Frank Jade: 80s NZ soul

Who was Frank Jade? From Amplifier: "Frank Jade (nee Strother, born 1946), was a much-loved popular US soul singer who lived and recorded in NZ during the 1980's.

Frank first toured NZ with The Platters in 1980, then returned as a solo performer. After a stint in ex-Commodores bassist Ron La Pread's Auckland funk band Time Out, Frank returned permanently to the US in 1989. He passed away in March 2011."

In the above video, you see Time Out playing at a Telethon in the Auckland Town Hall, and features a splendid closing comment from newsreader and mother of the nation Judy Bailey, "Oooooh, I love a bit of funk." Who knew?

Other band members include the late Martin Winch (gtr), Simon Lynch (kbds) and Eddie Olsen (drums).



Listen: Frank Jade - With Love, a recent digital reissue of mid 80s recordings, according to the folk at Amplifier, 9 tracks were recorded at Simon Lynch's flat on a Fostex 4-track tape recorder, 2 at Mandrill and 4 at Incubator. Also, Frank Jade on iTunes.

And P-Money made this rather fabulous animated gif of Judy Bailey's outburst, cos, he's busy making a new album but this is way more important. Shot, Pete.

"Ooooh, I love a bit of funk" - Judy Bailey

Below: Studio engineer Phil Yule talks about 80s kiwi soul and Frank Jade... apparently the tune I Found A love was recorded by Simon Lynch with Frank Jade in Simon's lounge, singing into a ghetto blaster, which explains the vocal distortion...