UB ReVisit: Gary Hines Talks ‘Sounds of Blackness’
We’re continuing to celebrate our favorite interviews in the last 15 years. In celebration of our 15 Year Anniversary, more on that tomorrow.
Sounds Of Blackness just may have been the most unlikely musical success story of the ‘90s. A genre-defying choir performing original music that blended gospel, blues and R&B, should not have been popular at a time of gangsta rap and New Jack Swing. But it was. Uplifting, joyful, celebratory, positive and soulful, The Sounds Of Blackness was exactly the alternative many fans wanted, and needed, to hear.
Founded in 1971 in St. Paul, MN, and directed by Gary Hines, the group naturally came in contact with homeboys Jam and Lewis, former members of the Time (Prince’s early ‘80s band). In fact, the Sounds were featured on the Batman soundtrack thanks to Prince. With powerful singer Ann Nesby upfront, the group made its major label debut with “The Evolution Of Gospel” 29 years ago this week on May 7th, 1991.
Gary remembers “We were not known nationally or internationally and the question was, ‘how are we going to market this?” The truth is that there had been an amazing amount of groundwork that Jimmy and Terry had done, getting celebrity quotes from people like Whoopi Goldberg and Quincy Jones. Donnie Simpson was using our first single “Optimistic” as the theme for his BET show “Video Soul.” A&M was caught off-guard by the orders they got for the album in the first week.”
The Grammy-winning album featured the R&B hits “Optimistic”, “The Pressure (Part 1)” and “Testify” as well as “Your Wish Is My Command.” The gold album also led to a spot on Luther Vandross’ Power Of Love tour, contributions to the Mo’ Money soundtrack (“Joy”) and the Grammy-winning Handel’s Messiah: A Soulful Celebration, and their own now-perennially popular holiday album The Night Before Christmas: A Musical Fantasy, which included “Soul Holidays” and the introduction of the late “Big Jim” Wright to the Sounds.
The ensemble scored three more R&B Top 40s plus a Soul Train Music Award with 1994’s gold follow-up, Africa To America: The Journey Of The Drum: Which included “I Believe,” “I’m Going All The Way,” “Everything Is Gonna Be Alright and “Black Butterfly.”
1997’s Time For Healing brought together the R&B Top 40s “Spirit” (featuring rapper Craig Mack) and “Hold On (A Change Is Comin’)” as well as “Love Will Never Change” and a version of the O’Jays ’70s classic “Love Train.” Since Perspective’s contract with A&M ended that year, the Sounds have went on to release 6 independent projects since.
In 2011 Aries from UB had the opportunity to speak with Gary Hines in celebration of the Sounds of Blackness last self-titled album. Gary discusses the history of the Sounds and shares his thoughts on if they are often overlooked.
Gary also talks about his love and support for Ann Nesby and he told us his favorite Sounds of Blackness tracks.
UrbanBridgez.com: Tell fans abut this amazing new album?
Gary Hines: Well this is the first self-titled release “Sounds of Blackness,” so it was easy to remember. It’s our 10th CD, it’s traditionally Sounds of Blackness yet today and contemporary at the same time. We have all of those elements there. We stay true to the Sounds of Blackness tradition. We represent many families of the family of African American Music and with messages and lyrics of inspiration and hope for everyone.
UrbanBridgez.com: Why should people go out and get the new album?
Gary Hines: Our first single “Fly Again” is kind of our flag-ship for what this record is all about. It’s about healing, it’s about inspiration, here we are in the midst of around the world is War and turmoil. Here at home economic down-turn, bankruptcy, layoffs, foreclosures, unemployment and we have the nerve to tell people to fly again. And we say that because we know that if the listeners and followers keep the faith and perseverance, we’ll fly again! That’s what this record is really trying to be a light to in these times in so much darkness and despair.
UrbanBridgez.com: Love the video for “Fly Again,” who came up with the treatment?
Gary Hines: Thank you so much! We encourage everyone to check it out, hopefully you will love what you see and hear. The treatment originated with yours truly, but with input from our great director Craig Rice. Who goes all the way back to the “Purple Rain” movie, who’s managed Prince. Who’s also directed other Sounds of Blackness videos, including the classic “Soul Holidays.” Also ideas came from the man who actually shot the video, Karl Demer who’s a multi-talented music producer here at Atomic K Recording studios.
UrbanBridgez.com: Alot of people don’t know how long the Sounds have been around and when you actually took over as director, give us a quick history lesson!
Gary Hines: I sure will! We are celebrating this year in 2011 our 40th anniversary. We began in 1971 at Macalester College in the Twin Cities. Actually the foundation for what became The Sounds of Blackness had already been laid as early as 1969. By Russell Knighton, he was a student at Macalester as well. They had this 50 voice choir called The Macalester Black Voices and they were awesome, even back then. They asked me to come on in my sophomore year to come on as musical director. The vision that God gave me for that group was to continue the tradition of giants like Quincy Jones and Duke Ellington who always did the full spectrum of African American Music. When we think of like Duke Ellington, we think primarily of Jazz and we should, but he also prolifically wrote spirituals, gospel and blues. He did the music of the culture so Sounds of Blackness is about that and that maybe answers another question of some of the readers. Sometimes people ask, what’s the meaning of the name the Sounds of Blackness? We like to say that our name says it all. Jazz, Blues, Hip-Hop, Gospel, Spirituals, R&B, Rock, Reggae, just every sound of blackness is what we bring!
UrbanBridgez.com: Mary Mary performed Optimistic at this years Black Girls Rock, what did you think of the performance?
Gary Hines: They did an awesome job! We’ve been blessed to work with them and appear with them on different stages and again speaking of great human beings they are just great spirits. Phenomenal artists as well, so they knocked it out of the park. It wasn’t only a home run, it was a glam slam!
UrbanBridgez.com: Ann Nesby who I just love so much got her start with SOB, how proud of you of all she has achieved?
Gary Hines: First of all Ann, who we love just as much and maybe even more as you do, she would want us to send her love to you and all of the readers. Our association with Ann, we talked about the Sounds of Blackness starting in the 70’s. Well our association with Ann and her incredible sister Marie and of course her daughter Jamecia who is singing lead on “Fly Again,” our association with them goes back to the late 60’s. My Church in MN at the time and her Church in IL were sister Church’s. So in the summer’s we would alternate, one summer they would come here and the next we would go there, with their choir and minister. So people would be like who is Marie’s sister, that sounds so much like Aretha, so that association goes back that far. Fast-Forward to 1989 Ann relocated to the Twin Cities and joined Sounds of Blackness, as they say the rest is history. Now she’s gone on to a stellar solo career, but we have a saying in the Sounds, once a Sound, always a Sound. She will be the first to tell you that, along with some other artists alumni that your readers may not know about like Alexander O’Neal is a former Sounds member and Cynthia Johnson of Funky Town and now she’s back with us and featured on the new CD.
UrbanBridgez.com: Jamecia is now singing and writing for the Sounds with “Fly Again”, besides her amazing voice, what made you want to make her apart of SOB project?
Gary Hines: She would say the same, once a Sound, always a Sound. Matter of fact she and I have kept in contact. We’ve worked on a number of different projects even after she went on to her solo career. Some of those collaborations were for her phenomenal daughter Paris Bennett, American Idol finalist. So we kept saying we have to do something with The Sounds again, so God ordained at this point and time for “Fly Again” to happen. Jamecia and rapper Xross also wrote “Fly Again” with production by Tylor Keys who’s now moved down to Dallas. They presented the song and even in the demo, it had such a strong vibe that we were like you know what, we have to go with this! So we let our label Malaco who is also our distributors and we let them hear it and we were in the beginning stages of the album and they were like this is the first single. Again, even in the rough stages of the recording.
UrbanBridgez.com: Do you ever feel SOB doesn’t get the credit you deserve and definitely earned?
Gary Hines: It’s funny because in Minnesota there is alot of love and support here or we wouldn’t of made it. Talk about never would of made it, like brother Sapp says…But what’s funny is we’ll go over seas and it’s magnified like so many more times like wow this is even more hype than at home kind of thing. But I think most if not all artists experience that. Then when you come back home and people come and support like they did at the Mall of America (Sounds of Blackness Day), you feel like the Wizard of Oz..there is no place like home (laughs).
UrbanBridgez.com: What do you want to be The Sounds of Blackness legacy?
Gary Hines: I want it to continue to be what it’s been and that’s first and foremost, by glorifying God by lifting people everywhere through the music of the African American experience. To put it in one sentence, To glorify God by lifting all people through black music. That’s our legacy oppose to just one style of music, we bring the family of African American Music. We tell people all time for example, you can’t fully appreciate the glory Hallelujah of gospel, without the pain of the blues, spirituals, work songs and field hollars. That’s all apart of our testimony as a people. So it’s our job to bring that full testimony to people everywhere and they can relate to that and are encouraged by that. So we want our legacy to continue to be one of glorifying God by inspiring and motivating, encouraging people everywhere.
UrbanBridgez.com: “Black Butterfly” & Optimistic” are my all time SOB favs..
Gary Hines: Thank You!
UrbanBridgez.com: No problem, what are your top 3 favorites from you guys and why?
Gary Hines: Wow, that’s a tough one because it reminds me of when I’m asked what my favorite style of music is. My response to that is similar then trying to answer your question and to me it all comes down to mood. In terms of the Sounds tracks I listen to the most or in my head the most, I would agree with Black Butterfly with you. I would also say Hold On (Change Is Comin’) and another one which is tough. But to be fair and answer with only 3, there is one called We Are The Drum. And that again is at the core of what the Sounds of Blackness is about, our name is so emblematic…Africa to America: We Are The Drum.
UrbanBridgez.com: What would you like to say to all of the supporters and fans who have been in your corner for over the last 40 years!
Gary Hines: We would like to say God Bless You! We love you on behalf of the whole Sounds of Blackness, words can not adequately express the depth of our appreciation and affection for you and our thanks to you! I say that not only to listeners and record buyers and concert goers but I say that to people like you. There’s that scripture that says “how will they hear without a preacher!” That brings along the thought, how would they hear without a DJ? We can make all the music we want but if it’s not played and supported where the people can hear it, it’s not happening. So the main thing I say is, God Bless You & Thank You!
