Durand Jones & The Indications [2021] - Witchoo [Dead Oceans]

The new single from Durand Jones & The Indications premiered at 19:00 today 12 May 2021.

Their third album 'Private Space' is due out 30 Jul 2021. You can pre-order from Colemine.

Details

Rating:	8
Genre/Style:	Neo Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Dead Oceans
Cat No:	None
Year:	12/05/2021
Key/BPM:	10A/118
Value:	£1

Ghetto Children [1975] - Don't Take Your Sweet Lovin' Away / It's Not Easy To Say Goodbye [Roulette #R-7173]

An archetypal, mid 70s Philly, modern soul dancer written my Maestro & Lyric aka Mervin & Melvin Steals who were prolific writers. I wrote a little about them on the Git Shorty post in March, and coincidentally there is a seven and a half page feature on them by John Smith in the latest edition (#108) of Soul Up North fanzine which dropped through my letter box only yesterday. 

'Don't Take Your Sweet Lovin' Away' sounds very similar to Flashlight/Quickest Way Out 'Beware She's Pulling My Strings', so I checked to see if they also wrote that, but they didn't.

It's a good double-sider as the flip, 'It's Not Easy To Say Goodbye', also penned by the same writers, is in the same style.

I know nothing about the Ghetto Children, who appear to have released only three singles, one of which even got a UK issue. One of the three releases on Discogs has the name Getto Children, which is on a Philly label So-Char owned by Mike Nise, who is also credited as producer (along with Bobby Martin) on the featured track, so it probably is the same group.  There's no date for that release but I would guess that it's their first as the other two have heavyweight Philly producers Vince Montana and Bobby Martin producing them and the So-Char release doesn't. That would date it 1973 or earlier. 

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Details

Rating:	7.6
Genre/Style:	Modern Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	7"
Label:	Roulette
Cat No:	R-7173
Year:	1975
Value:	£50-£75 (approx.)

Starfire [1976] - Make The Most Of It [Dynamic Artists #DA 1001]

A 'spacy' modern soul/rare groove tune from 1976 by Starfire. Be wary of another version with the same name (usually suffixed with Version A) which is on a 2005 compilation on Funky Delicacies by them, as it's a completely different song and nowhere near as good.

Starfire were a five piece funk/soul band from Richmond, VA. They released two albums and around six singles, all on Dynamic Artists, between 1976-80. Only they, and The Fabulous Waller Family, released material on the label which was also based in Richmond.

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Details

Rating:	8
Genre/Style:	Modern Soul / Rare Groove
Format:	Single
Media:	7"
Label:	Dynamic Artists
Cat No:	DA 1001
Year:	1976
Value:	£200-£250

The Soul Immigrants [2001] - Sunday Drive [i! #IR-204]

I don't normally post instrumentals, I can't even think of one, but this is a great dance record with a really cool vibe by The Soul Immigrants from 2001. It's taken from a four track 12" EP 'The Collective Orchestra' which was 12" vinyl only as far as I can tell. It's still pretty cheap but that could change once someone starts playing it!

There is another group still active with the same name but it's a different group. This outfit consists of brothers D'Pac and Yogi Patel from the midlands (UK) who emigrated to Canada in the 80s and appear to have released half a dozen singles/EPs, this being their last.

It's got a feel of Young-Holt's Soulful Strut combined with Nite-Liters K-Gee about it.

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Details

Rating:	8.2
Genre/Style:	Neo Soul
Format:	EP
Media:	12"
Label:	i!
Cat No:	IR-204
Year:	2001
Key:	N/A
Value:	£2-£5

Garfield Fleming [1981] - Don't Send Me Away / You Got Dat Right [Becket #BKD 505]

Garfield Fleming, to my knowledge only released two singles in the early 80s. His first, in 1981, 'Don't Send Me Away' has become a modern soul/rare groove/boogie classic which now fetches up to £200-£300 on original 12" vinyl.

It was reissued for Record Store Day (13 Apr 2019). Any remaining copies are now available for £13 (Soul Brother still has some). It's also available digitally. (click images below).

He was caught on camera 'PA'ing it at a flea market record stall in Paris in 2018 - clip below.

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Details

Rating:	8.4
Genre/Style:	Modern Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital/12"
Label:	Becket
Cat No:	BKD 505
Year:	1981/2019
Key/BPM:	6A/105
Value:	£1/£13 (£200-£300 approx. for an original)

All Blue [1999] - Prisoner (Masters At Work Main Mix) [WEA (UK) #3984-29632-0]

What appears to be the only release from a duo named All Blue from 1999 who may be Ed & Henry Johnson as they were the writers of the track. It was a UK release but I think I detect a slight accent in the vocals ... with a name like Johnson could they by any chance be Scandinavian as that's becoming a theme today!

It was a big tune on the modern soul circuit, but you 'need' the Masters At Work mix as the others are quite different, the radio edit is more laid back and the Linslee mix is more hip-hop with scratching effects and rapping. There are quite a few other mixes as well.

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Details

Rating:	8.4
Genre/Style:	Modern Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	WEA
Cat No:	3984-29632-0
Year:	1999
Key:	4A/125
BPM:	100
Value:	£1

Diana Ross - 20 Lesser known album tracks & B Sides

As it's still pretty quiet on the new release front, I'll post some vintage stuff while waiting from something new to appear.

An artist which, if we were honest, many soulies overlook and disregard as perhaps a bit of a 'pop princess' who went very MOR when she left The Supremes. However, if you pick through some of her B sides and album tracks there are quite a few hidden gems. I've put together a playlist of twenty of them. There's a mix of Northern, crossover, modern and even some ballads in here spanning her twenty studio albums from her 1970 eponymous debut solo album to her last studio album in 2006. 

The selected tracks include a couple of covers of Northern Soul classics from Jackie Ross, The Velvelettes and Spiral Starecase, covers of Aretha Franklin's 'Call Me', Marvin Gaye's 'I Want You' and a slowed down version of Four Tops' Reach Out', a hidden CD track and a previously unreleased track. There are a few good modern soul steppers she did in the 90s.

Tracks are in chronological order and there's a playlist below.

1970 - Diana Ross

Dark Side Of The World (UK B side to Reach Out And Touch (Somebody's Hand))

Something On My Mind

Keep An Eye (UK B side to Doobedood'ndoobe, Doobedood'ndoobe, Doobedood'ndoo)

These Things Will Keep Loving You (Velvelettes cover)

Time And Love (previously unreleased bonus track on 2002 release)

1970 - Everything Is Everything

How About You (B side to Remember Me 1970)

Baby It's Love (UK B side to Touch Me In The Morning)

I Love You (Call Me) (Aretha Franklin cover)

1971- Surrender

I'm A Winner (UK B side to Surrender)

And If You See Him (Album only 'Surrender')

I'll Settle For You (Album only 'Surrender')

Reach Out I'll Be There (Four Tops cover)

1987 - Red Hot Rhythm & Blues

Selfish One (a half decent, cover of Jackie Ross)

1991 - The Force Behind The Power

Heavy Weather

No Matter What You Do (Hidden CD Track)

1994 - Keep It Higher

Keep It Right There (stepper)

1999 - Every Day Is A New Day

Not Over You Yet (stepper)

Every Day Is A New Day (stepper)

2006 - I Love You

More Today Than Yesterday (Spiral Starecase cover)

I Want You (Marvin Gaye cover)

Roderick Harper [2021] - Back To Love [RHM Entertainment] (Full Album)

At the end of March Roderick Harper (Muhammad) from New Orleans released 'Make It Last Forever' as the first single from his, then forthcoming, album 'Back To Love' which is now released on 6 May 2021.

Once you get past the rather strange lead track 'Speechleess / Og Jlyric' (repeated again as the last track titled 'Speechless') which is completely out of kilter with the rest of the material, it's quite a strong set of mainly slow jams, with 'Make It Last Forever' and 'Got To' being the only uptempo tracks. 

If pushed on my favourite track it would have to be the deep soul ballad 'Hearts Desire' on which he sounds quite like Will Downing, or possibly the title track.

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Details

Rating:	8.2
Genre/Style:	Neo Soul
Format:	Album
Media:	Digital
Label:	RHM Entertainment
Cat No:	None
Year:	06/05/2021
Value:	£7.92

Jeb Loy Nichols [2021] - Can't Cheat The Dance / We Gotta Work On It [Timmion #TR-735]

These Scandinavians are getting everwhere at the moment, two releases from Sweden's Soul Tune label, posted already today, and now another from Finland's Timmion label!

Jeb Loy Nichols is a blue-eyed country soul singer originating from Wyoming but now lives in the Welsh countryside. He's teamed up with Timmion's Cold Diamond & Mink to release this double sider, with an album 'Jeb Loy' in the pipline for later in the year (expected 11 Jun).

'Can't Cheat The Dance' is available digitally now but you'll have to buy the 7" vinyl (available via BandCamp) to get the flip side 'We Gotta Work On It' (or wait for the album release). I've linked to a 60 second sample of the flip below.

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Details

Rating:	8
Genre/Style:	Neo Crossover
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital/7"
Label:	Timmion
Cat No:	TR-735
Year:	30/04/2021
Key/BPM:	10B/104
Value:	£1/£10

Desmond Foster [2021] - Love To Be Loved (Just By You) / Love Burns [Soul Tune #ST 4505]

Another release on Stockholm's Soul Tune label. Desmond Foster is a UK soul/reggae singer from Jamaica, now living in Sweden who is also a member of the Soul Tune All Stars. He featured on, Swedish group, Blacknuss Allstars release of a cover of Keni Burke's 'Rising To The Top' in 1994. He's also featured on recordings with Freddie Cruger (aka Fredrik Lager of Linn & Freddie posted a few days ago).

His latest release came out on 21 Mar 2021. The top side, 'Love To Be Loved (Just By You)', is a mid-tempo classic soul tune with jazz guitar in places. The flip 'Love Changes' is slower, and more of a southern soul stepper.

Both tracks are available digitally or on vinyl 7" via Soul Tune BandCamp store.

Foster has now featured on three of the six releases on the label, this release plus the first two releases 'World' / 'Natural Feeling' (ST 4501) and 'Wheels Keep Turning' / 'Attitude' (ST 4502), both released in 2019. 'Attitude' for me being the best of the bunch, a funky crossover style tune.

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Details

Rating:	7.4
Genre/Style:	Classic Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital/7"
Label:	Soul Tune
Cat No:	ST 4505
Year:	21/03/2021
Key/BPM:	3B/101 : 4A/91
Value:	€2/€10