Soul Strutter: 08/28/23

Monday, 28 August 2023

Alex Cherney & The Brothers Nylon [2023] - first, last and always [Trialtone Laquer Inc.] (Full Album)

An album put our way last week by our good friends at SoulAndJazzAndFunk is Alex Cherney & The Brothers Nylon (which is a new name to us both) with "first, last and always". It's their third album, all released since 2020, so how we we both miss them?

Not only is New Yorker Cherney a musician but also an independent film maker and a builder. He is featured on the cover of the current Forbes magazine (Jul/Aug '23).

Cherney's latest indie film, "The Have Not", has been three years in the making and was scheduled for release via Amazon Prime Video on 21 Aug, however we can't find it listed so perhaps it has been delayed?

The comically named The Brothers Nylon are indeed brothers, Mike and Nick Rufello originally from Florida but now Long Island based. Whether or not they wear nylons we couldn't possibly comment.

It's blue-eyed soul of the sweet and retro kind ala so many blue-eyed retro artists currently around such as Durand Jones & The Indications, Aaron Frazier, The Sextones, Kelly Finnigan etc.

Having quickly skimmed the last two albums, this one is not typical, the last was reggae flavoured and the first retro pop/folk, which may explain why we neither of us has picked on them previously.

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

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

Full Album Playlits on YouTube HERE

Details

Rating:	7.8
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Retro Soul / Blue-Eyed
Format:	Album
Media:	Digital
Label:	Trialtone Laquer Inc.
Cat No:	None
Date:	28/08/2023
Price:	£7.99

DJ Soulchild [2023] - Essential DJ Soulchild Vol. 2 [Self Released] (Full Album)

Following the release of his latest mix of Anthony Hamilton's "Best Of Me" (which he blends with Howard Johnson's "Keepin' Love New" (1982)), DJ Soulchild has released a compilation of his best remixes between 2017-23 titled "Essential DJ Soulchild Vol. 2".

He takes contemporary tunes and blends several of them with well know classic soul tunes from the likes of Maze, Teddy Pendergrass, Fat Larry's Band, Rick James and Michael Wycoff, to name a few. We wont spoil the fun and let you work them out for yourselves.

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

Details

Rating:	8.4
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	New Soul / Remixes
Format:	Album
Media:	Digital
Label:	Self Released
Cat No:	None
Date:	26/08/2023
Price:	20 CHF

Searchlight feat. Manny [2023] - Long Time [Fallen Tree 1Hundred]

More excellent music from the ever consistent Fallen Tree 1Hundred label who also have Natalie Duncan and The Degrees on their roster.

It's the latest single from Irish duo Searchlight (Cian McCann and Dom Purcell), "Long Time" feat. Manny. It's their first since "Journey" feat. [ K S R ] from Jul '22. In the interim they released an eponymous debut album in Sep '22 (which included all four singles to that point) that seems to have slipped through the net.

MANNY (Manny Ademolu) featured on a single by Rudi Creswick, "Peace Of Mind", in Sep '22 and is part of Milton Keynes based duo Manny & The Coloured Sky.

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:	8.6
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	New Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Fallen Tree 1Hundred
Cat No:	None
Date:	25/08/2023
Key/BPM:	3A/115
Price:	£1

Steve Aggasild [2023-08-27] - SoulAndJazzFlavas [SOTAR]

Steve Aggasild's latest show for State Of The Art Radio (SOTAR) broadcast on Sunday 27th Aug 2023 between 20:00-22:00 GMT.

Technical issues affecting remote connections again prevented the show being aired live but Steve has provided the show podcast with an additional hour of new releases .. 42 tracks.

Steve does a show Fri 21:00-23:00 (GMT) on Soul Music Radio and two shows a week on SOTAR Sun 20:00-22:00 (GMT) and Wed 20:00-22:00 (GMT). If you have yet to listen then please do take a listen as he is one of the best UK soul radio presenters around with a 40 year pedigree.

Catch up with other SoulAndJazzFlavas podcasts at Mixcloud or from 27 Jun 2022 onwards Podbean

Playlist:

Artist	Title / Album	Year
Marcus Machado feat. Rojo Lavoe	Let Me Know [Blue Diamonds]	2023
HEAT & Horn Engine feat. Jevon McGlory	(Put Your) Trust In Love	2023
Lamone feat. William Prince	Strive	2023
Møkobely	Cariño - The leaves are fallin'	2023
Robyn Springer	Crazy Bout You	2023
Papik feat. Dagmar Segbers	Love The Life [Bossarama]	2023
Joy Denalane	Hideaway	2023
Em-Cee	Comfortable	2023
Kareem Ali	Rise Up [The Colour Of Sound]	2023
Chris Crain feat. Eric Roberson	Stay	2023
Elan Noelle	Got Me [Elan]	2023
The Philharmonik	Chasing... [Kironic]	2023
Skinny Hightower	Groove Factor [Mind Over Matter]	2023
Kingcrowny x Zoe Kypri	Coat On	2023
Truth Hurts	RnB Love	2023
Ty Causey	It Feels Like Love	2023
Max Beesley's High Vibes	Zeus [Zeus]	2023
Farah Audhali & Blue Lab Beats	Favourite	2023
Lina Nikol	Tell Me Is It Worth It (Misha Remix)	2023
Ruby Wood	Me and My Girl	2023
Izo FitzRoy	Small Mercies (Art Of Tones Remix)	2023
Chella Nae	I'm On A Mission	2023
Love4Melody	Good Time	2023
The 7 Day Weekend feat. Sonya Rae Taylor	High	2023
Sabrina Starke	Love the Mystery	2023
Sat'N, steevyX. & Meryl Williams	Thyme	2023
Melat	The Now (Sweet Love No.9)	2023
Marcus Davis	After Glow [Marcus Davis]	2023
Shonda English	Feels Good [Travellin']	2023
Grooveman Spot feat. KenT, Kzyboost & Hanah Spring	The Luxury [Lie-Sense]	2023
Ashleigh Smith	Can't Help It	2023
Menagerie	Danieda's Dance (Radio Edit) [The Shores Of Infinity]	2023
Output / Input feat. Antonio McLendon	Every Time You Touch Me [Forward Motion]	2023
Xavier Gordon feat. Angie Stone	Beautiful [X Marks The Spot]	2023
Raahz	Joyride [Voyage EP]	2023
Raahz	Chasing Love [Voyage EP]	2023
Papik & The Soultrend Orchestra feat. Nadyne Rush	Let's Fall In Love	2023
Incognito	Back On The Beach [Into You]	2023
Club des Belugas & Lene Riebau	A Quiet Moment	2023
Grace Weber	Do4Me	2023
Hope Winter	Golden	2023
Marcus Machado feat. Sandra St Victor	Bittersweet [Blue Diamonds]	2023
Whittington Still	You Make Me Sing	2023
Baltic Jazz Recordings feat. The Air Horns	Never Be The Same [Revisioned]	2023

R.I.P. John Rhys-Eddins (1941- 27 Aug 2023) 'Time Will Pass You By'

We learned yesterday of the passing of John Rhys-Eddins via a Mark Hanson post on Soul Source which was relayed to him by singer Matt Lucas. Who? .. you might ask, especially if you have no interest or affiliation with Northern Soul and we would guess even the majority of those may still have no idea who he was.

He is responsible, along with Dino George Fekaris (a prolific writer who also co-wrote and co-produced "I Will Survive") and Nick Zesses, for writing one of the true classics of the genre "Time Will Pass You By" by Tobi Legend. The term 'classic' is overused but this is truly a Wigan Casino anthem and one of the best ever Northern 'Soul' records discovered full stop!

It was played as the second of the legendary 'Three Before Eight' so, 'arguably', well overplayed but even so it is still a very moving song to this day. For those who don't already know, the 'Three Before Eight' were the three records played at the end of every Wigan Casino All-Nighter by Russ Winstanley.

We don't know for sure who discovered it, or when, but assume that it must have been Casino organiser Russ Winstanley and also assume that it must have been played before the 'Three Before Eight' was instigated.

Rhys-Eddins began writing the song in 1965 whilst working at Golden World but was incomplete until the following year when he joined Impact and met Fekaris and Zesses who completed the second verse. It was recorded, or at least released, in Feb 1968 on Bell imprint Mala by Tobi/Toby Lark (born Bessie Grace Upton and recorded previously as Bessie Watson) under the pseudonym Tobi Legend. We recall reading that Lark was unaware of its release until much later as she believed that she recorded it as a demo only. Only one other recording was released under the name, "No Good To Cry" / "Heartbreaker" also on Mala in Apr '68.

Rhys-Eddins was born in Saxmundham, Suffolk, but moved to Georgia at a very young age. He found his way to Detroit by the mid 60s and worked for Ed Wingate's Golden World setup (Golden World, Ric-Tic, Wingate and J&W) and had a few of his songs released on Wingate in 1965. By 1966 he was working at Harry Balk's Impact Records where he wrote and produced. He produced all five of Shades of Blue's releases for the label, the best known being, the Edwin Starr written, "Oh How Happy" which was the label's biggest seller. He also co-wrote The Volumes evergreen "That Same Old Feeling" for the label, and even released one himself as John Rhys And The Lively Set with two instrumentals "Boy Watchers Theme" / "Nothing But Love" which were sufficiently popular/in-demand to warrant bootlegging.

As an artist he released two singles, the one above and the first, a garage/pop tune, in 1965 ("The Beginning Of The End" / "All I Ask") as Little John and Tony (Anthony Raye aka Pete Saputo who he co-wrote "That Same Old Feeling" with) on Golden World imprint Volkano headed up by John. The label released just three or four singles, all with at least one side written (or co-written with Dennis Coffey) by John in 1965. NB only three are listed but there 'appears' to be a missing number (V-5003?)

In 2015 UKs Outta Sight label reissued Tobi Legend and on the B side included the original demo version recorded by the three writers on which Rhys-Eddins played piano and sang the high notes and the other two sang the lead and background vocals. Included as the intro of the recording, Rhys-Eddins gives a commentary and states that he met Tobi Lark/Legend at a party in Detroit in the mid 60s. He thanks 'the gentleman who dubbed Tobi's voice' on the Mala release. The Mala single has 'Imagineered by Joey" under the title on the label, who we assume to be Joey Pinto (aka Joey Reynolds) who was the co-writer of the B Side ( "Heartbreaker") and a radio DJ who worked at numerous stations including WNBC. At the time of the record's release he was working at WDRC in Hartford, CT, having previously been at WXYZ, Detroit. How, and why, Tobi Lark was renamed Tobi Legend is a mystery except perhaps to disguise her identity to avoid paying royalties? Outta Sight also reissued the "Three Before Eight" earlier this year, presumably owing to Wigan Casino's 50th Anniversary next month.

We've always wondered why such a great song has never been covered, except as a self-titled album track by Kylie Minogue in 1994 (arranged by M People). It was scheduled for release as single with remixes but (thankfully!) never released.

We always suspected that perhaps it was because it's a particularly difficult song to sing and that was confirmed by Ady Croasdel who flew Tobi over to perform at the Cleethorpes weekender in 2009. He says that Tobi herself said that it was such a tough song to sing that she recorded it in segments that were then later spliced together. She stated that she has never sung the song in it's entirety which is why she declined to sing it when she appeared at the weekender. However, we found footage of her performing it several years later at Skegness Weekender in 2017 aged 77/78 (ironically born the same year as Rhys-Eddins)!

Like so many others before me, this one is slotted for play at my funeral as it is most definitely one of the soundtracks of my, and so many other's, life. Thank you John, Dino and Nick (without the latter two's contribution the song may never have been completed) for such a beautiful and meaningful song. Lyrics HERE.

In 2010 a UK broadsheet, The Guardian, published an article written by Laura Barton about the song.

1999 re-recorded version for Ian Levine's:

The Strange World of Northern Soul

Live Performance at

Skegness Northern Soul Weekender 2017

Original Demo Version

The Volumes - That Same Old Feeling