Copyright © 2009-2024 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved
Sunday, 26 May 2024
Stax Connoisseurs Collection
Our parting shot that we'll leave you with is a playlist of many of our
favourite Stax recordings compiled to coincide with the concluding two parts
of the HBO documentary "Stax: Soulsville U.S.A." which airs tomorrow night.
Not the 'usual' suspects trotted out on many Stax compilations, bar one or two,
but all known to soul connoisseurs.
Copyright © 2009-2024 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved
Friday, 24 May 2024
Ed Robinson [2024] - Hey Blackman [ Cherry Red Records]
A song written and recorded by Ed Robinson, "Hey Blackman", is digitally reissued today. It was released in 1970 in two parts, originally on GM and later
nationally distributed on Cotillion. It was also released the following year in the UK as Eddie Robinson on Ember. The song defies categorisation as Pt.1 one is a deep soul balled with a message whilst Pt. 2 is more upbeat funky soul.
Cherry Red
Records, who have reissued it, have used a facsimile of the original
Ember picture sleeve for the release. They also released Pt.1 on a 72 track compilation "Soul On Fire (The Detroit Story 1957-1977)" in 2017.
Other notable releases on the, relatively short-lived, GM label
include The Jones Girls debut single "My Own Special Way" (Robinson
wrote both sides), Mr Floods Party's Northern Soul monster version of
Gene McDaniels' "Compared To What" and Dee Edwards first release of
"Why Can't There Be Love" (it later came out on associated label Bump
Shop).
Robinson's next single was a absolute killer version of the Jimmy Diggs song "Temptation's 'Bout To Get Me" (Atco 1971) first recorded by The Knight Brothers (Checker 1965)
who Diggs was a member of. We did a
version excursion
of the song in 2020 and at that time listed (and linked to) 18
versions.
He released only one further secular single, an Ashford &
Simpson song "I Just Wanna Be There" (Atco 1971), before he turned to
gospel and released a couple of singles and an album,
"Reflections Of The Man Inside", on gospel label Myrrh as Eddie
Robinson in 1974 followed by another album "You In My Life" in
1979.
Edward Clay Robinson was from Detroit and played the role of Hud in a
Detroit stage production of the musical 'Hair'. He was also a
songwriter with songs recorded by The Jones Girls, Leah Roberts,
Marlena Shaw, Melba Moore, Jeannie Reynolds, The Dramatics and many
others including one of our deep soul favourites "I'll Hold The Key" by
Nelson Sanders as well as some rare soul favs Metros "What's Wrong
With Our Love" and Mildred Clark "Keep Trying".
Destiny's Child's 2004 hit "Girl" sampled a song, "Oceans Of Thoughts And Dreams", he co-wrote with Don Davis for The Dramatics in 1977.
Robinson continued to record into the new century with "Elephant Song(Ant & Elephant)" (2007 as Eddie GM) and "Back On Track" (2010 as Eddie Robinson GM) along with several singles, but died in Apr 2014, we would guess in his 60s/early 70s.
Click on image below for link to where you can buy from.
Desmond [2024] - Endlessly [Self Released] (Full Album)
A debut album of slow jams called "Endlessly" by Desmond with all songs credited to Vasudevan Desmond Hall.
We can find nothing about the artist but a search on his name lists a 51 yr
old from Orlando, FL, which would be a strange coincidence if not the same
person with such an unusual name?
Click on image below for link to where you can buy from.
| Rating: | 8.2 |
| Explicit: | N |
| Genre/Style: | New Soul / Slow Jam |
| Format: | Album |
| Media: | Digital |
| Label: | Self Released |
| Cat No: | None |
| Date: | 24/05/2024 |
| Price: | £7.99 |
Copyright © 2009-2024 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved
Skyler Reed [2024] - Note 2 Self [Self Released] (Full EP)
Skyler Reed (Skyler Lynn Boardley) is a classically
trained singer, songwriter and vocal coach based in Atlanta, GA. She
studied vocal performance at Virginia State University and received a
Bachelor of Music Degree.
Shortly after graduating, she moved to L.A. to pursue her career and
performed in several operas and established herself as an artist. Now
based in Atlanta, she's released five singles, two EPs and a full album,
"Descended Crown" (2018).
Her latest project is a six track EP "Note 2 Self" released today and includes her last two singles "Time Of Day" (Feb '23) and "I Am" (Dec '22).
Our choice cut is "Second Guessing" for which a music video will premiere at 19:00 (BST) tonight.
Click on image below for link to where you can buy from.
Click icons below for further information or to connect with the
artist.
| Rating: | 8 |
| Explicit: | N |
| Genre/Style: | New Soul |
| Format: | EP |
| Media: | Digital |
| Label: | Self Released |
| Cat No: | None |
| Date: | 24/05/2024 |
| Price: | £5.94 |
Copyright © 2009-2024 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved
Mr Maph [2024] - Silence Is Golden The Album [House Of Parliament Music] (Full Album)
We've posted several singles from Mr Maph (aka Michael
Harding) since being alerted to the superb single "Sweet Dancer" from Dec '22.
Harding is London born but now lives in Marbella, Spain, and was a
finalist in the The Voice (Spain i.e. The Vox). He's been singing and
performing for over 25 years.
He's quite prolific with releasing singles (many are EDM) and has today released, what
looks like, his debut album, "Silence Is Golden The Album", which consists of many singles released in the last year or so. It's a
15 tracker, but 3 of those are interludes.
Songs that we don't think have been previously released are "Healing" and also "Fantasy".
NOTE There's an official link to a FREE download for "Sweet Dancer" (in wav format) on the YouTube video for it below.
Click on image below for link to where you can buy from.
Click icons below for further information or to connect with the
artist.
| Rating: | 8.4 |
| Explicit: | N |
| Genre/Style: | New Soul |
| Format: | Album |
| Media: | Digital |
| Label: | House Of Parliament Music / Self Released |
| Cat No: | None |
| Date: | 24/05/2024 |
| Price: | £7.99 |
Copyright © 2009-2024 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved
MHem [2024] - Little Sunflower [Pax Stereo]
An artist we've followed since his debut(?) album, "Friends With Benefits" in Sep last year is MHem (Mario Hemsely MD). We're pleased to see that his latest album of covers,"One Night Stand", has been gaining attention, especially for the vocal version of Kool
& The Gang's "Summer Madness".
He has a new single out, a track not on the album, which is another cover.
This time of jazz trumpeter Freddie Hubbard's "Little Sunflower" originally written by Hubbard as an instrumental and released on his 1967 "Backlash" album. It was re-recorded in 1979 with Al Jarreau adding lyrics and vocals which this new version is based on. It was released as a single from Hubbard's "The Love Connection" album in 1979.
As with the last two albums the vocalist is once again Derran Day. The
song is a whopping 12:34, over 3 minutes longer than Hubbard's 1979 album
version, so unlikely to get radio exposure without being significantly
truncated.
Most definitely one for the 'chin strokers'!
Click on image below for link to where you can buy from.
Click icons below for further information or to connect with the
artist.
| Rating: | 8.4 |
| Explicit: | N |
| Genre/Style: | Jazz |
| Format: | Single / Cover Version |
| Media: | Digital |
| Label: | Pax Stereo |
| Cat No: | None |
| Date: | 24/05/2024 |
| Key/BPM: | 8A/1258A/125 |
| Price: | £1 |
Copyright © 2009-2024 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved
Thursday, 23 May 2024
Truth & Devotion [2024] - Heaven At Last [Holy Grail Records #HGR-002] (Full Album)
Truth & Devotion were a gospel/soul group from
Anderson, IN, who released a solitary album, "Heaven At Last", on Tyscott Records in 1981 and one single from it on Champ Records. The single included a non-album track "To Know Him" along with "I'm So Happy" and sells consistently for around £100 with the original album fetching up to £200 plus.
The album has been reissued digitally and on vinyl in Jan this year by
Holy Grail Records prompted by hop-hop producers sampling the title
track, which is worth the price of the album on it's own.
It's the Worcester, Massachusetts, based label's second release after
reissuing Tomorrow's Wish "On My Mind" album on vinyl last year.
The group was led by Dewayne Johnson (keys / vocals) and included Bobby
Simonds (guitar & vocals), James L. Dixon (drums), Edgar M. "Mickey"
Woodall, Bill Miller (vocals), John L. Hester (bass and narration on
"Heaven At Last"), Garland L. Simmons (percussion) and Horace Brooks
(guitar).
Click on image below for link to where you can buy from.
| Rating: | 8.3 |
| Explicit: | N |
| Genre/Style: | Gospel Soul |
| Format: | Album / Reissue |
| Media: | Digital / Vinyl |
| Label: | Holy Grail Records |
| Cat No: | HGR-002 |
| Date: | 15/01/2024 |
| Price: | $15 / $25 |
Copyright © 2009-2024 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved
Betty Wright [1981] - Make Me Love The Rain [Epic #14-02602]
A topical one... no NOT the just announced General Election on 4 Jul,
the other thing Brits talk about incessantly, and with good reason
recently, the weather and more specifically the RAIN!
Betty Wright from her self-titled 1981 album on Epic and
nice 2-stepper, "Make Me Love The Rain", not available for download, although it was reissued on CD in 2016.
The album's not expensive and well worth seeking out for the deep soul
killer "One Bad Habit (And That's Loving You!)" (which we will also include, why not?)
Click on image below for link to where you can buy from.
| Rating: | 8.6 |
| Explicit: | N |
| Genre/Style: | Modern Soul |
| Format: | Single |
| Media: | 7" Vinyl |
| Label: | Epic |
| Cat No: | 14-02602 |
| Date: | 10/1981 |
| Key/BPM: | N/A |
| Price: | £10-£25 |
Copyright © 2009-2024 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved
Citrus Sun [2024] - Down For The Third Time [Dome]
From a forthcoming album "Anaconga" due on 14 June by Citrus Sun is the lead single, a cover of Bobby
Caldwell's 1978 jazz funk gem "Down For The Third Time". It features one of our favourite UK based singers Natalie Duncan with
Dominic Glover (trumpet) and Charlie Allen (guitar).
The album is conceived and produced by Incognito's Jean-Paul 'Bluey'
Maunick and pays homage to jazz and soul greats back in the day. It's
Bluey's fourth album for Dome (and fifth overall as the first was on
Expansion Records in 2000) with his Citrus Sun side project which shows
his more instrumental-oriented side.
It opens with four covers on the bounce, Tony Momrelle and Deborah Bond feature on Maynard Ferguson's "Mister Mellow". Ms Duncan performs lead once again on Erykah Badu's "Honey" followed by "Mystic Brew" (Ronnie Foster) and "Down For The Third Time". The remaining six tracks, we believe, are all original songs.
The single comes in two sizes, the 3:58 Radio Edit and the full Monty
5:50 album version and is released tomorrow (24 May).
Very strange as this is the third time today that we've featured music by
an artist recently deceased as Bobby Caldwell passed only in March
this year and a
tribute
was posted.
Click on image below for link to where you can buy from. NB
available 24 May
| Rating: | 8.8 |
| Explicit: | N |
| Genre/Style: | Soul Jazz / Cover Version |
| Format: | Single |
| Media: | Digital |
| Label: | Dome |
| Cat No: | None |
| Date: | 24/05/2024 |
| Key/BPM: | N/A |
| Price: | £1 |
Copyright © 2009-2024 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved
Bossa Nostra & Vicki Anderson [2024] - Home Is Where The Hatred Is / The Message From The Soul Sisters (The Remixes E.P.) [Irma Records]
Recently covered by
Billy Valentine, Gil Scott-Heron's "Home Is Where The Hatred Is" was also covered by Bossa Nostra & Vicki Anderson
in 1996 and has been reissued digitally today with a set of remixes.
The release also includes three versions of "The Message From A Soul Sister", a James Brown written song that she originally recorded under her real
name Myrna Barnes in 1970 on King.
Anderson was married to Bobby Byrd who are the parents of Carleen Anderson
(The Brand New Heavies). She died last July aged 83 and a
tribute
was posted.
Click on image below for link to where you can buy from.
| Rating: | 8.2 |
| Explicit: | N |
| Genre/Style: | Soul Funk |
| Format: | EP / Reissue |
| Media: | Digital |
| Label: | Irma Records |
| Cat No: | None |
| Date: | 23/05/2024 |
| Price: | £7.89 |
Copyright © 2009-2024 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved
Jesse James [2024] - Back On Top Again [Soul Junction #SJLP 5016] (Album Samples)
Soul Junction's Dave Welding makes no bones about his admiration of
Jesse James. Over recent years the label has put out several singles and
an album by the, perhaps, little known veteran outside of rare soul
circles. i.e. SJ508,
SJ511,
SJ543,
SJ544,
SJ546,
SJ552,
SJ1021, and an album in 2012 "Let Me Show You"
SJLP5005. They have another album lined by him of current and recent recordings
titled "Back On Top Again".
Jesse James is James Herbert McClelland from the west coast (Richmond,
CA,) and shouldn't be confused with another artist of the same name from
the east coast who also worked in the 60s and 70s in Philadelphia.
Legend has it that James got his name accidentally at a nightclub he was
performing at in the early 60s when the compere couldn't pronounce his
name and introduced him as Jesse James and the name stuck. He also got
his big break by accident when his aunt just happened to be dating West
Coast blues singer Jimmy McCracklin who, after being persuaded to listen
to James sing, wrote and produced "I Will Go", the B side of his first single on Shirley billed as Jess James &
The Royal Aces who included one Sylvester Stewart (Sly Stone) in its
ranks.
Another four singles would be released on Shirley under his own name
with the last in 1965, "Are You Gonna Leave Me", later being an in-demander on Northern Soul dancefloors and
was reissued by Soul Junction in 2011 (SJ511).
In 1967 he recorded two singles on Hit, the last one, "Believe In Me Baby" (as Jesse James & The Dynamic Four) was picked up by 20th Century
billed as just Jesse James. Two more singles on 20th Century and his
debut self-titled album, another on Hit and one on Uni followed before
he set up his own production and publishing company 'South Richmond
Music' releasing singles on his own labels South Richmond, Zea
(including the deep soul gem "I Need You Baby") and Zay. A return to 20th Century in 1974 for another two singles
produced the sought after double-sider with the modern soul favourite
"If You Want A Love Affair" and another deep soul masterpiece "I Never Meant To Love Her".
One more single materialised in the 70s, "The Same Thing Happens", which his producer at 20th Century, Ron Carson, got placed on the
Happy Fox label's blaxploitation album "Black Fist" and was released as
a single. He released around half a dozen more singles in the 80s all on
different labels.
In 1988 he formed Gunsmoke Records and has released around seven albums,
the last one in 2015. Now 81, he still performs live shows and is
actively writing, producing and recording fresh new material. Soul
Junction has now collated some of his most recent and new recordings to
release "Back On Top Again" on vinyl tomorrow (24 May) and available from
Soul Junction. One for the Southern Soul lovers in particular.
Click on image below for link to where you can buy from.
Click to enlarge
A1 - Back On Top
A2 - Another Love Lay Over (Featuring Shirley Diamond)
A3 - I Lost My Baby On Facebook (Featuring Donnie McKisic)
A4 - Keep It On The Hush Hush
A5 - Get In Touch With Me
B1 - What Happened To The Oo-Wee
B2 - Can I Still Be Your Friend
B3 - I Be A Fool 2 Fool Around On You
B4 - I Put A Clam On That Thang
| Rating: | 8.4 |
| Explicit: | N |
| Genre/Style: | Southern Soul |
| Format: | Album |
| Media: | Vinyl |
| Label: | Soul Junction |
| Cat No: | SJLP 5016 |
| Date: | 24/05/2024 |
| Price: | £24 |
Copyright © 2009-2024 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved
Eon [2024] We'll Go On / Children Of The Night [Octave #OTS353]
Record Store Day 2024 has come and gone in April but one that you may not
have been aware of for Record Store Day Japan 2024 is a modern soul favourite from Eon. It consists of two album cuts only from their first of two self-titled albums in 1975 (Scepter),
the second album is from 1978 (Ariola America).
Eon was a four piece group from New York who released just the two albums and
three singles between 1975-78, two from first and one from the second album. Group members were Daniel Anderson, Jay Borrerro, Raymond Orta and Robert
Remming. Although all members were African-Americans, the album is quite pop, folk
and rock oriented.
The two tracks paired from the first album are "We'll Go On" and "Children Of The Night". They are both 7" edits from the album, 4:31 v 7:12 and 4:49 v 5:45 respectively. The YouTube clips below are the full album cuts.
Click on image below for link to where you can buy from.
| Rating: | 8.4 |
| Explicit: | N |
| Genre/Style: | Modern Soul |
| Format: | Single |
| Media: | 7" Vinyl |
| Label: | Octave |
| Cat No: | None |
| Date: | 20/04/2024 / 1975 |
| Key/BPM: | N/A |
| Price: | £17.99 |
Copyright © 2009-2024 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved
Frank Blythe & Miracle Thomas [2024] - Thinkin' Of You [Soulful Evolution Records #SER558] PROMO SAMPLE
Originally released in Oct '23 was "Thinkin Of You" by Miracle Thomas & Frank Blythe. A new soulful house mix is released tomorrow (24 May) on Traxsource, which we believe
it's exclusive to Traxsource, at present at least.
The billing for the new version has been flipped with Blythe taking first billing i.e. Frank Blythe & Miracle Thomas. The song has been extended to 6:04 and the tempo has been ramped up to the obligatory 124 BPM house pace from the sedentary 75 BPM and is virtually unrecognisable to the original song. It sounds to us like Blythe may have added a riff from the Sister Sledge song of the same name in the mix?
Miracle Thomas was born in Lychburg, VA and has been singing since she was three and in her teens moved to Washington D.C. She debuted in 1993 with an independent 'Go Go' single, however she took time out of the music business to raise her autistic son and returned in 2018 and has had several UK Soul chart toppers since her return.
Her uncle is Carl Anderson who had a UK #49 hit with a Stevie Wonder song 'Buttercup' in 1985.
Blythe is from Teeside (UK) and has worked in the music industry since the late 80's producing soulful tracks initially before being drawn to the Acid House scene through 88-90 and spending time in Holland playing Acid House parties.
Upon returning to the UK linked to labels such as Big Life and Cool Tempo. He moved back home to Teeside and set up his own studio working with local talent in the North East. In 2014 Frank set up 4th Quarter Music.
Click on image below for link to where you can buy from.
Click icons below for further information or to connect with the
artist.
| Rating: | 8.4 |
| Explicit: | N |
| Genre/Style: | Soulful House |
| Format: | Single |
| Media: | Digital |
| Label: | Soulful Evolution Records |
| Cat No: | SER558 |
| Date: | 24/05/2024 |
| Key/BPM: | 9B/124 |
| Price: | $2.49 |
Copyright © 2009-2024 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved