Soul Strutter: 05/24/23

Wednesday, 24 May 2023

R.I.P. - Tina Turner (26 Nov 1939 - 24 May 2023)

We're sure that by now you will have heard the sad news of the passing of the legendary Tina Turner today at her home near Zurich in Switzerland aged 83 after a long illness. She was diagnosed with intestinal cancer in 2016 and underwent a kidney transplant in 2017. She also suffered a stroke in 2013.

Her life has been documented in books, biopics and musicals and she sold out arenas, creating a world record 180k (paid) audience for a solo artist at the Maracanã Stadium, Rio de Janeiro in Jan 1988.

The trials and tribulations living and working with Ike Turner has also been well documented. After her acrimonious divorce with him in 1978, she was left with nothing and had to re-invented herself moving into more pop and rock oriented material.

Her solo career took off in the early 80s after the release of her cover of Al Green's "Let's Stay Together" produced by Martin Ware of Heaven 17 (and previously Human League) who performed backing vocals on the track with Heaven 17 member Glenn Gregory. The ensuing album, "Private Dancer", went multi-platinum in many countries and has sold in excess on 12m copies worldwide. It would be no exaggeration to say that she went on to become a superstar, certainly one of the biggest black female artists of all time.

In a career spanning almost 60 years, from 1957 until she retired from performing in 2015, she sold more than 100m records and received 12 Grammy awards. and has been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame twice. In 2021 she sold the rights to her music to BMG.

Although dubbed 'The Queen of Rock 'n' Roll', her contribution to soul music and live performance is undeniable.

With Ike she had some minor hits in the early 60s between 1960-62 and then they dried up. Incredulously the Phil Spector produced "River Deep Mountain High" was considered too white by black radio and too black for white radio and didn't even make the R&B charts and only reached #88 on the Hot 100. However, it rose to #3 in the UK in 1966 which triggered a UK tour supporting The Rolling Stones with the opening show at the Royal Albert Hall.

She continued to have more success in the UK and Europe than her home country in her solo career, achieving nine UK Top 10 pop hits with "Let's Stay Together" (#6 1983), "What's Love Got to Do with It" (#3 1984), "We Don't Need Another Hero (Thunderdome)" (#3 1985), "The Best" (#5 1989), "I Don't Wanna Lose You" (#8 1989), "It Takes Two" (with Rod Stewart) (#5 1990), "I Don't Wanna Fight" (#7 1993), "GoldenEye" (#19 1995), "When the Heartache Is Over" (#10 1999).

Her albums also fared better in the UK, she released nine solo studio albums in total and all five from the 80s and beyond reached the UK Top 10 with three going multi platinum and two gold.

We have painstakingly been through her catalogue and selected her more soulful sides from the 60s (loosely in chronological order) as part of Ike & Tina Turner as, let's be honest, for soul listeners her later material was more pop/rock.

The Sextones [2023] - Without You / Love Can't Be Borrowed [Record Kicks #RK45099]

We've had a series of singles this year from The Sextones from Nevada since their signing to Italy's, Milan based, Record Kicks label.

The first three consisted of cover versions (Jean Plum's "Here I Go Again", Papa Bear & His Cubs "You're So Fine" and The Intruders "Cowboys To Girls") with their latest ("Better Late Than Never") an original song.

They have an album "Love Can't Be Borrowed" due on 29 Sep '23 and are releasing a limited edition 7" of two original songs from it, "Without You" and the title track "Love Can't Be Borrowed" which is a great little crossover tune which I anticipate will appeal to the UK rare soul scene in particular and is rhythmically similar to Milton Parker's rarity "Women Like It Harder".

The single is available on several vinyl dealer's sites (e.g. Simply Soul, Juno) to pre-order for release on 16 Jun '23

The album is produced by Kelly Finnigan (The Monophonics) and we are told is 'drenched with 60s/70s era-defining tunes inspired by The Moments, Baby Huey, The Delfonics, and especially the late Curtis Mayfield'.

At the beginning of May we posted samples of the two tracks to be released on vinyl and today the A side "Without You" has been released digitally. It is the second single pre-released from the new album following "Better Late Than Never". Also included below is a sample for "Love Can't Be Borrowed".

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

Click icons below for further information or to connect with the artist.

Love Can't Be Borrowed

Details

Rating:	8.6
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Retro Soul / Blue Eyed
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital / 7" Vinyl
Label:	Record Kicks
Cat No:	None
Date:	24/05/23 (16/06/2023 7" Vinyl)
Key/BPM:	8A/119
Price:	£1 / £12

Camera Soul [2023] - Shooting Star [Playaudio]

Camera Soul is a jazz-funk ensemble based in Bari (southern Italy) led by composer-arranger brothers Piero and Pippo Lombardo and produced by Marco Rossi.

Since their first in 2011, they have now released six studio albums with a new album scheduled for Oct '23. In the meantime, on Friday (19 May '23), they released a new single "Shooting Star".

It's a laid back, summery, soul jazz song written by the Lombardo brothers which features Sabreetha Vee on lead vocals.

We came across a video filmed in London of a non-album single which is of a cover of Incognitos' "Everyday" released in Dec 2019. Incognito recorded the song on their "100° And Rising" album in 1995 featuring the lead vocals of Pamela Anderson ... not not that one .. she was also known as Anayah and is the sister of Jhelisa and cousin of Carleen Anderson.

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:	8.4
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Soul Jazz
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Playaudio
Cat No:	None
Date:	19/05/2023
Key/BPM:	9A/75
Price:	£1

Shannon Lauren Callihan [2023] - Live With That [SLC Records]

An artist we have followed the progress of over the last few years is Nashville based, Kentucky raised, Shannon Lauren Callihan.

Her last single, "got you", was released last Aug, which has been paired with her latest single "Live With That" and was released at the end of Mar '23 (which we missed at the time as we were on vacation).

Some of her songs do border on pop/folk but she has also recorded some soulful ones. In fact "Used To Be My Love" was a SoulStrutter Selection of the Week in Aug '21 and we've included a video for it below in case you missed it.

She debuted in 2019 with a single "What You Do to Me" and the following year released three singles and a live four track EP "Our Vinyl Sessions" (which included the three singles released that year plus another track called "Silver Lining") and in Sep '21 a seven track EP "One Sided". All her previous material sounds pretty good and is well worth checking 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:	8.3
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Neo Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Self Released
Cat No:	None
Date:	31/05/2023
Key/BPM:	8A/93
Price:	£1

Timmy Carr & The Cooperettes [2023] - Got No Time / I Want My Loving From You [Soul Direction #SD017]

The latest release from Alan Kitchener's respected Soul Direction label consists of two previously unreleased songs, "Got No Time" (a storming Northern Soul pounder) and "I Want My Loving From You" (a slightly more sedate mid pacer), by 60s soul singer Timmy Carr aka Timothy Carstaphen. They were originally found on an Impact Recordings Sound Studio tape (and may have found their way onto a Virtue acetate).

Both sides were co-written by Howard Ravitsky and Phil Hurtt (a key Philly writer who wrote/co-wrote many hit songs most notably The Spinners "I'll Be Around" with Thom Bell).

The single is set for release on 11 Jun '23 with pre-orders being taken by Soul Direction from 28 May '23. Please note that the single is not posted on the website as yet, probably on Sunday (28th).

This has become rather a long post as it is always fascinating following the threads for reissues of obscure recordings.

The songs have featured on a few CD compilations "The Ben-Lee Philadelphia Story" (1999) "The Best Of Lash Records" (2009 which also includes an instrumental version of "Got No Time") and an earlier compilation (see below). However, this is the first time they have appeared on 45 and the recording of "Got No Time" featured on the Soul Direction release is the extended studio master with the engineer count in and unedited run out.

Carr was initially a member of two groups, Timmy & The Empires and Timmy & The Persianettes. The latter released two singles, the first on Olympia, ("Timmy Boy" / "There Comes A Time") (spelt as Persianetts) in 1963 and "I Could Never Stop Cryin' Over You" / "Only Now And Then" as Timmy Carr And His Persianettes in 1964 on Guyden played by Ady Croasdel at The 100 Club (which is not listed anywhere and may be a promo only).

Goldmine Soul supply issued a white label promo / test pressing of "Got No Time" and "I Want My Loving From You" in 1996. The A side billed as Timmy & The Empires with B side credited to Timmy & The Persianettes.

However, according to Ravistsky, Carr was backed by The Cooperettes not The Persianettes on these recordings. The Cooperettes were a family group from Philadelphia comprising of sisters Janette, Debbie, Tina and Angie Cooper managed by their mother Ethyl. They are best known in rare soul circles for a couple of 60s recordings for Brunswick "Shing-A-Ling" (1967) and "Everything's Wrong" (1966). They released another single on Brunswick before and three singles on other labels afterwards. Two released on ABC and one on I-D-B which have had lesser exposure i.e. "Satisfaction" (I-D-B 1969 c/w a good mid-pacer "Win All Your Love") and "Trouble" (ABC which had two releases, first paired with "Peace Maker" in Nov 1968 and then with "Spiral Road" Mar 1969). A couple of previously unreleased songs by them (along with the two sides released on I-D-B) are featured on a compilation "Best of Danny O Productions" i.e. "Spilt Milk" and "Guess I'll Never". Everything they recorded was pretty good but after 1969 they disappeared, perhaps some member got married and then left to bring up families?

We digress, but before leaving The Cooperettes discussion it's worth noting that the backing track for "Shing-A-Ling" was utilised on "You Need Love" by Irma & The Fascinators which was found on a studio tape in the early 80's. However, when asked, lead singer Irma Jackson stated that it was not her voice on the recording but suggested that it may have been Vivian Gilreath(Gilrith)/McDougal (married to Weldon McDougal of Harthon Productions) who replaced her in The Larks (The Four Larks/ Irma & The Larks). Goldmine Soul Supply released it as a single in 1996 and it is also listed on a Harthon (reissue/bootleg?) and a Virtue acetate.

The Persianettes released a couple of singles without Carr afterwards, a Northern soul double-sider "Call On Me" / "It Happens Every Day" (Strata 1965 / reissued on Open 1969 and bootlegged on O.O.T.P in the 70s) "What Good Is It?" (Part I & Part II) (Swan 1966 promo only). Another previously unreleased recording surfaced "Run Run" which was issued with The Sapphires' "Slow Fizz" on HipShakin some time between 2012-16.

We found another couple of, presumably unreleased, tracks by Timmy & The Empires which were released on a 1997 CD compilation ("The Intruders & Friends Philly Soul Rarities Volume 1" released by Collectibles) which includes both sides of this Soul Direction 45 release along with "Do The Yo-Yo" and "Do It Like You Mean It".

Carr released three known/listed solo singles in the 60s. The first "Workin’" / "I'm Not Lyin'" on Kee which is not dated (sounds early/mid 60s perhaps 64-66?) and, with the sparse label design, looks like it may have been a private press which, needless to say, is a hard one to find, as none have sold on Discogs and only one was found on Popsike selling for just over $2,500 in 2004.

The other two were released as Timothy Carr on The Hot Biscuit Disc Company in 1968. The first a deep soul cut "Let's Start All Over Again" paired with an uptempo song "A Stop Along The Way". The other is "Gone" (which sounds like a song Ray Charles could have recorded) flipped with "Love My Love" (which was later recorded by blue-eyed Philly doo-wop group The 4-J's feat. Jr. Pope on Congress in 1969 who were previously known as The Fabulous Four .. wonder why they changed their name .. could it have been because of The Beatles).

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

Details

Rating:	8.4
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Northern Soul / Reissue
Format:	Single
Media:	7" Vinyl
Label:	Self Released
Cat No:	None
Date:	11/06/2023
Key/BPM:	9B/134 / 10B/124
Price:	£15

Chris Ballin [2023] - Beautiful [Self Released] PROMO

Chris Ballin is originally from Nottingham, moving to London to pursue a career in music which has now spanned over 20 years. He began at the age of 8 as a drummer later joining his family group and soon learned to sing.

He released his debut album, "Do it Right", to critical acclaim in 1996 which Blues & Soul wrote was one of the finest recordings in the UK's music scene.

Chris has worked and toured with some of the worlds greatest artists such as Luther Vandross, Tina Turner, Michael Jackson, Craig David, Omar, Alexander O'Neal, Simply Red and Chaka Khan.

He maintains a long-standing relationship with Incognito, featuring on their 1997 "Beneath The Surface" album and on one of Jean-Paul 'Bluey' Maunick's projects "Inner Shade".

He last featured here in Jun '21 with a classy single "What's Going On" (NOT the Marvin Gaye classic) an original song which we rated a 9, a rating given to very few releases, so if you've not had the privilege of hearing it click the link above to listen and see if you think we got it about right!

His latest single, "Beautiful", is due for release on Monday (29 May '23). It's his signature silky R&B/Soul sound on a mid-tempo song complemented by the acoustic guitar described as a summer anthem.

Know for his ballads, Chris wanted to showcase his flexibility and wanted to do something uplifting, different, fresh and upbeat for the Summer. We think he's succeeded. Give it a few listens as this one just grows and grows on you.

Chris is currently focused on releasing a new solo album soon.

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:	8.8
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Neo Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Self Released
Cat No:	None
Date:	29/05/2023
Key/BPM:	N/A
Price:	£1