Lucy Jules is featured on the new single from Brian Power 'Optimistic' (just
posted) and I believe she was a backing singer for George Michael and has also
featured with Sam Smith. I found this track by her, first released on a
compilation
'Soul Revue 2'
but also featured on the soundtrack for 'Damsels In Distress' in 2012.
It's a 60's / Motown throwback sounding a bit like Martha Reeves & The
Vandellas (Heatwave) with elements of The Fascinations, Girls Are Out To Get
You at the start.
There is another track by her on 'Soul Revue 2' called 'Baby I Want You' which is a bit 'poppy', but still has a Motown feel. It featured in
the Netflix TV series
Velvet.
I thought it was timely to post this track whilst we are in the midst of
UK Lockdown #2. It is taken from the 'Loveland' bonus disc which was issued with the US limited edition release of 'The Chocolate Factory' album in 2003.
Apparently 'Loveland' was scheduled to be the follow up album to 'TP-2' in
Nov 2002, but was delayed due to heavy bootlegging. It was then
dropped and 'The Chocolate Factory' was released in 2003 with 7 tracks from
'Loveland' issued as a bonus disc on a special edition US release.
Loveland originally had 15 tracks.
Bootlegs of 'Love Land' have been blocked from sale on Discogs, hence I
would imagine they are pretty hard to come by.
I posted this previously in The Breakers but it has now officially been
released (29 Jan 2021) so deserve's its own post. There are two mixes -
Radio Edit and longer the Long Keys Remix.
It's always been a long time favourite since it's release in 1991 (30 years ago!!!) by The Sounds Of Blackness
and this cover is fairly faithful to the original with a beefed up bassline that does it justice.
Long Keys Remix
Radio Edit
Brian Power is a London based DJ/producer and owner of Soulhouse records and I'm assuming it's the same Lucy Jules who was a backing singer for George
Michael?
A pairing of two Northern Soul tracks originally released in 1965 on Larry Maxwell's MAXX label (334
& 335) just before they joined Motown and released one of their best NS
tracks 'Just Walk In My Shoes' on Soul in 1966.
This has just been reissued on limited edition (500) 7" vinyl (20 Jan 2021) on a new label Ramrock Retro and is available to order
via
BandCamp.
Stop And Get A Hold Of Myself
Some live footage of them performing the track on a TV show in 1968. (NOTE sound quality not great).
Staying with Gospel Northern Soul, and another released on Chess's Checker
imprint's 5000 gospel series and also got a UK release. It was played early on
the Northern Soul circuit at the legendary Twisted Wheel in Manchester.
It has seen plenty of reactivation over the years.
Whilst still on the gospel 'tip' here's another one, inspired by Craig
Charles' trio of gospel northern tracks played on his show last night. A
couple of covers/interpretations of Wilson Pickett's 'Don't Let The Green
Grass Fool' and a gospel version of 'Just My Imagination'.
Rev. W. Bernard Avant Jr. & The St. James Gospel Choir [1972] - Don't
Let The Green Grass Fool You (Don't Let The Devil Fool You) [Gospel Truth
#GTA-1203]
Rev. W. Bernard Avant Jr. & The St. James Gospel Choir [1972] - Just My
Imagination [Gospel Truth #GTS-2701]
A gospel version of The Temptations 'Just My Imagination (Just My Salvation)' also recorded by The Rance Allen Group earlier on the same label.
The Gospel Messengers [2015] - Don't Let The Devil Fool You [Self Released]
I 'wonder' if Bobby Wade credited here is the same Bobby Wade who
released a few singles on Way Out and was a member of Little Anthony
& The Imperials who I
posted a feature
on a while ago. I think he may be pictured back right on sleeve image below.
What a magnificent song and singer. Taken from his 2004 album 'Crossroads'.
Three minutes and 19 seconds of pure bliss ... and that's just not long
enough. This one's on repeat! Deep, deep gospel / soul. I cannot recommend
this highly enough ... it is soul perfection if you like 'real soul'
music.
The 'good' new releases are drying up a bit so let's go back and resurrect
some releases from the turn of the century. This is a CD/album only
track on 'Wings To Walk This Road' released 2003 from
John Stoddart.
For anyone wondering what 'crossover' is, then this is a perfect example,
although 'technically' it's a bit late date-wise as this is a previously
unreleased track from 1978, but musically it sits right in there.
It was originally on an unreleased Avanti album 'Dottie' which somehow
Grapevine records got hold of and released it as a single in 2004 along with
another track from the album 'House Made For Love' which has more of a modern
soul feel. They also issued the full album on CD in 2003 with additional mixes
of 2 tracks.
Bring It Over Baby
Full of crossover 'wonderfulness', this (for me) has got it all .. the vocals,
the melody, the rhythm, the musicianship. Very hard to pick up nowadays,
as why would anyone want to sell it? If you found one you'd be expected
to pay around three figures for it.
Bring It Over Baby (DJM Re-edit)
If you can live without it on vinyl there is an extended DJM Re-edit
available on BandCamp (21 Apr 2020) (along with a slightly extended version of an album
track 'I Don't Want Nobody') or it's available on CD album for £10.
A superb modern / neo soul tune from 2005 by Swedish group Prominent from
their 3rd album '42 Grams'. Boy ... is this soulful!
I'll take this opportunity to present a few other tracks from the album, with
a 'health warning' that a couple of the tracks contain some 'rapping', but to
me there's rapping and then there's rapping ... if you know what I mean! i.e.
rhythmical rap v ranting rap which is just an unwanted 'noise' to me!
This was their last album. I don't know what happened to them as on the
strength of this album, with at least 4 or 5 good tracks featured here, I
would have thought it was good enough for further releases. I can find no
further releases from them or any of the members of the group, although the
lead singer Petricks Castelo did work on a 2008 Swedish movie:
Leslie - A Star Waiting To Shine.
It would appear that they broke up, or had a sabbatical, for a few years and
then made a comeback with a new single
'The Lights'
in 2013, which I'm afraid is not to my taste as it's typical R&B/Hip-hop
fodder.
Lucky Day
From the same album this one samples snippets of Shalamar's 'A Night To Remember'.
Posting Al Castellana's new album promped me to revisit his
last album from 2016 'Souleidoscopic Luv' and what a good album that is so it's well worth posting for new listeners.
A new album, 'The Right Place To Be', from blue-eyed Italian soulster Al Castellana dropped yesterday (29 Jan
2020) and is his first since 'Souleidoscopic Luv' in 2016. On first listen it sounds promising. The new single 'Let Me Be' is taken from it
following up on 'Love Is Here' from Nov. last year.
Apart from the two singles, other tracks worthy of mention (after a first
listen) are 'Keep On Talking', 'Now I'm Ready' and 'Let Me Throught The
Door', in fact not a single 'duffer' on the album - recommended.
Out today is Debórah Bond with 'Radio' and it's good to finally hear it
in it's entirety. Quite rightly, it's set to climb the UK Soul chart having
already appeared in
The Breakers
earlier this week.
Wardell Piper's name first came to my attention in 1979 when she had a
funk/disco hit with
'Captain Boogie'. Prior to this she was a member of Philly girl group First Choice and was
on their first album 'Armed And Extremely Dangerous' but left the group
before the album was released in 1973 to pursue a solo career so wasn't on the cover photo. Piper was on support vocals for the classic 'Armed And Extremely Dangerous' and their first record 'This Is The House (Where Love Died)' which didn't hit, but was played on the Northern Soul scene in UK.
A further Northern Soul link is that John H. (Henry) Fitch Jr. (who co-wrote most of the songs, played guitar on, and produced her 1979 self-tilted album), was a member of Philly groups Frankie Beverly & The Butlers and also The Show Stoppers. Fitch also co-wrote Evelyn Champaign King's 1977 disco classic 'Shame' with the same writer Reuben Cross.
Piper released
a few more singles in the 80s which were mainly electro/boogie/disco tracks
and then seemed to disappeared.
In recent years she's made a comeback with an album 'Spell' released on
Society Hill in 2015 from which
'Keep Living'
was released as a single. In 2018/19 she released another single/EP called
'Thankful' which had a 2019 version of
'Super Sweet'
originally released in 1979, along with instrumental versions of both
tracks. In Dec 2019 she released 'Distant Star' and her most recent release on 20 Nov 2020 is
'Legendary'
which is a bit too 'clubby' for this blog.
There's an hour long interview conducted on 24 Nov 2020 on her
facebook.
I'll feature a few of her better 'soul' releases that are appropriate for
this blog as much of her material is funky disco material and more latterly
club based.
1979 - Win Your Love [Midsong]
1979 - If You Want To Make Love To Me [Midsong]
A very Chaka Khan feel to this funky dance track with strong sistah funk
style vocals.
1980 - Gimme Something Real [Midsong]
This is a deep soul ballad written and originally recorded by Ashford &
Simpson and was the ttile track of their 1973 debut album on Warner Bros.
which Wardell Piper released as her third single in 1980.
1980 - The Power Of Love [Midsong]
Modern Soul / Funk Boogie from 1980 sounding again a bit like Chaka
Khan.
2015 - I'm In Love With You [Society Hill]
The best track from 'Spell' is 'I'm In Love With You'.
She also released a single in 2019 called 'I'm Sure' on Piper Girl Records
(which I'd guess is her own label) which is a retro style groover, prime for
modern soul dancefloors.
Credit where credit is due. This one was a pleasant surprise.
Al Green's
version of this Bee Gees song is one of the deepest soul tracks you'll ever
hear and his duet with Joss Stone from Sex And The City soundtrack in 2008 takes it to another
level. (previously posted here)
This live version by Taylor Dayne is probably the best blue-eyed version I've heard (notwithstanding Joss Stone) released on 'Taylor Dayne Live' album in 2008 but was recorded in 2002.
Detroit born Ali-Ollie Woodson joined The Temptations in 1983 and left in 1996
to pursue a solo career, releasing his debut album 'Right Here All Along' on
UK Expansion label in 2001. He died in 2010 age 58 after battling leukaemia
for 18 months, tragically he had also suffered from throat cancer whilst still with The Temptations and had received surgery several times for it over the years.
The album from which this track is taken
'Never Give Up'
released in 2009, for some reason, is not listed on Discogs. It was also
released on
'Soul Interpretations'
released in 2020. It's a timeless, smooth and soulful ballad.
Rather than 'scrape the barrell' for new releases, here's a track that is
almost 25 years old but still sounds really fresh today.
It's taken from a 1997 compilation 'Steel: Music From And Inspired By the
Motion Picture' on Qwest. By all accounts, the movie was a 'turkey'.
Gina Breedlove was
born in Brooklyn NY and, aged only 16, was a backing singer for Phyllis Hyman
before touring as a featured singer with Harry Belafonte. She created the role
of Sarabi for the Broadway production of 'The Lion King'
and worked on two Spike Lee projects 'Living Da Dream'
and
'Chi-Raq' and also appeared in 'Steve's Quest: The Musical'. (IMDB)
As far as I can ascertain she has released 3 albums between 1997 and 2013. The
first self-titled album contains a track simply titled 'Free' which I would
guess is probably the same track.
Retro soul/funk track released 22 Jan 2021 on Daptone imprint Dunham from LaRose
Jackson.
This is her debut solo single, although she released a duet with Charles Bradley back in 2014 with 'Luv Jones' / 'Change' also on Dunham (DUN 117). The flip side to this 45 vinyl release is the instrumental version.
The first release on a new label
Diddy Wah based
in Nashville,TN and presumably a debut from The Marvelles with a throwback 60s
soul sound.
The vocals sound like they may well be blue eyed. It sounds 'OK', but I just
feel that there are so many, usually white European, groups trying (and
generally failing) to replicate the 60s soul/funk sound. The track lacks
depth to my ears, the vocals are thin (sounding a bit like Bananarama!) and the backing is sparse, but I'll post it, as there's not much else new at present and some may like it. The flip side is a 'mono' version.
Emma Noble (one half of double-decking DJ duo Heath & Noble) has a 4
track EP due for release on 3 Mar 2021, you can pre-order on BandCamp, which, if you like this, is advisable as limited edition (300) vinyl sells
out very quickly!
Emma Noble’s sound is influenced by her deep love for rare soul, funk and
disco. She started out as a backing vocalist for ‘New Street Adventure’
(Acid Jazz) and went on to write with Lack of Afro (LOA Records) and has
spent the last few years DJing in the UK & Europe as double-decking duo
Noble & Heath
(Sophie).
A week or so ago I posted William Staggers 'Glad To Find Love' (which was
released on 16 Jan 2021) with a link to Amazon to listen to a sample only as it wasn't then, and still isn't, available on YouTube.
I personally think it's one of the better new releases around for real 'soulies', so persevered to try and find a full version which I have now managed to find
on Spotify.
Finally released today (29 Jan 2021) is the new album 'The Song Garden' from Will Downing featuring the new single 'Stand Up'. Other top tracks include 'Right Where You Are' which has already previously been released as a single and 'Say Yes', 'Love You Better' and 'Give You'.
New single due on 12 Feb 2021 from L.A.'s Night Owls featuring (that busy lady again) Sy Smith on a cover of Helene Smith's - 'You Got To Be A Man' (Phil L.A.of Soul 1967) with the flip being a reggae cover of Brenton Wood's - 'Gimme Little Sign' (Double Shot 1967) featuriing Chris Dowd.
I recently posted the latest release from Trish Toledo and did a big post on her last year and another post with her featuring with Thee Sinseers. Here I'll fill in the gaps as there were a few releases in between.
Amazing what can be done with technology! This was uploaded 23 Dec 2020.
On a more 'serious' note - this is how, and why, so many 'neo artists' all sound the same these days .... as their voices are all auto-tuned like this!
The second release by Preservation Project in 2017, also sold out, but at time of posting there are 25 available on Discogs ranging from $12-$65!
I can reveal after some digging that the previously unknown artist appears to be a group called The Karamatics, unless this is a made up name used to market it, as it is now available for download on Amazon.
The other side is a deep funk instrumental called 'One Word For It' by Rose Hicks which I have chosen not to embed but click title link if you want to hear it.
Here's a cracking new release. Two superb soul sides by an unknown artist released by Preservation Project.
The A side 'Suddenly' is very similar to Newsounds 1974 outing on Chicago's Mod-Art label, 'Bet You Never Thought About It' with the backing track sounding almost identical, so perhaps a clue to it's origin there?
The B side 'Just Another' is a soulful ballad that the Lowriders will love, which in fact, doesn't sound too disimilar to the flip side of Newsounds 'Just One Time', although the vocals are higher on Newsounds. Perhaps this was an unreleased demo of Newsounds?
The writers of both sides of Newsounds 45 were E. Phillips and H. Cope who unfortunately aren't credited with any other songs on Discogs which may have given a hint to the artist.
It only seems to be available direct from the label at present for $12 + postage (click image below).
UPDATE - sorry this appears to be sold out already (only released on 8 Jan 2021 not even 3 weeks ago) and isn't available digitally so dig deep in your pockets and try and find one Discogs for at least triple the price! ... as I thought someone is selling one on Discogs for £75 already. With a bit of luck you may be able to source one from one of the well known UK dealers e.g. Crazy Beat, Soul Brother or Simply Soul.
NB both tracks are included in the YT link, but with lo-fi sound quality.
The post I did yesterday with Darwin Hobbs' new single reminded me of his 2000 album Vertical which had several good tracks 'Everyday' which I linked to in the post, but also his version of Luther Vandross' 'So Amazing'. I also came across a good live version performed by the beautiful Chante Moore in 2001 at BET Walk Of Fame for Luther Vandross, which I already had lined up for posting so though I'd post both.
Darwin Hobbs [2000]
From his 'Vertical' album released in 2000.
Chanté Moore [2001] Live
Here's an extended video of BET Walk Of Fame for Luther Vandross which features:
Ideal - Going In Circles (A short-lived group from Houston, Texas, who emerged with a version of Marvin Gaye's 'Inner City Blues' from the soundtrack of Original Gangstas in 1999 and had a hit with 'Whatever' (which sounds like it samples Oliver Cheatham's 'Get Down Saturday Night' to my ears) in 2000 and then faded away but this performance of one of my favourite songs, originally recorded in 1969 by The Friends Of Distinction, is superb.)
Tyreses & Chante Moore - If This World Were Mine
Chaka Khan - Creepin'
Gerald Levert / Patti LaBelle - If Only For One Night
Note that, whilst this was a tribute night for Luther Vandross, only 'If Only For One Night' was a Vandross original, the others are all are covers he did!
I'm afraid that the video is a bit grainy, presumably taken off a VHS tape recorded from TV.
Chanté Moore [1992] - Love's Taken Over [MCA]
As a bonus, here's Chante Moore's first and best (IMHO) record.
One of the most 'real' neo soul singers to emerge in the last 20 years is Ledisi Anibade Young, whose debut album in 2000 was appropriately titled 'Soulsinger'. I did a big post on her last year 'Ledisi - The Best Of ...'
She is the 'estranged' daughter of highly respected (in soul circles) singer, songwriter Larry Saunders.
Her first two albums were independent releases on Le Sun until she signed to Verve Forecast in 2007, who she has now left (after releasing 7 albums in 10 years) to release her latest, and tenth, album in Aug 2020, again appropriately titled, 'The Wild Card' on her own independent Listen Back Entertainment label.
Having already portrayed Mahalia Jackson in the 2014 movie 'Selma', it has just been announced that she has been cast to play her again in an upcoming biopic 'Remember Me: The Mahalia Jackson Story' which chronicles the period between 1956-63 when she befriended Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. That is some accolade as Mahalia Jackson is regarded as one of the world's greatest gospel singers, dubbed as 'The Queen Of Gospel', who died at a relatively young age (60) in 1972.
This one has grown on me after a few listens. A classy, jazz tinged, neo soul 'nodder'. It was released on 12 Jan 2021 and is taken from their 7 track debut EP 'Sky Vision' released 21 Jan 2021.
Smile High is the solo project for Ben "Smiley" Silverstein, keyboard player for The Main Squeeze.
A few days ago I posted four different versions of Gladys Knight & The Pips classic 'Neither One Of Us' inspired by an 'amateur' YT version by Krystal Kleeer. I've found another of her videos singing the Leon Russell classic song, 'A Song For You', made famous by Donny Hathaway, so I thought I'd post what I consider some of the best versions.
The song was written and recorded first by Leon Russell in 1970 on his self-titled debut album, as far as I can tell it was never released as a single in US but it was subsequently released later, generally as a B side, in Australia, New Zealand and Japan.
Donny Hathaway recorded it on his eponymous 1971 album (his second) and was released as a B side to 'Put Your Hand In The Hand' 45 on Atco the same year.
Well over 200 artists have covered the song in every decade since it's inception including many of the greats including Whitney Houston, Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Nancy Wilson, Lou Rawls, The Temptations, Peabo Bryson, Natalie Cole, Ann Nesby, Gerald Levert and pop artists such as Dusty Springfield, Amy Winehouse, Jack Jones, Lena Horne, Renee Geyer, Cher, Peggy Lee, The Carpenters, Simply Red.
Krystla Kleer Live 2019
Whitney Houston Live 1991
Recorded when she was still on top of her game.
H.E.R. Live 2019
H.E.R. means Having Everything Revealed - her real name is Gabriella Sarmiento Wilson and she was a child prodigy featuring on national TV aged 12. She changed her performing name to H.E.R. in 2016. She is a fantastic singer, I just wish she would sing more soul rather than R&B!
Herbie Hancock Feat. Christina Aguilera Live 2005
Christina is another fantastic singer who suffers from the material that is released. There are many clips on YT of her 'Sanging' real soul music e.g. Man's World, At Last, Somethings Got A Hold On Me and others. I wish she'd release a 'proper' soul album as she's got a terrific voice on the right material.
Ray Charles 1993
I don't know when the video was recorded but it was released as a single in 1993 by Warner Bros., so assume that this may have been the video promo for it?
Aretha Franklin Live 2016
Probably not her best version of this as it was recorded in 2016 only two years before her death but worth watching as she was 74 when she performed this and probably not in the best of health. For me, Aretha truly is, and fully deserves the title, 'The Queen of Soul'.
Nancy Wilson Live 1987
Nancy Wilson, one of the classiest jazz singers that ever lived, who had such a distinctive voice, performing at the Newport Jazz Festival in 1987. Another sad loss in 2018 along with Aretha.
