Soul Strutter: 09/06/21

Monday 6 September 2021

Lauren Cofie Feat. Scorcher [2021] - Im Your Type [Self Released]

Multi-talented singer/songwriter, actress, model and radio presenter on London's Rinse FM Lauren Cofie from Nottingham (born to a Scottish Mother and Ghanaian father) has released six singles and an EP since 2018. Her latest single "Im Your Type" was released on Friday (3 Sep 2021).

This was going quite well (although leaning more towards R&B) until 1:50 when Scorcher kicks in with his rap with repeated use of the 'N' Word and the rap continues right to the end of the track!

I've included a video for single she released in 2020 "I Like It" which shows her potential without the aid of rap!

Click icons below for further information or to connect with the artist.

Details

Rating:	7.8
Genre/Style:	Neo Soul / R&B / Rap
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Self Released
Cat No:	None
Date:	03/09/2021
Key/BPM:	10A/65
Value:	£1

Willie Williams [2021] - Give It All I've Got / Do You Understand [Soul Junction #SJ545]

The next 45 from Dave Welding's Soul Junction records is set for release on limited edition vinyl on 27 Sep 2021. It maintains the quality of the last two previously unreleased 45s, both from Jesse James, with the wonderful version of "(The Girl In) Clinton Park" (Jan 2021) and "If A Man Ever Loved A Woman (Baby I Love You)" (Jun 2021) which have both now sold out. So if you like this one then be sure to get your pre-order in (click label image below) as it is also likely to sell out quickly.

Willie Williams (deceased) was a blind singer from Chicago who was first discovered performing in clubs in and around the Windy City. He was signed to ABC records in 1966 by Johnny Pate (their A&R Director for the Midwest and a former jazz bassist, producer (The Impressions), arranger and songwriter) who was a friend and colleague of Tom Dorsey who was the founding member of one of ABC’s vocal groups The Trends.

Dorsey wrote most of The Trends early material but ironically not their NS favourite "Thanks For A Little Lovin'". He also wrote several songs that were played on NS scene including The Ivories "Please Stay" along with a few songs for The O'Kaysions on their "Girl Watcher" album. Curiously The O'Kaysions released "Watch Out Girl" in the same month and year (Sep 1970) as The Embers so I'm not sure which is regarded as the original version although The Embers was only a B side and is the one that got played as it's a faster version.

Pate and Dorsey contributed as writers and producer throughout William’s recording career, beginning with his first ABC 45 release "Have You Ever Been Played For A Fool" / "With All My Soul" in 1966. Two further ABC releases followed "It Doesn’t Pay" / "Just Because" (1967) and "I’m Through With You" / "Strung Out" (1968) (which must be pretty scarce as it's not listed on either Discogs or 45Cat and no sound file available on YouTube nor can I find any trace of it except on SirShambling).

In 1969 he released "Just To Be Loved By You / Name It" on RCA and in 1971 "The Baa-Baa Song" / "Psyched Out" came out on Lakeside. Lakeside appears to have produced only three 45s, all in 1971, this one and the other two by well known names on the rare soul scene Boby Franklin (for "The Ladies Choice") and Maurice Jackson of the Independents who released the modern soul gem "Lucky Fellow" on the label, later recorded by Leroy Hutson in 1975.

The last two songs were recorded along with the two on the Soul Junction release ("Give It All I've Got" / "Do You Understand") at the same session and were offered to Eddie Thomas (owner of Satellite subsidiary Thomas who I have just discovered died only a month ago on 26 Jul) who chose "Psyched Out" and "Must Men Love" which was then retitled as "The Baa-Baa Song" for release. The other two songs have remained in the can since 1970 until now.

A Willie Williams released two singles on Jo Armstead's Gamma label "Stop (You're Playing With My Heart) / Brown Sugar" and "It Gets In Your Feet (When You Hear The Beat) / Funky Chicken Along With" with the latter dated on Discogs as 1970. It is not certain whether this is the same Willie Williams and a quick search on Discogs will show a plethora of artists with that name, certainly the second one seems out of context for the material this Willie Williams recorded and all his other material was either written or produced by Dorsey and Pate but these two aren't.

Details

Rating:	8.6
Genre/Style:	Crossover
Format:	Single
Media:	7"
Label:	Soul Junction
Cat No:	None
Date:	27/09/2021
Value:	£12

Eric Mercury & The Soul Searchers [2021] - Lonely Girl [Big Man Records #BMR-1006]

Back in Feb I posted this new single from Mark Bicknell's Big Man logo. It was 'finally' released last week.

It's a rare Northern Soul favourite by Eric Mercury & The Soul Searchers "Lonely Girl" which is a bit of a holy grail record first released in 1968 (according to Discogs) but in the attached video Eric Mercury says that he thinks it was 1965. It is the only (listed) release on SAC which was part of James Vanleer's Sedgrick/Cedric group (on which the ultra rare Don Gardner's "Cheatin' Kind" was issued in 1969). It sounds later than 1965 to my ears, and given that Sedgrick didn't exist until 1969, perhaps 1968 is a better guide?

The record was recorded in the middle of the night after a gig in a small recording studio in Detroit under the guidance of a young producer C. Ash who was impressed with their live shows and wanted to record them. He presented them with a 'rejected' Motown/Jobete song written by Ivy Jo Hunter and William 'Mickey' Stevenson which they learned, rehearsed, arranged and recorded in a matter of hours. A few weeks later Ash presented them with ten copies at a gig and they never saw him again so the record received no promotion nor airplay.

It is not known how many were pressed but probably in tens rather than hundreds. Only one has sold on Discogs in Nov 2016 for £72. It couldn't possibly have been an original as they are extremely rare and fetch four figures, unless someone got the bargain of the century! The last one listed on Popsike the same month and year sold for £1,642 (the highest price paid was just under £3k in 2006).

It was reissued in 2020 on a lookalike SAC imprint.

pre-order bicknellmark@aol.com

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Details

Rating:	8.8
Genre/Style:	Northern Soul / Reissue
Format:	Single
Media:	7"
Label:	Big Man Records
Cat No:	BMR-1006
Date:	09/2021
Key/BPM:	N/A
Value:	£20

Leroy Allen [2021] - You're The Best / I Love You [Tesla Groove]

Leroy Allen is from Houston, TX, He was a member of the male group The Symphonics (there was a female group with the name who recorded on Brunswick and ABC) who later became God's Gift To Women who recorded two singles in the 70s, the first on A-I (dist. by All Platinum) followed by another on Listening Post.

In the 80s he formed Perfect Timin' and released an album and three singles on T.S.O.T. (The Sound Of Texas).

Tesla Goove is due to release a double sider of tracks, released in the last couple of years, in early October on 7" vinyl.

"You're The Best" was featured on an album posted last year "Leroy Allen & Evette Busby - CMN Records Presents The Singers" and "I Love You" was released as a single in 2020.

Both tracks are available digitally on BandCamp (click image below). To pre-order vinyl go to Tesla Groove store.

Details

Rating:	8.5
Genre/Style:	Modern Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital/7"
Label:	Self Released
Cat No:	None
Date:	23/08/2021 / ?/10/2021
Key/BPM:	8B/107 / 8B/108
Value:	£5/£20

Vanessa Poolian [2022] - Movin' On [Self Released] LP Forthcoming Album Sampler

Vanessa Poolian is an artist from Cardiff, UK. She feautured here in Jun with a track called "Keep Your Spirits High" featuring none other than jazz trumpeter Tom ("Funkin' For Jamaica") Browne.

That track will be featured on a forthcoming album due at the start of 2022. Here's a couple of other tracks to give you a taste of what's to come "Movin' On" and "Raise Your Hand".

She is the lead singer of international collective, Soul Emotive whose core consists of Anders Olinder (main keys player for PP Arnold) and also Frankie Tontoh (previous drummer for Amy Winehouse, George Michael and currently Craig David).

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Vanessa Poolian, Anders Olinder, Feat. Tom Browne - Keep Your Spirits High

Vanessa Poolian & Anders Olinder - Movin' On

Vanessa Poolian & Anders Olinder - Raise Your Hand

Details

Rating:	8.4
Genre/Style:	Classic Soul
Format:	Album Sampler
Media:	Digital
Label:	Self Released
Cat No:	None
Date:	2022
Key/BPM:	N/A
Value:	£?

Ty Juan [2021] - Love on the Dance Floor [RFC Fresh Records]

Ty Juan features on four tracks on the current Regi Myrix album "BlackButtahVol.2!!" ("Come Back", ""Super Powers", ""It's A Vibe" and "The One") and his last single "That Part" was posted in May and featured in "The Dirty Dozen wk 19" and "The Best of 2021 May mix".

Today (6 Sep 2021) he released his latest single "Love on the Dance Floor".

Click icons below for further information or to connect with the artist.

Details

Rating:	7.8
Genre/Style:	Neo Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	RFC Fresh Records
Cat No:	None
Date:	06/09/2021
Key/BPM:	5A/106
Value:	£1