Arthur / Future Force [2021] - So Close To You / Reincarnation [BBE #375SDG]

I stumbled across this on Traxsource, of all places, originally and discovered that it's available on vinyl from BandCamp for £17 (limited to 200 copies) and will be released next Friday (28 May 2021) NB It claims on BandCamp that only one remains! (UPDATE - they're all now gone!) It was released digitally on 14 May 2021 and is available on Amazon and probably other digital platforms

Arthur (Indenbaum) released his one and only album called 'Joy' on Chanterelle in 1981 from where this track is taken.

Future Force is a blue-eyed psych/funk track also released in 1981 on Big Deal which looks very much like a private press. The write-up by BBE on BandCamp suggests that this was their only release, however, I found another on Discogs from 1985 'South Of The Border' which does appear to be the same group as the writers were E. Li and H. Bowler. Eric Li (piano/synths), Harold Bowler (bass) and his brother David (drums) were all in the group as all the group members are listed on the sleeve of 'Reincarnation'.

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Details

Rating:	7.8
Genre/Style:	Neo Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital/7"
Label:	BBE
Cat No:	375SDG
Year:	28/05/2021
Key/BPM:	11A/96 : 6A/113
Value:	£17

Supermini & Frankie Romano [2021] - Midas Touch (Birdee Remix) [Tinted Records]

This reworking of Midnight Star's 1986 hit was originally released in Apr, but a, much better, Birdee Remix was released last week (14 May 2021).

Supermini & Frankie Romano are DJ/Producers from Sydney, Australia. Supermini (aka Ramon Lopez) is originally from Spain.

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Details

Rating:	8.2
Genre/Style:	Nu Disco
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Tinted Records
Cat No:	None
Year:	14/05/2021
Key/BPM:	6A/118
Value:	£1

Kenny Bobien & Francis Scarlino [2021] - I Believe In Love [New Generation Records]

Three mixes of 'I Believe In Love' with another three remixes by Mark Di Meo due 19 Jun 2021. I've heard a sample of the Mark Di Meo Classic Remix on Traxsource and it is the best of the lot, as these 'original' mixes now sound a bit flat in comparison.

Kenny Bobien's name is synonymous with Soulful House and he is the self-proclaimed 'King of Gospel House' and has been on the scene for 25 years debuting in 1996.

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Details

Rating:	7.7
Genre/Style:	Soulful House
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	New Generation Records
Cat No:	None
Year:	07/05/2021
Key/BPM:	1B/123
Value:	£2.37

Jarrod Lawson [2021] - Be The Change (Michele Chiavarini Remix) [Dome]

I've posted this already a couple of times as there seems to be a lot of confusion as to it's release date. It was 'supposed' to be released 7 May, but that didn't happen and on Traxsource it is stating today (21 May 2021). 

It is a set of three sympathetic soulful house remixes by Michele Chiavarini of the title track of Jarrod Lawson's sophomore album 'Be The Change'. The tempo has been upped a few notches and beefed up into a soulful house groove and it features some added horns by Graeme Flowers on flugelhorn.

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Details

Rating:	8.6
Genre/Style:	Soulful House
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Dome
Cat No:	None
Year:	21/05/2021
Key:	N/A
BPM:	N/A
Value:	£1

The O'Jays [2016] - Live From Daryl's House

As it's still pretty quiet on the new release front here's some footage of The O'Jays - Live From Daryl's House Episode #78 (of 84) recorded in 2016 (website).

It features two of the founding members of the original group The Mascots from 1958, Walter Williams and Eddie Levert who were 72 and 74 respectively and Daryl Hall was also 69 when this was recorded.

They perform five of The O'Jays seven top 20 hits: 'Love Train', 'Backstabbers', 'I Love Music', 'For The Love Of Money' and 'Use Ta Be My Girl', followed by two of Hall & Oates hits 'I Want To Know You For A Long Time' and 'I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)'.

Phyllis Hyman [2021] - Old Friend [Soul Music] (Full Album Discography)

Christmas has come early for fans of Phyllis Hyman as David Nathan's Soul Music label (only mentioned yesterday with the compilation release, although it's not currently listed on SoulMusic.com), are releasing all of Phyllis Hyman's studio albums as a 9 CD boxset, most of them are the expanded edition. 

The price is a mere £39.99 (less than £4.50 per album or 35p a track (113 tracks) - you couldn't even buy the digital versions for that!) and is due 30 Jul 2021. It is worth noting that UK DJ/Graphic Designer Roger Williams did the artwork, and very classy it is too.

Full details, including tracklist, via link on image below where you can also pre-order.

Hyman actually released ten albums but her second, 'Sing A Song' was a non US album, with all but three tracks appearing on 'Somewhere In My Lifetime'. These three tracks are included in the expanded edition of  'Somewhere In My Lifetime'.

I thought I'd previously posted a Discography on Phyllis Hyman but it looks like I never got around to posting it so where better than here and now with links to those available on Spotify to warm you up for purchase.

Album Discography

1977 - Phyllis Hyman 

1978 - Sing A Song 

1978 - Somewhere In My Lifetime 

1979 - You Know How To Love Me 

1981 - Can't We Fall In Love Again 

1983 - Goddess Of Love 

1986 - Living All Alone 

1991 - Prime Of My Life 

1995 - I Refuse To Be Lonely 

1998 - Forever With You

Despite being well known and respected, it may surprise you to learn that she never had a Billboard Hot 100 entry in her entire career, she had three bubbling under at 101 ('You Know How To Love Me' 1979), 102 ('Betcha By Golly Wow' 1977 with Norman Connors) and 103 ('Loving You, Losing You' 1977). Only four of her singles were Top 10 R&B and were none of the above.

She tragically took her own life on 30 Jun 1995 aged only 45 and only hours before she was due to perform at the famous Apollo theatre in New York.

Details

Rating:	9
Genre/Style:	Classic Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	CD Boxset
Label:	Soul Music
Cat No:	None
Year:	30/07/2021
Value:	£39.99

Sharna Bass [2021] - Never Coming Back [EGA Records]

Though still only 23, the UK R&B singer from NW London started recording in 2014 appearing on Clean Bandit's 'Extraordinary'. This will be about her twelfth solo single since 2017 as well as releasing a seven track EP last year.

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Details

Rating:	7.2
Genre/Style:	Neo Soul / R&B
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	EGA Records
Cat No:	None
Year:	13/05/2021
Key/BPM:	1A/85
Value:	£1

LaBlue & Astrønne [2021] - Blue [Roche Musique]

LaBlue & Astrønne released their second single on 7 May 2021. Although Le Freak posted last week is from London, LaBlue is French, he's a DJ/producer/multi-instrumentalist from Paris. 

They met in 2019 and competed in, and won, a contest hosted by Roche Musique during lockdown (Mar-Apr 2020) which gave rise to an EP on the label 'Blue Phases' due this year.

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Details

Rating:	7.8
Genre/Style:	Neo Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Roche Musique
Cat No:	None
Year:	07/05/2021
Key/BPM:	2A/105
Value:	£1