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In Top Form, American Idol Season 4 Finalist, Anwar Robinson Teams Up With Bo-Ty Productions, LLC (http://www.bo-ty.com) Heating Up The Airwaves With “Exceptional” And “Night’s Hot.” Anwar Robinson’s Voice Is Stronger Than Ever. Since His American Idol Days, Anwar’s Been Making Magic In The Studios Of Bo-Ty Productions, LLC Grabbing The Attention Of Music Greats. What do legendary songwriter, Carole Bayer Sager, Saxophonist/Grammy Nominee, Gerald Albright, Singer Songwriter/Producer, Will Downing, and Super Producer; Onaje Allan Gumbs have in common? All love Anwar Robinson’s newest release called “Exceptional.” The buzz on this track is getting louder and for good reason. It doesn’t matter where you start to break down this song, you’ll love every last drop. The lyrics are intimate and personal without sounding contrived. Each word flows into the next while Anwar drives raw emotion into every phrase. This is a beautifully crafted song and Anwar’s passion for singing is evident. Had he performed “Exceptional” on the Idol show…who knows? Carole Bayer Sager had this to say about the making of “Exceptional.” “I met Bob and Tyrone a few years ago and was immediately impressed with not only the quality, but also the quantity of catalog of songs they produced. I invited them to have a meeting with David Foster and I because we were both impressed with their work. Tyrone shared a number of songs that we thought had really good potential. About a year or so later, Tyrone shared with me that he and Bob were working with an artist who was on American Idol…Anwar Robinson. I had been watching the show and had already taken notice of Anwar. Since that time, Tyrone shared with me a couple of songs that they wrote for Anwar (Exceptional and Night’s Hot). These songs show great creativeness and a high degree of writing skill. The marriage of song to artist is also an important point not to be overlooked as Anwar’s performance is quite breathtaking…especially on Exceptional.” The good reviews don’t stop. Gerald Albright has firsthand experience working with Anwar from the Idol days. As a music industry insider, Albright’s perspective is telling. Hearing “Exceptional” Albright said, "I truly love the song "Exceptional." After performing with Anwar Robinson on American Idol, I immediately became a true fan of his voice and delivery. I also enjoy the wonderful textured and intimate production of this great song. It's a pleasure to hear real depth and passionate lyrics in the songwriting efforts. In this midst of so much that is shallow on the playlists of today's radio programming, this song is a welcomed relief." Making a song like “Exceptional” is no easy feat. Production is equally important in making a classic. Onaje Allan Gumbs talks about the behind the scenes work that went into “Exceptional,” “Writers, producers, arrangers, engineers and all around good guys. The consistent level of creativity and production is light years ahead of many of the top productions being heard on the airwaves today. Bo-Ty Productions is where good music needs to be in the 21st Century.” All great singers recognize real vocal skill so praise from Will Downing has special meaning. “What a beautiful song, yes I said "Song" something you don't hear much of these days. It's a great vocal and Production. Just when you think the song has reached its climax, Anwar takes it up a notch. There's no room to hide as a vocalist on a song like this and Anwar has no reason to as he delivers what I consider to be a more than "EXCEPTIONAL" performance.” How exactly does music magic happen? When do you know you’re sitting on a tune that’s destined to become a quintessential love song? Anwar Robinson’s quote about working in the studio speaks to the creative process. "To this very day, I am still amazed with the results of collaborating with Tyrone and Bob. We have had a long-standing working relationship and even friendship, which is a rare treasure in the business that we are in. Bob and Tyrone have always supported me-long before I garnered the fan base from my run on "American Idol: Season 4,” and that speaks volumes. Musically, Bo-Ty Productions brings unique elements to each artist they work with that enhances the very best quality in their artistry. I often feel as if I'm working with the world's best writing and production team whenever we work together. On top of all of our superb collaborative efforts, I always believe that the best is still yet to come, for with time, it only gets sweeter and sweeter. I am so blessed to have the opportunity to know Tyrone Corbett and Bob Donzella, and I know this to be the case with each artist they work with..." Robert Donzella, Co-Principal at Bo-Ty Productions, LLC recalls the first time he met Anwar and the journey they took together, “One day, while visiting a fellow producer's studio in the corner of the room with his back towards me, a young man was playing incredible piano. A moment later a golden voice erupted from the same part of the room. I was struck by such pure and remarkable talent. A few minutes later I met Anwar. Move forward in time and I find myself in a writing session with Ty and Anwar on Night's Hot...a song I might describe as a combination of swamp and smoke. It's comforting to know when you have a kernel of an idea your partner can take it and whip it into something cool...something Ty does frequently. As a production team both of us are very open to the artist's input. Needless to say Anwar's contribution was spot on and vibey. Add up the elements of unique track, interesting melodies, personalized lyrics and Ty's EXCEPTIONAL vocal production, put them in a creative box, squeeze in some inspirational glue, shake it around and you've got a Bo-Ty production. The creative joy from that first encounter with Anwar continued to be present when we worked together and I am convinced will always be there as Bo-Ty continues with you on your journey. Anwar, I wish you continued success and happiness.” Who could have predicted that needing a haircut would prove to be a launching pad for a formidable creative team? Tyrone Corbett, Co-Partner at Bo-Ty Productions, LLC sums up his experience working with Anwar Robinson and producing “Exceptional.” “Bob and I have known Anwar Robinson for about 10 years. I was initially introduced to Anwar by a mutual colleague at a local barber shop in New Jersey. I don’t recall if we actually exchanged phone numbers or not at that time. Oddly enough, about a month or so later, I was invited to a local producer’s home and as I was walking up to the address, to my surprise, so was Anwar. It was eerily odd, but we both shared there must have been a reason for our having met again. We wound up working together at that time and forming a great friendship. Also during that time period, Anwar was signed to Clive Davis and J Records in a group called “Art of Soul.” Anwar and I were both working on separate projects, when he shared with me that he had auditioned for American Idol. We stayed in touch and after his run on AI, we resumed our working together. What’s really amazing about Anwar is his level of musicality. My partner and I would prepare a track for Anwar to sing and he would come in, listen to the track and say “F, that’s my favorite key”…Anwar has perfect pitch. In addition to this, his knowledge and sensitivity of/to music is quite impressive. When we cut “Night’s Hot,” we immediately felt we had achieved something special as the song stands alone in its own territory…lol! Quite honestly, I had a friend come to me and say that he felt “Night’s Hot” was songwriting 101 as he had heard nothing comparable and the song showed a uniqueness all its own. From a production standpoint, I did the drum track and Bob did the accompanying track…his take on writing and arranging is truly ingenious in my opinion. We added live bass, and then I edited the track to bring out elements that I thought would make things jump off. Bob and I already had the basic lyric concept for “Night’s Hot,” but we decided to bring Anwar in to finish the song as we thought it would be great to explore the collaboration. Once we cut the vocals, it was a wrap! The song has an incredible feel from track to final vocal performance. On “Exceptional,” Bob did an incredible job on the arrangement and after he and I finished the song lyrically, we felt no other singer could capture the honesty and passion as Anwar would. The session was remarkable from beginning to end and we think “Exceptional” will be one of those songs that will transcend time. Tracks available at all online retail outlets. http://bit.ly/BoTyAmazon |
| Date: | Tuesday, February 2, 2010 |
| Repeat Type: | Tuesday, December 29, 2009 (every Week, Tue) |
| Created by: | deborah diak |
| Updated: | Thursday, December 17, 2009 3:02pm |