Anthony David's '4Evermore' video, premiering on BET, feels like an Atlanta soul reunion
Jodine's Corner took viewers to church with behind-the-scenes footage of the January shoot
Just two months in and already 2011 is shaping up to be a renaissance year for Atlanta's soul scene. Case in point: Anthony David's debut single "4Evermore" feat. Algebra and Phonte — from his upcoming album As Above, So Below (due March 22) — has been burning up urban/adult contemporary radio. And tonight (Tues., Feb. 15) at 6 p.m. it's scheduled to air on the ubër-popular "106 & Park" along with an unplugged performance David, Algebra and Phonte also taped in front of the live crowd.
Soul scene queen Jodine Dorce (of Jodine's Corner and BeehiveFM.com's Spasmodic Movements online radio show) went behind-the-scenes during the all-day filming of the video in Atlanta on Sun., Jan. 16 and and captured what was essentially a family reunion.
The cast of the "4Evermore" video — shot as a funked-out take on a traditional wedding (a cool metaphor for the local scene itself) — includes a Who's Who In Atlanta Soul: There's DJ Kemit, who produced the song; WCLK-FM's Jamal Ahmad, who broke the song on 91.9 before mainstream radio got hip; local songwriter Slick, who plays Anthony David's best man; singer/songwriter Algebra, who's locally-designed wedding dress pretty much steals the show (catch her jumping up and down around the 1:20 mark like the African bride of Eddie Murphy's character in Coming to America); and a crowd full of cameos from the likes of India.Arie, Sabrina Rose of Slick & Rose, DJ Salah Ananse, Heston, Taiye Samuels the Wild Afrikan, singer/songwriter Eric Roberson and on and on.
The preacher for the ceremony is played by crazy-as-hell Phonte (of Little Brother/Foreign Exchange fame), and Jodine even gets in on the action as the church's first lady and wife of Phonte.
Most of the people Jodine captures on the set have been making music, and moves, together in Atlanta for well over a decade now. And considering the fact that they've done so with little-to-no major label push, they've been as successful at sustaining the scene as Atlanta's industry heads have been.