Soul Strutter: 02/03/24

Saturday, 3 February 2024

Four Tops [2024] - Ain't No Woman Like the One I Got (Live - Remastered 2024) [OVC Media]

We came across this release on YouTube but can't find it at present on Spotify. It's a live recording of "Ain't No Woman Like the One I Got", one of the Four Tops 70s gems after they left Motown and joined ABC Dunhill in 1972. We believe that it was only their second non Motown single following the title track of "Keeper Of The Castle" in 1972.

We can't find any information about the release but it gives a publishing date of 2015 so it may be a more recent live recording of the song which has been remastered and released today (3 Feb). It's certainly not Levi Stubbs on lead vocal as he was on the original live recording on "Live & In Concert" from 1974 nor the one on "A Hand To Hold" (1982). We're guessing that it's Theo Peoples who replaced Stubbs in 1998 when he was ill and eventually died from cancer in 2008?

It may be streaming only as we can only find it on Deezer and YouTube.

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Details

Rating:	8
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	70s Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	OVC Media
Cat No:	None
Date:	03/02/2024
Key/BPM:	N/A
Price:	£N/A

R.I.P. - Carl Weathers (14 Jan 1948 - 1 Feb 2024)

You may have seen on national news and other sources that Rocky actor Carl Weathers, who played Apollo Creed, has passed aged 76 on 1 Feb.

He released, as far as we know, just one recording on Mirage in 1981, and what a recording, the beautiful ballad "You Ought To Be With Me". It peaked at #71 on the R&B chart in autumn 1981. He is credited as co-writing the song with Dwight Emile and the recording was produced by Hadley Murrell who also produced all three of Black Ice's albums.

The flip side, "That's Love Calling" is not too shabby either with producer Murrell and arranger Ray Jackson also given writing credits alongside Weathers and Emile.

Before his acting career commenced in earnest in 1975, Weathers was an NFL footballer working as an extra whilst still playing football. He featured initially in a couple of Blaxploitation movies in the mid 70s before securing the role as Apollo Creed in the first Rocky film in 1976 and continuing in the role for the next three sequels. His other major role was starring alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger in The Predator in 1987 as Colonel Al Dillon.

He also featured in several well know US TV series in the 70s such as Six Million Dollar Man, Kung Fu and Starsky & Hutch. His last movie role was in Toy Story 4 in 2019 as the voice of Combat Carl and last TV series the Star Wars series, The Mandalorian, in 2023 as Greef Karga and he also directed two episodes.

Nicole Asensio & Solo .Cal [2024] - Matter Over Mind [Warner Music] (Full EP)

A three track EP "Matter Over Mind" by Flipino singer/songwriter/actress Nicole Asensio and fellow Filipino producer/multi-instrumentalist Solo .Cal (Wilfred Gabriel Dandan).

The title track "Comprehend" is a lovely mellow and jazzy neo soul song written by Asensio and produced by Solo .Cal as is the second track "Vibecheck" which is in a very similar vein.

The track that initially drew our attention to the EP is "Get It Right" which ups the tempo a shade and is a nice head nodder / stepper which should gain lots of attention, highly recommended.

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Details

Rating:	8.6
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Neo Soul
Format:	EP
Media:	Digital
Label:	Warner Music
Cat No:	None
Date:	02/02/2024
Key/BPM:	9B/90
Price:	£2.49

Miss C-Line [2024] - Flying [C-Records]

Swiss Neo-Soul singer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist MISS C-LINE (Caroline Viktoria Mülle) is from Bern/Basel. She graduated in Vocal Jazz with distinction from the Jazzcampus Basel and mastered in performance/production.

In 2021 she won the "New Generation Jazz Lab Contest" in St. Moritz coached by jazz musicians such as Lee Ritenour, Iiro Rantala and Omar Sosa.

She combines soul and groove, hip-hop and jazz elements in her self written sings, her latest being "Flying" on 2 Feb.

Her debut album, "The One", was released on Bandcamp in Feb 2017.

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Details

Rating:	8.4
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Neo Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	C-Records
Cat No:	None
Date:	02/02/2024
Key/BPM:	7B/93
Price:	£1

Amaiya Holley [2024] - ENERGY [Self Released]

New Orleans born Amaiya Holley released, what appears to be, her fourth releases and first since 2022 in the form of a single "ENERGY".

She graduated from Bowie State University, Maryland, with a Bsc in Theatre Arts and has appeared in several theatre productions. She now lives in NYC.

Her debut single "For My Good" was delivered in Dec '20 followed by a full album "Uncovered" in Feb '22. since then just one non album single "Who's To Blame?" in Sep '22.

We think "ENERY" is her best yet.

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Details

Rating:	8.2
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Neo Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Self Released
Cat No:	None
Date:	02/02/2024
Key/BPM:	3B/72
Price:	£1

N'die [2024] - Stay the Night [Self Released]

A debut single by 22 year old N'die (Indiya Pettiford) from Roxbroro, NC, titled "Stay The Night" is released today.

Indiya runs a fashion and beauty vlog on YouTube as Indie P. but has been singing since a young age opening for Fantasia and singing at the Apollo theatre NYC and backing many gospel artists.

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Details

Rating:	8.2
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Neo Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Self Released
Cat No:	None
Date:	02/02/2024
Key/BPM:	4B/57
Price:	£1

Raquel Rodriguez [2024] - Good To You [Self Released]

We've followed the career of Raquel Rodriguez since we came across her EP "Sunday's Best" with Stan Taylor in 2019 and took the opportunity on that post of highlighting some of her earlier material.

Raquel has progressed to become a firm favourite in the UK and her releases highly anticipated and welcomed, whether they are her own solo singles, or she is duetting with Stan Taylor or guesting for other artists such as Sir Spencer, Swatkins, Nate Williams or DUX..

She makes only her second solo release since her debut album "Sweet Side" in Apr 2021 which will be a new single "Good To You" on 16 Feb, although it has been pre-released on Bandcamp on 2 Feb. It follows "Let Me Remind You" in Nov '23 (also included below as we didn't post it at the time as we were having a sabbatical).

It intros with a lo-fi production and progresses into an old school vibe (but with a contemporary feel) which reminds us a little of Patrice Rushen's "Remind Me" (1982).

Raquel will be appearing at London's Jazz Cafe on 9 Jun 2024. Tickets available HERE.

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Details

Rating:	8.4
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Neo Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Self Released
Cat No:	None
Date:	02/02/2024 / 17/11/2023
Key/BPM:	N/A
Price:	$5