Solo Puts Soul Back in R&B

Solo thanks photographer Ricardo Louis, stylist Stacey Jordan, and make up artist Ryan Butler for making their return look so damn good.

R&B Haven prides itself for celebrating the 90s and tries to capture the returns of every great artist that defined the period. However, none of the R&B revivals has made me happier than when I recently discovered the R&B group Solo was back in business.

Having released two albums during the 1990s, the self-titled Solo, which achieved gold status, and the oft-overlooked 4 Bruthas and a Bass, the group became popular because of their distinct gospel-tinged sound. The guys were a true throwback to the R&B of old, featuring a 50s era sound with 90s era production values, and the combination was musical bliss. What's more, the group has one of the most distinct images of the period, as Robert Anderson's looming bass accompanied the group wherever they went.

With great pleasure, I've had the opportunity to offer the (now) men of Solo a welcome back into the world of R&B. The guys are coming at the industry with a fervor, working closely with their fans at Solo's YouTube, Solo's Twitter, and Solo's Web Site. Be sure to check out the group's activity and of course, check out our great interview with the guys below.

Interview with Solo

R&B Guru: How did the group form?

Dan Stokes: Solo began when Eunique and Darnell met on the streets of LA after discovering a mutual love of music. The two hitchhiked across the country with a dream to perform at the Apollo ("Show time at the Apollo"). They made it to NY (the Apollo came much later) and started performing in the streets where they met a Jazz Bassist Rob. Later, Darnell met me (a young art student) through a mutual friend and I became a fan, friend, and later a member of the group. We performed on the street corners and subway stations in NYC where we were discovered by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis.

R&B Guru: The name Solo is interesting considering your roots as a group. What was the inspiration for the name?

Eunique Mack: Solo means one, it always has. Just like the quote from our song "Back to Da Street," "Solo not just a psychological concept but 4 men with a mutual retrospect giving thanks to this god given gift of harmony." Now ya'll know?We got a mutual love of harmony.

Solo made a name for themselves singing on the street corners of New York City.

R&B Guru: What was it like working with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis? How much of your first LP was written and produced by them?

Robert Anderson: The experience was priceless.

Dan: Working with Jimmy and Terry was the best blessing for true students of the music craft. We took every opportunity to be schooled. They oversaw production of the album from the sequence order of the songs, to the producers we worked with, and they had a hand in production of 11 of the songs on the album. Which is a big reason for the fluidity of that album. A great producer is like a great director, they can always see (hear) the big picture (album) in their head- and they are the best at that - ask Janet.

Eunique: We co-wrote much of the album with Jimmy and Terry. Some songs where from songs we already had like "Last night (Like never before)".

R&B Guru: The group's sound is heavily influenced by the R&B groups of the 50/60s. Did you always intend for that? If so, do you feel like this hindered you from becoming more mainstream?

Eunique: I always thought our sound was based on soul. Yes we were influenced by 50's n 60's music.

Darnell Chavis: No, we did not intend to for that, we just took a chance to make our sound available to everyone who would listen by showing them what our influences were.

Dan: As a group surviving on the streets of NYC we sang songs that paid the rent. That reality taught us that those songs from the 50/60's crossed generations and were timeless. They were songs for everyone. Jimmy and Terry understood this about us because they saw us in our element. It was the limitations of some radio programmers that may have placed us in a box that was restricting.

The fans didn't care young or old, brown or yellow, they loved it. You know we performed on shows from hot 97's Summer Jam, toured with R-Kelly, Aretha Franklin, Biggie Smalls, Michael Bolton, LL Cool J the list goes on. Race, Age, and the type of music was never an issue with us because when you saw us live, you felt us. Terry Lewis used to say "just get them in front of the people," and he was right.

R&B Guru: The group did a number of covers on the debut album Solo. Who had the idea to do this and what was the reasoning for it?

Dan: It was always mutually agreed between us, and Jimmy and Terry that we would record our A cappella songs because that is so much a part of who we are. Originally, it was a lot of Temptations stuff.

Eunique: We wanted to showcase the kind of music that we listened to and show that we can do those types of harmonies as well as contemporary music as well. Soul music is all of soul music, not just oldies.

Dan: The concept of the album was to introduce you to the SOLO experience. Our element was back on the streets of NYC. The song "Back to Da Streets" kinda describes our daily lives back then for real. On the streets we covered songs that (when done well) stopped crowds. We just wanted you to feel us the same way, stop you in your tracks and say "wow", just like the many fans in NYC used to stop and listen to us every day on their way home from work or shopping in SOHO.