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Sunday 27 November 2022

The End - Enough is Enough! A message to UK soul radio presenters


This statement is aimed at UK soul radio show presenters and has been a long time coming and is long overdue!

Not a week passes by without certain radio show playlists being filled with tunes almost certainly found via this blog, which is great that the music is being played, yet not one of them gives any acknowledgement to the blog's existence. They dutifully post their show podcasts along with playlists on every facebook forum they can find, ensuring that they tag all the artists and other DJs to boost their egos, yet not one of them tags this blog. Draw your own conclusions as to their motives, could it be they don't want me, or others, to know what they are using from the blog?

Perhaps, if these DJs collaborated with, and contributed to, the blog a bit more like Roger Soulsorts Williams, Steve Aggasild, DJ Kool Keith and several promoters (and not forgetting prolific blog supporter Yves Lambert) instead of 'sneakily' cherry picking from posts on this blog for their playlists without any acknowledgement, and learned to play fair together and shared finds to help support artists instead of competing to be 'first', then the soul world would be a much happier place! No one, except other certain types of DJ, could care less who found, played or posted what first as it's all about giving exposure to the best music! The biggest joke is that after they've played them 'first' they never play them again, dropping them for their next 'first' play.

No one is more important than the music and the blog is here solely to support artists and labels not to promote DJ's egos! Be warned otherwise this source may well dry up. That will mean a platform is lost to the artists and labels through the selfishness of a small minority of DJs who will then have to find their own material and spend hours searching through the mire like we do on a daily basis to present the best of what's around, and inevitably many will be missed! I know who the main culprits are and not a week goes by when playlists don't look very familiar! How about finding some material themselves and sharing it with blog readers? Now there's a novelty! 

This blog attracts considerably more hits than the average radio show podcast with 2-2.5k hits per day (over 58k hits already for Nov, 64k in the last 30 days, 352k in last 6 months and 712k in last 12 months). If you know of a single radio show with more listens then by all means let us know as most average 200-300 ('if' they are lucky) which puts into context their reach versus the reach of the blog! If DJs want more exposure then they should involve themselves with, and contribute to, the blog instead of lurking on the sidelines and slyly using material from here for their playlists and taking credit for it.

This has been a long time coming and I am at the point where the blog will close if this behaviour does not cease as why should I spend my time making DJs look good without any appreciation nor reciprocation shown? A simple thank you on the show, being tagged and thanked on facebook, or even a PM, an email or a comment left on the blog .. it's not difficult ... or perhaps I'm old fashioned as it is only basic good manners for providing a free service that I feel is being taken for granted and taken advantage of and will disappear if there isn't a significant improvement and all will lose out, most importantly the artists! 

Come on guys it's not all about YOU, it's about sharing music for everyone to hear and hopefully buy. I encourage you to play it but enough of all the 'first play' BS and taking credit for someone else's (not just mine by the way) hard work digging them out! It's not about the DJs or who found or played what first, it's all about the music.

Anyone can find music and post on facebook or YouTube but it takes a bit more time, effort and care to research artists and provide links and the dead giveaway is when presenters read out almost verbatim what has been written on the blog!

To prove the figures above, here are screen snapshots from the blog logs. We have visitors from all over the world with only 50% in US/UK. You will need to click to expand.

Geographic Top 10

12 Months

6 Months

30 Days


Copyright © 2009-2022 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved


Roger Williams [2022-11-27] - The Soulsorts Podcast [Podcast #21] - ’22 Choice Cuts 50 #6


Here's the next instalment, and the sixth in a series, of podcasts "Soulsorts ’22 A Choice Cuts 50 #6where Roger Soulsorts Williams selects fifty tracks from the last month or so, in conjunction with SoulStrutter!

Previous episodes:

The podcast is available on Mixcloud and Podomatic where you can also download it to listen offline.

Playlist:
Hil St. Soul – Love and Fire
Centric – Begin Again
Edgar deLeon feat. Tony Lindsay – Wanna Love You
André Ward feat. Janice Dempsey – Still
Claudia Campagnol – Confused
Marcy Brown – Never Give You Up
K. Huggs – Back 2 The Music
Nio Renee – You're The Truth
Candy Dulfer – Since I Found You
Young Gun Silver Fox – Winners
Gavin Holligan – Same Old Story
Joe Leavy – Let It Go
Swatkins – Letting Go
Will Downing – Kinda Guy 
Memphis Jackson – Just Us 2
Alton McClain Scarborough – While I'm Alone
Dwight Coley – Better Off Alone
Leven Kali – Tears Of Joy
Nathan De'Shon Myers – I Wish You Would
Ava Cherry – Love Shines So Bright
Princess Freesia – I Touch Myself (Soulpersona Remix)
Valentino Maltos feat. Kiikii Star – Prototype
Ernie McKone & The Family feat. Laura Jackson – Alone Again
Phony Ppl – Dialtone
Herb Middleton feat. Latasha Spencer – Pressing On
STR4TA feat. Valerie Etienne – Find Your Heaven
Paris Jordan – Feelin Fine
Gavin Mintus – It's A New Day
Cor.ece – Nothing But Me
30/70 – All 4 U
Adi Oasis feat. Kirby – Adonis
Tasha Nicole – Boss
Zoe Kypri – Maze
Deva Mahal – I Want You (For All Time)
Tanya Nolan feat. Cee Lo Green – My Best
V. Cartier – Come Down
Glenn Jones feat. Y'Anna Crawley – Family Time
Victor Haynes – Love Is The Answer
Kim Tavar – Problems
Red Hands feat. Kim Burrell & Gene Moore – Thanks
David Jonathan & The Inner City Bedlam – Simple Love Song
Robert IMtume Owens – Don't Give Up
Will Wheaton – The Lady In My Life
Al Lindsey & Sugar Rainbow – Something Special
André Ward feat. Chantel Hampton – Don't Ask My Neighbors
Jerry Bell – Believe In Love
Richie Goods, Chien Chien Lu & Connected – Someday We'll All Be Free
Luqman Frank – Leaving for Living
Nathan Johnston & The Angels of Libra – Curtis (Do You Wanna Be a Star)
Charlie Stacey feat. Vula Malinga – Music Is Healing

Copyright © 2009-2022 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved


VA [2022] - Loma Northern Soul (Classic & Revelations 1964-1968) [Kent #LTDBOX 020] (Album Samples)


To celebrate Ace/Kent's 40th anniversary this year they are putting out their first ever box set of 7" singles from the Loma catalogue which ran from 1964 to 1968 and was a subsidiary of Warner Bros.

The box set includes seven singles which includes five well know Northern Soul gems (in red) and nine previously unissued sides along with copious sleeve notes from Ady Croasdel.

A quick run through what's included.

Marvellos "It's Your Love That I Need" penned by the great Willie Hutch which is a Motownesque dancer along with an instrumental B side

The Invincibles "Heartstrings" and "Got A Thing Goin'" are both previously unissued.

As well as Ben Aiken's established NS classic, "Satisfied", two unissued sides are included, "That's All You Gotta Do" along with "If You Should See Her" matched with Bobby Freeman's 1967 B side "Lies".

Paired with Carl Hall's "Mean It Baby" is the unissued "Like I Told You".

Garnet Mimm's backing group The Enchanters unissued "Just A Little Longer" is paired with Bobby Reed's only Loma outing which is the B side "I'll Find A Way".

The Apollas unissued "See The Silver Moon" is coupled with Larry Laster's "Go For Yourself" which has been featured on these pages previously in a post for Ty Karim comparing it with "Somebody Somewhere Needs You" and "Lighten Up Baby".

Full track listing:
NOTE previews available for A sides only at Ace Records but I'm not entirely sure they are linked to correct tracks as The Apollas "See The Silver Moon" plays Ben Aiken "Satisfied"!

Side 1
01 - The Marvellos - It's Your Love That I Need
02 - The Marvellos - It's Your Love That I Need (Instrumental)

Side 2
01 - The Invincibles - Heartstrings
02 - The Invincibles - Got A Thing Goin'

Side 3
01 - Ben Aiken - That's All You Gotta Do
02 - Ben Aiken - Satisfied

Side 4
01 - Carl Hall - Like I Told You
02 - Carl Hall - Meant It Baby

Side 5
01 - The Enchanters - Just A Little Longer
02 - Bobby Reed - I'll Find A Way

Side 6
01 - The Apollas - See The Silver Moon
02 - Larry Laster - Go For Yourself

Side 7
01 - Ben Aiken - If You Should See Her
02 - Bobby Freeman - Lies

The box set is available to pre-order now from Ace Records with a release date given of 27 Jan 2023.

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

Details
Rating: 8.4
Explicit: N
Genre/Style: Northern Soul
Format: Single Box Set
Media: Digital
Label: Kent
Cat No: LTDBOX 020
Date: 27/01/2023
Key/BPM: N/A
Price: £43.18
Copyright © 2009-2022 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved


James Hale [2022] - Could It Be Joy / Changing My Memories [Epsilon #EPS 017]


Get your orders in now for the next two 7" vinyl releases from Yann Vatistse's Epsilon Records. They are due for release on 20 Dec 2022.

The first to feature consists of two sides from James Hale, who I must confess I've never heard of previously. I suspect that these are two previously unissued songs as there is no trace of them and he appears to have mainly been a writer/arranger/producer/engineer most active in the 90s, so perhaps these are demo recordings. The A side sounds like an 80s recording. All will be revealed shortly when Yann posts the bio.

At present, until promos are received, there is only a short sample of "Could It Be Joy" to give you a flavour, although you can listen to full versions of both sides on Epsilon website.

Available to pre-order on vinyl now from Epsilon and also available digitally now for £2 per track.

Click on image below for link to where you can buy from.
Click icons below for further information or to connect with the artist. 

Details
Rating: 8
Explicit: N
Genre/Style: Deep Soul
Format: Single
Media: 7" Vinyl / Digital
Label: Self Released
Cat No: None
Date: 20/12/2022
Key/BPM: N/A
Price: £17.50 / £2
Copyright © 2009-2022 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved


Natural Impulse [2022] - Let's Get Together [Epsilon #EPS 018]


The second forthcoming 7" vinyl release from Epsilon is a previously unissued song by Natural Impulse.

Natural Impulse were an eight-piece group from San Francisco formed by Richard Ramos in the 70s and included Jess Gonzalez, Michael Baldwin, Ladee Bianca, Andrés Soto, Hank Oden, Tom Fuglestad and Geoff Glibas.

They self-released just one single in 1978 "Time Is Right" / "She Went Away" on their own label Natural Impulse, presumably a private press. Both sides were picked up and reissued by Soul Junction and flipped, with "She Went Away" being the lead side. In 2010 the label also issued another two songs by them "We're Gonna Make It Through" / "Make It Or Break It (Radio Edit)".

The song featured on the new Epsilon single is "Let's Get It Together" and an extended version which were recorded in 1976 and found on a reel-to-reel tape by Ramos and have been carefully remixed and remastered by Steve Fuji for this release.

The vinyl is available to pre-order from Epsilon for release on 20 Dec '22, but digital copies can be downloaded now where you can also listen to full versions of both sides. 

Be sure to grab this one as I think it will fly off the shelves and then be listed for multiple times the face value on Discogs within days of them being sold out!

Click on image below for link to where you can buy from.
Click icons below for further information or to connect with the artist. 

Details
Rating: 8.6
Explicit: N
Genre/Style: Modern Soul
Format: Single
Media: 7" Vinyl / Digital
Label: Epsilon
Cat No: EPS 018
Date: 20/12/2022
Key/BPM: N/A
Price: £17.50 / £2
Copyright © 2009-2022 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved


Version Excursion - Lucky Fellow


The song "Lucky Fellow" was written by Charles Boyd and Gerald Dickerson who were members of The Creations who later became Contributors of Soul.

The song was originally recorded by Maurice Jackson in 1971. It came out on two labels, initially on Candle Light (the only listed release on the label) and then on Lakeside in 1972 (one of only 3 singles on the label). Jackson's original version was arranged by one Donny Hathaway.

Jackson then joined The Independents whose members included Chuck Jackson, Helen Curry, Eric Thomas and Marvin Yancy and the song was included on their second album "Chuck, Helen, Eric, Maurice in 1973. The Independents version was produced members Chuck Jackson and Marvin Yancy who went on to write, arrange and produce for the likes of, most famously, Natalie Cole and Phyllis Hyman.

The next version came in 1975 on Leroy Huston's third solo album "Hutson". It was only released as a single, at the time, in the Philippines on Warner Bros., the album was on Curtom which was originally distributed by Buddah until around 1974 and then switched to Warner Bros. Leroy Huston replaced Curtis Mayfield in The Impressions in 1971 and left for a solo career in 1973 and his material is revered in rare groove and modern soul circles.

There have been several reissues in various vinyl formats over the years Curtom UK 12" (2000), an unofficial Curtom 12" (2013), Acid Jazz 7" (2018) and on various albums and compilations over the years.

The final version, that I know of (if you know of others then spill the beans) is by London percussionist and DJ Mark Cotgrove under the alias of Snowboy, who rose to fame in the acid jazz era in 1991. The vocalist on Snowboy's version is the very recently deceased Noel McCoy.

NOTE Strangely when I put the playlist below together a couple of days ago Maurice Jackson was available, but is no longer. It was reissued digitally by Mad About Records in Mar 2021. I'll leave it in the playlist in case it re-emerges but have had to post it from YouTube.

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


Copyright © 2009-2022 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved