The Freedom Affair [2021] - Outta My Mind [One World #OSP 5007]

Earlier today I posted another track from Paul Mooney, the L.J. Johnson / Barbara Pennington release on Soul Purpose. The latest offering on his One World label, which has given us releases from Michelle David and Sean Oliver already this year, is a reissue on 45 of The Freedom Affair's "Outta My Mind".

The Freedom Affair is a nine piece group from Kansas City, MO, who released an album "Freedom Is Love" on Sunflower Soul (operated by the group's founder Chris Hazelton) last year, so I guess that this will be the first time on 45 and includes vocal and instrumental versions.

The song features Seyko Groves on lead vocals and is co-written and produced by Chris Hazelton.

The group were were founded in 2017 and debuted in 2019 with a sistah funk single on Colemine "Rise Up" which was featured in the award winning Netflix TV series "Self Made" and was also used by Apple to advertise the Apple Watch Seres 6.

The scheduled release date was 16 Jul 2021 but It's already in the shops now.

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Details

Rating:	8.8
Genre/Style:	Modern Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	7"
Label:	One World
Cat No:	OSP 5007
Year:	16/07/2021
Key/BPM:	7B/97
Value:	£11.99

Amazin' Five [2021] - Only With You [Tramp #TR 1049]

What next? .. we've had soul from all over the world on the blog but none from Russia before. This comes with English vocals and Russian vocals, Can anyone name another Russian soul artist?

It's got a retro modern soul feel but a little poppy for my taste but that might be the obvious white vocals with a hint of an accent which for me is a turn off as I'm afraid I have a bit of a 'Catholic' taste on soul music.

It 'escaped' on Friday (25 Jun 2021) on Germany's Tramp label run by Tobias Kirmayer since 2003. It may have been issued earlier on vinyl with this being the digital release.

Details

Rating:	7.1
Genre/Style:	Neo Modern Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital/7"
Label:	Tramp
Cat No:	TR 1049
Year:	25/06/2021
Key/BPM:	12B/108
Value:	£1 /£7.99

Joy Crookes [2021] - Feet Don't Fail Me Now [Speakerbox Recordings]

A 'quintessentially' English (London) sound with much owed to Amy Winehouse. I can't quite figure out  whether this is a retro 60s track or an Amy Winehouse soundalike, but it's catchy but probably too poppy for the diehards! 

I'm sure there's a Northern Soul tune with either that title or that line in it, but I can't for the life of me recall what it is .... it's one of those I can hear it in my head but can't put a name to it!.

Joy Crookes is a 22 yr old artist from Lambeth, South London. In 2020 she was nominated for the Rising Star Award at the Brits. 

She released her debut EP in 2016 aged 17 and has released two more along with over a dozen singles since,  two of them have topped the UK Asian chart (which I never knew existed until researching her!) with the current single sitting at #3.

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Details

Rating:	7.6
Genre/Style:	Neo Soul / Retro
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Speakerbox Recordings
Cat No:	None
Year:	2021
Key/BPM:	2B/113
Value:	£1

Son Of Pearl Feat. T. Bluesy [2021] - Friday Night Blues [The State Of Tenacity Records]

Only a few days ago I posted a new vinyl release on Six Nine records from Son Of Pearl (Tedi Robinson) and he's now also released a new single on 24 Jun 2021.

As you can guess from the title it's a soul/blues numer featuring T. Bluesy (who I've no idea about).

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Details

Rating:	7.6
Genre/Style:	Soul/Blues
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	The State Of Tenacity Records
Cat No:	None
Year:	24/06/2021
Key/BPM:	3B/95
Value:	£1

Funk Deluxe [2021] - Show Me Da Way [Plaza]

A 2021 update of a 1983 boogie/funk track by Skyy "Show Me The Way" from their Skyylight album.  

It was written by Randy Muller who was a member of B.T. Express, Brass Construction, Skyy and Funk Deluxe who also released the track in 1993. 

The new version is the Caso Blanco mix which ups the beat rate from the Skyy original and comes across as more 'disco friendly'.

I'm not sure which one of Bonné Dunning Barrino, Dolores Dunning Milligan, Denise Dunning Crawford is on lead vocals on the Skyy original but she sounds very similar to Cheryl Lynn, or perhaps it's just that the song sounds similar in places to one of her recordings. "Shake It Up Tonight".

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Details

Rating:	7.9
Genre/Style:	Nu Disco
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Plaza
Cat No:	None
Year:	21/06/2021
Key/BPM:	10B/120
Value:	£1

L.J. Johnson & Barbara Pennington [2021] - Twenty Four Hours A Day [Soul Purpose #SPR 2002]

Ian Levine is a bit of a 'marmite' character on the Northern Soul scene, mainly because he is accused of splitting the scene in the mid 70s by playing 'modern soul' at the legendary Highland Room (Blackpool Mecca) to the distaste of the 'purists' and then went on to make 'tailor made' NS tunes (his first being The Exciters "Reaching For The Best" in 1975).. He later moved on to Hi-NRG music in the 80s and also produced for Take That and The Pasadenas. His contribution to NS though is indisputable as he discovered many of the big tunes in the early 70s with an enviable collection.

The reason for the pre-amble is because one of those early tailor mades by Barbara Pennington "Twenty Four Hours A Day" has been mixed with L.J. Johnson's (another of Levine's tailor made protégés) 1979 version by Paul Mooney for release on Neil Rushton & Phil Dick's Soul Purpose imprint on 5 Jul 2021. It's only the second release, on the label, the first being Gloria Jones' version of Rita & The Tiara's "Gone With The Wind Is My Love" way back on 31 May 2012.

Barbara Pennington's version was originally released in 1976 in UK which I thought made the pop charts, but upon checking it didn't, but Levine got a deal with United Artists in the states where it topped the US Disco charts for seven weeks in 1977.

The flip side is L.J. Johnson "Gambling On Your Love" from his 1979 "L.J.'s Love Suite" album (and was also recorded by Jessica Williams) and is best left where it originated i.e. 1979 disco era!

The Jessica Williams version was released with a track titled "Queen Of Fools", which at first sight I thought might have been a hideous disco version of the Barbara Mills NS classic, especially when I saw writing/production/arranging credits for one Simon Soussan (a renowned figure for bootlegging), and I was half right i.e. it is hideous, but not the Barbara Mills song.

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Details

Rating:	7.8
Genre/Style:	Disco / Remix
Format:	Single
Media:	7"
Label:	Soul Purpose
Cat No:	None
Year:	05/07/2021
Key/BPM:	N/A
Value:	£12

Tygressa [2021] - Hey You (A Minute With You) [Self Released]

A debut single from an artist named Tygressa which should appeal to lovers of modern soul as this is a great little stepper. I predict big things for this tune when it is officially released tomorrow (2 Jul 2021) as the lead single from her debut EP "A Minute With You" set for release on 16 Jul 2021. 

The EP will consist of four tracks, three original songs written by herself, the single, "Thought I Needed You" (which samples Brenda Russell's "If Only For One Night" (voice on 'Let Me Hold You') made famous by Luther Vandross of course), "Tell Me", plus "Touch Me" written by Marvin Yancy and Charles Jackson and originally recorded by Natalie Cole on her 1976 "Natalie" album. Three good traditional 'real' soul ballads.

She's put a 'teaser' clip up on her YT channel but has also sent me the full soundfile to post.

Tygressa (Jones) is from Fort Washington, MD and regularly performs tribute shows "Tygressa Sings Natalie…Remembering Natalie Cole, a tribute" to an overwhelming response. She is a two-time winner of  Amateur Night at the world famous Apollo Theater in Harlem, NY.

As a new artist she has no presence currently on any of the DSP's (which will change once the single is released) but does already have her own website and YT channel.

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Details

Rating:	9
Genre/Style:	Neo Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Self Released
Cat No:	None
Year:	02/07/2021
Key/BPM:	3B/92
Value:	£1

Young Rog [2021] Want You (Boy Next Door LP) [Interscope Records]

Young Rog is Roger Atwell from Newport News, VA (the same stomping ground as current 'hot' artist Estee Pierce), so that would suggest that the 'g' is pronounced as a soft 'g' as in Roger, not a hard 'g' as in log!

He put out his debut album "Boy Next Door" last Friday (25 Jun 2021), which is predominantly R&B/hip-hop, but one track did stand out, "Want You" which reminds me of Prince.

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Details

Rating:	7.7
Genre/Style:	Neo Soul
Format:	Album Track
Media:	Digital
Label:	Interscope Records
Cat No:	None
Year:	25/06/2021
Key/BPM:	10A/83
Value:	£1 / £9.90