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.
This is a new name to me, Sed (Sedgrick) Marsh from Newark, NJ, and I am 'guessing' that it's his debut single, released 19 Jan 2021, as can't find anything else by him except for a solitary track on SoundCloud.
It's a pleasant, mellow, neo soul tune.
Here's a video of him performing the song released 23 Jan 2021.
