Is R&B dead..... personally don't think so.... if it was would Mr Ovenchip split his site/listings to give it it's own section?
Unfortunately some DJs take the term R&B in the loosest sense and play some right old drivel....
This in turn encourages the 'I hate R&B' crowd to slag off everything that falls under the r&b banner.
It's usually this crowd that swears that they hate R&B, and that it's all Rock and Roll/Country and Western, that are the first to run for the dancefloor when a DJ plays any of the following R&B tunes...
Don Gardner - My Baby Likes To Boogaloo
Jimmy Robins - I Cant' Please You
Mickie Champion - What Good Am I
Five Royales - Catch That Teardrop
Joe Tex - I Wanna Be Free
Bud Harper - Wherever You Were
Etta James - Seven Day Fool
Betti Lou & Bobby Adams - Dr Truelove
Buddy Ace - True Love Money Cant Buy
Larry Davis - I've Been Hurt Too Many Times
All popular tracks, all R&B.
It all depends on the DJ in the long run...
I think sometimes it's down to them trying so hard to find new tracks/obscurities, that the lesser quality stuff slips through.
The records quoted above (Larry Trider, Dean Barlow and Barbara Redd) arn't R&B tracks inmho.... they are pop at worst, rock and roll at best (the flip of Barbara Redd is the better track imo, but it is too rock and roll)....
But then i'm gonna defend it as I play and promote it....
If anyone wants a list of quality playable Northern style R&B, let me know and I'll rattle one off.
WOOF!