Lee Fields | |
|---|---|
_IMGP3844_smial_wp.jpg) Lee Fields atHaldern Pop (2013) | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Elmer Lee Fields |
| Born | (1950-04-26)April 26, 1950 (age 74) Wilson,North Carolina, United States |
| Origin | Plainfield,New Jersey, United States |
| Genres | Soul,funk,R&B,[1]retro-soul |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter, composer, musician |
| Years active | 1969-present |
| Labels | Big Crown Records,Truth and Soul Records,Desco Records,Daptone Records |
| Website | www |
Elmer Lee Fields (born April 26, 1950) is an Americansoul singer, sometimes nicknamed "Little JB" for his physical and vocal resemblance withJames Brown.[2] He has recorded withKool and the Gang, Hip Huggers,O. V. Wright,Darrell Banks, andLittle Royal.[3] Fields has also worked with musicians such asB. B. King,Clarence Carter,Dr. John,Tyrone Davis, Johnny Taylor,Denise LaSalle,Bobby Blue Bland,Betty Wright,The Manhattans,Little Milton andBobby Womack.[4] He recorded his first single in 1969 and is still active. His recent work is with The Expressions, including the albumsFaithful Man (2012),Special Night (2017), andIt Rains Love (2019). In 2014, he provided additional vocals for theJames Brown biographical movie,Get On Up.
Fields was born inWilson, North Carolina, United States, the son of Emma Jean Fields and John Fields. He was the second child of six children.
Fields had an interest in music from an early age. He decided to go toNew York, at the age of 17 to pursue a music career. Although his mother (whom he later named an album in honor of) tried to convince him not to go, she ended up giving him her last 20 dollars. With moves and style inspired byJames Brown, Fields soon had the nickname "Little JB".[5][6] He moved toPlainfield, New Jersey at the time of his marriage, in his late teens.[7]
In 1969, Fields released his first single on the Bedford label, "Bewildered" b/w "Tell Her I Love Her". He recorded "Gonna Make Love" on London Records in 1973. That same year, Fields released the popular single, "Let's Talk It Over" b/w "She's a Love Maker". Fields released "Everybody Gonna Give Their Thing Away to Somebody (Sometime)" b/w "East Coast Rapper," on SoundPlus in 1975. Most of the second half of the 1970s Fields spent cutting singles for Angle 3 Records, including "The Bull Is Coming" b/w "Funky Screw". In 1979 he released a full-length album with Angle 3 calledLet's Talk It Over.[8]
In the 1980s, disco became increasingly popular, at the expense of soul. Venues that had previously booked Fields now booked DJs instead.[5] Fields moved into real estate inNewark, New Jersey, in order to provide for his family.[5][6]
In the 1990s, Fields returned singingsoul-blues on the Southern circuit. He signed with Mississippi-basedAce Records and debutedEnough Is Enough. On Ace, Fields releasedComing to Tear the Roof Down in 1995 andDreaming Big Time in 1996 in which he played keyboards and synthesizers.[8]
Later that year Fields signed toDesco Records founded byGabriel Roth andPhillip Lehman.[9][10]Sharon Jones, who was signed to Desco also at that time, sang backup for Fields on an early single.[10] Fields was featured on the debut albumGimmie the Paw by the label's band The Soul Providers in 1997. He released several singles with Desco and in 1999, released a full-length albumLet's Get a Groove On. Desco later split intoDaptone Records and Soul Fire, and Fields eventually recorded for them both. "Give Me a Chance" and "Shot Down" were two 7" singles he released on Daptone over 2001-2002 and in late 2002, the albumProblems, on Soul Fire.[8] In early 2005 he performed on "Stranded In Your Love" included onSharon Jones & the Dap-Kings’Naturally' LP.[4] Another duet, "Will You Be True", was included on the 2014 remaster of Sharon Jones and The Dap-Kings' debut album,Dap Dippin' with Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings.
In 2006 French House DJMartin Solveig approached him to do a dance track.[11] They toured in France and recorded the songs "Jealousy", "Everybody", "I'm a Good Man", and "I Want You".[4]
Truth and Soul Records recorded a single with Fields that later became "Honey Dove". Lee Fields & The Expressions released "My World" for Truth and Soul in 2009.[citation needed] In 2011 he followed up with the album titledTreacherous. After releasingFaithful Man in 2012 with Truth and Soul, the singer toured globally. He then released two albumsEmma Jean in 2014 andSpecial Night in 2017 (on Big Crown Records by former Truth and Soul co-founderLeon Michels).[8]
In January 2019, Lee Fields & The Expressions released their latest single, "It Rains Love". Fields released an album, also entitledIt Rains Love, in April 2019.[12]
Fields' songs have frequently been sampled by R&B and hip hop artists such asJ. Cole,Slum Village,Travie McCoy andTravis Scott sampled the track "All I Need" from the albumEmma Jean on his song "Antidote".[13]
He has lent his vocals, writing skills and been the featured artist on albums of such artists likeEl Michels Affair,Kraak & Smaak,Bliss n Eso andWax Tailor.[14]
Fields' music can be found on various movies, TV shows and video games. In 2008 he performed "You Don't Know What You Mean (To a Love Like Me)" for the soundtrack of the movieSoul Men.[15] Fields's track "Honey Dove" was featured duringLaw & Order: Special Victims Unit's thirteenth season in 2011 (Episode 10, "Spiraling Down").[16] The track "Honey Dove" was featured in Season 6 ofAmerican Dad in 2011 (Episode 12, "You Debt Your Life").[17] The song "Wish You Were Here" featured in the second season of the legal drama Suits in 2012 (Episode 8, "Rewind"). In 2014, Fields provided additional vocals for theJames Brown biographical movie,Get On Up.[18] The song "Ladies" was played in the movieMagic Mike XXL in 2015. In 2016, the song "Could Have Been" was featured on the TV seriesAtlanta, he was featured as the musical guest onCBS This Morning, and the song "I'll Be Around" was on the soundtrack of the movieKeeping Up with the Joneses.[15] A brief excerpt of "It Rains Love" can be heard during the end titles of the 2020 BBC seriesTrigonometry. In 2023, the song "Forever" was featured in highest ratedSuper Bowl LVII commercial, also titled "Forever," for the dog food company The Farmer's Dog.[19] Fields' recordings were referenced in several episodes of the 2023 AmericanArnold Schwarzenegger television series,FUBAR.
Fields and his wife Christine are the parents of four adult children. They reside inPlainfield, New Jersey.[20][21][22]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Wanna Dance" | 5:35 |
| 2. | "Let's Talk It Over" | 3:09 |
| 3. | "Mighty Mighty Love" | 3:15 |
| 4. | "Flim Flam (Instrumental)" | 3:37 |
| 5. | "She's A Love Maker" | 4:15 |
| 6. | "You're My Weakness" | 3:40 |
| 7. | "Everybody Gonna Give Their Thing Away, Pt.1" | 3:00 |
| 8. | "Everybody Gonna Give Their Thing Away, Pt.2" | 4:30 |
| Total length: | 31:01 | |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Fought For Survival" | 3:14 |
| 2. | "Funky Screw" | 3:31 |
| 3. | "Take Me Back" | 3:14 |
| 4. | "Cuttin Out (On Me)" | 2:44 |
| 5. | "Bewildered" | 2:43 |
| 6. | "The Bull is Coming" | 3:33 |
| 7. | "You Been Cuttin Out (On Me)" | 2:47 |
| Total length: | 21:46 | |
Lee Fields and The Expressions released the albumProblems in 2002 withTruth and Soul Records.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Problems" | |
| 2. | "The Right Thing" | |
| 3. | "Rapping With Lee" | |
| 4. | "Bad Trip" | |
| 5. | "Get On The Good Foot" | |
| 6. | "I Don't Know Where I'm Going" | |
| 7. | "Clap Your Hands" | |
| 8. | "Honey Dove" | |
| 9. | "I'm The Man" | |
| 10. | "You Made A New Man Out Of Me" |
My World is an album released in 2009 with Truth and Soul Records, in collaboration with the group The Expressions.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Do You Love Me (Like You Say You Do)" | 3:25 |
| 2. | "Love Comes And Goes" | 3:11 |
| 3. | "Honey Dove" | 4:06 |
| 4. | "Money I$ King" | 3:18 |
| 5. | "My World Is Empty" | 4:01 |
| 6. | "Expressions Theme" | 2:51 |
| 7. | "My World" | 3:27 |
| 8. | "Ladies" | 4:17 |
| 9. | "These Moments" | 3:08 |
| 10. | "The Only One Loving You" | 4:09 |
| 11. | "Last Ride" | 3:40 |
Lee Fields released the albumFaithful Man in 2012 with Truth and Soul Records.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Faithful Man" | 4:06 |
| 2. | "I Still Got It" | 3:37 |
| 3. | "You're the Kind of Girl" | 4:01 |
| 4. | "I'm Still Hanging On" | 3:28 |
| 5. | "Intermission" | 2:00 |
| 6. | "Wish You Were Here" | 4:12 |
| 7. | "Who Do You Love" | 2:51 |
| 8. | "Moonlight Mile" | 3:38 |
| 9. | "It's All Over (But The Crying)" | 4:10 |
| 10. | "Walk On Through That Door" | 5:38 |
Lee Fields released the albumEmma Jean in 2014 with Truth and Soul Records.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Just Can't Win" | 4:04 |
| 2. | "Magnolia" (J.J. Cale cover) | 3:20 |
| 3. | "Paralyzed" | 2:57 |
| 4. | "Standing By Your Side" | 3:48 |
| 5. | "Eye To Eye" | 4:15 |
| 6. | "In The Woods" (Leon Russell cover) | 3:30 |
| 7. | "All I Need" | 3:34 |
| 8. | "Still Gets Me Down" | 4:13 |
| 9. | "Talk To Somebody" | 4:04 |
| 10. | "Stone Angel" | 5:09 |
| 11. | "Don't Leave Me This Way" | 4:32 |
Lee Fields and The Expressions released the albumSpecial Night in 2017 with Big Crown Records.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Special Night" | 5:54 |
| 2. | "I'm Coming Home" | 3:13 |
| 3. | "Work To Do" | 3:48 |
| 4. | "Never Be Another You" | 4:25 |
| 5. | "Lover Man" | 3:13 |
| 6. | "Make The World" | 3:40 |
| 7. | "Let Him In" | 3:45 |
| 8. | "How I Like It" | 2:55 |
| 9. | "Where Is The Love" | 3:43 |
| 10. | "Precious Love" | 4:38 |
Lee Fields and The Expressions released the albumIt Rains Love in 2019 with Big Crown Records.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "It Rains Love" | 3:55 |
| 2. | "Blessed With The Best" | 3:49 |
| 3. | "Two Faces" | 3:43 |
| 4. | "You're What's Needed In My Life" | 3:38 |
| 5. | "Wake Up" | 3:44 |
| 6. | "Will I Get Off Easy" | 3:29 |
| 7. | "Love Prisoner" | 4:08 |
| 8. | "A Promise Is A Promise" | 3:06 |
| 9. | "God Is Real" | 3:19 |
| 10. | "Love Is The Answer" | 3:35 |
Lee Fields released the albumSentimental Fool in 2022 with Daptone Records.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Forever" | 3:15 |
| 2. | "I Should Have Let You Be" | 3:00 |
| 3. | "Sentimental Fool" | 3:05 |
| 4. | "Two Jobs" | 3:22 |
| 5. | "Just Give Me Your Time" | 3:08 |
| 6. | "Save Your Tears For Someone New" | 2:51 |
| 7. | "The Door" | 3:01 |
| 8. | "What Did I Do" | 3:44 |
| 9. | "Without A Heart" | 3:59 |
| 10. | "Ordinary Lives" | 3:16 |
| 11. | "Your Face Before My Eyes" | 1:58 |
| 12. | "Extraordinary Man" | 3:14 |
Sentimental Fool spans Fields' soulful roots in R&B and features members of the Daptone family members, including guitarist Thomas Brenneck, bassist Benny Trokan, drummer Brian Wolfe, keyboardists Victor Axelrod and Jimmy Hill, saxophonists Neal Sugarman and Ian Hendrickson-Smith, and trumpeter Dave Guy..
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