It was very cool to see Noel Gourdin in both USA Today and on Boston.com today.


It’s even greater that The River has hit the second spot on Billboard’s R&B Charts — probably soaring to Number 1 soon as I write this, and #1 on other charts soon, too.


Since Noel Gourdin’s CD “After My Time” has dropped, I’m sure Noel Gourdin will be getting plenty more press, and we’ll learn lots more about the fabulous singer!

Found this article on EurWeb.com about Noel Gourdin and a video interview where sings a bit of The River and talks about getting the call:

Noel Gourdin will visit the 2008 Essence Music Festival, so says this new press release.


Essence doesn’t have any info as of this writing about Noel Gourdin’s visit to their 2008 Essence Music Festival, but I’m sure they’ll update eventually.

Watch The River by Noel Gourdin Music Video Online…

Noel Gourdin just posted on his MySpace blog a message to check out this new video for The River…

Nice.

And there’s a river in it.

Noel Gourdin can really, really sing.

I mean blow straight from his soul. Unlike some studio singer’s whose voices are morphed or drowned out by lots of sampling and such, Noel Gourdin doesn’t need any of that!

You can tell from that opening of Noel singing unaccompanied at the beginning of The River music video.

I believe this The River music video by Noel Gourdin is just the start of many more vids to come…

Caught this Style Weekly piece about Noel Gourdin, thanks to my Google Alert.

I didn’t know Noel Gourdin kept his cell phone number on his MySpace page!

Oh my…

I won’t call him, though.

I suspect Noel will one day take that mug off, when he hits Oprah status. Or change his cell phone number every month, like I hear LeBron James does. Don’t know if that’s really true…

But I’m glad for him and learning more about him all the time. Like the fact that Noel’s CD — cleverly called “After My Time” — will finally drop July 22, 2008.

It’s interesting that Noel Gourdin said his grandpeeps were baptized in the river.

I wonder was he?

Noel Gourdin’s The River Played on The Tom Joyner Morning Show on Tuesday, May 27, 2008…

I just hear The River by Noel Gourdin played on the Tom Joyner Morning Show this morning. It was right after Tavis Smily finished his commentary that I heard those opening strains of The River welling up behind Tom Joyner’s voice.

But Tom Joyner didn’t give the name of The River by Noel Gourdin, so I thought I’d better put up a post about it for all those black folks that raced down to work to Google it.

Noel Gourdin’s really made it now. For I heard The River on my local radio station recently, and of course Steve Harvey help blow it up in the first place — but not every city gets Steve Harvey.

But just about every black folk in the world — okay, others too — get to hear The Tom Joyner Morning Show. So I’m glad to see it happening. And I bet folks think Gourdin is D’Angelo singing, but Noel is his own man.

The River is so significant…

Okay, that’s it.

Except that I’m thinking of the spiritual signifigance of rivers right now.

Because my son’s name translates to mean river. So he calls himself River sometimes.

And Dora in the background is talking about a river.

And I just read a blog post talking about why rivers are important to black people.

I bet Noel Gourdin will always feel that way about his river…

Noel Gourdin Getting More Press…

Noel Gourdin Google Alerts are coming thru more often now, and I’m glad to see Noel Gourdin getting more mainstream press, like on SOHH and on AOL Black Voices.

Of course, the bloggers are still lovin’ Noel Gourdin too, and more and more blogs are picking up on the momentum catapulting “The River” into the public light.

Noel Gourdin on Oprah – I can see it now…

I’m telling you Noel — I already see you singing “The River” on Oprah, ’specially since I’m a person big on writing down visions and watching the Author and Perfector bring them to pass…

Just imagine the fervent press Noel Gourdin’s gonna get after his After My Time CD drops…

Here’s audio Noel Gourdin singing The River live on The Steve Harvey Show.

It’s funny how you can hear the woman say, “That boy sounds good,” over his singing. He really does sound good. The crowd is lovin’ it, as you can hear.

I’m listening to Noel Gourdin talk to Steve Harvey on this part of the audio interview as Noel says his new CD coming out this summer 2008 will be called After My Time.

(Nothing up yet for it, but check here for Noel Gourdin’s After My Time CD during the summer 2008.)

Steve Harvey is right in that the lyrics of The River are something that we’ve been hungering for.

I heard The River again on XM radio riding back from Chicago — and even my husband (not really a lyrics person) was humming the song. So when “After My Time” drops this summer, you know ever’body gonna be all over it.

Here’s Noel Gourdin’s audio singing “One Love” at The Apollo.

Everyone’s been wondering when Noel Gourdin’s CD will be released.

There hasn’t been much news about it till today.

A Google News article by the EURWEB.com website — related to Tom Joyner’s Black America Web website — republished an article about Noel Gourdin’s CD.

They updated the title of it to say that Noel Gourdin’s “debut album streams into Summer 2008,” so I guess we can look for it then.

The accompanying pic of Noel Gourdin is new as well, so maybe that’ll be the cover photo.

As some of you know who’ve subscribed to his blog, Noel Gourdin just posted this MySpace blog post saying this:

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

ON THE RADIO
Current mood: excited

TUNE IN FOR NOEL
Noel Gourdin will be coming to a station near you. Put these dates on your calender.

Tuesday March 25,2008 @ WKZJ
Wednesday March 26, 2008 @ WTYH WLVH
Thursday March 27, 2008 @ WAKB WKSP
Friday, March 28,2008 @ WBHK

Guess I could Google these stations, but I’ve got a feeling I’ll be hearing Noel Gourdin songs all over the place soon.

Get ready for Oprah to come a-callin’ Noel!

Congratulations, Noel Gourdin…

I awoke to see my stats for this site going up and up and up.

Finally someone commented that they played The River on The Steve Harvey Morning Show this morning.

The River by Noel Gourdin is blowing up!

Okay, so I just jumped that Noel Gourdin has officially made Google’s Hot Trends list today.

That’s awesome.

Just when I thought I may have been a little kooky for immediately starting a Noel Gourdin fansite after the first time I heard “The River” riding home from Chicago to Ohio last summer with my husband, Christ the Lord has once again proven Himself to know more than I do.

Now the world can be exposed to that beautiful song.

Where’s Noel Gourdin’s CD?

I still only see an import version of the CD that’s not available anywhere yet — only The River MP3 download for sale.

But now that Noel Gourdin is positively blowing up across the globe, I know Sony will be pouring more money into making and promoting it.

At least I pray that if it’s Hill will, it will.

(Minus that one song you know I’m talking about…)

When you’re ready for an interview, Noel

If you haven’t deleted the email with my cellie number, hold on to it if you ever feel led to give me an interview.

Either way, bless you for the MySpace comment and keep looking at that cross when life gets rough.

I’m so happy for you!

by Paula Neal Mooney

“Noel Gourdin posted a new comment about you at 8/27/2007 4:51 PM”

That’s what the subject line of an email read in my AOL inbox.

Noel Gourdin had actually posted a comment to my MySpace page!

This is, of course, after I’d left a gushing email in Noel Gourdin’s MySpace inbox asking for an interview, giving him my cell phone number and waiting…

Isn’t it wonderful how the Lord leads us?

In the previous post I wrote that I felt Noel Gourdin was reading what I was writing. Lo and behold — he sure was!

So Noel promised to get back with me. I hope and pray he does.

Noel Gourdin, let me “Buy U a Drank” next time you roll thru Cleveland, Ohio…

There are so many question I want to ask you, like:

1 – What is Noel Gourdin’s exact birthdate? (Journalists need to know these kinds of things for future articles…)

2 – Does Noel have a girlfriend? Wife? Kids? (Oops….I see Noel’s MySpace answers say “someday” on the children question.)

3 – Is Noel Gourdin a Christian? (My son just said his songs sound like church.)

4 – What’s your favorite Prince song, Noel? (I, too, was a Prince freak growing up. Guess mine would be Holy River (Disc 2 Track on the Emancipation CD.

5 – Did you know “Noel” means “shout joy” and “good news”? I found a little info on where the Gourdin name comes from…sounds like the French-African-American thang…

6 – …which doesn’t quite line up with the Native American heritage of your biological dad. By the way, have you ever wanted to look him up? What if he shows up when you blow up like Shaq’s biological dad did? Will you forgive him?

7 – Finally, WHEN EXACTLY IS YOUR CD DROPPING? I hope soon…

As you can see, I’ve been researching the hell outta Noel Gourdin.

But our talk will be fun.

I tend to talk about myself and open up, and God grants me the grace and favor to have many of my interview subjects to open up, too.

And might I say I’m hella happy that I finally checked the MySpace.com Official Noel Gourdin Fan Site and found Noel’s video of his appearance on the Apollo.

Here’s Noel Gourdin singing “The River” on the Apollo. (At least I know how to pronounce “Gourdin” now!):

Here’s Noel Gourdin singing “Summertime,” described as a sultry song (guess I got some more lyrics coming up to post!):

by Paula Neal Mooney

The searches on Noel Gourdin are increasing, and somebody searched for his “One Love” song today, so I figured it was time to get back on my job and get the “One Love” lyrics blogged, which are below.

For you youngin’s who don’t know where Noel Gourdin gets that “One Love” chorus from, it’s a throw-back from Whodini’s “One Love” rap song — the original video has been removed from YouTube. Sucky.

But check the beat and original “One Love” lyrics by Whodini.

I used to think that lead singer and other guy were so fine with their light green eyes. Wonder where they are now?

I wish the original video would resurface so I can show y’all the laughably basic dance moves.

Anyway, either I’m just in a mood tonight (and really want to get a good video in to i-Caught), or Noel Gourdin’s “One Love” just ain’t doing much for me.

It’s pretty and his voice is nice and lovely, but I don’t know if he’s really feeling what he’s singing like he sings on The River.

C’est la vie.

I guess Mr. Gourdin still outshines whatever he sings, rising above the material. And the voice-morphing thing is kinda cool.

And I love that Noel throws words like “indignant” in his lyrics. You don’t find that every day.

So maybe it’s just me.

What do y’all think?

Noel, hit me up with a comment. I got a feeling you’re reading…

One Love lyrics by Noel Gourdin

Ever since you’ve been gone
Got me wondering baby
Why it’s taken me so long
To make you my baby

Baby what about us?
We could be one love, one love
We’re lucky just to have just one…

by Paula Neal Mooney

The Washington Post is confirming that Noel Gourdin will join Angie Stone tonight at 7:30 p.m. at Rock Creek Park’s Carter Barron Amphitheatre.

I’m so glad to see Angie Stone back.

Her new CD called The Art of Love and War drops September 18, 2007.

And Angie Stone’s “Baby” video with Betty Wright is hot!

It’s funny how Angie Stone’s “Baby” video is reminiscent of her relationship with her baby’s daddy, D’Angelo, who has been compared vocally to Noel Gourdin.

I wonder if that’s why Noel Gourdin got hooked up with Angie Stone for this concert?

Anyway, the tickets for the concert with Angie Stone and Noel Gourdin are listed at $23 and you can call these number for more info as listed in the Washington Post:

Veteran Grammy-nominated soul singer and actress Angie Stone headlines a show Friday at Carter Barron Amphitheatre.

She’ll be joined by young R&B artist Noel Gourdin. Tickets cost $23.

ANGIE STONE Friday at 7:30 at Carter Barron Amphitheatre, in Rock Creek Park at 16th Street and Colorado Avenue NW. For tickets, 202-397-7328; for information, 202-426-0486 or http://www.nps.gov/rocr/cbarron

Of course, living all the way in Ohio, I don’t plan tromping over to DC tonight to check out the show. (Especially if Noel’s planning on singing that horrid “Clap 4 That” song.)

But Noel Gourdin with Angie Stone in Rock Creek Park (a place I want to visit ever since hearing that famous “Rock Creek Park” song) should be an amazing concert.

For all y’all that do go, please leave a comment and let me know how it was! Thanks…

This is the beginning of the beginning for Noel Gourdin. Once that crowd hears his fabulous voice and style, word of mouth will carry this brotha all over the nation. God love him and bless him.

Please subscribe for free email updates from the Noel Gourdin Official Fan Site or add it to your Google Homepage or Reader or add it to your Yahoo homepage or any of your other favorite news readers for updates about Noel Gourdin.

by Paula Neal Mooney

Okay, I’ve finally listened to Noel Gourdin’s (and co-writer’s?) “Sorry” lyrics long enough to write them all down.

The not-sorry “Sorry” song and its lyrics are sultry and intoxicating.

No wonder the girl referenced in Noel Gourdin’s “I Hear You Talkin’” lyrics “came back every time.”

Noel sounds like an honest man not afraid to put his heart on his sleeve in this era of over-exaggerated machismo.

The “she really put me on” confession about the girl he cheated with must’ve felt like a knife in the gut to his cheated-upon love, but at least he felt guilt over having creeped.

Other than that, the melodic “Sorry” and its lyrics are lulling but not a standout in an otherwise crowded R & B world.

I’m so glad that the Negro spiritual (as Noel calls it) The River came out first and is hopefully in heavy rotation on XM radio.

“Sorry” doesn’t hold water (get it?) compared to “The River,” other than the outstanding jazzy riff Gourdin does at the end — which really shows the mirror-like vocal quality to D’Angelo, whom I meant to compare Noel Gourdin to more than Maxwell.

Turns out Raphael Saadiq produced both D’Angelo as well as some of Noel Gourdin’s songs, and it seems Noel is already trying to distance himself from being called D’Angelo 2.0:

“I hear the comparison…” Noel says on his MySpace page, “…our voices are similar but you can tell us apart.”

Indeed we can, Noel, indeed we can.

And I love D’Angelo, so here’s plenty of prayers that he comes out of his latest troubles, and that Noel Gourdin never touches that path.

Sorry lyrics by Noel Gourdin

Girl we need to talk
‘Cause I can’t look at you
And keep this to myself

‘Cause every time I see your eyes
The thought comes back to mine
Girl I didn’t want to do it
But I gave into temptation

I couldn’t hold it back
She really put me on

And I swear I never meant to hurt you
But it’s killing me
‘Cause now I’m so afraid

Chorus
‘Cause I don’t want to lose you
Girl I’m sorry
Forgive me
If you just let me explain
Girl I’m sorry
Forgive me

Baby now I understand
If you just want to up and leave
After what I done
‘Cause I don’t deserve you

But if you can only take the time
And think of what we had
If you could just give me a second chance
Baby we can live romance
Baby just me and you
With no one in between us

Oh…now I know I’m asking for too much
But if you still have a heart
Girl that’s all I need

Repeat Chorus

I don’t want you to leave
Because I love you
(Girl, you know that I love you baby)
Girl I can’t see myself living without you
(I can’t see me living without you)
I don’t know what I’d do if I’d lose you

Repeat Chorus Twice

I’m sorry babe
I’m sorry babe
I’m sorry babe

I’m sorry babe
Sorry babe
Sorry baby
Sorry babe

Sorry

Oh! Ooohhhh!

What do you think? Would you forgive Noel Gourdin if he sang the “Sorry” lyrics to you?

Leave me a comment.

Stay up on all the latest Noel Gourdin news.

Please subscribe for free email updates from the Noel Gourdin Official Fan Site or add it to your Google Homepage or Reader or add it to your Yahoo homepage or any of your other favorite news readers for updates about Noel Gourdin.

by Paula Neal Mooney

I was wrong.

In the original article below I thought that N-word controversy over Noel Gourdin’s “I Hear You Talkin’” lyrics caused some Sony big wigs to remove the song from Noel Gourdin’s MySpace page.

Turns out it wasn’t on Noel’s MySpace page, but “I Hear You Talkin’” with its N-word lyrics were and are still on Noel Gourdin’s official website.

Call it a brain fart on my part — hey, that rhymes!

Anyway, I’ve just listened to the entire “I Hear You Talkin’” song enough times to note the lyrics, listed below. And him saying the starts-with-N-ends-with-A word seems fine in context. The whole song is about Noel’s honest-to-goodness feelings over a seeming love/hate/but will always be linked to relationship with some girl he “broke in.”

The more interesting question will be: Who is this woman of whom Noel sings?

I Hear You Talkin’ lyrics by Noel Gourdin

Allow me to tell you about yourselfI see how you gon’ do
You want a nigga to chase after you
Tryin’ to make me jealous
You’re all over the place

Original article:

Uh oh.

Just listening to a snippet of Noel Gourdin’s song called “I Hear You Talking” has brought up the whole N-word controversy again.

Check out the lyrics from Noel Gourdin’s “I Hear You Talking” song that I’m talkin’ bout:

I Hear You Talking lyrics by Noel Gourdin

Allow me to tell you about yourself
I see how you gon’ do
You want a nigga to chase after you
Tryin’ to make me jealous
You’re all over the place

Got our business all over the street
Talkin’ to everybody but me
When you know you still love me
Girl it’s written all on your face

Last time we spoke you..
…was telling me about some new dude
Tryin’ to get a reaction

And what that proves to me is…
…you’re out of your revving mind

And I’ve known this for some time

Notice that I wrote the “ga” ending and not the “ger” ending from what I heard.

And I didn’t get to list the entire “I Hear You Talking” lyrics yet, because though the song was just one of the four on Noel Gourdin’s MySpace page not long ago, now it’s been replaced.

Hmmm…has the controversy already began?

Noel says the N-word once again in that song, saying something about “not letting another nigga lay on top of you.”

To tell you the God’s honest truth, I half-smiled when I heard that line — it felt true just like a guy letting his real feelings come out about the raw anger that unfaithfulness creates.

How will people respond to the “I Hear You Talking” lyrics?

I guess I’m supposed to be shocked and highly offended. But I’m not.

I recognize that it is a generational thing, and sometimes “nigga” and “nigger” just mean two separate things. But sometimes the “ga” word is intended with all the derision of the “er” version — like when Erykah Badu spewed it against her no-good boyfriend in the infamous “Call Tyrone” song.

The crowd laughed back then when she threw out that “ga” word like a dagger.

And now that word has been symbolically buried. But can you ever really bury a word?

I think the more people are told they can’t use a word, the more they’ll want to use it.

It’s an ugly word with an ugly history of pain and violence.

It’s a word I rarely use and can’t remember the last time I spoke it aloud.

Yet and still, words can’t be buried, they can only fall naturally out of the lexicon.

Which is why I’m using it today for search-engine purposes and reference only — and with much deference and respect to the ancestors who went before me and took plenty of pain over that word just so I could be free to write whatever I want today.

What’s your take on Noel Gourdin using the N-word?

Leave me a comment.

Stay up on all the latest Noel Gourdin news.

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by Paula Neal Mooney

Clever.

I just listened to Noel Gourdin’s You’re the One lyrics in my headphones, deciphering them so I could list them for all you good readers below.

I must admit the line about other girls being cubic zirconia compared to his “jewel” are cool.

Anything unique these days (like our boy Robbie Thicke) stands out like a diamond in the rough rap landscape.

So back to Noel Gourdin and his You’re the One lyrics.

The melody is reminiscent of those ’70s songs that emanated from our parents’ hi-fis — and I can see why Noel Gourdin is being likened to a modern-day Sam Cooke.

I’m starting to sense the same mantle of favor on Noel Gourdin’s life that I sense on Chris Brown’s career, whom I think we’ll be hearing from for another 20 years or more.

You’re the One Lyrics by Noel Gourdin

Oh baby baby
Oh baby baby
Oh

Baby I’m confessing/professing my love for you
White doves, dozen roses
Girl anything I’ll do

Oh baby

Heaven’s essence in the flesh is the mere presence of you
Nothing less than the best
Nothing’s too good for my boooooooooo

Oh oh baby

It took no time for me to decide
You look too good
You’re way too fly
You could have whatever you like
If you need real some pimp in your ride

‘Cause every time I look in your eye
It’s so clear to me
I want to — oh! – want you to know

Baby…

I don’t sweat them other girls
‘Cause they’re not youuuuuuu, baby
So plain in comparison
No baby I ain’t no fool

Baby!

Why would I want zirconia?
‘Cause I told them I found my jewel
It’s a fact they know that they can’t touch your cool

Oh!

It took no time for me to decide
You look too good
You’re way too fly (You’re too fly baby)
You could have whatever you like
If you need real some pimp in your ride

(A pimp in your ride, baby…)

‘Cause every time I look in your eye
It’s so clear to me
I want to — oh! — want you to know

(I want you to know me…)

Baby you done broke the mold
They’re not even close
Oh no
Girl I think about you in everything that I do

Fantasize all day long
My mind is gone
Thinking how you made sweet love to me

Oh..want you to know

It took no time for me to decide
You look too good
You’re way too fly
(You’re way too fly)
You could have whatever you like
(Yes you are girl)
If you need real some pimp in your ride

‘Cause every time I look in your eye
It’s so clear to me
I want to — oh! — want you to know

It took no time for me to decide
You look too good
You’re way too fly
You could have whatever you like
If you need real some pimp in your ride

‘Cause every time I look in your eye
It’s so clear to me
I want to — oh! — want you to know

Baby baby baby baby…

Did I get them right? What did you hear?

Leave me a comment.

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by Paula Neal Mooney

Yikes.

Since I liked The River by Noel Gourdin enough to start a website all about the artist, I went digging around for more of his other songs.

That’s when I found “Clap for That” by Noel Gourdin featuring Ghostface Killah.

Yeah.

Not exactly sweet stuff.

About as offensive to the ear drums as some of Biggie’s lyrics were.

I thought about deleting this whole site.

But God.

Reminded me how my “saved” self self-published a naughty novel and only threw the remaining copies away when He gave me the scariest nightmare of my life.

Reminded me how my “super saved” self still wrestled with Him today in the steam room over not having total integrity.

So anyway.

I’m checking for Noel Gourin’s new The River CD and found it available for pre-order!

At least the imported version, anyway…

Let’s hope it’s less “Clap for That” and a lot more “The River” — we all slip-slide and go astray.

So glad that the Good Shepherd seeks us out and brings us back…

Stay up on all the latest Noel Gourdin news.

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by Paula Neal Mooney

In this “Buy You a Drank” banal culture, it’s about time somebody like Noel Gourdin came along.

You can listen to songs from Noel Gourdin’s CD on his official website at NoelMusic.net

Noel Gourdin’s site has all the upcoming news about the hot new R & B star, including future touring info, an email list to join and his biography:

“…Brockton, [MA], doesn’t spring to mind when name checking soul music’s breeding grounds. Yet it’s there that 24 year-old Noel Gourdin first fell under R&B’s spell and his hometown’s tenacity is the force behind his stunning…debut,” it begins.

“It’s about the emotions of the average man. My intention is putting my feelings on the track and leaving everything I’ve got in the recording booth. I want people to think; this is a man that you can feel. That you can slow dance with, have a drink with and cry with. It’s real music that affects your life,” the site quotes Noel Gourdin as saying.

And what about that life-changing “The River” song that I love that changes mid-tempo so you think it’s going off?

“We wanted to make a modern-day Negro spiritual,” Noel said.

And is he really from Mississippi?

“Both my grandparents lived in Mississippi about 3 hours from Biloxi and I spent every summer with them, so I really soaked up that atmosphere and history. My grandfather had just died and I was really thinking about him, and in the Deep South the river represents something spiritual. The song means a lot because it’s so close to home.”

Now that line about the grandfather being laid in the Impala kinda makes sense:

Forgot about love in the back of my Impala
Where they laid my grandfather too

So it looks like Noel is the baby in a family of four kids.

And he’s got a good heart, working with battered children.

God bless him.

Stay up on all the latest Noel Gourdin news.

Please subscribe for free email updates from the Noel Gourdin Official Fan Site or add it to your Google Homepage or Reader or add it to your Yahoo homepage or any of your other favorite news readers for updates about Noel Gourdin.

by Paula Neal Mooney

Looking for Noel Gourdin’s MySpace page?

There you have it.
It’s a nice MySpace page, with lots of free music to listen to — including One Love, The River, You’re the One and Sorry.

If you want to subscribe to Noel Gourdin’s MySpace blog, click here for free updates.

Stay up on all the latest Noel Gourdin news.

Please subscribe for free email updates from the Noel Gourdin Official Fan Site or add it to your Google Homepage or Reader or add it to your Yahoo homepage or any of your other favorite news readers for updates about Noel Gourdin.