Our Interview With Natalie Claro, New Talent From Tampa!

Natalie Claro is a 15 year old singer, songwriter, dancer, and musician who has created a "career in [a little over] a year" (-TBO newspaper). She is now co-producing her own music to create her very first single that is set to release in January 2016, alongside a music video.

Her songwriting skills developed at an early age, at just 10 years old she was already writing full-length songs that were played with her piano. Now she has composed an entire album that she plans to consist of many original and new ideas to present to the world; 100% ready to be produced.

The staff at Monahan's Song loved this young talent from Tampa and we were happy to catch her performance in Jacksonville. We took a little time to interview her:

What was the first song you learned and sang on guitar

I'm like 60% sure that it was a Justin Bieber song when I was in 4th grade. 

Who were/are your greatest influences on your playing?

Michael Jackson, twenty øne pilots, Paramore, Zella Day, Elvis, Amy Winehouse.

You are young in terms of the industry, but what advice would you give to someone trying to catch on?

Always be yourself and never give up. If you try to create an image out of yourself that isn't you, people will know and nobody will be happy. Music is about originality and creativity ya know? Just stay true to your style and your art and everything will fall into place I promise.

Never give up, some of the biggest stars out there today took years and years just to get their first songs out. I hope nobody ever feels defeated. Big goals take big steps. Big steps take time. So we can just take a huge promise, if I wont give up, you can't either!! Just keep swimming, swimming, swimming.

How would you describe your music, and how would you say it differs from others?

My music is kind of all over the place, which is something I'm really, really proud of. I have a lot of unheard music from not being able to provide the sound I want just acoustically (which I must say is super frustrating) but from what I have prepared, none of them really sound alike. I think that's what will make me stand out, that I can go from Rock to R&B to soul to well yeah anything. I love too many genre's of music just to stick to one I'd be too sad to just play one.

Of all the songs you currently play, which is your favorite and why!

Baby Bug, my original. So far it's everyone's favorite and I think it's because of the dramatic build throughout the whole thing. It's my favorite because it tells a story about a struggle I had when I was younger. In middle school I didn't really have any friends and people would always tell me I'm worthless and not cool and basically anything a pre-teen girl would hate to hear.

I talk about myself in third person, and refer to "baby bug" as "you" rather than "I". I just love that because I feel like any listener can relate. They can put themselves in that place and feel as if the songs lyrics are speaking directly to them, reminding them that no matter what you're going through, or what is making you feel like you can't accomplish anything, it's wrong. It's perfect I'm always up for motivating people and people are always up for motivation haha. Music is great.

www.NatalieClaro.com

https://www.facebook.com/natalieclaromusic

info@natalieClero.com

Personal Manager: 747-200-4914

Tour Manager: 646-930-4244

James Brown: "Try Me" (1958)

"Try Me" was originally named "Try Me (I Need You)" when James Brown and The Famous flames recorded it in 1958. "Please, Please, Please" had been their first hit in 1956. Try me charted in the Billboard Hot 100 and became a number one hit on the R & B charts as well.

James Brown had lost the original members of his group with the exception of Johnny Terry. He took on Little Richard's former back-up vocalists and kept going. Try me was suggested by someone Brown met in a nightclub and he asked his guitarist and singers to work on it. He took full solo credits however.

Try me Try me
Darlin tell me
I need you
Try me Try me
And your love will always be true
Oh I need you (I need you)

"The Godfather of Soul",  founding father of funk and "Soul Brother No. 1.",would become known as a tireless, electrifying live performer who the Rolling Stone would name as #7 in their 100 Greatest Artists list. The crew here at Monahan's Song of the Week will never forget his performance in the concert film "The T.A.M.I. Show" released in 1964.

A biopic. "Get On Up" was released in 2014 to great acclaim. It was produced by Mick Jagger.

"Mr. Dynamite", would eventually place 16 No. 1 hits on the R & B charts, and set a record for the most songs on the charts that did not make it to the top slot. He is a member of the Rock and Roll and Songwriters Hall of Fame respectively. He died of heart failure on Christmas Day 2006.

He would be married four times, fight drug addiction and have many a run in with the law.

But the time of "Try Me" was all before that. Brown referred to it as a pop song. There is great feeling in his vocals...

Los Lonely Boys: "Heaven" (2004)

A quick one today boys and girls. "Heaven" is an amazingly strong number from Los Lonely Boys, a self declared "Texican Rock" band. The song was written by brothers Henry, Jojo and Ringo Garza, who are heavily featured in the songs video. 

The song did extremely well and would make it to number 16 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart, and reach number one on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart. "Heaven would also go on to win a Grammy in 2004, Many think the song contributed mightily for their self-titled record going multi-platinum. 

Wikipedia mentions AllMusic reviewer Thom Jurek, who described the song as "infectious" and draws comparisons to the music of Freddie King,Stevie Ray Vaughan and Los Lobos. He goes on to state that "Heaven" is "a single in the old sense of the word: killer hook, easy groove, a slippery but unmistakable bridge with a beautiful vocal to boot -- all coming in under four minutes. I don't think we could top that description. 

Vamonos!

Save me from this prison
Lord, help me get away

Cause only you can save me now
From this misery

I've been lost in my own place
And I'm gettin' weary
How far is heaven?

Enjoy this Texas gem!

James Hunter: "Carina" (2008)

Our crew has been decimated by whatever flu and bug that has tortured the residents of Florida the last 90 days. We are looking more like Monahan's Song of the Month right now. But the crew is filtering back in off of the sick list and we'll be picking up the pace.

James Hunter (James Huntsman), was born in England in 1962. He was influenced by his grandmothers 50's and 60's rock and R & B 78 rpm records and also by his older brother Perry Huntsman who plays fingerstyle acoustic guitar.

He would work for the railroad by day and do any gigs he could get. Hunter's career began with a band called "Howlin' Wilf and the Vee-Jays," who released their first album in 1986 entitled Cry Wilf. Later he released three more with his own band.One evening at a 90's show in Wales, Van Morrison caught his act an hired him on to his tour as a backup singer. According to Hunter's bio on his website: Morrison said, “He’s one of the best voices and best kept secrets in British R&B and soul.” He would appear on two of Van's albums before putting one out of his own.

This 2006 breakthrough album People Gonna Talk, was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Traditional Blues Album that year. He released another critically acclaimed album in 2008 called The Hard Way. This album was praise by Rolling Stone with the accolade: “unbelievably awesome” and the New York Times praised the albums “tight, slithery groove” and “sweet growl.” The Hard Way is where you will find "Carina".

I'll steal your heart away in time
It's only fair cause you have mine
Oh Carina
Don't make me wait too long

Baby can you tell me true
Do I stand a chance with you
Oh Carina
Don't make me wait too long

Good things will come
To those who wait
But too long will be too late

I'll be brave as I know how
Courage don't you fail me now
Oh Carina don't make me wait too long

"Carina" feels like is was recorded at Muscle Shoals in 1958, not 2008. It is a smooth delight mixing Hunters effortless singing with plucking violins and a beautiful piano riff floating in the background. A total keeper and a unanimous choice by the crew at Monahan's Song of the Week.

There is not a lot more about him on the net, but we have his three albums and that is doing the talking for him.

"Carina" came out as an animated video, and we think you will enjoy it!

"Tainted Love" :Gloria Jones (1964), Soft Cell (1981)

Born in Cincinnati, Gloria Jones started singing at a very early age would move to L.A., and at 14 record an album with the great Billy Preston.

By the early 60's she was recording regularly and toured all over the United States. She started to perform in musicals as well and has credits for writing many songs including one for the Supremes and Jr. Walker and the All-Stars.

She would meet Marc Bolan of T-Rex in 1969 and would be together until they had an accident (she was driving) in which Bolan was killed (1977). Gloria suffered injuries that ruined her voice and ended her singing career.

Bolan and Jones had a son Rolan Bolan who was 2 at the time of the accident. Problems with the estate resulted in their being near penniless. Marc Bolan's friend David Bowie paid for Rolan's education. He has released and album and has a band. Jones runs an orphanage in Sierra Leone.

"Tainted Love" would be the first of her recordings after being signed to the Champion label. It was released as a "B" side to a single that flopped.
In 1976 (before his death), Mark Bolan produced another recording of the song sung again by Gloria Jones, but that flopped as well.

In 1981, Soft Cell covered the song with a completely different arrangement that was full of synth and a slower tempo than the previous two versions done by Jones. The low vocals by Mark Almond gave the song a different feel as well. The song was a huge hit in England and would make it to #8 on American charts. It would stay in the top 40 for nearly a year. The timing was perfect at a time when synth dance music was the rage.

"Tainted Love" would be released as an EP as well where the song transitions into the Supremes "Where Did Our Love Go?"

According to Wikipedia, the songs video was ranked by VH1 as the fifth best  music video ever.