Friday, December 28, 2012

Marva Whitney, R. I. P.

"Soul Sister #1": Marva Whitney – the woman James Brown dubbed “Soul Sister #1″ – has passed away aged 68. 

Whitney was a featured vocalist with the James Brown Revue in the late ‘60s, performing with Brown on tour in America, Europe, North Africa and in Vietnam during the war. She recorded several songs for Brown’s King Records including her biggest hit, a rewrite of the Isley Brothers track ‘It’s My Thing (You Can’t Tell Me Who to Sock It To)’. She’s also known for her song ‘Unwind Yourself’, which has been sampled numerous times, most notably by DJ Mark the 45 King on his 1987 track ‘The 900 Number’ and on DJ Kool’s 1996 hit ‘Let Me Clear My Throat’. In 2006, Whitney collaborated with DJ Pari and the James Brown inspired Japanese funk orchestra Osaka Monaurail to produce a new album, I Am What I Am. The success of this revival saw Whitney return to the touring circuit to play shows in Japan, Europe and Australia.

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