Ruby Winters [2022] - I Can't Help But Love You / If We Had Only Met Sooner [Creative Soul #CS-1001]

You may recall back at the end of May (25 May) that two previously unissued tracks from Ruby Winters were highlighted.

Behind the forthcoming release are UK rare soul DJs Cliff Steele in a joint venture with Andy 'Tats' Taylor, under the banner of Creative Soul Records, 

They are putting out a double-sided 7" vinyl single of a pairing of Ruby Winters tracks which featured on a 1999 compilation "The Best Of Ruby Winters".  Cliff  told us then that they are due for release in July direct from the Creative Soul website which at the time was still under development.

The website is now complete and today from Creative Soul you can pre-order the vinyl 7" which is now set for release on 10 Aug 2022. This release will be the first time on vinyl for both tracks and I think will be heavily in-demand, so grab a copy when it is released as these will almost certainly soar in price once they're sold.

The two sides are  "I Can't Help But Love You" and "If Only (We Had Met Sooner)" (a cover of Linda Jones). The first side is a George Kerr composition on which he and the Poindexter brothers (Richard and Robert who have written so many great songs) performed background vocals. It may have been written for Linda Jones but she never recorded it.

So how did these recordings come about? George Kerr, as you may know, worked with Linda Jones and The O'Jays around 1967 which brought him to the attention of Phil Kahl, the owner of Diamond Records, by friend and producer Teddy Van (Vann) (who Northern Soulies will know for his "Theme from Coloredman", a mid 70s Wigan Casino instrumental monster). Kerr was drafted in to record sessions with Ruby Winters but only one track saw released, "We Only Have One Life (Let's Live It Together)" with Johnny Thunder in 1968. 

George had Ruby listen to some Linda Jones recordings to demonstrate the sound he was trying to achieve and three of them were recorded, the two on this single and "A Last Minute Miracle" a song also recorded by The Shirelles in 1967 (another Northern Soul spin).

For some background information about the album from which the two tracks have been taken visit the original post.

I understand that the next release will combine Don Bryant's single "A World Like That" released in Mar 2021 with his own version of "It Was Jealousy" (from a 2017 album "Don't Give Up On Love") which is a song he wrote that was recorded by Otis Clay in 1974 and then by his wife Ann Peebles in 1976 (both versions and another posted in Mar 2022).

Creative Soul · Ruby Winters - I Can't Help But Love You

Creative Soul · Ruby Winters - If Only (We Had Met Sooner)

Details

Rating:	8.7
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Northern Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	7"
Label:	Creative Soul
Cat No:	CS-1001
Date:	10/08/2022
Key/BPM:	N/A
Value:	£15

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