Feels Like Gold
On Valentine’s Day, 2022, Doug Payne will be releasing his latest song called “Feels Like Gold”
Doug Payne was born on May 5th, 1955 (5/5/55) and is a graduate of Howard University in Washington D.C.
Also, LaGuardia High School of Music & Art, which is also known as “FAME” in Manhattan, New York, and was the school used to film the popular television series “FAME” starring Debbie Allen and Irene Cara.
Doug toured with the Sister Sledge “We Are Family” tour and has produced a few recordings for some of the best acts on the East Coast, USA.
Doug also worked as the musical director for The Dream Lovers, Eddie Holman, The Coasters and the house-band for the Atlantic City television show “Chat-24”
Doug’s first release of his own was in 1982 when he first released the track “Holiday” on vinyl, this later became a party favorite in Japan according to DJ Jay Suzuki.
The song “Holiday” caught the attention of the world-famous DJ Joey Negro and was licensed in 2019 to his label as part of a new collaboration album called “Under The Influence” Volume 7, by Z Records in the United Kingdom, London.
In 1985 Doug performed his second release “She Is On The Money” on the Philadelphia PHL17 television show “Dancin’ On Air” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=naae6jOnxn8.
Next Doug teamed up with the A&R Director of Philadelphia International Records, William Goodwin to record his 12” Single entitled “New York Lady”
During the early nineties, Doug was contracted as a performer for the Cunard, Crowne and Commodore Cruise Lines, the popular radio commercial for JR Flips Potato Chips was written and produced by Doug Payne during his break from the non-stop cruise line schedule.
Polygon, Doug’s backing group consisted of some of Philadelphia’s top musicians, including Tony “Smitty” Smith on Bass Guitar, George “Blue Eagle” Jackson on Drums, Amanda Price and Barbara Carter with the background vocals, Stephen Howard on Keyboards, Ron Exum Randolph on Percussion and Doug Payne, Lead Vocals and Guitar.
In 1981 Doug started the label Phase5Records in the Germantown section of Philadelphia, Pa, with a re-release of his popular track “Holiday” by Doug Payne & Polygon, the name Phase5 was thought of as a good name for his newly formed label as I’ve previously stated, he was born on May 5th, 1955 (5/5/55)
Phase5Records have released songs from Doug Payne (Holiday – 12” Doug Payne & Polygon - Holiday.wmv - YouTube, She Is On The Money – 2 Versions, New York Lady – 2 Versions), Steve Byrd & U-Turn ( Runaway 12”), Stan Harrington (Beam Me Up – 2 versions) and Sam Davis (Dealing With Time – Cassette & Album), many of which are highly sought after, selling for high amounts of money.
Moving on a few years to 2021, Doug teamed up again with his long-time friend and singer Carman Bryant to release a song called “Midnight Star” release by the label “Super Disco Hits”
Carman Bryant, born and raised in York, Philadelphia, Pa, was an R&B vocalist and has performed throughout the US and all over the world, there’s a saying in the Harrisburg/York, Pa, area “If you want a seat, you better get there early” for a performance by Carman Bryant and her band.
Carman’s recording “Midnight Star” was a previously unreleased track, produced by Cecil DuValle of The Teddy Pendergrass Band, the original studio masters were lost when Cecil DuValle moved to England in the United Kingdom after he stopped performing.
The B side of the vinyl is “Take A Chance” which is a duet from Doug Payne and Carman Bryant, taken from the same recording sessions at Alpha International Studios, located in South Philadelphia.
These recordings, during the time Doug was on the “We Are Family” tour with Sister Sledge, Doug also had two songs signed with TSOP Gamble & Huff’s publishing that were selected to be recorded by Phyliss Hyman before her death.
Carman Bryant and her son Terrell Bryant (aka Nakuu), who is the son of Carman and Jason Bryant, Jason Bryant started the group called “The SOS Band”, they have kept themselves busy lately recording new music, Nakuu has himself grown up to be a competent singer/songwriter with many popular songs to his name.
In the late months of 2020, Doug approached, Douglas Shaun Tonks with a project to start up a subsidiary label in the United Kingdom and on January 1st, 2021, Phase5Records (UK) Ltd was formed.
Their first release was a remake of the classic hit from Charlie Brown of The Coasters called “The Trashman Blues” https://ditto.fm/the-trash-man-blues Phase5Records (UK) Ltd then signed a singer called “Tushiya” and released two songs called “You Are My Saviour” and “No More” https://ditto.fm/you-are-my-saviour, during this time we also came across a relatively unknown songwriter by the name of Joseph Brown, Joseph has been playing the guitar since the age of 14, influenced by his brother David, and it was David who gave him his first guitar.
At the tender age of 28, he started writing for himself and others and the balance with family life, children of his own and later fostering children took up most of his time.
Despite suffering from Dyslexia, he achieved a teaching status, teaching Geography, Physical Education, Art and Design and a BTEC in Construction Skills.
He retired from teaching at the young age of 54 and has concentrated on the fostering of several children both abled and disabled.
His writing process is a mixture of real-life and empathy, picking up on other people’s experiences, giving him a broad experience to write about and almost every line that he has in production is very real and borrowed emotions, which adds a personal and sentimental touch to his songs.
People have said that his writing is so sincere and portrays a genuine sense of realism. Singer/Songwriters say that you can’t sing the blues until you’ve lived them, If the singer or songwriter can’t relate to their songs then how can you expect the general public to.
Around 2017, he wrote a song for his daughters first dance at her wedding and recorded his first demo project in the garage of a friend and an iPad, after reaching the semi-finals of a songwriting contest, he states “This is the first time that I feel like a real songwriter”
Joseph Brown was snatched up by Phase5Records (UK) Ltd in 2019 by myself as I Immediately related to his works and though he has the potential to become a very successful songwriter, he needs to get the break he so much deserves. He states that he feels that he was in the right place, at the right time, I disagree with this comment because as soon as I heard some of his work, mainly “Godless Skies” https://youtu.be/VnE9jxy_szI, amongst others including “Some Days” https://youtu.be/zRnMUP3zsvY, and “Even Love Dies” https://youtu.be/qLjZwSQt-V4, I did not doubt that he has potential and signed him to the label as a songwriter soon after that, and he realises that having two things with you, confidence in yourself and have the right people around you, make a huge difference on who you are and how you define yourself as a songwriter, and this, in turn, brings confidence to write further.
Unfortunately, he doesn’t class himself as a singer, even though he has a reasonable voice to do so, but instead is quite happy to sit back and know that he was part of a collaboration in his songs. We have many lyrics available for the right artist’s If they are looking for material to work with.
Phase5Records (UK) Ltd, also have an exciting young man in the name of Sunday Emmanuel Uchemadu, aka Yung Daddy from Nigeria, who in his short time as an artist for Phase5Records has released five singles, Sweet Ella/Best Moment (Double Single) https://ditto.fm/sweet-ella-best- moment, https://youtu.be/A74_Q3tByYU, Connection https://ditto.fm/connection-yung-daddy, https://youtu.be/2aMg3OigPW0,
Destiny https://ditto.fm/destiny-yung-daddy, Home https://ditto.fm/home-yung-daddy_7a3c0083a8 and The remixed version of Home https://ditto.fm/home-the-remix, he also has two EP’s, So Far, So Good https://ditto.fm/so-far-so-good-yung-daddy, and Set The Sounds Free https://ditto.fm/set-the-sounds-free, released on December 18th, 2021. He also has an album called Back Stabber. (Correct at the time of writing this)
The songwriter Joseph Brown, whose song he wrote for his daughter's wedding (Feels Like Gold), has been recognised by Doug Payne, who along with his group Polygon and featuring the rapper Master Blitz has recorded the song, which is being released on Valentine’s Day of 2022, this will be accompanied by a video and has been mixed by Tym Johnson of Phase5Records (US) and mastered by producer Richard Waller III, who is an award-winning producer, producing the album “Get Lifted” by John Legend.
Joseph states that considering the song was his first original recording and of great sentimental value, he feels he has exceeded his original aim as a songwriter and feels he has much more to offer.
