines the spotlight on this artist whose discography only includes a handful of studio albums. Three in total, enough to earn Bradley a well-deserved spot in the great modern Soul family. Black Velvet retraces his career over ten unreleased tracks recorded during studio sessions for his three previous albums: No Time For Dreaming (2011), Victim of Love (2013) and Changes (2016). As well as the funky duo with his friend LaRose Jackson on Luv Jones and languid instrumentals of Black Velvet with the Menahan Street Band (on which there are unfortunately no vocals), Bradley also threw in some eclectic covers. Nirvana (Stay Away), Rodriguez (Slip Away) or even Neil Young (Heart of Gold), each title is filled with love. An intense and moving listening experience, compounded by the track I Feel A Change that seemed to foretell the singer’s transition into another world.  – Clara Bismuth

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