-->
email Facebook Instagram Instagram Spotify Mixcloud eBay Instagram Linktree

Sunday, 30 July 2023

George Soule [2023] - Midnight Affair / Cross My Heart [Hit And Run #HR 1553]


Synchronicity strikes with the second new vinyl release from Hit and Run, as we posted Sandra Wright's "Wounded Woman" album earlier this week in lieu of two tracks from it being reissued on vinyl by Shotgun Records in October. The album includes her version of "Midnight Affair" which was the flip on the first of only two singles she released on Truth. 

The same song, a previously unreleased version by George Soule, has been released by Hit And Run coupled with "Cross My Heart".

The Rick Hall & Dan Penn written song is a Fame recording only previously available of one of a 100 Club 6Ts Anniversary give-away singles handed out at the 32nd anniversary in 2011 (with The Quotations "I Wanna Thank You") on the other side and, like most of the 6Ts anniversary singles, now sells into three figures.

Hit And Run's Garry Cape tells us that he discovered the B side, "Cross My Heart", on a MSS Publishing Test Pressing (cut at Muscle Shoals Sound) around 20 years ago and sold it to NS DJ Soul Sam. Only a handful of further copies have come to light. The song was also recorded by Tamiko Jones at Muscle Shoals and released on Metromedia in 1971.

Soule began his career as a DJ at Meridian, MS, station WOKK and then cut three singles for Lafayette, LA, Cajun label La Louisianne in 1965-66. The last one was under the name George Soulay and also released on subsidiary Tamm.

He cut country demos in Nashville before relocating to Jackson, MS, around 1967 to work for Malaco, then Muscle Shoals and then on to Fame in 1969.

He recorded another few singles on different labels between 1969-72 before he released two singles for Fame. The second, "Get Involved", written by George Jackson (apparently as a demo intended for Wilson Pickett) which became his only hit reaching #35 R&B in 1973. It was later picked up on by the Northern Soul scene. UK Reggae artist Freddie McGregor covered it in 1974. Only one single materialled after that on MCA in 1978.

However, he was more of a songwriter/producer than an artist with his songs, often written with Terry Woodford, recorded by artists such as Arthur Conley, Dee Dee Warwick, Joe Tex, Etta James, Brook Benton, Mavis Staples, Judy Clay, Lloyd Price, Archie Bell & The Drells, William Bell. A few well known to the NS scene include "You Can't Stop A Man In Love" recorded by several singers including Reuben Howell, Bobby Womack and Carl Carlton, Paul Thompson's "Special Kind Of Woman" and Esther Phillips' "Catch Me I'm Falling".

He eventually left Fame and worked as a freelancer writing for country artists. After a 20 year absence he recorded his first solo album "Take A Ride" in 2006.

Available now to order send £15 + £3 postage (good for up to 3 records. Contact the same email for details of overseas postage) via paypal hitandrunsoul45@gmail.com (as 'friends & family' please).

Click on image below for link to where you can buy from.
Details
Rating: 8.4
Explicit: N
Genre/Style: Modern Soul
Format: Single
Media: 7" Vinyl
Label: Hit And Run
Cat No: HR 1553
Date: 27/07/2023
Key/BPM: N/A
Price: £15
Copyright © 2009-2023 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved


2 comments:

USMAN47 said...

These 2 beautiful pieces have already appeared in several compilations. Superb composer-singer little known but who deserves great attention. A compilation stands out: "Let Me Be A Man" released on Soulscape 7027 in 2011.

Yves

SoulStrutter said...

Thanks Yves. Garry Cape also owned Soulscape who released around 30+ compilations which included many rare and unreleased songs on CD.