I learned yesterday that the other half of James & Bobby Purfiy died owing to Covid-19 complications aged 76. Bobby Purify, who was actually James' cousin named Robert Lee Dickey, died in 2011.
'I'm Your Puppet' didn't chart first time around in the UK and they had to wait 10 years with a re-recorded version which reached #12 in 1976. They scored another Top 30 hit (#27) in the UK with the follow up 'Morning Glory'.
For the time being for the 'youngster's' who may not be familiar with their classic I'll leave you with it.
The Natasha Watts post with the mention of Cool Million reminded me of 'Keep On' they released last July which I assumed to be a cover of D Train from 1982, but listening again it seems to 'borrow' the hook but it doesn't appear to be the same song.
Natasha Watts first came to the attention of the UK Soul scene with 'Show Me' in 2012 which was a collaboration with Cool Million (the track is on the 'III' album). (Hers, and LRK webstite states 2009 but the track wasn't released until 2012?)
She released her sophomore album '2ndTime Around' in 2016 on which these two tracks appeared. They are due for release on a 7" 45 by St. Ives (Cambridgeshire) based LRK Records on 31 Jan 2021.
UPDATE. I think these were issued late last year (mid Nov) but sold out so the date on their website must be for a repress? Check for updates on their facbook.
The video of a single taken from her debut album 'All By Myself' way back in 1987 which was only released in UK and Holland as a single but has always surprised me why it never charted.
Love T.K.O.
From her 1995 album 'Reachin' Back' which consisted of covers of Philly classics. This is her version of the song made famous by Teddy Pendergrass which was written by Cecil Womack and Eddie 'Gip' Noble for David Oliver who recorded it on his 1980 'Here's To You' album before Pendergrass.
Due on 5 Feb 2021 is a new single from the NS legend Dean Parrish.
I'm not sure if this is a diiferent mix to a track released last Jul (2020)
which was titled 'It's Time (Wars Foreign and Domestic)' which I've posted
below.
The other side 'Purple Mountain Majesty' is just an instrumental version of
the top side.
It's a tough one to categorise ... Neo Northern Soul? ...
perhaps ... I'll let you decide. I don't personally find it
partcularly soulful - more of a 'pop/dance' record to my ears, but fair play
and respect to him as he would be around 78 years old now!
Another band from Fayetteville, Arkansa (like William Stuckey posted recently) but this record was only released in Germany in 1979 when the band members was stationed there. It got reissued (also in Germany) in 2015 by Balto Records. An original sells well into 4 figues (approx £1,500).
Apart from an album and single released on Kay-Dee in 2007 and 2010 (a label owned by Kenny Dope & Keb Darge) the only other release listed by them is 'Going, Going, Gone' from 1980 on Mega Sound Studios (another rare, 4 figured 45). The B side of which, 'Save The Youth', was re-issued on Kay-Dee in 2007. Kenny Dope did a remix of 'Going, Gone, Gone' retitled 'Gone' on the album and the Kay-Dee single is 3 different Kenny Dope mixes of 'Save The Youth'.
This one passed me by last year. A previously unreleased acetate by Darrel Banks from Dec 1967 was released by Alberto Zanini's Cannonball label on 31 Jul 2020. You can read the story behind the release here.
A wonderful track from (Phil) Perry & (Kevin) Sanlin from their 1980 album 'For Those Who Love' which was never issued as a 45. It's a cover of Creative Source's 'You Can't Hide Love' recorded on Sussex in 1973. Several other artists have covered the song including EWF in 1975 on 'Gratitude', Carmen McCrae in 1976, Hodges, James & Smith in 1978, Dionne Warwick in 1982 along with many others.
Perry & Sanlin was a short term collaboration who recorded only 2 albums and a handful of singles. They were both originally members of The Montclairs from East St. Louis, Illinois, who, after a couple of early singles on Arch and Vanessa, released several 45s and an album, 'Dreaming Out Of Season', on Paula.
Their first single on Arch, 'Hey You! Don't Fight It!', released in 1969, is a rare and much sought after track. The Vanessa single was picked up by Paula for national distribution which led to their signing to Paula. Several of their Paula 45s were played on the Northern Soul scene. 'Unwanted Love', 'I Just Can't Get Away', 'Hung Up On Your Love', 'I Need You More Than Ever' (a wonderful Bobby Patterson song). Their biggest, by far, on NS scene was 'Hung Up On You Love', along with 'Hey You! Dont Fight It!', which is ironic as these, apart from their Vanessa release, were their only 45s that failed to chart on US R&B chart!
Much of their material was sweet soul ballads with Phil Perry's falsetto vocals on lead. Perry has gone on to have a successful solo career as an artist (he's released a dozen or so solo albums since 1991) and is a highly sought after session singer. He also wrote most of The Montclairs songs.
A comment on Discogs suggests that his 3 best tracks are If Only You Knew, Call Me and One Touch and I couldn't argue with any of those, but there are so many others. He has a super soulful voice.
Now here's a real bonus, by sheer coincience whilst I was looking for something else, I've just found an interview with Phil Perry conducted by Mick O'Donnell on his Soul Discovery show on 1st Jan 2020. You can listen to it here. I've just finished listening to the full interview and have to say what a humble and lovely man Phil Perry is and Mick dropped several tracks I'd previously not heard. Many thanks to both for airing the interview. I highly recommend listening when you have time (it's 51 mins long) ... and also tuning into Mick's regular podcasts. He's been off the air for a few years but made a welcome return last year.
P.S. I just remembered that last year I posted a video of him performing 'Everything Must Change' live. What a stunning performance! If that doesn't move you then nothing will!
I've also previously posted The Montclairs Hung Up On Your Love along with an updated version by Woody Cunningham.
I wasn't sure about this one from Summer Walker at first but kept coming back to it. Let's just call it soulful Neo Soul/R&B? It's been around a while as it's taken from her latest album 'Over It' released 9 Oct 2019 but never officially released as a single.
The Manhattans release their first album for many years on 29 Jan 2021.
They put out some great sides on Carnival and Deluxe in the 60s and early 70s before they had started getting hits. Their biggest hit was 'Kiss And Say Goodbye' (US #1 / UK #4) in 1976, but strangely, they had bigger hit with 'Hurt' prior to that in the UK in 1975 which reached #4 but only #97 US. Their only other Top 10 hit was 'Shining Star' in 1980.
In the eary 2000s there were two groups using then name. One was led by founding member Edward 'Sonny' Bivins, the other by Winfred 'Blue' Lovett. The current group now consists of Troy May, David Tyson (brother of Ron Tyson (The Temptations)) and Gerald Alston but originally had founding member Winfred 'Blue' Lovett who died in 2014 aged 78 but remained performing to at least 2008 as this clip shows.
The original 5 members who formed the group in 1962 are all now deceased. Sonny Bivins died in 2014 aged 78 just 6 days before Blue Lovett and Kenny 'Wally' Kelly died a couple of months later in Feb 2015 aged 74. The other two original members died much earlier, Ricky Taylor in 1987 aged 47 and George 'Smitty' Smith in 1970 aged only 31.
Gerald Alston joined the group in 1971 to replace 'Smitty' and was lead on most of their major hits until he left in 1988 for a solo career.
The new album incudes several live tracks including some of their biggest hits such a Shining Star and Kiss And Say Goodbye along with original tracks. Click album cover image to listen to samples.
Get It Ready
This track was released in 2018 and features on the album.
She's Coming Home
Another track from the album that was previously released on 24 Apr 2020.
Crazy
Some of their 60s releases aside, for me, their best track is Crazy from 1983 which was a minor chart hit both sides of the Atlantic #72 US and #63 UK. (NB this isn't on the album)
