Kevin Flournoy Feat. Orion Song, Christine Noel & Anja Nissen [2022] - You're All I Need [K-Flow Records]

One held back from the festive period, so it didn't get lost, is a follow up single to "Tell Me If You Still Care" by Kevin Flournoy released just over a month later on 29 Dec 2022. This time out his guests are Orion Song, Christine Noel & Anja Nissen, all new names to the blog, on an original song, written by Flournoy, titled "You're All I Need".

Orion Song is an Asian American singer/songwriter from San Diego.

Christine Noel is an L.A. based singer originally from Sacramento who has performed backing vocals for artists such as JoJo, Natasha Bedingfield and Leona Lewis. 

Anja Nissen is from the Blue Mountains near Sydney who won The Voice Australia in 2014. She also represented Denmark in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2017 and is now based in L.A.

To remind you who Kevin Flournoy is, he's as producer, keyboardist, songwriter, and arranger and CEO of Kay Flow Projects. He produced "Harvest for the World" for Ronnie Laws and has produced, written, performed, and recorded with many artists including Chaka Khan, Kenny 'Baby Face' Edmonds, Donny Osmond, Dionne Warwick, Gladys Knight, Teena Marie, The Pointer Sisters, Jennifer Hudson, Jamie Foxx, Boney James and Ronnie Laws to name a few. His first major success was on Big Mountain's Unity album in 1994.

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Details

Rating:	8
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	New Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	K-Flow Records
Cat No:	None
Date:	29/12/2022
Key/BPM:	9B/88
Price:	£1

Copyright © 2009-2023 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

D.J. Rogers [1980] - Love Cycles [Arc #AS 711] v Macka & Lowree [2022] - Chorin' Love [Fresh Take]

This may seem like a bit of a random post but it is inspired by an email received from a blog visitor from Milan, Italy, with an attachment asking if we could help identify the track as he didn't know what it was. It turned out to be a nice dance track by D.J. Rogers "Love Cycles" from 1980 which I'd long forgotten about, so thought it well worth sharing for others who may not be aware of it. It was released on 7", 12" (promo only) and appeared on the album "The Message Is Still The Same".

It was sampled last year by a Glasgow house duo Macka & Lowree titled "Chorin' Love" featuring Last Days of Pompeii on an album "Without The Music (I Don't Know Where I'd Be Dancin')" which was released on 4 Jun 2022 by Edinburgh based Fresh Take Records.

D.J. (DeWayne Julius) Rogers is not an artist whose work I'm particularly familiar with. He was born in L.A. in 1948 and died just over two years ago in Aug 2020 aged 72. He had eight entries into the R&B chart with only the first, "Say You Love Me", crossing over to the pop Hot 100, scraping in at #98. The song, like many of his, has a gospel feel and was covered by several gospel acts including Glenn Jones (before he went secular) & The Modulations in 1977 (single only), Jennifer Holliday (1985), Leon Haywood (1996) and Natalie Cole (1999) amongst others. 

"Love Cycles" was his second biggest hit reaching #44 (seven places higher than "Say You Love Me" (#51)) but behind "Love Brought Me Back" which was his highest charting single at #20 in 1978.

It may be fair to say he was an album artist as he released eight albums between 1973 and 1982 with a final one appearing in 1993.

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VA [2023] - Luxury Soul 2023 [Expansion] (Full Album) OUT TODAY

The annual collection of some of the best new music of 2022 (with the odd one from 2021) from Expansions, "Luxury Soul 2023", is out today both digitally (£9.99) and on 3 x CD (£20.99). 

As yet it hasn't landed on Spotify as I guess Mr. Tee is still recuperating from the 20th Anniversary Luxury Soul Weekender in Blackpool this weekend, but as soon as it's available a playlist will be posted.

UPDATE: whether I got the date wrong or it has been put back, the release date is now 13 Jan i.e. this Friday.

Again this year it consists of 35 tracks spread across three CDs. The majority of tracks should need little introduction as they have been burning up the airwaves in 2022, but there are one or two new mixes and a couple of exclusive, not previously released, tracks: Kenya feat. Noel Gourdin "Slow Motion" and Kloud 9 "When We're Together".

Track Listing:

CD 1

01 - Output / Input - Here We Go Again

02 - Julian Jonah - Now's The Time For Us

03 - Cornell C.C. Carter - Say Yes (Metlife Remix)

04 - We Are One X-Perience - If It Feels Good

05 - Khari Cabral & Jiva - I Believe

06 - Royalty Duo - This Is Of The Most High

07 - Brian Power feat. Roachford - Got Sweet Loving (Raw Soul Mix)

08 - Sound of SuperBad - You're The Best Thing (Original Mix)

09 - Richard Alexander Davis - 4EVER!

10 - IshMaleSings - What Can We Do (Clean Mix)

11 - The R&R Soul Orchestra - Moods

12 - Down To Earth Feat. Stacey Lee - What We Gonna Do By

CD 2

01 - Lisa Dietrich - Move Me No Mountain

02 - Rockie Robbins - Let Me Be The One

03 - Shirley Jones - Soul Steppin (Soul Syndicate Remix)

04 - John Reid - Light Up My World

05 - Victor Haynes - Touch And Go

06 - Candace Woodson - Midas Touch (Nigel Lowis Mix)

07 - Ernie & The Family Mckone - Alone Again

08 - Rich Beggar - Sucha Good Feelin' (Don-E Chuffed Mix)

09 - Robert IMtume Owens - Don't Give Up

10 - Alton McClain Scarborough - While I'm Alone

11 - Blue Soul Ten - This Is Worth It

CD 3

01 - Kenya feat. Noel Gourdin - Slow Motion

02 - Antonio McLendon - How I Feel

03 - Marqueal Jordan - Dot Dot Dot (The Sequel)

04 - Kim Tibbs - Stargazing (Radio edit)

05 - Sheree Brown - Take A Walk With Love

06 - Kloud 9 - When We're Together

07 - Ashley Scott - Don't Throw Our Love Away

08 - Tristan - Something Like This (Breakdown Remix)

09 - Patrick McLean - Go Right On (Steve Salvari Remix)

10 - Marc Staggers - You Make Me Feel (Dance Version)

11 - Matt Johnson - Place In My Heart

12 - Ipso Facto - Love Can Make You Feel So Happy

Detail

Rating:	8.8
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	New Soul
Format:	Album / Compilation
Media:	CD
Label:	Expansion
Cat No:	None
Date:	09/01/2023
Price:	£9.99 / £20.99

Copyright © 2009-2023 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

Billy Valentine & The Universal Truth [2023] - Home Is Where The Hatred Is [Flying Dutchman/Acid Jazz]

Acid Jazz in conjunction with Flying Dutchman today has released a new cover of Gil Scott-Heron's "Home Is Where The Hatred Is" by Billy Valentine & The Universal Truth. The song was first recorded as Gil Scott-Heron with Pretty Purdie & The Playboys in 1971 as a Flying Dutchman single on the flip side to "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" and featured on the album "Pieces Of A Man".  It is the second single on Bob Theile's reactivated Flying Dutchman and the first new music on the label since the 70s which launches a new album from Billy Valentine & The Universal Truth. The album draws from eight songs by the likes of Stevie Wonder, Prince, Eddie Kendricks, Leon Thomas, War and the first single (released 7 Oct 2022) is a rendition of Curtis Mayfield's "We The People Who Are Darker Than Blue".

The  Scott-Heron song should need little introduction but this new version seems to be taken at a slightly slower pace. There are several other versions such as Esther Phillips (1972) Bossa Nostra Feat. Vicki Anderson (1995) and Anita Lane (2001) and Scott-Heron re-recorded it in 2003 with Jean-Jacques Milteau in a more blues style and with Jaimie xx in 2011 (which is barely recognisable as the same song) plus a few others.

Billy Valentine was a member of The Valentine Brothers (with brother John whose real names are Denhan not Valentine) who of course released the original version of Simply Red's debut hit "Money's Too Tight (To Mention)" in 1982. He was also a member of Young-Holt Unlimited, who jumped ship from the Ramsey Lewis Trio, for a period.

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Details

Rating:	8.5
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	New Soul / Cover Version
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Flying Dutchman/Acid Jazz
Cat No:	None
Date:	09/01/2023
Key/BPM:	6A/85
Price:	£1

Copyright © 2009-2023 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

Masta Edge of Soul [2022] - No More Tears In Your Eyes (Remix) [Uniglobal Records]

This single "No Tears In Your Eyes" from Masta Edge Of Soul has been around since 29 Oct 2022 but has now been given a remix as of  6 Dec 2022 (retitled "No More Tears In Your Eyes") and is now getting a push via promotion from DSG. Both versions included below.

Masta is Masta Edwards who is a music veteran of 40 years singing the blues and has performed with such luminaries as Don Covay, Thelma Houston, LTD, Mandrill, Seal and Norman Brown. 

Originally from Virginia, he is now located in L.A. (via New York) and is currently working with Sly, Slick & Wicked. He wrote the song with Jay A. Blakey which was produced by Con Funk Shun's Felton Pilate and prolific songwriter/producer Preston Glass (whose birthday is today (born 9 Jan 1960), so happy birthday to him). When not singing, Masta mentors and teaches others to sing.

It has an old school feel which reminds me of another song which I can't place at present (UPDATE it's one time Temptation, Ollie (Ali) Woodson "No Tears In Your Eyes from "Love At The Same Time" (2009) included below). This one is a real grower, getting better with each listen, and is sure to shoot up the UK Soul Chart now having received promotion and is on DJ's radar.

I couldn't resist posting the video below of him performing a medley including D-Train's "You're The One For Me" as Billy Connolly makes a cameo appearance at a minute in.

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

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Details

Rating:	8.6
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	New Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Uniglobal Records
Cat No:	None
Date:	06/12/2022
Key/BPM:	4B/105
Price:	£1

Copyright © 2009-2023 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

Kim Tibbs [2023] - Where Would I Be Without You & Miracles [Live on Huckabee's Jukebox]

A couple of videos hot off the press of Kim Tibbs performing two of the many standout tracks from her chart topping album "The Science of Completion Vol. 1".

The first is the lead single "Where Would I Be Without You" released to promote the album prior to its release and the second is "Miracles".

Copyright © 2009-2023 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

Remembering James Mtume (3 Jan 1946 - 9 Jan 2022)

Having just celebrated his 76th birthday on 3 Jan 2022, James Mtume died the following week a year ago today on 9 Jan 2022. Most will probably associate with his 1983 hit "Juicy Fruit" as part of the group Mtume which included Reggie Lucas, Philip Field and vocalist Tawatha Agee. 

However his musical journey started many years prior to that at college in the late 60s with Kwanzaa and then as a member of Miles Davis' group as percussionist (1971-75). He performed with a number of other groups such as Kochi, Mtume Umoja Ensemble, The Heath Brothers (his father was jazz saxophonist Jimmy Heath and this group was his father's and uncles' Percy & Albert 'Tootie' Heath) and The Players Association and formed Mtume in 1977.

He was born James Heath Jr. in Philadelphia in 1946 and later changed it to Forman after his step father who was another jazz musician (pianist) James 'Hen Gates' Forman who played in Charlie Parker's group. At ten years old he was rubbing shoulders with jazz greats like Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk and Sonny Rollins! He later played alongside Sonny Rollins, Herbie Hancock, Pharoah Sanders, McCoy Tyner, Lonnie Liston Smith, Gato Barbieri, Ramsey Lewis. Whilst at college in the late 60s he joined a black empowerment collective known as Kwanzaa which is when he changed is name to Mtume (meaning 'messenger' in Swahili).

He met guitarist Reggie Lucas when they were both members of Miles Davis' group (Davis' group members at this time also included Michael Henderson, Lonnie Liston Smith and Al "Night Of The Wolf" Foster amongst others) who he would have a long-term writing partnership with writing hit songs such as "Never Had A Love Like This Before", "What Cha Gonna Do With My Lovin'", "Two Hearts" (and many others) for Stephanie Mills, "The Closer I Get To You" (which Mtume recorded in 1978 on their debut album with Tawatha Agee) & "Back Together Again" (Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway), "Say You Will" & "Prance On" (Eddie Henderson), "You Know How To Love Me" & "Under Your Spell" (Phyllis Hyman).

In the mid 80s he left contemporary music disillusioned with the attitude of record companies regarding using it as a means to make money rather than artistic merit.

Below is a playlist of some of his best recordings with Mtume and a selection of songs he co-wrote with Reggie Lucas (who died in 2018 aged 65). One or two they were producers only on i.e. Sunfire and Rena Scott (written by Tawatha Agee although they wrote several others on the same album and produced it).

Copyright © 2009-2023 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved