UK Soul Chart - 22nd Feb 2021

Latest UK Soul chart published 22nd Feb 2021.

Will Downing spends his 3rd week at #1.

Three highest climbers:

Mario Biondi, Groove Association & Sheree Brown

Three biggest fallers:

Raquel Rodriguez, PrivatProjekt, Deborah Bond

Nine new entries this week with links to posts for them.

To find existing entries use search box or my new label search facility as I've removed previous labels list as it was getting far too long with now well over 1,000 posts!

01 (01) (=) - Will Downing - The Song Garden (Album)

02 (02) (=) - J.D's Time Machine ft Cleveland P Jones/AgapeSoul & U-Nam - Kiss Of Freedom

03 (12) (+09) - Sheree Brown - Take A Walk With Love

04 (03) (-01) - Hil St Soul - Heaven Must Be Like This

05 (07) (+02) - Bey Bright - Soul Nostalgia 3 (Album)

06 (16) (+10) - The Groove Association Feat. Georgie B - It's Been So Long (Album/Remixes)

07 (26) (+19) - Mario Biondi - Dare (Album)

08 (05) (-03) - Ruff & Tumble - Love Spectrum (EP)

09 (06) (-03) - Brian Power Feat. Lucita Jules - Optimistic

10 (08) (-02) - Sound Of Superbad Feat. Robert Imtume Owens - Vibration

11 (09) (-02) - Tanqueray Hayward - Caught Up

12 (10) (-02) - Laura Rain & The Caesars - Closer to The Win

13 (NE) - Alvin Garrett - The Lightness of Love (Album)

Posted here

14 (15) (+01) - Jack Tyson Charles - Glory

15 (21) (+06) - Michon Young - You're Number 1 In My Book

16 (18) (+02) - The Lovetown Allstars Feat. Gary B Poole - Walk This Way

17 (NE) - Dav Hall - SoulSuite (Album)

Posted here

18 (19) (+01) - The Shapeshifters Feat. Billy Porter - Finally Ready (DFP mixes)

19 (04) (-15) - Raquel Rodriguez - Undone / Don't You Know

20 (NE) - ERBF Feat. Raena - Decided

Posted here

21 (NE) - Dave Hollister - It's All Right (Oakland Cali Mix)

Posted here

22 (13) (-09) - Deborah Bond - Radio

23 (11) (-12) - PrivatProjekt - Welcome (Album)

24 (NE) - Charmaine X - Introducing (Album)

Posted here

25 (NE) - GLOW Feat. Nndi - All Woman (Ahmed Sirour Remix)

Posted here

26 (NE) - Dave Mascall Feat. Julia Quinn - Feel The Same (Mixes)

Posted here

27 (NE) - Ten City - Be Free (Emmaculate & Shannon Chambers Mix)

Posted here

28 (20) (-08) - Tony Lindsay - All Is One (Orig/Mixes)

29 (NE) - William Staggers - Glad To Find Love

Posted here

30 (23) (-07) - Luxury Soul Family - Various Artists (Album)

Dave Mascall Feat. Julia Quinn [2021] - Feel The Same (Franklin D Remix / Soulful Mix / Jazz Funk Mix) [Self Released]

Three mixes of the same tune with Dave Mascall on guitar and Julia Quinn on vocals.

A 125 BPM Soulful House mix by Franklin D, a Soulful mix with a half time almost Bossa Nova feel and a Jazz Funk mix incorporaing new drums, new bass and loads of new guitar work from Mascall.

Only available direct from davemascalmusic.com (click image below). The YT soundclip contains samples of the first two mixes only.

Details

Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Self Released
Cat No:	None
Year:	2021
Key:	N/A
BPM:	N/A
Value:	£1.75 each

GLOW Feat. Nndi [2021] - All Woman (Original & Ahmed Sirour Remix) [Archive]

Neo soul / jazz tune from GLOW featuring Nndi released 19 Feb 2021. 

There are two mixes, the original (slower 85 BPM) mix and the uptempo (121 BPM) Ahmed Sirour Remix.

Ahmed Sirour Remix

[4A/121]

Original Mix

[12A/85]

Details

Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Archive
Cat No:	None
Year:	2021
Key:	12A / 12A
BPM:	121 / 85
Value:	£1

ERBF Feat. Raena [2021] - Decided [Independent]

Released 4 Dec 2020 and appeared in the UK soul chart breakers this week. I almost posted it a couple of weeks ago but thought that the 'ship had already sailed' on it!

Details

Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Independent
Cat No:	None
Year:	2021
Key:	7A
BPM:	111
Value:	£1

Genius: Aretha - A New TV Series due 21 Mar 2021

I'm not sure if we are able to receive this in UK, but National Geographic have finally released Season 3 of their Genius series after filming was disrupted due to Covid. Series 1 was Einstein, 2 was Picasso and 3 will be Aretha Franklin!

It's a 8 part series scheduled for air from 21-24 Mar 2021 and stars Cynthia Erivo as Aretha. Two eposides will be shown on four consecutive evenings between 21 Mar and 24 Mar with Hulu streaming the episodes the following evening.

On 25 Mar, to coincide with Aretha's birthday, all episodes will be available to stream online.

See trailer below. 

Ronnie McNeir [2021] - Understanding [Blue Rivers]

New single from Detroit legend Ronnie McNeir was released 19 Feb 2021. From the 30 second sound clip it sounded great, then I found the full version on Spotify (not available on YT yet) and it was going great guns until the ragga style rapping kicked in at 1:40 and then the steel drums around 2:48! Perhaps, hopefully, there will be a 'soul' mix without the 'gimmicks' to appeal to the fad followers?

Details

Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Blue Rivers
Cat No:	None
Year:	2021
Key:	11A
BPM:	110
Value:	£1

Ronny Douglas & Bobby Lonero [1971] - Baby, Take My Hand [Columbia #4-45504]

A marvelous piece of crossover soul 'Baby, Take My Hand' flipped with another crossover tune 'Mary's Party' from Douglas & Lonero is being reissued by Global Soul on 26 Mar 2021. 

It may seem a long way off yet but these limited edition vinyl presses often sell out via pre-order so if you want one the I'd advise pre-ordering at Global Soul, otherwise play the lottery to buy a re-sale one on Discogs!

Ronny Douglas and Bobby (Robert Joseph) Lonero got together in 1971 and released 2 singles on Columbia in 1971 & 1972 and their last on RCA in 1975. They also released a live album in 1973 'Live At Charlie Brown's' on Haji (an independent Hollywood label) which was predominantly cover versions.

Ronny Douglas released a few of solo singles in the 60s/70s on various labels.

Bobby Lonero also released a handful of singles in the late 50s/early 60s and was a member of The Prime Ministers who released  'I Don’t Know No More' / 'Make Up' on RCA Victor in 1967 - A side is a skippy' Chicago style Impressions sound-a-like tune and B side is sort of mid-tempo soul harmony / crossover. 

The Prime Ministers were: Ronnie Barron (lead vocal, piano),  Fred Staehle (drums), Jerry Jumonville (saxophone), Wayne DeVilliere (organ), Bobby Lonero (guitar) and Eddie Zip (bass, saxophone).

Discography

Singles

1971 - Mary's Party / Baby, Take My Hand [Columbia #4-45504]

1972 - Jubilation (Excitation) / This World [Columbia #4-45594]

1975 - Don't Let Yourself Get Carried Away / This Time [RCA #PB-10347]

Two good crossover tunes

Albums

1973 - Live At Charley Brown's (featuring Chico Hernandez) [Haji Sound Recorders]

A1 - Sing A Song

A2 - Right Place, Wrong Time (Dr. John)

A3 - Georgia

A4 - Caravan

A5 - Oldies But Goodies (Little Caesar And The Romans)

A6 - Earth Angel (The Penguins)

A7 - Darling You Send Me (Sam Cooke)

A8 - Sixteen Candles (The Crests)

A9 - Tears On My Pillow (Little Anthony & The Imperials)

A10 - Baby Talk (Jan & Dean)

A11 - Bo Diddley (Bo Diddley)

A12 - Lordy Lord (Fats Domino)

A13 - Long Tall Sally (Little Richard)

B1 - Deeper and Deeper (Barry White)

B2 - Papa Was A Rolling Stone (Temptations)

B3 - What's Going On (Marvin Gaye)

B4 - Mercy Mercy Me (Marvin Gaye)

B5 - Love Train (The O'Jays)

The Dells v Loleatta Holloway - All About The Paper

This song was co-written by Lowrell Simon (The Vondells & The Lost Generation) and Clarence McDonald (who played keyboards on the recently demised Nolan Porter's album 'Nolan' as well as on many others).

Loleatta Holloway [1979] - All About The Paper [Gold Mind #GA 9504]

As far as I can ascertain this was an album only track from her self-titled 1979 album on Gold Mind. 

I feel that Loleatta Holloway was a vastly underrated talent, recording some wonderfully soulful material in the 70s and only got recoginition in her later years appearing as a soulful diva on many house recordings, she died in 2011 aged 64 (I will have to do a full feature on her in the future). She had a #1 hit as featured vocalist on Marky Mark & The Funky Bunch's 'Good Vibrations' in 1991 (Loleatta is featured in video link). Marky Mark was of course Mark Wahlberg who went on to become an 'A' list actor.

The Dells [1980] - All About The Paper [20th Century-Fox #TCD 112]

The Dells are one of (if not 'the') longest running groups in history with the same members. They have released albums for 6, and singles for 5, decades between 1955 and 2002. Undoubtedly their 'golden' period was between 1967-74. Their last hit album was 'Second Time' in 1988 and single 'Oh My Love' was released in 1992.

They originally formed in 1952 as The El-Rays, consisting of Mickey & Lucius McGill, Marvin Junior, Verne Allison Johnny Funches and Chuck Barksdale.  

Lucius McGill left around 1954 leaving a quinet. In 1955 they changed their name to The Dells. The line-up remained the same, until Funches was replaced by Johnny Carter, who was a founding member of The Flamingos, in 1960. That line-up remained until the death of Carter (aged 75) in 2009. 

The group continued to perform until 2012 when the ill health of Marvin Junior and Chuck Barksdale forced the group to retire. Marvin Junior died in 2013 aged 77 and Barksdale in  2019 aged 84.  The original member who left in 1960, Johnny Funches, died in 1998 aged 62.

As far as I am aware the three surving members are alive and will now be in their mid 80s (85/86).

Details

Format:	Album/Single
Media:	LP / 12" & 7"
Label:	Gold Mind / 20th Century Fox
Cat No:	GA 9504 / TCD 112
Year:	2021
Key:	11B / 2B
BPM:	112 / 121
Value:	£1

Finishing Touch - Discography

Finishing Touch released only 2 singles on Philly Groove between 1974-75, but they recorded one of the best 70s Philly Modern Soul tunes you're likely to hear with 'Second Best (Is Never Enough)'. In fact it was so good they issued it twice on Philly Groove PG 201 in Oct. 1975 and then as flip to their only other 45, 'Sunshine & Promises', on PG 203 in Feb.1975.

Discography

1974 - Second Best (Is Never Enough) / Your Love Has Put A Spell On Me [Philly Groove #PG 201]

1975 - Sunshine & Promises / Second Best [Philly Groove #PG 203]

197? - Don't Put Me Down [Philly Groove #Unreleased]

The only other know recording from them was an unreleased track 'Don't Put Me Down' which was later reworked ('housed' up) and released with 6 different mixes in 2003 in the Netherlands and Italy. Being the bloodhound that I am, I've found the original cut which was released on a Philly Groove compilation in 2010 (link above). There is also a 9:11 long Tom Moulton mix doing the rounds.

I can find no info on the group so don't know if they renamed themselves and released further recods or split up with members joining different groups. I find it difficult to comprehend if that wasn't the case and they simply sunk into obscurity. I can find no evidence that either release even charted on US R&B chart so perhaps they did just sink into obscurity after the commercial 'failure' of both records.

However, on the UK soul scene 'Second Best' has been a favourite for many years/decades so hopefully if any surviving members come across this post they can be reassured that their recording didn't completely fall on deaf ears.

Details

Format:	Single
Media:	7"
Label:	Philly Groove
Cat No:	PG 201/PG 203
Year:	1974/1975
Key:	4A
BPM:	114
Value:	£20-£40

Collins & Collins [1980] - Top Of The Stairs [A&M #SP-4806]

Tonee Collins of Collins & Collins has left a comment on the post I did for them last November confirming that rather than husband/wife they are sister/brother Tonee & Bill.

I have responded requesting some more info about them so watch this space.

You can view the post/comment and more info on them here.

They released a self-titled album and 2 singles on A&M in 1980, one of the singles being, what is generally regarded as, a better version of Ashford & Simpson's 'Top Of The Stairs'.