‘The Day Life Began’, a new Regina Belle project produced by The Heavyweights
*“The songs worked on my heart,” said Academy and Grammy Award winner Regina Belle about the song choices on her new R&B album, “The Day Life Began.” “I started listening to some tunes that Jamie Jones (The Heavyweights) one of the producers came up with. I started writing.”
The result of that union is “The Day Life Began” (Peak Records/Shanachie Entertainment) a collection of classic Regina Belle flavored songs with the Contemporary sounds created by the Heavyweights (Jamie Jones of the group All-4-One and Jack Kugell). Belle said the reason there was a 15 year gap releasing her next R&B album is because she “was doing something else for this season.” That something else was being the first lady of her husbands’ church (Pastor John Sidney Battler III, former NBA star for the Atlanta Hawks and the Cleveland Cavaliers) and releasing a string of Gospel albums.
When talking about her lyrics the artist that sang the infamous Disney Aladdin soundtrack hit song “A Whole New World” with Peabo Bryson said, “I’m older, experienced a lot of things. I’ve mellowed out in some ways – grown wiser…all that comes to the table with my record.”
Recorded at the Heavyweights Studios in North Hollywood Regina showed on “The Day Life Began” her vocal style and power is timeless. My favorites on the album include the title track “The Day Life Began” a Jamie Jones penned emotional testimony of love found; “He’s Alright” is a Praise and Worship Gospel song co-written by The Heavyweights where Regina Belle takes us to church; her cover of Phyllis Hyman’s classic “You Know How to Love Me” made me smile with visions of Regina honoring the late singer with a performance; “Imperfect Love” written by Belle and Jones is a testament to what love is all about; “Live 4 You” a Gospel/Inspirational song with R&B overtones that has an almost Hip-Hop lead guitar baseline all the way through; “You Saw the Good in Me” another Inspirational song that also offers a double meaning with the R&B overtone, and “Be Careful Out There” written by Steve Diamond and Country Music songwriter Allen Shamblin (Peter, Paul and Mary) a heartfelt plea of concern to a loved one.
“My intent is to give you everything I have and take you to a place,” Regina said about her classic trademark soulful style of delivery heard throughout the album. “If that is achieved I’ve done my job. The best story tellers make the best singers.” In reference to one of several songs on the album being secular as well as Spiritual Belle said, “Even though I don’t say Jesus…He speaks value. Even though the album does not have Gospel messages it still can be inspirational.”
Regina Belle is one of the best singers and storyteller. Her debut in 1987 “All By Myself” gave us such hits as “So Many Tears” and “Show Me the Way.” In 1989 she released “Stay with Me. In the 1990s she released collaborations with such legends as Johnny Mathis (“Better Together”) and Peabo Bryson (“Without You”). In 1995 she released “Reachin’ Back” and in 1998 “Believe in Me.” In 2002 she released “This is Regina!” that featured the hit singles “Ooh Boy” and a duet with Glenn Jones “From Now On.” The year 2004 united her with Jazz legend George Duke for her project titled “Lazy Afternoon.” In 2008 her Gospel season began when she released “Love Forever Shines” and in 2012 her second Gospel project was released titled “Higher.”
“I’d like a successful album,” Regina laughed when I asked her what she wanted the release of “The Day Life Began” to do. “I want people to know about it. It has a lot to offer people in terms of help…and healing.”
The New Jersey native and current Atlanta resident can comfortably sing R&B, Gospel and Jazz and you get to hear all those styles on “The Day Life Began.” Learn more about the new Regina Belle project, “The Day Life Began,” by logging onto www.Shanachie.com, www.PeakRecords.com and www.ReginaBelle.org.
SYNDICATED COLUMN: Eunice Moseley, has an estimated weekly readership of over ¼ million with The Pulse of Entertainment. She is also a Public Relations Strategist and Business Management Consultant at Freelance Associates, and is Promotions Director (at-large) for The Baltimore Times. www.ThePulseofEntertainment.com. EVENT: Sat April 16, 2016 the “Uplifting Minds II” Free Entertainment Conference founded by Moseley arrives in Baltimore at Security Square Mall hosted by AJ Showtime at 92Q Jams and Doresa Harvey at Heaven 600 and on Sat October 22, 2016 (TBC) the “Uplifting Minds II” Free Entertainment Conference arrives at the Celebrity Centre in Hollywood, CA. www.UpliftingMinds2.com.)
We Publish News 24/7. Don’t Miss A Story. Click HERE to SUBSCRIBE to Our Newsletter Now!
