UK Soul Chart - 18th Jan 2021

You wlll have no doubt seen a deluge of recent releases posted over the last couple of weeks.  Last week was the first new chart of the year so I've been frantically trying to a/ catch up with last year's releases I missed and b/ get ahead of the curve on this year's new releases.  Normal service should be resumed with a mixture of old and new tunes now that I've caught up.

As always only new entries have links. For previous entries follow UK Soul Chart link.

01 (7) Sound Of Superbad ft. Robert Imtume Owens - Vibration

02 (2) Luxury Soul Family - Various Artists (Album)

03 (1) SouLutions - Anthology (Album)

04 (19) Bey Bright - Soul Nostalgia 3 (Album)

05 (11) Papik - Sounds For The Open Road Vol. 2 (Album)

06 (NE) Josie Falbo - This Is Real / What You Do To Me

Already posted here

07 (3) The Groove Association Feat. Georgie B - It's Been So Long (Album)

08 (4) Shaila Prospere - Under My Skin (Album)

09 (10) True Music Group - True Soul Vol. 1 (Album)

10 (25) PrivatProjekt - Welcome (Album)

11 (26) Aja Valle` - Mixed Emotions (Album)

12 (NE) Tanqueray Hayward - Caught Up

Still not 'officially' released until 22 Jan 2021. I wouldn't be surprised if this goes straight in at #1 next week!

13 (13) CJ's Connection - Tell Her (Mixes)

14 (17) The Brit Funk Association - Lifted (Album)

15 (9) Reel People - Dancing On The Moon (EP)

16 (NE) Chris Kingdon - Baby It's You Feat. Stuart Mather / Colour Blind Feat. Kenny Wellington

These seem to be only available via BandCamp at present (links above). Kenny Wellington is trumpeter of Brit Funk band Beggar & Co from the 80s and is currently a member of The BritFunk Association.

17 (NE) Diane Marsh - HornyFicational (Mixes)

Only seems to be available direct from Diane March

NOTE NOT the remix but the original from 2015

18 (18) Tilly - Life After Love (Nigel Lowis Mix)

19 (8) Al Castellana - Love Is Here

20 (21) Mather - Never Say Never Again (Album)

21 (NE) Myles Sanko - Streams Of Time

This is a classy deep soul / jazz tune.  Easily my favourite new entry this week from a forthcoming album 'Memories Of Love' due 12 March 2021.  If you only buy one track this week it 'should' be this one as it oozes quality and class and, on the strength of this, I will be  looking forward to the album.

22 (5) Delegation Feat. Rick Bailey - I Surrender

23 (NE) OsKeyz Ft Conya Doss - 6019 (Album)

Already posted here

24 (28) Jack Tyson Charles - Something

25 (30) Don E - Soulcial-D-Stance (EP)

26 (6) Jarrod Lawson - Be The Change (Album)

27 (14) Dyson The Singer Feat. Ollie Ali Woodson - Love At The Same Time

28 (29) Kindred the Family Soul - The Best Thing

29 (NE) Geneivah - Sycamore

Live Version

30 (15) Light Of The World - Black Gold Live (EP)

R&R Soul Orchestra [2015] - The R&R Soul Orchestra [The American R&B company] (Full Album PLUS)

A group previously unknown to me which I've been alerted to by a new release from them 'The Way Your Body Moves'. I think the group is from Canada on the basis that their first release in 1994 appears to have been issued only in Canada and from a track entitled 'Back To Montreal', but I could be completely wrong.  They've had 3 45s released on a couple of soul reissue labels 'Soul Times' and 'Sundae Soul' between 2016 and 2020 (see below).

I've found a self-titled album from them released in 2015 which is right up my street and should be of interest to anyone who likes old school modern soul.

The album contains a couple of covers and samples: 'Meaningless' uses Roy Ayers 1979 jazz funk classic 'Running Away' and a cover of The Isleys' 'Hello It's Me' from 1974. Two tracks on the album feature 80s/90s soul diva Alyson Williams.

There are just so many good tracks to feature from the album so I recommend listening to the full album here.  I'll also link to heir latest release 'The Way Your Body Moves'

2020 - The Way Your Body Moves

The Album

Meaningless

Here's the 3 45s they've had released:

2016 - Call On Me [Soul Time #ST005]

2016 - War [Soul Time #ST005]

Cover of Edwin Starr's classic

2018 - Heavenly [Sundae Soul #028]

2018 - I'm Sorry [Sunae Soul #028]

2020 - 90 To Nothing [Soul Time #ST011]

2020 - See I Made Up In My Mind [Soul Time #ST011]

In addition to the above they also released these tracks in 2020 that are not on the album.

17 Sep 2020 - Che Che La Femme

Cover of Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band from 1976.

15 May 2020  - Tell Me Tell Me

The Lovetown Allstars Feat. Gary B. Poole [2021] - Walk This Way [?]

The Lovetown Allstars Feat. Gary B. Poole doing a cover of Aerosmith's - Walk This Way - which Run DMC did a hip-hop version of.  Don't be put off by that as this is pretty good.

I really like this guy's voice.  You can check out some more of his music on Reverbnation and some I've linked to below.

Gary Pool featured in series 3 of The Voice in 2014 and was chosen by Tom Jones but was eliminated in the knockouts.

Here's a clip of the episode where he chose Tom Jones after singing his rendition of Mark Ronson / Amy Winehouse - Valerie.

The Lovetown Allstars Feat. Gary B. Pooole [2032] - Even When

He's a good stepper released in 2013 available on Amazon

Soul Talk Feat. Gary B. Poole [2020] - Step Into The Light

I thought that this might have been a cover of Sunfire - Step In The Light but it's a different song.

Cool Milion Feat. Gary B. Poole [2013] - Running Around

He also was featured artist on Cool Million's 'Running Around' back in 2013.

Will Downing [2021] - Stand Up [Sophisticated Soul]

Due for release from his forthcoming album 'The Song Garden' (due 29 Jan 2021) is another good track from Will Downing called 'Stand Up'. At present only a 2 min sample is available but it gives you a feel for it.

Smitty Feat. Frank McComb [2020] - Someday We'll All Be Free (GoGo Version) [Self Released] (Full EP)

Back in April 2020 I came across a version of Donny Hathaway's classic 'Someday We'll All Be Free' by Chance Hayden Feat. Jarrod Lawson and took that opportunity to post the original along with a few cover versions as it was a gesture towards 'UK Lockdown #1'.

Another version was released 17 Nov 2020 by Milton 'Smitty' Smith Feat. Frank McComb on a 7 track EP 'With All My Heart' which includes 3 versions of 'Someday' and 3 versions of Stevie Wonder's 'Overjoyed'.  I've long been an admirer of Frank McComb since his 'Love Stories' debut in 2000 and the unreleased 'Motown Sessions' bootleg album which later got a release as The Truth Vol. 2 in 2006 so this is what drew me to this release.

You can listen to  the Full EP here

Here's a few of Frank McComb live performances from April 2014 in tribute to Donny Hathaway.

'You Were Meant For Me' & 'Someday We'll All Be Free'

The Ghetto

Mz Connie [2021] - Stir Like Coffee [Self Released] (Full Album)

New album from Mz Connie released 5 Jan 2021 which features a couple of tracks that have already been receiving airplay.

It's a modern southern soul affair so typical of many of it's ilk with a synthesised backing track.

The obvious standout track is 'Good Lovin', with 'Why You Gotta Act Like That' (which has already been featured here) but I'm afraid her version of Gladys Knight & The Pips 'Neither One Of Us' sounds out of tune to me and quite painful to listen to.  How did they think this was good enough to release?

I'm quite disappointed with the album after already hearing the two featured tracks as there is nothing much else of any interest on the album.  There's a couple of fairly pedestrian southern soul 'plodders' which would perhaps sound better with real musicians rather than the synthised backing tracks but I guess the budget didn't stretch to that.

You can judge for yourself as Full Album is here

Good Lovin

Why You Gotta Act Like That

K-Maxx [2020] - Selections [Acenote Worldwide] (Full EP)

A new 6 track EP from K- Maxx (Kenyan Hopkins) released 29 Dec 2020, three years after taking a hiatus and coincidentally (?) the day of his unexpected death!  Tribute here.

I'm not familiar with any of his earlier material, but going by this release it's got an 80s feel to it.  I've posted what I consider to be the two best tracks 'I Found You' & 'Swing My Way' but you can listen to the Full EP here.

I Found You

Swing My Way

Jack Tyson Charles [2021] - Glory [Self Released]

Latest single from Jack Tyson Charles, the follow-up to his wonderful 'Something', released 15 Jan 2021.  Another winner me thinks!