Sean Fennessey

RapidShare

Breaking it down, one single at a time.

Anthony Hamilton: So Much Younger Now

Posted 10/22/2007 at 8:37 PM | 1 comment/s

Anthony Hamilton: "Do You Feel Me"
from the forthcoming American Gangster Soundtrack

A co-worker loves to mock Anthony Hamilton by noting he sings like someone's grandfather. This obviously runs in two directions. One, Hamilton sings in a creaky, woozy style that by turns rips off '60s and '70s soul men like Otis Redding, Al Green and Marvin Gaye. The other is his voice, at times, is literally old-sounding, warbling into the microphone like a geriatric R&B buster. I'm not sure I'm offended by either — but both are essentially true.

With "Do You Feel Me," the first single from the official American Gangster soundtrack, those bothered by Hamilton's insistence on looking back should at least be comfortable with the synergy. Hamilton shows up in the film as a (surprise!) a '70s Harlem nightclub crooner singing this glorious song, penned by ballad queen Diane Warren(!), she of "Because You Loved Me" and "I Don't Want To Miss a Thing" fame, and produced by Hank Shocklee, he of the legendary Bomb Squad production team and HOLYSHITHANKSHOCKLEEPRODUCEDTHISSONG fame.

Pardon the dodgy quality of the song pasted here — but the crackle in the file makes it somehow more authentic. As its goal is merely to replicate the heavy organ and guitar stabs sounds of Hi and Stax in the first place, a muddied track makes sense. And Hamilton's tone at last feels perfectly sensible, rather than nostalgic. Hamilton's outfit in his scene is perhaps a bit more dubious considering the song he's singing — sparkly jumpsuit with a dash of Bootsy Collins futurism. Luckily, we don't have to look to hear him.

de.licio.us digg Furl Reddit YahooMyWeb