A Bangkok Jukebox column by Johnny Descamps

Editor’s Note: Please welcome Johnny Descamps as our newest columnist. He has been singing and performing in clubs since before the Vietnam War and we are thankful he is willing to share his musical experiences with us.

###Questions for Johnny

Who is the Father of Soul Music? Was it Marvin Gaye or someone else?

I personally consider Marvin Gaye and James Brown as the Fathers of Soul Music as well. I am so much impressed every time I sing their greatest hits like “Georgia on my mind” by Ray Charles, “Sex Machine” and “Soul Man” by James Brown, and “I Heard It Through The Grapevine” by Marvin Gaye and many others. I saw James Brown’s concert once in Paris. It was one of the most exciting moments of my life. The show was tremendous.

However, according to many websites and media, Ray Charles has been branded as the Father of soul music. Wikipedia, the free online encyclopedia cites says this about the beginnings of soul music:

The 1950s recordings of Sam Cooke, Ray Charles and James Brown are commonly considered the beginnings of soul music. Solomon Burke’s early recordings for Atlantic Records codified the style, and as Peter Guralnick writes, “it was only with the coming together of Burke and Atlantic Records that you could see anything resembling a movement.” Burke’s recordings, in the early 1960s, of “Cry to Me,” “Just Out of Reach” and “Down in the Valley” are considered classics of the genre.

“Walking in Memphis” was originally sung by whom?

It was sung by an American artist called “Marc Cohn”. The first time I heard it was in the mid 80’s. I love this song, it’s very classic. There are some different versions performed by other artists, but in my opinion nobody did better than Cohn. His beautifully tasteful and intelligent album that included “Walking in Memphis” won Cohn a Grammy Award for Best New Artist.

What do you think is the most important quality of a hit song?

A strong vocal, a strong melody and a good music arrangement are the most important things that combine together to make a quality of hit song.

What do you think is the most popular rock song?

It’s hard to say because there have been so many good rock songs released since the early 70’s. Myself, being a singer and entertainer, I think “Sweet Home Alabama” performed by Lynyrd Skynyrd is the “most popular rock song”. After all, it’s one of my most requested songs.

Johnny Descamps sings regularly at the The Robin Hood and O’Reilly’s in Bangkok. He has over 700 songs in his repertoire—so this is why we are calling his column the “Bangkok Jukebox”. He appreciates your comments and questions. You can contact him at bangkokjukebox@bangkokjungle.com or by leaving a comment below.

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