A Neo Soul Xmas Mix

We've had a vintage Xmas Mix, a Motown/Northern party mix and a disco/party album from Dave Lee all posted today. If that's not enough to get the party going then, here's one for the neo soul/R&B lovers. It's a bit 'thrown together' at the last minute but hey ho ho! Three hours of music.

Wishing all blog readers a Merry Christmas and a happy New Year ... let's hope we see the back of Covid in the new year!

Blair Rosario [2021] - The Chosen Gift [Self Released]

For those who appreciate Christmas songs, here's new R&B versions of three evergreens. The first Donny Hathaway's "This Christmas" along with "White Christmas" and "Silent Night".

Keiston [2021] - Energy Speaks [Self Released] (Full EP)

Keiston (Drake) is an indie artist from Indianapolis who released a debut single in 2018 and has subsequently released two full albums, four singles and his latest release is this six track, self-written EP "Energy Speaks" on 22 Dec 2021.

The last three tracks ("Real Hot", "Sweetest Love" and "Overflow")  are all pretty good with the standout being "Sweetest Love".  

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

Details

Rating:	8
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Neo Soul
Format:	EP
Media:	Digital
Label:	Self Released
Cat No:	None
Date:	22/12/2021
Value:	£5.94

Joss Stone [2021] - Breaking Each Other's Hearts [Bay Street Records]

Following up her single ("Never Forget My Love") released only a few weeks ago (12 Nov), Joss Stone releases a new single co-written with Dave Stewart "Breaking Each Other's Hearts" today (24 Dec 2021).

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

Details

Rating:	8.2
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	New Soul / Blue-Eyed
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Self Released
Cat No:	None
Date:	24/12/2021
Key/BPM:	11A/96
Value:	£1

VA [2021] - Remixed with Love by Dave Lee (Selected Works) [Sony]

A compilation of 70s/80s modern soul / disco classics Remixed with Love by Dave Lee (Joey Negro). Twenty two, mainly very well known, tracks with a few surprises i.e. Samuel Jonathan Johnson, Cheryl Lynn and Mtume being lesser known.

This 'should' get your Christmas party started!

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

Click image for full track list with artist names

Details

Rating:	8.4
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Modern Soul / Nu Disco
Format:	Album Compilation
Media:	Digital
Label:	Sony
Cat No:	None
Date:	17/12/2021
Value:	£9.99

Esther Phillips - A Profile...

Esther Phillips (Esther Mae Jones) (23 Dec. 1935 - 7 Aug. 1984) would have celebrated her 86th birthday yesterday (23 Dec 2021). She won a talent show in 1949 aged 14 in a club in Watts, L.A. owned by Johnny Otis (father of Shuggie Otis who wrote and recorded Strawberry Letter 23 which was a later hot for Brothers Johnson) which resulted in her recording her first single with the Johnny Otis Quintette With The Robins And Little Esther "Double Crossing Blues" in 1950 which got to #1 on R&B chart. She died at a relatively young age of 48 in 1984 due to liver and kidney failure resulting from long-term drug use.

She has recorded far too much material to go into an in depth discography (around 100 singles and 20 albums), and let's be honest, most of us aren't interested in much before 1964! So instead, I've cherry picked 50 of her best recordings, singles and album tracks, from 1964 onwards into a playlist. At least half a dozen or so of these (bold below) have been played on rare soul dancefloors in the UK, some since the 70s.

I've tagged seven tracks from a 2020 compilation by David Nathan's Soul Music label which is a very comprehensive 5 CD box set compilation of her output from 1962-70 (Brand New Day (The Lenox/Atlantic & Roulette Recordings 1962-1970) covering most, if not all, of her recordings from those labels. Our man Roger 'Soulsorts' Williams did the artwork.

Playlist of selected tracks

1964 - Mo Jo Hannah [Atlantic #45-2229]

1964 - Some Things You Never Get Used To [Atlantic #45-2265]

1965 - Just Say Goodbye [Atlantic #45-2324]

1965 - And I Love Him [Atlantic #45-2281]

1966 - Fever [Atlantic #45-2370]

1969 - Nobody But You [Roulette #R-7059]

1970 - Don't Let Me Lose This Dream (Live) (Burnin' (Live At Freddie Jett's Pied Piper, L.A.) LP) [Atlantic #SD 1565]

1971 - Catch Me I'm Falling [Atlantic#45-2783]

1971 - Sweet Touch Of Love (From A Whisper To A Scream) [Kudu #KU 05]

1972 - Home Is Where The Hatred Is [Kudu #KU-904]

1972 - Baby, I'm For Real [Kudu #KU-906]

1972 - I've Never Found A Man (To Love Me Like You Do) [Kudu #KU 910]

1972 - I Don't Want To Do Wrong (Alone Again, Naturally LP) [Atlantic #SD 1565]

1973 - Let Me In Your Life [Kudu #KU-915]

1975 - What A Diff'rence A Day Makes [Kudu #KU-925 F]

1975 - Mister Magic (What A Diff'rence A Day Makes LP) [Kud #KU-23]

1975 - One Night Affair (What A Diff'rence A Day Makes LP) [Kudu #KU-23]

1976 - (Your Love Has Lifted Me) Higher & Higher [Kudu #KU-938]

1976 - I Haven't Got Anything Better To Do (Capricorn Princess LP) [Kudu #KU-31]

1976 - Candy (Capricorn Princess LP) [Kudu #KU-31]

1976 - For All We Know [Kudu #KU-929]

1976 - Going Out Of My Head (For All We Know LP) [Kudu #KU-28]

1977 - In A Soft And Subtle Way (You've Come A Long Way, Baby LP) [Mercury #SRM-1-1187]

1977 - Into The Mystic (You've Come A Long Way, Baby LP) [Mercury #SRM-1-1187]

1977 - I've Never Been A Woman Before [Mercury #73967]

1978 - The Man Ain't Ready [Mercury #74030]

1978 - Native New Yorker (All About LP) [Mercury #SRM-1-3733]

1978 - You Think Of Him (You Think Of Her) (All About LP) [Mercury #SRM-1-3733]

1978 - Pie In The Sky (All About LP) [Mercury #SRM-1-3733]

1978 - S.O.S. (All About LP) [Mercury #SRM-1-3733]

1978 - Ms. (All About LP) [Mercury #SRM-1-3733]

1979 - Our Day Will Come [Mercury #74077]

1979 - Bedtime Stories [Mercury (UK) #6167 822]

1979 - Mr. Melody [Mercury #74077]

1981 - Cry To Me [Mercury #76103]

1981 - Crazy [Mercury #76103]

1979 - I Hope You'll Be Very Unhappy Without Me (Here's Esther...Are You Ready) [Mercury #SRM-1-3769]

1979 - Philadelphia Freedom (Here's Esther...Are You Ready) [Mercury #SRM-1-3769]

1979 - Love Makes A Woman (Here's Esther...Are You Ready) [Mercury #SRM-1-3769]

1981 - Changin' (Good Black Is Hard To Crack LP) [Mercury #SRM-1-4005]

1981 - We've Got A Good Thing Going (Good Black Is Hard To Crack LP) [Mercury #SRM-1-4005]

1986 - Goin' In Circles (A Way To Say Goodbye LP ) [Muse #MR 5302]

Additional earlier tracks to round up to 50

1963 - You Never Miss Your Water (Till The Well Runs Dry) [Lennox #NX-5565]

1963 - While It Lasted [Lennox #NX-5570]

1966 - When A Woman Loves A Man [Atlantic #45-2335]

1967 - Cheater Man [Atlantic #45-2417]

2020 - Watch Dog (Previously Unreleased Atlantic 1966/67) (Brand New Day (The Lenox/Atlantic & Roulette Recordings 1962-1970)) [SoulMusic #QSMCR-5194BX]

1969 - I'm In The Mood For Love (Moody's Mood For Love) [Roulette #R-7031]

1969 - Too Much Of A Man (To Be Tied Down) [Roulette #R-7059]

Motown Northern Soul Classics - A 60 minute non-stop Megamix

It's party time!  A 60 minute non-stop 'Megamix' of Motown Northern Soul classics to get your Christmas party off to a stomping start!.

00:00 Al Kent - The Way You've Been Acting Lately

02:16 Four Tops - Shake Me Wake When it's Over

04:48 Martha & The Vandellas - Heartless

07:30 Miracles - Going To A Go-Go

09:48 Stevie Wonder - Uptight

12:27 Martha & The Vandellas - One Way Out

14:38 Velvelettes - These Things Will Keep Me Loving You

16:35 Temptations - The Way You Do The Things You Do

18:39 Supremes - I'll Turn To Stone

20:44 Shorty Long - Your Love's Amazing

22:30 Isley Brothers - My Love Is Your Love

25:12 Gladys Knight & The Pips - Just Walk In My Shoes

27:42 Marvelettes - Reachin' For Something I Can't Have

30:08 Smokey Robinson & The Miracles - I Don't Blame You At All

32:56 Detroit Spinners - At Sundown (She's Gonna Love Me)

34:55 Contours - Just A Little Misunderstanding

37:00 Martha Reeve & The Vandellas - Nowhere To Run

39:09 Barbara Randolph - I Got A Feeling

41:50 J.J. Barnes - Real Humdinger

44:00 Supremes - He's All I Got

46:28 Martha & The Vandellas - Jimmy Mack

48:50 Marvelettes - I'll Keep Holding On

51:09 Four Tops - Shake Me Wake When it's Over

52:55 Supremes - Shake Me Wake When it's Over

53:44 Kim Weston - Helpless

56:04 Bonnie Pointer - Heaven Must Have Sent You