Wednesday, October 14, 2009

A free Sophia Ramos download

In these final days of Hispanic Heritage Month, let’s hear from Sophia Ramos, a Bronx-born Puerto Rican singer who’s down with the Black Rock Coalition.

I got a FREE MP3 for you. Click here to listen to “Freedom Is Over” on my Vox blog.

I’m not nuts about this track... but I am interested in hearing more from Sophia Ramos. The 11-minute video embedded below provides a biographical intro.

“Freedom Is Over” is part of a new black-rock compilation put together by blogger Rob Fields (Bold As Love). The album is free to download – all 17 tracks! – from Amazon.com. Just follow this link.

(Oh... and the artwork up above is by Steven Lapcevic.)

9 comments:

sakredkow said...

Thank you! I think that's the best deal I got all day.

Undercover Black Man said...

^ You're welcome.

bklyn6 said...

Downloading the comp now. thx!

Michael Fisher said...

Yeah, Sophia is incredible. Especially live. I got her a deal with A&M Records in the early '90s when Alonzo Brown was head of A&R at the Urban division over there at at the time. Unfortunately, she turned it down. I think she signed with Epic for a minute at a later date. From what I remember, the record didn't do her justice and was a flop.

Undercover Black Man said...

^ Oh snap, Mike... She been at it that long, huh?

Michael Fisher said...

^Yeah, she has. In fact, now that i think about it, it might've been even earlier, around 1989. I saw her perform in one of the clubs on Bleecker Street. Janis Joplin had nothing on her. Better looking, too. Seems she was highly suspicious of us music industry types, though. I guess that's why she didn't sign. Too bad. A&M would've been just the right label for her.

Unknown said...

While I truly appreciate the props from Mr.Fisher and yourself Mr. Mills,
the truth should be told.
Mr.Fisher you DID NOT get me a deal with A&M! What you did was offer me an extremely shoddy deal through your production company in which you wanted complete control and close to 50% of all earnings. It was an insulting contract that I had no other choice to turn down. I never even met anyone from A&M, so for you to post such an erroneous comment is yet another insult. Of course I was highly suspicious of you "industry" types being offered such a rape contract.
And it was 1992 not 89.
And as far as my record with Epic, how do you know if it did me justice or not when it was never released and no one except my band and myself ever had copies. It never had a chance to be a Flop.
I find it quite pathetic that you would tote yourself as having gotten me deal and then dog me in the next line. So are you still upset that I didn't allow you to take advantage of me?

And Mr. Mills it would have been nice to get an email from you before posting this free download which you're not crazy about.
I would have been more than happy to furnish you with a variety of tracks more to your liking. In this still hostile environment from the "industry" towards Black rockers I find it upsetting that we, our community would not do more to perpetuate positivity. Instead I have to stumble upon this negative exchange. I would have rather to remain unheard of in your blog than have to read lies and criticism from ... um who are you anyway?
Sophia Ramos

Michael Fisher said...

Well, with all due respect Sophia, you had a long dinner meeting with me, my partner, and Alonzo Brown who at the time ran Urban A&R at A&M Records. You would've had that deal. You would have been signed, and the deal would've been a good one, too. I think you just got bad legal advice. I don't remember the exact terms of the deal, however, any contract that is offered begins at opposite ends of a spectrum and a good attorney understands that and understands how to get to a point where each party is satisfied. The reason you got the offer in the first place was because we all were fans of yours, and as far as I can see you never lost that talent.

Michael Fisher said...

Oh, and by the way, Sophia, I did get a copy of your Epic album. I'm not sure anymore from whom. Might've been Vivian Scott.