Lil Murray & The Soul Exciters [2022] - Open The Door To Your Heart / Soul Chitlens [Numero Group #NUM 5700]

A song written and recorded by Darrell Banks in 1966 and many others since including J.J. Barnes, Jackie Wilson, Tyrone Davis and Betty Wright (I feel a version excursion coming on!) is "Open The Door to Your Heart". Numero Group has digitally reissued a version by Lil Murray  & The Soul Exciters which was originally released in 1967 on the Youngstown, OH, Tammy label. The B side is an instrumental. 

The Tammy label was a small local label operated by Tony March and Larry Greene who was a member of The Edsels who gave the world "Rama Lama Ding Dong" in 1958 (mistakenly written on label as "Lama Rama Ding Dong") which didn't become popular until a NYC DJ started to segue it out of  The Marcels "Blue Moon" in 1961 when it then reached #21 on Billboard Hot 100. The song is possibly best known in UK for Rocky Sharpe & The Replays cover of it in 1979 which was a top 20 pop hit.

It appears to be Lil Murray & The Soul Exciters only recording but an interesting thing to note is that it featured Leon Debouse on lead vocals. He would later release an album "A Fine Instrument" in 1977 (on Henry Stone's Bold label which sells for quite big money £250-£350) from which "Every Fella's Girl" has been a long time modern soul favourite. It was reissued on 12" by Expansion in 2000 along with Wizdom's "I'm So In Love With You" (Drive 1980).

I'm sorry to say that this is not one of the better versions of the song as it has been speeded up considerably from Bank's original (155 BPM v 121 BPM) which for me removes the soulful feel of the original and other versions. I've included the original below so you can compare and decide for yourself.

In Feb 2022 Numero Group reissued another version of the song by Art Ensley & The Fabulous Echoes Band.

Click on image below for link to where you can buy from.

Details

Rating:	7.4
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Northern Soul / Cover Version / Reissue
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Numero Group
Cat No:	NUM5700
Date:	02/08/2022 (1967)
Key/BPM:	8B/155
Price:	£1

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