"Are you ready?" screamed Axelle. "Yeeaah !!!!!" hollered the audience in eager anticipation. Judging by their reaction, the fans assembled at the Palais des Congrès were more than ready for two hours of non-stop soul, especially when it was about to be performed by a Dream Team of soul stars from the 60's and 70's. Although fans were disappointed to learn that Isaac Hayes (creator of the legendary "Shaft" theme) had declined Axelle's invitation at the last minute, as had soul diva Mavis Staple, the young Belgian singer had nevertheless pulled off an impressive feat, gathering together some of the greatest soul voices of all time.
So, come on, let's hear it for Sam Moore, the "Soul Man" of Sam and Dave fame, Eddie Floyd and his smash hit "Knock on Wood", Percy Sledge, Clarence Carter and, last but definitely not least, the one and only Ann Peebles! And with that, the Soul All Stars proceed to launch into an impeccable performance, proving that while their glory days may now be far behind them, their vocal chords are still as powerful as ever.
Temple of Soul
That evening at the Palais des Congrès (just around the corner from the famous Arc de Triomphe), Axelle Red was looking slightly paler than usual as she settled into her role of MC. The flame-haired Belgian diva confided in the audience, "It's pretty scary when all your childhood idols are standing right behind you ... I don't mind admitting I've got a very bad case of stage fright. Believe me, you don't feel all that confident in your own voice, next to these people." Axelle's nerves were understandable, especially as her introduction was swiftly followed by Ann Peebles, who began belting out an astounding performance of her famous hit "I Can't Stand the Rain". One thing's for sure, the legendary Ms. Peebles has a powerful pair of lungs and an inimitable sense of style - she arrived on stage wearing a three-tiered 70's number, complete with swirling tassels!
Ms. Peebles and her companions brought the house down as they launched into a medley of their greatest hits. Spurred on by the swell of the orchestra (24 musicians conducted by the famous organist Lester Snell) - and the inimitable 70's sound of the wah-wah pedal! - the audience leapt to their feet and began swaying and clapping their hands. By the end of the evening the generally strait-laced Palais des Congrès had been transformed into a grooving Temple of Soul.
The 3,700 music fans in the audience were totally caught up in soul nostalgia. In fact, the way everyone was singing along with the songs, clapping their hands and stamping their feet, you'd have thought you were back in the 60's and 70's! There were a few tell-tale signs, though, to show time had moved on. Percy Sledge, the legendary Soul Lover Man, was starting to look a bit chubby around the edges. But who cares? Percy still managed to blow the room away when his voluptuous, velvet tones crooned out the opening bars of "When A Man Loves A Woman". Eddie Floyd also sent a burst of adrenaline rushing through the crowd when he launched into a rendition of his unforgettable smash hit "Knock on Wood".
A Tribute to Otis
Meanwhile, Axelle Red timidly assured her role of MC, stepping in between numbers to go on (rather too long!) about the history of 'Black Music' and the legendary soul label Stax, "in Memphis, in the South of the USA". Stax which, Axelle told us, was "much, much blacker than Motown", was famous for releasing the lifetime's work of Axelle's "idol" Otis Redding - to whom, incidentally, the whole evening was dedicated.
When Axelle had finished chattering on about the History of Soul, she performed her own version of Aretha Franklin's "Chain of Fools". "Aretha couldn't be with us tonight, because she's scared of flying," explained Axelle sadly, before launching straight into Bill Withers's "Just the Two of Us". Axelle, a woman au fait with modern marketing demands, also managed to slip in a couple of songs from her latest album - such as "Rester femme", a song which has been slowly inching up the French charts over the past few weeks.
While Axelle's "Rester femme" is certainly not about to earn her a place in the Great Soul Pantheon, the audience didn't care. They were so excited by the end of the evening that they gave the Belgian star a rapturous round of applause anyway! Axelle took a modest bow, not forgetting to say a "great big thank-you to my mother." After all, had it not been for "Mrs Red", who encouraged her daughter to listen to Otis, Percy, Eddie and co. during her formative years, the soul extravaganza at the Palais des Congrès might never have happened!
