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October 9, 2013
A lot has happened since Blue Eyed Soul Revue’s first practice three decades ago.
Within weeks of its inception, the group backed Percy Sledge at a concert, the first of many gigs with renowned local, national and international artists.
After a few months of rehearsals, Blue Eyed Soul’s founder – the original owner of Soundstage music store, then in Boutte – opened a store in Houma and became too busy for the band. Saxophonist Mike Vice took over leadership, and Blue Eyed Soul Revue have been based in Houma ever since.
The band started out with six parts: saxophone, trumpet, guitar, bass, drums and vocals.
“We were going really strong with six pieces. They used to call us the six funky white boys from Houma… and we were very funky,” Vice recalled.
The term “blue eyed soul” dates back to the ’60s and refers to white performers covering songs by black artists, which the band still does, though its set list has expanded. At the beginning, the group strictly played ’60s and ’70s soul and rhythm and blues.
Years later, a keyboardist was added to give Blue Eyed Soul another dimension. The group considered including another horn player but ultimately decided a second, female vocalist would allow for greater song variety. Tammy Trant sat in with the band before joining 14 years ago. She covers classics such as Etta James’ “At Last” as well as songs by Adele.
Vice is the only original member of Blue Eyed Soul Revue, who celebrate 30 years Oct. 13.
“To remain strong, you have to have really competent musicians, and although we’ve changed many faces throughout the years, we’ve always had competent musicians in the lineup,” he said.
Blue Eyed Soul Revue’s song list includes hundreds of titles, and more are continually
being added. Vocalist Errol Bourgeois, in his fourth year with the band, is the newest member and has led the group to explore more modern music.
“When you say Blue Eyed Soul, most people think of 30 years ago. You don’t want to lose those roots, but at the same time … you have to be relevant,” he said.
Now, the group covers Top 40 songs by the Black Eyed Peas and Cee Lo Green in addition to those by artists such as Wilson Pickett and James Brown.
“In keeping with our tradition, we still have a lot of older fans that started with us in the ’80s and ’90s, but we’ve created a new following as well by learning some new material, such as Bruno Mars,” Vice said.
He and Bourgeois both said that most of the band’s members are outgoing and fun-loving but that all have a sense of professionalism. Trant attributes the group’s success to “just overall experience, (booking agents) knowing that when they hire Blue Eyed Soul they’re getting a quality band.”
Through the years, Blue Eyed Soul Revue have performed alone as well as with artists that didn’t have a cover band. The group once opened for Blood, Sweat and Tears at a Mardi Gras function in New Orleans and has also performed with local swamp pop musicians and country artists, such as John Wesley Ryles. Like other members, Trant said her most memorable experiences with the band have been performing with big-name artists.
In 1988, Blue Eyed Soul Revue released an album with New Orleans singer Ernie K-Doe, best known for his 1961 hit “Mother-in-Law.” The record included a few original tracks, but Vice said the group devotes its time to live performances rather than to writing songs.
“Primarily, we are a cover band and have been backups for many, many artists, but for each one, we try to duplicate the original sound so that the people will be familiar with it. When they hear it, they’ll know the song.”
A favorite gig among band members is Jazz Fest, where the group has performed with New Orleans natives such as Jean Knight, known for “Mr. Big Stuff,” and Robert Parker of “Barefootin’” fame. Bourgeois had never been to the festival before he joined Blue Eyed Soul.
“The best way to experience Jazz Fest is to play because they treat you like a star,” he said. “You have all this food, you’ve got transport, you get to go backstage and meet other artists. We met Hall & Oates.”
Vice said he enjoys the excitement of the audience’s response at large festivals, though the band also plays smaller venues. Blue Eyed Soul Revue play Houma’s Downtown Live After 5 on Oct. 4 and back Frankie Ford at the Gretna Heritage Festival Oct. 5. The band also performs at the Knights of Columbus’ fair and fishing rodeo in Dularge Oct. 19.
The group still does shows with Percy Sledge and has played with Vice’s “idol,” Fats Domino.
“We’re fortunate that we’ve been asked to perform at shows with prominent recording artists. That has been a thrill for me,” Vice said. “I never dreamed in this world that I would ever accomplish what we have in this group.”
Blue Eyed Soul Revue are pictured at Jazz Fest. They are, beginning at the top row, left: Ronnie Plaisance (keyboard), Tammy Trant (vocals), Errol Bourgeois (vocals), Rocky Bush (trumpet) and Mark Dufrene (bass). At bottom are Mike Vice (saxophone), Ronny Arcement (guitar) and Roy Knight (drums).
Blue Eyed Soul Revue are pictured in this 1985 photograph.
