El Michels Affair & Bobby Oroza [2021] - Stack The Deck [Big Crown]

There is plenty of information about El Michels Affair (wiki and web links below which give a full account of their history) so there's not much point regurgitating it suffice to say they are led by Leon Michels and were founded in 2000 as part of The Might Fires changing their name to El Michels Affair in 2002. They are currently signed to Big Crown Records.

They have released a new single with fellow label mate Bobby Orozo titled "Stack The Deck" on 3 Nov 2021.

This track will be backed with a cover of Notorious B.I.G.’s "Things Done Changed" on a vinyl 7" due for released on 19 Jan 2022 but is available to pre-order via BandCamp

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Details

Rating:	7.6
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Retro Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital / 7"
Label:	Self Released
Cat No:	None
Date:	03/11/2021 / 19/01/2022
Key/BPM:	1A
Value:	£1 / $7.50

Seaquence [2021] - Visions Of My Love [Cordial Recordings] (Full Album)

Cordial Records released Seaquence "Visions Of My Love" on 29 Oct 2021. The story behind it is as follows.

In 2019 and a reel to reel tape of ten songs (which included five songs from "Maze Faze" (three of which were slightly different versions) and five previously unreleased songs) was placed for auction by Carolina Soul.

Cordial entered into the bidding because they liked the songs and thought that they deserved a wider platform and also believed that they could locate the artist (Ron Rush) and hopefully do a deal. They won the auction and through a friend were able to contact Ron who agreed to release the recordings in partnership.

As two of the recordings had featured on a  reissue of "Maze Faze" released by High Jazz Records, Cordial had to wait for that contract to end before they could release this album. The album title "Visions Of My Love" was agreed based on it being the strongest of the unreleased songs on the set.

The album was recorded in October 1976 at Studio West in San Diego and is thought to pre-date the later recordings on "Mix Faze".

Ron Rush was raised in Birmingham, AL before relocating to Detroit, MI at the age of 14. After a period in the army Ron moved to San Diego, CA at the end of the sixties and has been there ever since.

In 1969 he released his first single "City Of Soul" c/w "Love Power" as part of a duo with Eddie Gross called Rush & Gross. It was released on San Diego label Radio City. Both side were written by Ro.

According to the Cordial sales literature he released just one solo single "Cloudy For Me" c/w "Cold Cold Man" on his own label Aidco, however, I found another listed "You Got To Try (A Little Bit Harder) Part 1 & Part 2" which, going by the cat. no., I would guess would have been the first i.e.     AT-101 versus AIB-121.

He then became a member of The Brothers Aquarius who released "Unity" c/w "Born In Georgia" on Aidco (not listed).

Whilst working with a host of local musicians and singers in his own recording studio Ron named them Seaquence. Their first release was "Disco Thing" c/w "Our Love" on Aidco in 1977. 

Their next release was an album "Mix Faze" on Aidoc in 1980 (recently re-issued by High Jazz Records). 

In 1983 he released a 12" dance single "Baby" c/w "Visions" as Ron Rush & The Aidqueen Movement again on Aidco. Followed up by the now in-demand album by Pierre "You Lied" which was the final vinyl release on Aidco. 

Ron continued working from his studio base until he retired.

Details

Rating:	7.8
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Classic Soul / Previously Unreleased
Format:	Album
Media:	Digital/LP
Label:	Codial Recordings
Cat No:	None
Date:	29/10/2021
Value:	£10 £23.99

Ayeisha Raquel [2021] - Starving [Self Released]

Ayeisha Raquel is from east London and is of Filipino-Ugandan heritage. She released her debut solo single "Starving" on 29 Oct 2021, although  she has been a featured artist on  several other recordings. One of them with Darkness "Rather Be", from Jul 2020, is quite good so I've also included it.

I found some live footage from earlier this year (March) and the first song iin her set s "Starving".

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Details

Rating:	7.8
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Neo Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Self Released
Cat No:	None
Date:	29/10/2021
Key/BPM:	7A/61
Value:	£1

Filah Lah Lah [2021] - We're Gonna Be Just Fine [Kalombo Records] (Full EP)

This will be a bit of a shock to the system if you've been listening to the earlier 'old gold' posts!  This is an edgy, jazzy, neo soul, jazz-hop EP from Filah Lah Lah (Reabetswe Fila Ranamane) who is a relatively new artist from Pretoria, South Africa

Her first singe "Feels Like" is a tribute to the jazz greats she grew up listening to and was released almost exactly two years ago (9 Nov 2029). She released her second EP "We're Gonna Be Just Fine" on 25 Oct 2021.

The two standouts for me are "Real Love" and "Change Or Find Out". It's definitely one of those EPs that you need to listen to several times to fully appreciate it's artistic qualities. This is no light-weight offering and she was involved in the writing of all songs.

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Details

Rating:	8
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Neo Soul / Jazz
Format:	EP
Media:	Digital
Label:	Kalombo Records
Cat No:	None
Date:	25/10/2021
Value:	£5.49

Clifton Dyson - Hypnotize v Ci Ci ‎ - (You Got Me) Hypnotized

Another post inspired by Mr. Van Den Bussche. He played Clifton Dyson last week and I then discovered that it was also covered a few years later (1984) on Creative Funk by Ci Ci. Dyson produced their version and Al Johnson arranged it.

Clifton Dyson is the younger brother of Ronnie Dyson and formed Dyson's Faces in the 70s who featured recently on the blog as two Dyson's Faces tracks were reissued on vinyl only last month. He was also a member of The Differences and wrote their crossover gem "Five Minutes".

He wrote and recorded "Hypnotize" on his first solo album "Slow Your Body Down" in 1981 featuring Debra Wilson on vocals. It's an album only track. The album was reissued on CD in 1996 in Japan by P-Vine and on vinyl in 2007 a reissue on After Hour. I'm guessing After Hour Records was his own label as only his songs were released on it. 

Note that the P-Vine CD reissue also contains and additional eight tracks and includes the Ci Ci version.

Barbara Jean English [1973] - Barbara Jean English [Alithia #AAR-9105] (Full Album)

I stumbled across "You're Gonna Need Somebody to Love You" yesterday whilst on YouTube and my ears pricked up so suggested it to GVB who informed me that Patrick (Izipho Soul) Biggerstaff had requested it a while ago, so killing two birds with one stone, he played it on his radio show today.

The full title is a bit of a mouthful "You're Gonna Need Somebody To Love (While You're Looking For Someone To Love)". It appeared on her second (of three) albums, her self-tilted release in 1973 and also saw a 45 release which was her only charting single reaching the heady heights of  #63 on US R&B chart.

The album is well worth picking up if you can find one (it has been reissued on CD in 1996 and 2016) as there are quite a few good tracks e.g. "Comin' Or Goin'", "Guess Who" and "Breakin' Up A Happy Home" (also recorded by Dusty Springfield (1973) and Sylvia Smith (1975)) and "Key In The Mailbox" (recorded by several others including Vivian Copeland (1969) and Susan Phillips (1972). 

I was originally just going to post the first track above but upon consideration the whole album is well worth hearing again if you know it and a bit of a treat if you don't. 

The album was arranged by Bert Keyes and produced by George Kerr who also contributed to the writing as did his wife Wesaline as well as Ray Dahrouge and Lambert & Potter (Denis & Brian)who wrote many songs for the Four Tops during their ABC period as well as many others for a host of artists.

Barbara Jean English is best know in UK Northern Soul circles for her 1965 outing on Aurora "(You Got Me) Sittin' In The Corner". and to a lesser extent "Living A Lie" from 1972 on Alithia. She was a member of The Clickettes (along with Marlina Mars) and later The Fashions.

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Details

Rating:	8.6
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Classic Soul
Format:	Album
Media:	LP
Label:	Alithia
Cat No:	AAR-9105
Date:	1973
Value:	£20-£100 approx.

Richard 'Dimples' Fields [1981] - She's Got Papers On Me [The Boardwalk Entertainment Co #NBS 7-004]

Well it had to be this track to follow Betty Wright as It features her doing the rapping. Richard 'Dimples' Fields "She's Got Papers On Me" which only seems to been available as a promo single in the US. The track was the B side of  "I've Got To Learn To Say No!" taken from his 1981 "Dimples" album. It reached #56 on UK pop chart and obviously failed to chart in the US.

As we are here I though it worthy posting the answer song by Barbara Mason "She's Got The Papers (I Got The Man)". It was released over two sides on 7" in 1981 and the full version only appear on a promo 12". The full version was later released on her !Another Man" album in 1984.

I've just been informed of another 'answer' song, which I was unaware of by Jean Knight & Premium ‎"You Got The Papers (But I Got The Man)", which is not the same song as Barbara Mason, again recorded in 1981 on Cotillion.

Betty Wright [2021] - One Bad Habit (And That's Loving You) [Epic #JE 36879]

The new releases have all but dried up for the week until tomorrow's frantic Friday release rush! Therefore, it's a great opportunity to catch up on some forgotten gems.

Gary Van Den Bussche played Betty Wright "One Bad Habit (And That's Loving You)" as the last track of his radio show today which unfortunately got cut short as it's a 7:41 album track only from her 1981 self-titled album.

I'd completely forgotten about and even have the album on vinyl! So many great tracks 'buried' and, as said before, GVB does a great job digging them out to play. The album has be reissued on CD a few times since 2016 but doesn't appear have ever been made available digitally.

The song was written by Richard 'Dimples' Fields and of course she featured on his epic (on Epic in UK) 'She's Got Papers On Me' which came out the same year.

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Details

Rating:	9
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Deep Soul
Format:	Album Track only
Media:	Digital
Label:	Epic
Cat No:	JE 36879
Date:	1981
Key/BPM:	N/A
Value:	£3-£12 approx.

Nautilus Feat. Hanah Spring [2021] - I Want You / It's a Shame [Urban Discos #URDC 33]

Nautilus are a Japanese trio formed in 2014 who've released around five albums. Hana Springs is also Japanese and ahs been around even longer debuting in 2008.

Together they've released a double-sider of covers of Marvin Gaye's "I Want You" and The Spinners "It's A Shame" on 3 Nov 2021.

It is also being release on 7" vinyl on 26 Nov 2021 and available to pre-order.

I found a live video of Hanah Spring covering the song that Butcher Brown & Alex Isley are currently riding high on the UK soul charts with i.e. Patrice Rushen's "Remind Me".

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Details

Rating:	8
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Classic Soul / Cover Version
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital/7"
Label:	Urban Discos
Cat No:	URDC 33
Date:	03/11/2021 : 16/11/2021
Key/BPM:	12A/110 : 11B/95
Value:	£1.98 / £15.99