Soul Strutter: 05/22/23

Monday, 22 May 2023

VA [2021] - Sweet Soul Baby 3 - Rare and Hard to Find Soul 45s [LSRA]

A compilation we alluded to on the Unlimited Four post (as it contains one of their songs) is "Sweet Soul Baby 3 - Rare and Hard to Find Soul 45s" released digitally in 2020/21.

It consists of a 16 superb 'souldies' which, as the title suggests, are very hard to find meaning very expensive if you do manage to find one. So, for the less than the price of a couple of pints you can at least listen to them if not drool over the original vinyl!

For some inexplicable reason only ten of the tracks (1-5 and 6-11) are available on Spotify and curiously on the Amazon listing only ten have artist names associated, a coincidence?

We posted it in Jan '21 with a full playlist and a link to a YouTube playlist which is now dead. There must have been two editions as the first (from 15 Dec '20) only has 15 tracks and the later one (Mar '21) has 16.

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Details

Rating:	8.8
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Sweet Soul / Deep soul
Format:	Album / Compilation
Media:	Digital
Label:	LSRA
Cat No:	None
Date:	20/03/2021
Price:	£7.99

Ronald Isley / Isley Brothers - The Motown Period

Another giant in the world of soul music, Ronald Isley, celebrated his 82nd birthday yesterday.

The Isley Brothers were formed in 1954 by O'Kelly, Rudolph, Vernon and Ronald. Vernon was tragically killed aged 13 when knocked off his bike by a car. The group disbanded and later reformed as a trio in 1957 with Ron taking over lead vocal duties. They recorded several singles for various labels before they achieved their first hit record with "Shout" in 1959 for RCA and again in 1962 with a reissue followed by two more hits the same year, one being their biggest to that date with a cover of "Twist And Shout" (#2 R&B/ #17 Hot 100). Another eleven singles for various labels Wand, Atlantic, United Artists, Veep and their own T-Neck between 1962-66 didn't result it any more hits.

In 1965 they signed to Motown's Tamla imprint for who they had a R&B Top 10 hit with their very first record "This Old Heart Of Mine (Is Weak For You)" in 1966, now regarded as a Motown classic. They released two albums and a compilation whilst at Motown but only eight singles and none could emulate the success of their first, By 1968 they left Motown to resurrect their own label T-Neck and had a #1 R&B / #2 Hot 100 hit with their first single "It's Your Thing" in 1969 which was a complete departure from the music they made at Motown, being more hard edged funk.

They continued into the 70s which would prove to be their most successful decade commercially with around 16 R&B Top 10 hits such as "Love The One You're With", "That Lady" (which was an updated version of the song "Who's That Lady" recorded for United Artists in 1964), "Summer Breeze", "Live It Up", "Fight The Power", "For The Love Of You", "Harvest For The World" etc.

The hits began to slow down in the 80s although they did achieve a further six Top 10 R&B hits.

Like we did with Stevie Wonder last week, whose music spans seven decades, Ron Isley's spans one more (from the 50s) so we will pick through his 60s material with The Isley Brothers at Motown which is well know to the Northern Soul faithful, but possibly not many outside that world.

Unlimited Four [2023] - Slow Down / Walk Away Lover [Numero Group #5801]

Numero Group must have access to the vaults of Toledo, OH, label Chanson as they have previously released a single from the label by Unlimited Four "I Wanna Be Happy" / "Calling" and have today released the second of their three singles for the label along with another by Evalene Braden "Somebody Else" / "That's What Soul Is".

The label had two lives, starting in 1959-61 in Tennessee and then being reactivated in 1970 in Toldeo, OH, when the latest offering "Slow Down" / "Walk Away Lover" was released. The A side being a raw funky number and the flip a mid tempo group harmony tune.

Ironically perhaps, it is their third, and last, single "Somebody Help, Please" that is in-demand (to the Northern Soul fraternity at least, but the killer deep soul flip "True Love Is Hard To Find (I Believe In You)" is most likely also highly sought after) which sells for upwards of £500 with only one currently listed on Discogs for £700. If you're desperate to own the deep soul side, but don't want to shell out £500+, then it was released on a compilation "Sweet Soul Baby 3 - Rare And Hard To Find Soul 45s" in 2022 along with some other gems (you can thank us later!).

All their songs were written by (or at least credited to) label owner James Monroe Brown, their manager Howard Collins and Mel Harrison with "Walk Away Lover" also credited to Evalene Braden and their last single adding J.E. Young to credits.

The songs were recorded in Detroit with the backing of The Kalendars who themselves released just one single in the mid 60s on Tee Vee (another label owned by Brown) written by Collins under his pseudonym Skip August which he also used to release two singles on the label. Of interest to rare soulies, he also wrote, arranged and co-produced Ike Noble's in-demand album "Fresh Start" and co-owned the label it was released on Connowill with Ike Noble and Jimmy Williams. The label's name derived from the first letters of their surnames Collins, Nobel and Williams. We did an Ike Noble Discography a few years ago.

An album by The Kalendars, under the name d'Kalendars ("Hotter Than Hot") surfaced in 2008 and contains several of Collins' songs recorded by Ike Noble.

According to Discogs, which isn't always 100% accurate but it has been corroborated from other sources, the group consisted of lead singer Joe Butts, Bobby Davis, Willie Vaughn, and Ronnie Foster with Foster being later replaced by Charles Nelson Jr. Butts went on to become a member of a group named Magnificent Opinions who released three singles in 1988 on another Chanson offshoot Skippyophonic Records, the only releases on the label.

Whilst we're here, for completeness, we'll post all three of their singles.

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Details

Rating:	8
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	70s Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Numero Group
Cat No:	NUM5801
Date:	22/05/2023
Key/BPM:	11B/110 / 6B/97
Price:	£1.79

Marie Dahlstrom [2023] - A Good Life [JFH Records] (Full Album)

Today, London based Dane Marie Dahlstrom released her third album "A Good Life". In the run up, four singles from it have been pre-released "Clouds" (Nov '22), "A Good Life" (Feb '23), "Make It Up To You" (Apr '23) and "The Process" (May '23).

It may take a few listens to fully digest but the only two new songs that gained our full attention on first listen were the opening and closing tracks "Confide In Me" and "Next Time".

Her official debut album "Like Sand" was released in 2020 (another "Gloom" was released in 2013) and featured collaborations with Londoners James Vickery (who has a new EP/album out today) and Conor Albert, California based songwriter and producer Jeremy Passion, and Brooklyn based singer/producer Elijah Fox and guitarist Beau Diako to name a few.

Prior to "Like Sand", she released a string of EPs, her first "Feelings" in 2011. along with others such as "0.0" (2016), "Nine" (2017) and "Kanel" (2018) and following "Like Sand" released two further EPs in 2021, "Safe Place" and "4inARow".

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Details

Rating:	8.2
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Neo Soul
Format:	Album
Media:	Digital
Label:	JFH Records
Cat No:	None
Date:	22/05/2023
Price:	£7.99

Nevi [2023] - Westside [Blac Noize!]

Royse City, TX, songwriter, engineer, producer Nevi (Daniel Balderas) took his bow with an EP "Sad Sad Summer" in the summer of 2018 and made some noise with his 2020 single "Invoice" which topped the Soundcloud charts.

The first generation Mexican American has released his catchy new single "Westside" on Friday along with a music video for it.

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Details

Rating:	8.4
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Neo Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Blac Noize!
Cat No:	None
Date:	19/05/2023
Key/BPM:	6A/82
Price:	£1

Destiny La Vibe Music [2023] - Drum Roll [TapTunes Record Label]

Native New Yorker Destiny La Vibe Music (Destiny Jael Brown-Hernandez) last featured here with a single "Starlight" in Feb '23.

Destiny writes all of her lyrics and produces her own vocal arrangements and broke onto the music scene during the Summer of 2022, releasing her first album "Up Down Love" (Sep '22). Since then she went back into her studio and began recording her sophomore album titled "Positive Vibes Only". The first single from it was "Starlight" (17 Feb) followed by singles in Mar, Apr and now her second this month "Drum Roll".

She grew up listening to a plethora of music from Gospel, Soul, RnB, Disco, Funk, Hip Hop, and honed her vocals while singing in church as a child. Her first concert was to see the legendary Tina Turner in 1996 during her Wildest Dreams Tour. Her earliest influences were Tina Turner, Patti Labelle, Brandy, Lauren Hill, Betty Wright, Melisa Morgan, Erykah Badu, Bonnie Raitt, Aretha Franklin, Chaka Khan, Kim McFarland, the Clark Sisters, and so many other soul stirring singers.

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Details

Rating:	8.2
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Neo Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	TapTunes Record Label
Cat No:	None
Date:	19/05/2023
Key/BPM:	8A/80
Price:	£1

Robb Scott & Leee John [2023] - Gotta Get Over You [Ramrock Records #RRB019]

A couple of weeks ago Ramrock released original vocal and instrumental versions of "Gotta Get Over You" by Robb Scott and Leee John. It's a new song written by the pair with Leee John writing the lyrics and Scott the music and arranging and producing the song. Lined up for future release were a set of North Street West Mixes which were released on Friday (19 May).

Between the pair they have over 70 years experience in the music business, Leee is celebrating his 40th anniversary this year with a 'Just An Illusion' tour and Scott has been around the block for over 30 years.

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Details

Rating:	8.4
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	New Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Ramrock Records
Cat No:	RRB019
Date:	19/05/2023
Key/BPM:	4A/102
Price:	£2.97

Artis Boris [2023] - Easy Living [Funk Embassy Records] (Full EP)

Artis Boris is from the same stable as Rita Ray i.e. Funk Embassy Records therefore, it is no big surprise that she crops up on the standout track on his new EP "Easy Living", "Can You Dance?". From the title you can guess that it's not her usual retro sweet soul, rather an uptempo number, although still has a throwback 80s feel.

Boris is a virtuoso jazz pianist from Latvia and a new signee to the label and this track was released (and posted) as the first single from the EP on 10 Mar '23 with "Scream" following on 31 Mar. The EP is predominantly instrumental except for "Can You Dance?"

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Details

Rating:	7.6
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	New Soul / Instrumental
Format:	EP
Media:	Digital
Label:	Funk Embassy Records
Cat No:	None
Date:	28/04/2023
Price:	£1.79

Funkatomic & Lee Wilson [2023] - Take My Heart (You Can Have It If You Want It) (Funkatomic Radio Edit) [WU Records]

Hardly a week passes without a release by the prolific Lee Wilson and, if we're honest, often the quality suffers for it.

They may say that 'familiarity breeds contempt', but his latest outing is a cover of one of the Kool & The Gang's nine #1 R&B hits "Take My Heart (You Can Have It If You Want It)" (1981) with the assistance of Italian DJ/producer/musician Funkatomic aka Claudio Caccini.

There's a 3:47 radio edit and a full 6:24 mix. One for the daytime internet soul radio jocks as I'm afraid we can't see this being played in any 'upfront' shows and wonder what's the point of it's release as it offers nothing different to the original except perhaps introduce the song to a younger audience who weren't around to hear it in the 80s?

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Details

Rating:	7.4
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	New Soul / Cover Version
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Self Released
Cat No:	None
Date:	22/05/2023
Key/BPM:	1B/112
Price:	£1