Another ex The Voice contestant VVN (aka Vivienne Isebor) who appeared in 2020 Season 9 and was chosen by Tom Jones but was eliminated in 'The Battle Rounds'.
She released an album in Sep 2019 entitled 'Elemental' featuring 'Summer Breeze'.
Tuesday, 26 January 2021
Brenda Varner [2021] - Don’t Give Up On Me / Let Me Be A Woman [Hit And Run #HR 1526]
Another forthcoming release in Feb 2021 from Hit And Run. Both tracks featured on a 1989 compilation 'Tear Stained Soul' issued by Charly R&B in the UK which also featured 5 of her husband's (Don Varner) tracks. Both tracks also appear to have been bootlegged on a Broadway 45 which I suspect were lifted from the Charly LP.
The A side is midtempo southern soul / crossover, whist the B side is deep southern soul which I can't find a YT clip for, but you can listen to a sample here courtesy of SoulDiscovery.
According to Discogs she also recorded as Brenda Duff (presumably her maiden name before marrying Varner). I can find 4 singles she released between 1966-70. The first as Little Brenda Duff on Downbeat (Birmingham, AL) 1966, then Casino (New Orleans) 1967, Blue Rock (Chicago) 1969 and Volume (Philadelphia) 1970.
Otis Clay [2021] - I Lost Someone / Nothing To Look Forward To [Hit And Run #HR 1525]
A three track 45 featuring deep soul cuts by Otis Clay is being issued by Garry Cape's Hit And Run label in Feb 2021.
Therortically, all previously unreleased on vinyl 45, although 'Nothing To Look Forward To' was issued by Secret Stash on a look-alike 'One-derful' label mid 2000s and also appeared on a Japanese only P-Vine LP in 1979. The other track 'I Lost Someone' was also released on a P-Vine CD in 1990, but an alternate take was also found on the master tapes which is being issued as the A side of the new 45.
I Lost Someone
This first appeared on a 1990 P-Vine compilation 'Got To Find A Way'. The Hit And Run 45 conatins this version along with an alternate, previously unreleased, version of it
Nothing To Look Forward To
A previously unreleased track which first appeared on a Japanese compilation LP of Otis Clay tracks from 1965-1967 'The Beginning Got To Find A Way' in 1979, and then released by Secret Stash on a One-derful! look-alike label 45 in the mid 2000s.
Renee Benot [2017] - It's You [Self Released]
Here's a classy female singer who I wasn't aware of until came across the YT clip embedded below, so thanks to The Shropshire Soul Provider for posting it. He also provided a link to her website which I visited after checking out if she had anything on Amazon (only 2 tracks 'Faith' & 'Whatever').
Her website has full versions of 5 tracks, the 2 above, the one on YT (below) and 2 others 'Set Me Free' and 'Love Don't Cost'. All are available to download from here. Note 'Whatever' is a free download.
If you like your soul on the mellow and jazzy side then you should appreciate these tracks.
Charmaine X [2021] - Introducing [Spinnup] (Full EP)
From a 6 track EP 'Introducing' (from which I deduce it's her debut?)
released 24 Jan 2021 by British artist Charmaine X.
The EP consists of a couple of uptempo numbers (Stay & Easy Feeling), a
reggae/lovers rock tune (Stay) and 3 ballads (I Know This Feeling, If &
So Long).
The Key
This track was premiered on YT in Aug 2020, so presumably was released as a
single prior to the release of the EP. Digging a bit further it
appears that 'I Know This Feeling', also on the EP, was also released as a
single in Jun 2020.
Stefan Mahendra [2021] - Alright / Loving You Is Easy [Nurtured Idea]
A couple of tracks from a new artist who emerged last year. He's just released
his second single following his debut in Nov 2020.
I've got a feeling he was on one of the UK talent shows as seem to recall him
being asked to split from his band Brown Sugar and he refused but may be
confusing him with somone else. Further research shows that he was in
The Voice in 2019 and chosen by Olly Murs but was eliminated in the
knock-outs. He's from Bromley in Kent.
UPDATE: found The Voice clip I was thinking of.
Alright
Released 19 Jan 2021. This is a mellow and soulful ballad. This guy's got a
really nice tone to his voice. This kind of material is timeless, it's got
hints of jazz with horns laid subtly underneath a lilting slow two-step
beat.
Loving You Is Easy
Released 17 Non 2020. Another mellow blue-eyed stepper.
Jeter Jones [2021] - Southern Soul Garden / Addicted [Music Matters]
A new album dropped on 15 Jan 2021 by Jeter Jones 'Jones Boyz Ent Presents: Da
Fish Grease Friday' which is an eclectic mix featuring R&B, southern soul
and even a reggae tune. Having skimmed through it there are two good down
tempo tunes but (to these ears) not much else of interest to soul listeners,
but you can judge yourself from Full Album playlist
here.
Southern Soul Garden
It sounds like it's a 'tribute' (cover/remake?) of the Quincy Jones song
Secret Garden which featured Barry White, James Ingram and Al B. Sure! originally
released on 'Back On The Block' album in 1989.
Addicted
Philadelphia International Records 50th Anniversary
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On 25th Jan 2021 Philadelphia International Records
celebrated its 50th Anniversary.
The label was set up in 1971 by Kenny Gamble & Leon Huff out of
the remnants of short-lived Neptune records run by Gamble & Huff
when it's funders Chess folded it in 1969. Two previous labels set
up by Gamble & Huff were Excel which became Gamble which in turn
became TSOP, a subsidiary of PIR, named after the 1974 hit song and
Philly 'anthem'
'TSOP (The Sound Of Philadelphia)'
by MFSB & Three Degrees, which incidentally became the Soul
Train theme tune after The Rimshots (mentioned in a previous post)
between 1973-74.
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The offices were based at 309 S Broad St which were previously the offices
for another legendary Philly label Cameo Parkway. The offices were
destroyed by fire by a 27 yr old arsonist Cristopher Cimini in 2010 and
subsequently sold to a developer and the building was demolished in 2015.
The plan was to build a 47 storey (590 ft) hotel called SLS
International, but I understand that this has since been
downscaled
owing to budget and now will be a smaller residential building due for
completion in Autumn 2021.
The first album released on PIR Z 5380 was Billy Paul 'Going East' and the
first 'numbered' single ZS7 3501 was Gideon Smith 'Arkasaw Wife' / 'When Two
Worlds Can Successfully Collide' but it was released in May 1971 after ZS7
3502/3/4 which were all released in Apr 1971.
45Cat
lists them in this order:
Apr 1971 ZS7 3503 The Ebonys - You're The Reason Why / Sexy Ways
Apr 1971 ZS7 3504 Dick Jensen - Going Up On The Mountain / Three Cheers
For Love
9 Apr 1971 ZS7 3502 Johnny Williams - It's So Wonderful / Love Don't Rub
Off
May 1971 ZS7 3501 Gideon Smith 'Arkasaw Wife' / 'When Two Worlds Can
Successfully Collide'
Scanning through the Discography the first major hit must surely have been
The O'Jays with
'Backstabbers'
#3 US and #14 UK in 1972 but don't overlook the superb ballad
'Sunshine'
on the flip. With PIR's first #1 hit being The O'Jays
'Love Train'
the following year also from the 'Backstabbers' album.
It would be futile to try and list the top singles from the label as all
'should' be pretty well known by now, but here's a selection of 40 of the
best (the list could easliy be 100):
The top selling artists include O'Jays, Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes,
Teddy Pendergrass, Billy Paul, Intruders, Bunny Sigler, Three Degrees,
Archie Bell & The Drells, Lou Rawls, Jean Carn and the house band MFSB
(Mothers-Fathers-Sisters-Brothers). Other artists include Phyllis Hyman,
Shirley Jones, Dexter Wansel, The Ebonys, Johnny Williams, Carolyn Crawford,
Dee Dee Sharp Gamble, People's Choice, The Futures, Jerry Butler, McFadden
& Whitehead, The Jones Girls. Frantique, Dick Jensen. Some other artists
who are not so obvious also released 45s on PIR include Patti LaBelle,
Norman Harris, Leon Huff, The Stylistics and there are a few other artists
who just released one or two singles.
To commemorate 50 years PIR has released a 50 track compilation. (click
image to view tracklisting)
Maysa Feat. Phil Perry [2015] - Last Chance For Love [Shanachie #SHA 5434]
Following on from my post yesterday on Perry & Sanlin and waxing lyrical about Phil Perry, here's another classy performance from him with Maysa (Leak) on a track from her 2015 album 'Back 2 Love'.
Pat Cooley [2015] - Hold Still / Boy Toy [L&L]
Originally released in 2015 on her 'At Her Best' album but has just been put on a new album entitled 'Sings, Rhythm, Blues and Slow Jams Too!' released 19 Jan 2021 which is predominantly southern soul & blues tracks.
She's a veteran singer from Georgia who was performing in local clubs when she was spotted by Clarence Carter who wanted to record her. She worked for him as his secretary at his recording studio and later became his opening act in 1980. She's recorded several albums on Ichiban, Peachtown and L&L since 1987 and released a handful of singles on Big C and Future Stars (both owned by Clarence Carter), and Ichiban (owned by Blues & Soul founder John E. Abbey) since 1984.
Hold Still
Boy Toy
The only other track of any interetst is 'Boy Toy', also previously released on 'At Her Best'.