Soul Strutter: 03/15/23

Wednesday, 15 March 2023

R.I.P. - Greg Perry (15 Mar 2023)

Only a few weeks ago we did a profile on Edna Wright (aka Sandy Wynns) for her posthumous birthday on 2 Feb (she died in Sep 2020). Wright was married to Greg Perry and at the time of her post we couldn't confirm whether Perry was living. Sadly, we have just learned that he died today.

The sad news was broken by his close friend Sidney Barnes on his facebook page this evening. Barnes wrote: "I'm very sad today, Greg Perry a dear friend and song writing partner has passed away. Greg and I had some serious history together going back to our days in New York, Detroit, LA, & Chicago. He wrote several hit songs and was a really great guy a family man and an all around good guy. He will be missed. R.I.P. dear friend."

Perry was a singer/songwriter producer from a talented family of brothers Jeff (aka Jeffree), Dennis, Zachary and Leonard who were all in the music business. He was part of Holland, Dozier, Holland's Invictus/Hot Wax setup joining them when they left Motown after he turned down a publishing deal at Motown. He collaborated with Chairmen Of The Board's General Johnson and Angelo Bond writing and producing many hits including 100 Proof "Somebody’s Been Sleeping In My Bed", Freda Payne "Bring The Boys Home", Chairmen of the Board "Pay To The Piper" and Honey Cone "Want Ads". Whilst at Hot Wax he met his future wife Edna Wright who was in the group Honey Cone.

However, he began his music career at the Chess in Chicago working with producer Billy Davis. That is where he released his first single, a very good Northern Soul double-sider "Love Control" / "Head Over Heels (In Love)", the flip side written with Sydney Barnes.

It wasn't until 1974, after signing with Casablanca, that he released his next single "Boogie Man" which would be a minor R&B hit reaching #81. His next single was another great double-sider with two modern soul tracks "Come On Down (Get Your Head Out Of The Clouds)" / "Variety Is The Spice Of Life", from his debut solo album "One For The Road" (reissued digitally in Jul 2021), which proved to be his biggest chart success peaking at #24 R&B. Two more singles were delivered for Casablanca, all sides from the album, the title track paired with "I Want To Live And Let Live (Love And Let Love All The Time)" and "I'll Be Comin Back" / "Love Is Magic (Instrumental)" with the latter charting at #48 R&B.

He then moved to RCA Victor releasing an album, "Smokin'", and two singles in 1977. His last single appeared on Alfa in1982, "It Takes Heart", released on 7" and 12" which was his final, and last charting, single reaching #53 R&B that also got spins on release on the Northern Soul scene and gained a reissue by Kent in 2016.

Perry and Wright both appeared in UK at 6Ts Cleethorpes soul weekender in June 2014.

There's a very poor quality YouTube video below of his performance on Soul Train singing "Come On Down (Get Your Head Out Of The Clouds)" but it's about the only footage available for him.

"Head Over Heels (In Love)"

"Come On Down" on Soul Train 1975

"Ain't No Mountain High Enough" with Edna Wright

Live @ Cleethorpes 2014

R.I.P. - Bobby Caldwell (15 Aug 1951 - 14 Mar 2023)

It is being reported that Bobby Caldwell died yesterday aged 71. He has not been well for several years and unable to walk, apparently due to a bad reaction to antibiotics which caused a ruptured Achilles tendon leading to neuropathy. His wife posted the announcement on Caldwell's official Twitter account.

Stating the obvious, he is best know for his 1978 hit "What You Won't Do For Love" (#6 R&B / #9 Hot 100) and the lesser hit 1980 "Coming Down From Love". His biggest hit has been covered so many times, Second Hand Songs lists just over fifty but there are many more than that as even a cursory search on the blog revealed around nine that aren't listed that have been released in the last two years alone. (i.e. Temica Key, Saucy Lady, Savannah Christina, FF Edits, Roneice Levias, Joyce sims, Judith N Benoit, Soultry, Snoh Aalegra)

If you haven't already, and own the single, flip it over for a good 70s modern soul dancer. The flip side to his second charting single ("Can't Say Goodbye") "Down For The Third Time" is regarded as a jazz/funk classic in the UK.

Caldwell was born in Manhattan, NYC, but raised in Miami and registered nine R&B chart hits between 1978 and 1996 with three of them crossing over to the Hot 100 (the two mentioned above along with "All Of My Love" (1982)) and another three just outside. Between 1978 and 2015 he produced fifteen studio and two live albums.

After learning to play piano and guitar aged 12 he later became a bassist for Katmandu who got a break after working with Little Richard and recorded a self-titled album for Mainstream Records in 1971.

Caldwell left the group to pursue a solo career and after six years of trying to get a break in L.A. he signed to Henry Stone's T.K. set up in Miami. The legend is that after recording his first album Stone sent him back into the studio to record some new songs as he said that he didn't hear a hit on the album and shortly afterwards "What What You Won't Do For Love" was written and recorded.

In the mid 90s he portrayed Frank Sinatra in tributes to The Rat Pack in Las Vegas so it's no surprise that he turned to crooning and released many albums of jazz standard since then.

Album Discography

Studio Albums

1978 - Bobby Caldwell

1980 - Cat in the Hat

1982 - Carry On

1983 - August Moon

1989 - Heart of Mine

1991 - Stuck on You

1993 - Where Is Love

1995 - Soul Survivor

1996 - Blue Condition

1999 - Come Rain or Shine

2005 - Perfect Island Nights

2010 - The Consummate Caldwell

2012 - House of Cards

2014 - After Dark

2015 - Cool Uncle

Live Albums

1996 - Live & More

2007 - Live at the Blue Note Tokyo

Terrence Léon [2023] - High [HRDRV]

Terrence Léon follows the release of his 2022 Audiomack exclusive EP, "STASIS" with his first release of 2023 with a single titled "High".

We posted it from promo on 1 Mar but couldn't find it on Spotify on release as it had been posted under a separate profile which has now been corrected. Also, we think it needs another push as it seems to have gone under the radar and needs further exposure.

Written by Terrence Léon and produced by DJ Nicar it's soul/funk meets R&B. The song speaks about how a 'friends with benefits' relationship changes when feelings and emotions get involved.

Terrence Léon was born in Austin, TX, and debuted in 2019 with a single "You Don't (Know Me But...)" and has blurred the distinction between alternative and commercial R&B with around a dozen singles and two EPs "New Horizons" (2020) and "LOADING... themixtape" (2021). We think his latest single, "High", due on 1 Mar 2023, is his best to date.

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:	8.5
Explicit:	Y
Genre/Style:	Neo Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	HRDRV
Cat No:	None
Date:	01/03/2023
Key/BPM:	11A/86
Price:	£1

Mamas Gun [2023] - You Make My Life A Better Place (At PizzaExpress Live) [PX Records]

The first release on the newly created PizzaExpress label, PX Records, is Mamas Gun with a live recording at the venue of "You Make My Life A Better Place" which was the lead track from their 2018 album "Golden Days".

It's the first single from their very first live album, "Mamas Gun at PizzaExpress Live in London", a 13-track set recorded at PizzaExpress Live in Soho on 23 April 2022. The album will be the London based five-piece group's eighth since their debut in 2009 and is due for release on 14 Apr '23.

Tracks are predominantly from their last two albums "Cure The Jones" (2022) and "Golden Days" (2018) with two tracks from their debut album "Routes To Riches" (2009).

The group's line-up is Andy Platts (vocals) (also one half of Young Gun Silver Fox with Shaun Lee), Terry Lewis (guitar), Dave Oliver (keys), Cameron Dawson (bass) and Chris Boot (drums).

They will be preforming their biggest UK headline show to date at Islington Assembly Hall in London on April 29th.

The video below is not the Pizza Express performance, rather an earlier one at Oslo, Hackney on 14 Dec 2019.

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Details

Rating:	8.2
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	New Soul / Blue-Eyed / Live
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	PX Records
Cat No:	None
Date:	15/03/2023
Key/BPM:	12B/87
Price:	£1

PizzaExpress Live to launch PX Records

Hot on the heels of Jarrod Lawson's four shows there at the weekend, Pizza Express has announced that it is launching its own record label in conjunction with its live music arm Pizza Express Live. Named PX Records, they will release albums from new and established jazz and soul artists as well as a selection of music from PizzaExpress Live's extensive archive of live recordings.

PizzaExpress Live was conceived in London's Soho in the late 70s and has built a reputation as one of the UK's leading venues for live music, having presented over 50,000 concerts from an array of artist which includes Tony Bennett, Amy Winehouse, Diana Krall, Van Morrison, Bill Wyman, Benny Carter, Brian May, George Shearing, Charlie Watts, Mose Allison, Anita O'Day and Melody Gardot.

Artists such as Jamie Cullum, Norah Jones and Gregory Porter held their very first UK concerts at the venue and have gone on to become international stars.

The next chapter is the launch of PX Records and the release of a selection of live albums recorded across its venues such as PizzaExpress Jazz Club in Soho, PizzaExpress Live in Holborn and The Pheasantry in Chelsea featuring live performances from a broad mix of established artists and the very best emerging talent from across the worlds of jazz, soul, blues and beyond.

The first releases will feature live albums from US jazz saxophonist Scott Hamilton, and the UK's Mamas Gun (due on 14 Apr), multi-instrumentalist and producer edbl (Ed Black) and one of the most hotly-tipped new bands on the UK scene Native Dancer. All releases will be available as digital downloads as well as on both CD and vinyl

The label will, additionally, release a series of legacy recordings sourced from PizzaExpress Live's archive dating back over 45 years featuring previously unreleased performances from some of the acts to have graced its stage.

Zo! & Tall Black Guy [2023] - Abstractions (Deluxe Edition) [The Foreign Exchange Music]Terrel Wallace

As often the case, a deluxe edition of a previously released album has emerged with additional tracks or remixes of previous tracks.

This one is a deluxe edition of Zo! & Tall Black Guy's April 2021 album "Abstractions" released on Friday (10 Mar '23) and adds five new songs to the original nine tracks.

The five additional tracks (tracks 10-14) includes two new songs ("Dem Nights (Bonus) (feat. Phonte)" and "In The Wind (Bonus) (feat. Debórah Bond)") and three remixes ("Blackout (Bonus) - The Scene Remix", "Blackout (Bonus) - Daz-I-Kue Re-Edit" , "Connected (Bonus) (feat. Josh Milan) - Terry Hunter Club Mix"). The pick of the bunch is "Dem Nights"

Included below is a 55 minute live show by Zo! & Tall Black Guy at the Kennedy Center, Washington D.C., from July 2021 with a guest appearance by Debórah Bond around the 22 minute mark. Follwing her appearnce is their big' track from earlier in 2021, "Hold My Hand" feat. Darien Brockington, Muhsinah & Phonte.

Zo! is producer/musician Lorenzo Ferguson and Tall Black Guy is producer Terrel Wallace, both from Detroit.

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:	Neo Soul
Format:	Album (Deluxe)
Media:	Digital
Label:	The Foreign Exchange Music
Cat No:	None
Date:	10/03/2023
Price:	£7.99

Soul Associates Top 30 Playlist - 2023 Week 10 (w/e 12 Mar 2023)

The Soul Associates Top 30

Week 10 2023 (w/e 12 Mar 2023)

Note: three tracks are still not yet available on Spotify as two are only currently available on promo i.e. #4 Natasha Watts "Brighter Days, #16 B & The Family Feat. Antonio McLendon "Forever" and NE at #24 The Groove Association Feat. Georgie B. "Reflections" album is website only.

Natasha Watts is offering her new single for free from her website to help launch her forthcoming album "Music Is My Life" due on 24 Mar '23. Just click this link to her website.