Soul Strutter: 02/18/24

Sunday, 18 February 2024

Shirley Diamond & Jesse James [2024] - You Don't Know Who You're Sleeping With [Soul Junction #SJ1021]

The new single from Soul Junction is due for release on 26 Feb and pairs Shirley Diamond with Jesse James. The 7" vinyl release consists of two versions of "You Don't Know Who You're Sleeping with", a song Diamond co-wrote with Terry Dukes and produced by Con Funk Shun's Felton Pilate released in Oct '21. The A side being a duet with James and the B side the original solo 2021 version.

Atlanta, GA, native Shirley was at the same high school as her mentor Gladys Knight and same college as Jean Carne. By day she's an Education Support Teacher working with students who are experiencing learning difficulties.

She has collaborated with Reggie Hargis Hicks of the group Brick and Mikael Manley the guitarist with The Commodores, toured with Johnnie Taylor and has opened for Tyrone Davis, Joe Simon, Millie Jackson, Atlantic Star, Bar Kays, Bobby Bland, Denise LaSalle, Marvin Sease and many others.

Diamond released a CD only album "You Don't Have To Be Sad To Sing The Blues" with Magic Mushroom around March 2005 which contained several covers including "Homewrecker" (Tyrone Davis), "Inner City Blues" (Marvin Gaye) and "Nothing Takes The Place Of You" (Toussaint McCall). A couple of singles were released in 2013 and 2016 followed by her next project, a six track EP, "Strong Woman", in Sep 2016. since then two singles "Been So Long" (Apr 2018) and the single here in Sep '21.

James and Diamond were introduced to each other via Diamond's former manager Harvey Scales and re-recorded the song as a duet.

Soul Junction has announced that another James/Diamond duet, "Another Love Lay Over", will feature on a future Jesse James project.

Available to pre-order now from Soul Junction or from your regular vinyl dealer.

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Details

Rating:	8.2
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	New Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	7" Vinyl
Label:	Soul Junction
Cat No:	SJ1021
Date:	26/02/2024
Key/BPM:	N/A
Price:	£13

Skip Martin [2024] - A Love of Your Own [Sound Success]

"A Love of Your Own" is a song written by Average White Band's Hamish Stuart with Ned Doheny and has been covered by former Dazz Band lead vocalist/trumpeter Skip Martin today.

Average White Band first recorded the song in 1976 which featured on "Soul Searching" and as a single in it's own right. Doheny also recorded it for his "Hard Candy" album later in 1976 which also gained a single release.

The song has been covered multiple times, first by Millie Jackson on "Lovingly Yours" in 1976 between AWB and Doheny's versions. The Ebonys were next covering it on their "Sing About Life" album. Other notable version include Donnie Elbert (1977), Howard Hewett (1994) with a very different, more jazzy, interpretation. More recent versions include Nia Simmons (2015) and one we posted in 2021 by Eliot Kennedy.

Grammy and Emmy Award winning Sennie 'Skip' Martin left the Dazz Band in the late 80s for a spell with Kool & The Gang before returning in 1995 whilst also touring with Kool & The Gang up to 2007. He's released multiple, far too many to count, solo albums, the first, "For Women Only" in 1995.

Whilst here, we unearthed a single from last Jul which seems to have passed by unnoticed. It's a bit of a mash up of Kool & The Gang's 80s hit "Get Down On It" utilising Michael Wycoff's "Looking Up To You".

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Details

Rating:	8.4
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	New Soul / Cover Version
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Sound Success
Cat No:	None
Date:	16/02/2024
Key/BPM:	11A/66
Price:	£1

Shirley Jones [2024] - Reflections: In Loving Memory [JG Records] (Full Album)

Atlanta based, Philly soul veteran Shirley Jones has a new album, "Reflections: In Loving Memory" dedicated in memory of her sisters in The Jones Girls, Valorie and Brenda both now deceased. It celebrates the 45th anniversary of their self-titled debut album on Philadelphia International which spawned their biggest hit "You Gonna Make Me Love Somebody Else" which had "Who Can I Run To" (on the flip of the single) along with "I'm At Your Mercy".

The ten tracks include new versions of the latter two songs retitled "I Won't Tell If You Won’t Tell (Who Can I Run To)" and "At Your Mercy" and an unreleased song recorded for The Jones Girls debut album which was shelved, "Baby Don't Go", which Expansion Records released in 2012 on a PIR logo along with "This Feeling Is Killing Me".

Two songs have already been released as singles, "When You Love Somebody" (Aug '23) and "Soul Steppin' (Soul Syndicate Remix)" (Jun '22) which is a remix of the song released in Oct '21.

To keep the family connection going, the title track, "Reflections", is written by Valorie's son PJ with Shirley's son Cam featuring on "This I Know" along with Everis Pellius.

We did a Shirley Jones Profile for her 69th birthday on 22 Sep 2022 so if you wish to learn more about her career, then we direct you there.

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Details

Rating:	8
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	New Soul
Format:	Album
Media:	Digital
Label:	JG Record
Cat No:	None
Date:	16/02/2024
Price:	£9.90

Phillip Brandon feat. Gerald Albright [2024] - Mystery [Davis Infinity Records]

A cover of "Mystery" by Phillip Brandon originally recorded by Manhattan Transfer in 1983 but possibly best remembered for Anita Baker's rendition on "Rapture" (1986). Jazz saxophonist Gerald Albright features on the song.

L.A. born Brandon is the son of Brenda 'Ms B' Davis who was one of Ray Charles' Raelets. The new single is only his third solo release after debuting with a self-titled five track EP in 2013 and a full album, "The Story Begins", in 2017.

After graduating with a degree in marketing he took part in singing competitions and joined an acappella group singing on cruise ships. This led to work in musical theatre. From a YouTube video he posted he was approached by rock group Trans Siberian Orchestra who he toured with for eight years.

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Details

Rating:	8.2
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Soul Jazz / Cover Version
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Davis Infinity Records
Cat No:	None
Date:	16/02/2024
Key/BPM:	12A/82
Price:	£1

LaTasha Lee & The Black Ties [2024] - LaTasha Lee & The Black Ties [Self Released] (Full Album)

Last week LaTasha Lee released an album of 14 songs, "Compositions of LaTasha Lee & Salih Williams", recorded between 2014 - 2021. All but the last two songs had been posted on YouTube but, as we've discovered over the years, much of her material hasn't been available to download, so perhaps this album represents their first 'official' release?

This week she appears to have digitally reissued her debut album "LaTasha Lee & The Black Ties" from 2014 which contains another 14 songs.

As with last week's album it's very retro, early 60s / doo-wop, oriented. A couple of songs have a reggae feel: "Heart Breaker", "Loving One Another" and "Left Hand Side (which seems to borrow from "Pass The Dutchie") and is our pick from the album. A couple of songs utilise samples; "Crazy" (Temptations' "My Girl"), "Get Away" (Neil Sedaka's "Oh Carol").

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Details

Rating:	7.8
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Retro Soul
Format:	Album / Reissue
Media:	Digital
Label:	Self Released
Cat No:	None
Date:	16/02/2024 (24/08/2014)
Price:	£7.89