A great stepper from 1991 by Junior Giscombe which was co-produced by
'The Funky Ginger', Simon Law (original member of Soul II Soul) who I
mentioned last week who is the brother of Joanna Law whose 'Rhythm Of Years'
track I posted.
Beware of the 1995 version by M-Beat Feat. Junior Giscombe as that's a speeded up jungle version.
It's got a Mazwell vibe about it long before Mazwell arrived on the scene.
What a tune! One of the best ever modern soul tunes from
D'Influence
now nearly 25 years old (as it was released in 1997) but still sounds fresh. With all these
rehashes of 70s/disco tunes doing the rounds it's about time one of these
producers did a rework of this track!
I've already posted another track from the 'London' album called 'Hypnotize' which was one of only two UK hits they had.
Rahsaan Patterson was discovered on a US talent show 'Junior Star Search' around 1984 and then won a part in TV series Kids Incorporated. In 1986 he won a follow up show 'Star Search' aged 12.
He released his debut, self-titled, album in 1997. This was the second single from the album which was released with several mixes ranging from an acoustic mix to a deep house mix. The mix that was favoured on UK modern soul dancefloors was Silk's Old Skool Mix.
As far as I'm concerned this is Gerald Levert's best track. From the 1999
album 'G' and released as a single in 2000. It scraped into the Hot 100 and peaked at #89.
He died of an accidental drugs overdose (prescribed and over-the-counter) in Nov 2006. He was son on O'Jay Eddie Levert who tragically also lost his other son Sean due to complications of sarcoidosis only six days into a 22 month prison sentence for failing to pay child support in Mar 2008.
They formed the group Levert with Marc Gordon in 1983 and had twelve US R&B top 10 singles, five of them reaching #1.
This was first played c2000 from a bootleg CDr 'The Motown Sessions'
which were unreleased demo recordings he made for Motown. Tracks from the
album were subsequently released on UK's Expansion label in 2006 as 'The Truth
Vol. 2'.
This track is a cover of Stevie Wonder's 'Golden Lady' from his 1973
'Innervisions' album, sounding very like Donny Hathaway.
Frank McComb [2006] - Golden Lady [Expansion #XECD 51]
Stevie Wonder [1973] - Golden Lady [Tamla #T 326L]
Rahsaan Patterson wrote and recorded the original version of this tune, which was also recorded by Donell Jones and featured on the soundtrack of 'Love And
Basketball' in 2000. I don't think Jones officially released it as only a 12" promo exists of the recording other than on the soundtrack album.
A, now defunct, UK internet radio station Soul24/7.com received a demo from
Patterson when he was interviewed by them. Terry Jones played it on his show
and at his gigs around the UK. It was then picked up by Ralph Tee's
Expansion label and released on 'Soul Togetherness 2001' compilation. As
Donell Jones was a hot property at the time, it was decided that he should
release it, rather than Patterson, and it came out on a LaFace 12" promo in 2000.
Rahsaan Patterson [2001] - I'll Go [Expansion #EXP 14]
A track picked up on by UK modern soul scene from
Tower Of Power
1997 'Rhythm & Business' album. It features Brent Carter on lead vocals who has also recently appeared on a couple of other projects: 'Work To Do' and is lead on Output/Input's current single 'Can't Hide Love'.
This track appeared on a 2000 CD by Shorty (aka Elbert Ferguson) 'Git
Shorty' on Bonedog records recorded at Mojo Boneyard studios. It was released on
vinyl for the first time in Feb 2020 by Mark Anderson & Des Parker as
their sixth release on their new MD label.
Des knew the studio owner and brought copies back to the UK and some DJs
started playing it in the early noughties. It was pressed in the
usual limited 300 run and sold out within three weeks of release making
it MD's fastest selling release to date.
The song is a cover of O.C. Smith's 'Walking On Air' released on his 1980
album 'Dreams Come True' produced by Van McCoy.
Interestingly, the song was written by twin brothers Mervin & Melvin
Steals who were members of The Four Perfections and released just the one
single 'I'm Not Strong Enough' on Party Time in 1967 which is regarded as
a Northern Soul classic. There a good article about The Four Perfections on Soul Source written by Dave Moore.
They have written songs recorded by Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes,
Trammps, Gloria Gaynor, The Impressions, Archie Bell & The Drells, Brenda & The Tabulations, A Touch Of Class, Arthur Prysock
and many others. Under the pseudonym Mystro & Lyric
(Mervin was Mystro and Melvin was Lyric), they have written songs such
as The Detroit Spinners hit, 'Could It Be I'm Falling In Love',
Major Harris 'After Loving You' & 'Each Morning I Wake Up' as well as
songs recorded by First Choice, Ecstasy, Passion & Pain, Moments Of
Truth, Margie Joseph & Blue Magic and others.
A great track from the Seattle based group's debut album 'Subtle Ways'
released in 1999. I think it was Gavin Page who first played this in
2000.
The group has released four more albums since this one, their last being
released in 2008. Their website is now defunct so it's possible they have
now disbanded.
You may need to put this one on repeat as this is the outstanding
original version of the Phillip Mitchell song (credited on this release as Leroy Mitchell) made famous by Millie
Jackson two years after Katie Love & crew recorded it.
Don't be deceived by the 'gentle' intro as Katie Love gets deeper as the
song progresses, although her voice sounds quite young.
It was originally released on Muscle Shoals Sound and then got a national release on Specter.
It never ceases to amaze me the injustice of the music business, whilst
Millie Jackson's version
is good, Katie Love's to my ears is a better arrangement. Jackson's version featured in the blaxploitation movie Cleopatra Jones.
The song did far better in the UK, albeit interpreted as a reggae
version, by Susan Cadogen who had a #5 hit with it after Jackson's version in 1973. Jimmy Sommerville
covered Cadogen's reggae version in 1996 and reached #15. Neither Millie
Jackson's nor Katie Love's versions charted in UK but Jackson's got to #23 Hot 100 and #3 R&B in US.
There are, surpisingly, only a few other versions, but none of them are
particulary good, so not worth posting.
Katie Love released only one further single: 'How Can You Mistreat The One You Love'
/ 'You Made Your Bed' (a George Soule & Terry Woodford song
recorded a year earlier by
Eddie Bradford
on Quinvy/Chess) on Stax in 1973.
More soulful 70s out of Miami and one of only two listed releases for the
Jemkl Soul label and the first of three singles released by Tony Lampkin.
Curiously all were written by Jack(ie) Ball, so I wonder if that was his
real name? All singles were released on different labels, the first
Jemkl Soul (Miami), and the other two were released in 1976 on SRI (Specter Records International) and SWAR
(Miami).
His record is one of only four listed for SWAR and again, curiously,
all were written and produced by Jack Ball, more fuel for wondering if
Tony Lampkin was Jack Ball?
Gloriously 'so-soulful 70s' tune by Jean Shy from 1976.
The song was co-written by Shy and her husband Edward Alexander Walker
(the bass player with 70s New Jersey funk band Strutt),
Harvey Fuqua (instrumental in helping to create Motown and married to Gwen
Gordy) and Vernon Bullock (co-founder of New Birth with Fuqua, and
producer of groups such as Younghearts, Bobby Wilson, Livin' Proof and
writer of far too many Motown tracks to begin to list).
Jean Shy released around half a dozen good quality soul sides in the 70s before being 'lured' into the dark disco world in the late 70s and 80s with disco versions of 'That Old Black Magic' and Eric Clapton's 'Layla'! She now performs mainly as a blues artist.
A wonderful modern soul tune from 1974 (written by Landy McNeal and
arranged by Bert DeCoteaux) with an equally good, but overlooked, modern soul/crossover flip
side.
The group released half a dozen singles between 1969-74, two on Map City,
a one-off on Verve (1971) and three on Lion (an MGM subsidiaty label),
this was their last release and their only chart entry reaching #86 US
R&B in 1974.
One of the members of the group was Bill McEachern who later joined
Odyssey
replacing Tony Reynolds after the release of their debut album in 1977 and
remained with them throught their RCA career to 1982.
Another member was Terri Gonzalez who joined
The Tymes
in 1976 and went on to have a solo career in the 80s releasing six or
seven singles and an album produced by Nile Rogers (Chic) in 1987 on
Atlantic.
The other two members were Robert Taylor and Shabi Weems.
If you like 'Making My Daydream Real', then you'll also probably also like Inner Space 'Break The Chains' (also written by Landy McNeal and arranged by Bert DeCoteaux) which was released in 1974 on Sweet Fortune, as it could almost be MMDR Pt. 2.
Brace yourself ... it was sampled for a club track by Viveen (Wray) a former member of Driza, (a later incarnation of Vinny Garcia's Drizabone) and producer Ian Lovatt as ATFC & Ghostcopy Feat. Viveen - 'Don't Look Back' and was a hit in the UK dance charts reaching #5. It was released on Hed Kandi compilation The Mix: Summer 2008.
We The People [1973] - Making My Daydream Real [Lion #LION 164]
We The People [1973] - Whatcha Done For Me, I'm Gonna Do For You [Lion
#LION 164]
The 70s, especially between 1972-78, was a barren period chart-wise for The Duke Of Earl until he went disco and had a worldwide hit with 'Get Down' in 1978.
Gene Chandler's only Hot 100 top 10 hit was in 1961 when he had a #1 hit with 'The Duke Of Earl'.
He had success with Vee Jay, Constellation, Brunswick, Checker and Mercury in the 60s. This was his third, and last, single on Curtis Mayfield's Curtom label between 1972-73 but none of them charted even on US R&B chart. He moved to Carl Davis' Chi-Sound label which by that time was distributed by 20th Century Fox, where he had a few hit singles in the late 70s/early 80s. After 1980 he released a handful on singles on various labels but never had another crossover hit although a few of them did enter the lower reaches on the US R&B chart.
His birth name was Eugene Dixon which he used on writing credits, hence E. Dixon appears on this release.
A great 70s modern soul dancer from Rick Sheppard.
Sheppard was a member of The Drifters between 1966-70. Prior to joining
the group he'd already released two singles. As far as I can tell he
released three singles after leaving them. He became a NYC police officer
for 23 years.
In 1996 two compilations were released as The Drifters
Featuring Rick Sheppard, so I guess he must have rejoined one the
groups using The Drifters name.
He is one of the only remaining 'true' Drifters and has had legal
disputes over the years with other groups over using the name. I found an
advert for a gig at The Coach House, Orange County, CA from 2011 so he was still performimg with them then.
This 1977 Marv Johnson song, produced by Van McCoy, was tucked away on the
flip to 'You're My Peace Of Mind' which did virtually nothing reaching
only #71 on US R&B chart. It was picked up on by the Northern Soul
scene in the noughties and was a massive tune.
It was also on his third, and last, Van McCoy produced album 'In My
Stride' which also contained 'I Can't Stop The Rain' (not released as a
single in US but was in UK before this one and in Holland with this on the
flip) and 'Questions' which didn't get a 45 release.
David Ruffin was a member of The Temptations between 1964-68, when he was
fired, but remained at Motown until 1977. He was signed by Warner Bros.
where he released two albums in 1979 and 1980. He died in 1991 aged
only 50.
Softouch were a female quartet consisting of Alicia Ingram, Candice
Ghant, Opal Jones, Paula Denson. Candice 'Candi' Ghant later joined the
Mary Jane Girls
(All Night Long fame).
The song was written by
Jack Ashford
(percussionist with Motown's house band The Funk Brothers
and George Rountree who was a writer with Motown, music director for Four
Tops and a member of one album band Morning, Noon And Night).
This was their debut single in 1975, They joined Fantasy in 1978 and
released a disco album which spawned one single and then they
disappeared.
The flip side was written by Ashford, Rountree and Sandra Richardson (aka Sandra
Feva). Richardson recorded a version of the song which remained unreleased until
it appeared on The 100 Club 6Ts 37th anniversary give-away 45 in
2016. I actually prefer her slightly slower (122 bpm v 130 bpm) version to the Softouch version.
Softouch [1975] - Say That You Love Me Boy [Prodigal #P 618]
Softouch [1975] - After You Give Your All (What Else Is There To Give)
[Prodigal #P 618]
Sandra Richardson [2016] - After You Give Your All [Kent #6T 32]
The flip side to 'Loving You, Needing You, Loving You, Wanting You' which
is only present on the issues and not promos ... guess which one I have
... unfortunately only the promo!
Harold 'Bobby' Hutton has been a name synonymous with Northern Soul
devotees for decades since his classic
'Lend A Hand'
was played off his 1973 debut album 'Piece Of The Action' on ABC at
Blackpool Mecca. It was 32 years later before he would release his second
album titled '20 Years Later' in 2005.
His debut single was released in 1965 on Checker as Harold Hutton,
followed in 1968 with one on Blue Rock. He then released four singles on
Philips between 1969-71 followed by this one on ABC in 1974. In 2007 a UK
label, Selecta, released the title track of his 2005 album as a single.
'Lend A Hand' was first released as a single in March 1978 on ABC in UK
with Willie Hutch 'Love Runs Out' on the other side. He also released a
Christmas single on SOC (Sound Of Chicago?), the year of release is unknown.
He acquired the name Bobby when he was hired by
Roquel 'Billy' Davis
at Chess to back Fontella Bass in place of Bobby McClure.
Found this clip of Bobby singing this song at Blackpool International Soul
Festival 18 June 2016 being introduced by Blackpool Mecca DJ Colin Curtis.
An album only modern soul track from Rocky Mizell that we used to hammer c
2000. Rocky Mizell only released the one self-titled album and two singles between 1976-80.
'Never Never Girl' was also recorded the following year by George McCrae on a self
titled album on T.K.
McCrae had a worldwide #1 hit in 1974 with 'Rock Your Baby'. The song was written by Harry Casey & Richard Finch and intended for K.C. & The Sunshine Band but they couldn't reach the high notes. They decided to ask George's wife Gwen to sing it but she was late for the session so George stepped in ... and as they say the rest is history. It became one of the first disco records and topped the charts both sides of the Atlantic and I remember it vividly.
George McCrae [1978] - Never Never Girl [T.K. #TK-608]
