Soul Strutter: 06/04/23

Sunday, 4 June 2023

Doris Hall-James [2023] - I Can Imagine [Pollitt Records]

The name may be familiar to some as Doris Hall-James was a member of Slick with Brandy Wells and Dahila Smythe who started out as backing singers for Fat Larry's Band. Although no hard evidence for it, I guess that as her given name was Hall that she may have married Fat Larry's Band's Larry James?

Slick released a couple of albums in 1979-80 for Fantasy/WMOT and are probably best remembered for their 1979 UK dance hits "Space Bass" (#16) and "Sexy Cream" (#47), although their only US charting single was "Sunrise".

Ms James contributed to the writing credits of songs for many of WMOT's roster such as Fat Larry's Band, Slick, Philly Cream, David Simmons, Sweet Thunder.

She is back with two singles, "I Can Imagine" was initially released in April and has been paired with "We Like To Dance" and released yesterday (3 Jun '23).

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Details

Rating:	7.6
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	New Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Pollitt Records
Cat No:	None
Date:	03/06/2023
Key/BPM:	6A/111 / 10A/115
Price:	£1.98

Joyce Williams [2023] - The First Thing I Do In The Morning [Numero Group #NUM 4549]

Sister funk from 1972 by Joyce Williams with "The First Thing I Do In The Morning" is the latest Numero Group reissue. It was released twice, on Act IV and also on Richard Pegue's Nickel and featured on their "Eccentric Soul: The Nickel & Penny Labels" compilation in 2011. The flip side is "Smilin'" written by Sylvester Stewart aka Sly Stone.

There's not any information available for the artist but her first single was "The Wrangler Shake" a promo for Wrangler jeans in 1964 written by Bob Elgin and Norman Meade (aka Jerry Ragovoy). It may appeal to the Northern Soul scene if they are not already on it.

Another campaign song, "The Wrangler Stretch", was also recorded by The Pirouettes who in reality were session singers Cissy Houston, Dee Dee Warwick, Estelle Brown and Judy Street (not the one of "What" fame) who would later form The Sweet Inspirations who were in demand session singers particularly for Elvis and Aretha Franklin.

She released just one more single "I Don't Want Your Love" in a similar vein on an unnamed label which looks like the Sunrise label out of Chicago which is undated but probably early 70s.

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Details

Rating:	8.2
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Funk
Format:	Single / Reissue
Media:	Digital
Label:	Numero Group
Cat No:	NUM 4549
Date:	01/06/2023
Key/BPM:	6A/92
Price:	£1

Castella [2023] - Intoxicated Love [Self Released] PROMO

Castella follows up her last single "I Saw You" feat. saxophonist Marqueal Jordan in Jan '23 with an upbeat song "Intoxicated Love", co-written with her producer Jeff Canady, which is for due release next Friday (9 Jun '23).

Castella is Cathy Rebecca Crowell-Thompson from Long Beach, CA, who left her full time job as an HR executive in 2020 after releasing her debut single "Mojito" in July 2019 to focus on her music career and now has 8 singles (plus 2 Christmas singles) and 2 EPs under her belt.

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Details

Rating:	8.3
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	New Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Self Released
Cat No:	None
Date:	09/06/2023
Key/BPM:	5A/109
Price:	£1

Output / Input feat. Antonio McLendon [2023] - Someone I Used To Love [Self Released] PROMO

The debut album from Output / Input is "Forward Motion" set for release on 14 Jul '23. So far four singles from it have been released: "Here I Go Again" feat. Audrey Wheeler and Brent Carter (Apr '22), "Really No Chance" feat. Katie Holmes (Nov '22), "I'm In Love" (Jun '22) and "Smilin' Faces" (Apr '23) both feat. Antonio McLendon.

The fifth one "Someone I Used To Love" has been sent out on advance promo, once again featuring Antonio McLendon who sounds more and more like the great Luther Vandross on this ballad.

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Details

Rating:	8.3
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	New Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Self Released
Cat No:	None
Date:	16/06/2023
Key/BPM:	6A/60
Price:	£1

Gee Bello [2023] - Bring The Family Back (Georgie B. Rework) [Quo Vadiz] PROMO

Light Of The World vocalist/percussionist (Ganiyu) Gee Bello has a forthcoming new single due next Friday (9 Jun '23) which is a cover of Billy Paul's UK 80s Soul Weekender anthem "Bring The Family Back" (1979) reworked by Georgie B.

The single is from an upcoming album project "Gee Bello - The House Of Dreams" planned for 2024 and he tells us that further singles will be released prior to the album release.

Gee produced and performed on Light Of The World's soul chart topping "Jazz Funk Power" in Sep 2020.

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Details

Rating:	8.5
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Retro Soul / Cover Version
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Quo Vadiz
Cat No:	None
Date:	09/06/2023
Key/BPM:	N/A
Price:	£1

Alanna Royale [2023] - Run Around [Trash Casual / Soul Step Records]

We first came across Alanna Royale in Jul 2021 with the single "Fall In Love Again" (produced by Kelly Finnigan) which was issued on vinyl a year later. A live video of this killer song is included below which we have not featured here before which we make no apology for as this was one of the tunes of 2021.

Their first single since, apart from featuring on a single with Hot Mustard in March, is "Run Around" released today which is from a forthcoming album "Trouble Is" due for release on 6 Oct '23, so watch out for a few more singles to be drip fed prior to the album release.

Alanna Royale is a group consisting of female lead singer Alanna Quinn-Broadus and her husband Jared Colby (guitar), Matt Snow (drums), Gabriel Golden (bass), Kirk Donovan (trumpet) and Diego Vasquez (trombone). They released a debut album "Achilles" in 2014 after becoming well established on the Nashville live scene. Quinn-Broadus and Colby are originally from Boston and formed the band after relocating to Nashville.

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Details

Rating:	8.4
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Retro Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Trash Casual / Soul Step Records
Cat No:	None
Date:	24/05/2023
Key/BPM:	11B/81
Price:	£1

Randy Brown [2008] - Bridges [LocoBop] (Full Album)

The album alluded to on the Ten-63 post for the latest single from Izipho Soul. It's an album by Randy Brown called "Bridges" from around the same time which features five tracks from his 1981 Randy album plus another six previously unreleased songs.

Two killer cuts from the unreleased material include "In The Night Time" and "Bedroom Eyes". Speaking to Izipho Soul's Pat Biggerstaff recently re Ten-63 and Randy Brown he tried to licence "Bedroom Eyes" for release but unfortunately Randy does not have the rights to this music.

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Details

Rating:	8.4
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Modern Soul
Format:	Album
Media:	Digital
Label:	LocoBop
Cat No:	None
Date:	21/01/2009
Price:	£7.99

Ten-63 The Browns [2009] - Facing The Music [LocoBop]

Izipho Soul has two tracks from this 2009 album, "Facing The Music" by Ten-63 The Browns lined up for release for the first time on vinyl. Whilst the album was released in 2009 it was recorded much earlier circa late 80s / early 90s.

Ten-63 The Browns were Randy Brown and his two brothers Bertram and William. They have a history of recording in and around Memphis as William was a member of The Mad Lads with Randy and Bertram being members of The Newcomers who morphed into Kwick in 1980. However, by this time Randy had left, leaving in 1973 and initially recording as Randy / Randolph Brown & Co. and then released five solo albums between 1978-81.

We have also posted a later album by Randy Brown, "Bridges", consisting of fiver tracks from his 1981 "Randy" album and six unreleased tracks.

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Details

Rating:	8.6
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Modern Soul
Format:	Album
Media:	Digital
Label:	LocoBop
Cat No:	None
Date:	14/02/2009
Price:	£7.99

Ten-63 [2023] - You And Me / Say We'll Stay [Izipho Soul #ZP93]

For the next Izipho Soul 45 they have selected two tracks from an obscure album "Facing The Music" by Ten-63 The Browns who were Memphis soul brothers William, Bertram and Randy Brown.

Randy Brown is well know in rare soul circles for a series of excellent albums released in the late 70s/ early 80s, two on Parachute followed by two on Chocolate City with a final one on Stax in 1981.

William, who was a member of The Mad Lads, died in 2015 aged 69. Randy and Bertram were both members of The Newcomers, Randy left in 1973 and formed Randy/Randolph Brown & Co. who released a few singles on Stax subsidiary label Truth and IX Chains before he embarked on his solo career. The Newcomers evolved into Kwick in 1980 and released three albums and around ten singles between 1980-83.

"Facing The Music" was released digitally and on CD in 2009 by LocoBop but was recorded earlier. The album is still available digitally on Amazon.

They also released an album by Randy Brown, "Bridges", in 2008 which contains five tracks from his 1981 "Randy" album on Chocolate City but the remaining six tracks appear to have been previously unreleased. It is also still available digitally on Amazon.

The two cuts selected by Mr. Biggerstaff for release on vinyl for the first time are "You And Me" (which was played (covered-up) on the UK rare soul circuit by Mike Ward circa 1989/90) along with "Say We'll Stay".

The single is available to pre-order from Izipho Soul for release next Friday (9 Jun ;23)

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Details

Rating:	8.5
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Modern Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	7" Vinyl
Label:	Izipho Soul
Cat No:	ZP93
Date:	09/06/2023
Key/BPM:	6B/93 / 8B/78
Price:	£13

Aretha Franklin [2023] - So Soon / It Was You [Soul4Real #S4R30]

Soul4Real has taken two tracks from a 2007 CD compilation "Rare & Unreleased Recordings From The Golden Reign Of The Queen Of Soul". Both are outtakes from "Aretha Arrives" album in 1967.

The A side "So Soon" was also recorded by/credited to Donnie Elbert and was the first single release on Glenn Gunton's, now defunct, Joe Boy label in 1997.

The Joe Boy sleeve notes states that Elbert wrote the song when he moved to England circa 1968 and recorded an acetate of it. So quite how it came to be recorded by Aretha as a outtake/reject for her 1967 album which credits Van McCoy as the writer is a mystery? There is speculation that the vocal sounds more like McCoy or his cohort Chris Bartley, so perhaps that is more likely the answer. The Joe Boy version is included below and you can decide.

The B side is a cover of an early James Brown song "It Was You" which he recorded in July 1959 on Federal which Aretha updates from a doo wop item into a more deep soul number in her inimitable way.

Available to pre-order now from Soul4Real's new/revamped website for release on 15 Jun '23.

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Details

Rating:	8.4
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Northern Soul / Deep Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	7" Vinyl
Label:	Soul4Real
Cat No:	S4R30
Date:	15/06/2023
Key/BPM:	8B/128 / 6B/76
Price:	€15