Groovesville Players / Al Kent Orchestra [2023] - Don't Hurt Me / The Way You've Been Acting Lately [Hayley #HR033]

The second delayed release from Hayley Records are both unreleased instrumentals of Northern Soul classics. 

The A side leads with the backing track of J.J. Barnes' "Sweet Sherry" (also used for an unreleased Edwin Starr recording, "Has It Happened To You Yet", which surfaced on Goldmine Soul Supply on 7" in 1997) credited to Groovesville Players under it's original title "Don't Hurt Me". Note that a song with the title "Has It Happened To You Yet" was recorded by The Falcons on Lu Pine in 1964 which is a different song.

The flip is the instrumental backing track for Al Kent's "The Way You've Been Acting Lately" which was originally on the flip side of the vocal but this is an unreleased version with a false start and no backing singers. 

There is a female version floating around YouTube which shows a photo of The Supremes but it was a Neil Ruston release on his Inferno Soul Club label from 1983 by Tina Lewis which has a cover version of Edwin Starr's "Back Street" as the A side.

Available now from Rob Moss' Hayley Records.

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Details

Rating:	8
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Northern Soul / Instrumental
Format:	Single
Media:	7" Vinyl
Label:	Hayley Records
Cat No:	HR033
Date:	01/10/2023
Price:	£15

Copyright © 2009-2023 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

Deon Jackson [2023] - Happily Ever After / (You've Got) The Power Of Love [Hayley #HR034]

A couple of releases of previously unissued Detroit recordings announced in June, which seem to have been delayed, are now available.

The first consists of two sides from Deon Jackson. "Happily Ever After" was originally recorded by Len Barry on Decca in 1966, but found its way to Detroit and producer Ollie McLoughlin and arranger Mike Terry in the mid 1960s.

The flip "(You've Got) The Power Of Love" was written by Richard McDougall (a member of the Capitols but they never recorded the song). The Esquires released it under a shortened tittle "You Got The Power" via Wand in 1968 and it found it's way onto a CD compilation "The Esquires – Get On Up ... And Get Away With The Esquires" in 1998 by Westside compiled by Tony Rounce, as well as a couple of others.

Available now from Rob Moss' Hayley Records.

Hayley released another couple of unissued Deon Jackson songs which we posted on a Deon Jackson Profile in Jan '23 (on his posthumous birthday) which included a superb new digital compilation of his music.

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Details

Rating:	8.3
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Northern Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	7" Vinyl
Label:	Hayley Records
Cat No:	None
Date:	01/10/2023
Key/BPM:	N/A
Price:	£15

Copyright © 2009-2023 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

MHem [2023] - Friends With Benefits [Pax Stereo] (Full Album)

L.A.'s Mario Hemsley MD spent over 30 years as a critical care paediatrician. With the support of his friend and collaborator Victor Allen, he turned to music and they formed Stereo Pax in 2003. 

Under his alias MHem he has produced his first set of music, "Friends With Benefits", which features the vocals of Derren Day (the son of The Time's Morris Day) on all tracks.

The standout track, "So Good", you may recognise as it was written and recorded by former leader of The Blackbyrds Kevin Toney on his "Extra Sensual Perception" album in 1999.

In fact all nine songs are covers but some are not necessarily what we'd describe as soul music, however, the interpretation of Joni Mitchell's "Both Sides Now", in particular, is very good.

This album may need a few listens (leaving prejudice at the door) as it's a real grower as a  pure listening album and we thoroughly enjoyed the new takes on some classic songs.

01 - Outside Your Door 

       (Me'Shell NdegéOcello "Plantation Lullabies" 1993)

02 - So Good 

       (Kevin Toney "Extra Sensual Perception" 1999)

03 - Hello 

       (Marsha Ambrosius / Floetry "Floetic" 2002)

04 - If You Want Me To Stay 

       (Sly & The Family Stone "Fresh" 1973)

05 - Falling Slowly 

       (Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova "The Swell Season" 2006)

06 - Lady In The Doorway 

       (Randy Goodrum "Solitary Nights" 1985)

07 - Both Sides Now 

       (Joni Mitchell "Clouds" 1969) 

08 - The Star Of A Story 

       (Rod Temperton / Heatwave "Central Heating" 1977)

09 - Moondance 

       (Van Morrison "Moondance" 1970) 

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Details

Rating:	8.2
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	New Soul
Format:	Album
Media:	Digital
Label:	Pax Stereo
Cat No:	None
Date:	30/09/2023
Price:	£7.99

Copyright © 2009-2023 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

Aphrose [2023] - Roses [LRK Records] (Music Video)

The title tracks from Aphrose 's upcoming sophomer album "Roses" was released on 25 Aug. On Thursday a music video for it was published.

It's the third song from the album following "Ya Ya" (7 Jul) and "Good Love" (19 May).

The song was written by Aphrose with her long time musical collaborator, Scott McCannell (SafeSpaceShip) and guitarist Heather Crawford). It is dedicated to her grandmother, Rose, who has influenced her most and from whom she takes her artist name. It pays homage to her grandmother's remarkable resilience and strength escaping an abusive relationship and emigrating with her children from Trinidad and Tobago to Canada and raising them as a single parent.

It's a delicate, poignant, heartfelt, ethereal and emotional ballad which Aphrose states:

"holds immense significance in my heart, serving as a poignant tribute and a heartfelt love letter to my beloved late grandmother, Rose. A beacon of unyielding strength, she has been my guiding light since childhood, alongside my mother and aunts, who collectively serve as my source of inspiration."

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Details

Rating:	8.3
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Neo Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	LRK Records
Cat No:	None
Date:	25/08/2023
Key/BPM:	8B/71
Price:	£1

Copyright © 2009-2023 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

Bep feat. Carlton Anderson [2023] - Memphis Blue [Self Released]

Something a little different! Bep (who we believe is Beverly Benson) and Carlton Anderson on a half spoken/half sung message song "Memphis Blue" released on 2 Oct.

The only other release we can find from her is an album "Spoken Word" in Feb 2023.

Not surprisingly then, we discovered that she is a poet/spoken word artist and a 'faith coach'.

We assume that the song was written in relation to the Tyre Nichols case?

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Details

Rating:	8
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	New Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Self Released
Cat No:	None
Date:	02/10/2023
Key/BPM:	12A/96
Price:	£1

Copyright © 2009-2023 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

Sugar Rainbow feat. Heather Haywood [2023] - Rainbowfunk [Self Released] (Full EP)

Sugar Rainbow's last single, "Think About", was a collaboration with The Cool Notes' Heather Haywood and is included in a new three track EP "Rainbowfunk" released on 30 Sep.

They join forces for two more songs. The first a cover of the Linda Creed & Thom Bell song "People Make the World Go Round" originally recorded by The Stylistics in 1971.  The Cool Notes also recorded a reggae version in 1980 before they became a soul outfit. The other is a very Chic-like "I Feel So Strong". We don't recognise it as a cover and, given that it is credited to John Thompson (who Sugar Rainbow formed Soul Dimension with), we assume that it's an original song.

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Sugar Rainbow

Heather Haywood

Details

Rating:	8
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	New Soul
Format:	EP
Media:	Digital
Label:	Self Released
Cat No:	None
Date:	30/09/2023
Price:	£2.97

Copyright © 2009-2023 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved