Soul Strutter: 02/23/24

Friday, 23 February 2024

Towana & The Total Destruction / Ty Karim [2024] - Wear Your Natural, Baby / If I Can't Stop You (I Can Slow You Down) [Ace Records]

Ace Records has reissued two songs from Ty Karim digitally and on 7" vinyl.

The A side is a 1973 outing on Romark "Wear Your Natural, Baby" (which relates to afro hair) billed as Towana & The Total Destruction (Towana was her daughter's name) along with the unreleased cover of C.B. Overton's "If I Can’t Stop You (I Can Slow You Down)" (Shock 1977).

The latter was the prototype for her 1980 collaboration with George Griffin "Keep On Doin' Whatcha' Doin'" on Kon-Chord and then Sheridan House which was reissued by Expansion in 2019 and appears to be her last recording as she died in 1983.

Both sides, as well as "Keep On Doin' Whatcha' Doin'" Pts 1 & 2, were reissued on a Kent CD "The Complete Ty Karim: Los Angeles' Soul Goddess" in 2008. As the title implies, it consists of all her recordings, many previously unreleased. She released a total of seven singles between 1965 and 1980, mainly on her husband's, Kent Harris, Romark label. The compilation also includes an alternate version of "Wear Your Natural, Baby" titled "Natural Do".

Kent released a cut down version on vinyl in 2013 titled "Wear, Your Natural Baby". Way back in 2009 we did a feature on Ty Karim.

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

Details

Rating:	8.8
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Modern Soul
Format:	Single / Reissue
Media:	Digital / 7" Vinyl
Label:	Ace Records
Cat No:	None
Date:	23/02/2024
Key/BPM:	4B/104 / 6A/91
Price:	£1.98 / £9.99

Equasions [2024] - It's so Hard to Say "So Long" / World of Loneliness [Symphonical Records]

A super rare record, much sought after on the lowrider scene, has been reissued digitally today: "It's so Hard to Say "So Long" / World of Loneliness" by Equasions

It is one of only four releases on San Antonio, TX, label Pac Sounds released in 1971. It's the first time it's been reissued on vinyl, although it did appear on a 2020 compilation "Sweet Soul 3 - Rare and Hard To Find Soul 45s" which seems to be no longer available.

London based Symphonical Records, run by James Pogson, has reissued it in conjunction with the song's writer Robert Williams and is already listed on 45Cat so presumably it is also available on vinyl but having checked their Bandcamp store they are all sold out but you may still find one from vinyl dealers.

Equations were a five-piece group led by Robert Williams with Vernon Shannon, James 'Squirell' Hartfield, Ricky Cotton, and Lamar Sumter. Williams and Shannon were previously members of The Volumes (along with James & Joseph Garnett, and Williams' cousin, Ronnie Wallace) who recorded one single, "I'm Gonna Miss You" / "I've Never Been So In Love", in 1969 on Garu run by Manny Guerra.

They performed alongside other local acts such as Royal Jestors, Sunny & The Sunliners, The Primes, Joe Jama and others.

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

Details

Rating:	8
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Sweet Soul
Format:	Single / Reissue
Media:	Digital / 7" Vinyl
Label:	Symphonical Records
Cat No:	None
Date:	23/02/2024
Key/BPM:	12B/72 / 9B/115
Price:	£1.98 / £11.99

Willie Clayton [2024] - Let's Stay Together [Endzone Entertainment]

A new version of probably Al Green's best known song, "Let's Stay Together", is released today by Willie Clayton. He recorded another, self-written, song with same the title on his 2006 "It's All About Love" album on Malaco, which is also included below.

Mississippi born Clayton will be well known to southern soul aficionados. He has been singing since the late 60s and recorded six singles for Hi subsidiary Pawn which were all released on a compilation in 1992. His debut album, "Forever" appeared in 1988 but not in his homeland as it was released in UK, Germany and Japan.

He has released around thirty or more albums since then, his latest "Showtime Mr. C" in Oct '23.

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

Details

Rating:	8
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Southern Soul / Cover Version
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Endzone Entertainment
Cat No:	None
Date:	23/02/2024
Key/BPM:	9B/97 / 7B/60
Price:	£1

The Controllers [2024] - Stay [UMG] (Full Album)

Like most, we would guess, The Controllers entered our consciousness with their superb, and epic 8 minute, deep soul ballad "Somebody's Gotta Win, Somebody's Gotta Lose" which rose to #8 on the R&B chart in 1976. It was their biggest hit which just missed out on Billboard's Hot 100 at #102.

The closest they came to that position again was with the title track of their 1986 album "Stay" which peaked at #12. The album has been digitally reissued and also contains their modern soul (album only) favourite "My Secret Fantasy" along with their version of Marvin Gaye's "Distant Lover" which opens the album and was released as the lead single.

The group was originally an eight piece gospel group reducing to four, brothers Reginald and Larry McArthur and their cousins Ricky Lewis and Lenard Brown from Fairfield near Birmingham, AL. Their first single, the funky "Right on Brother, Right On" / "I Ain't Lyin'", was as The Soul Controllers (written by Ramsey Lewis' bassist Cleveland Eaton) whilst they were still at high school in the late 60s, possibly 1970. One source states that they were originally formed in 1965 as The Epics when they would have been 11/12 years old.

They signed to Frederick Knight's Juana label in 1975 where they released around a dozen singles and three albums before moving to MCA in the early 80s where they released a further three albums, "Stay" being their second for the label. The group released just two more albums, in 1989 on Capitol and a comeback album in 1997 for Malaco.

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

Details

Rating:	8
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	80s Soul
Format:	Album
Media:	Digital
Label:	UMG
Cat No:	None
Date:	09/02/2024
Price:	£6.99

Crack of Dawn [2024] - Crack Of Dawn [Sony] (Full Album)

An album from 1976 that has been reissued is Crack Of Dawn's debut, self-titled album.

The group was formed in Kingston, Jamaica, relocating to Toronto in the 70s. They were a popular live act and attracted the attention of Columbia and became the first black Canadian act signed to the label in 1975, Their first album was released the following year.

It contains a few covers, Mel & Tim's "Keep The Faith", and a good version of "I Can't Move No Mountain" originally recorded by Blood, Sweat & Tears in '72 but also by several others including Margie Joseph, Shirley Brown and Revelation. The song was written by the album's producer Bob Gallo (aka Robert John Gallo) and Michael Gately who also co-wrote several songs popular on the Northern Soul scene such as Eddie Regan's "Playin' Hide And Seek", Robert John (different artist) "If You Don't Want My Love", "Can't Stop Loving You" and "Raindrops, Love And Sunshine".

Curiously, "Put You Money Where Your Mouth Is" is credited on this release to the group's lead singer Glenn Ricketts but was also released in 1976 by Rose Royce credited to Norman Whitfield. Whilst not identical, they sound very similar!

The remainder of the album is generally funk.

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

Details

Rating:	7.6
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	70s Soul Funk
Format:	Album / Reissue
Media:	Digital
Label:	Self Released
Cat No:	None
Date:	16/02/2024
Price:	£7.99

Syleena Johnson & Syl Johnson [2024] - Black Balloon [SJ Entertainment]

An update/remake of Syl Johnson's "Black Balloons" on which he features posthumously with his daughter Syleena Johnson.

Syl Johnson died two years ago on 6 Feb '22 so we would guess that this is a tribute.

It's a completely different arrangement to the 1969 original which featured on "Is It Because I'm Black".

Apart from three Christmas singles in 2022 and no fewer that four remixes of "Monsters In The Closet" last year, this is Ms Johnsons first release since her last album "The Making Of A Woman" in Apr '21. originally released just before Covid hit in Jan '20, so was reissued as a deluxe version as she was unable to promote it during Covid.

We understand that a new album, "Legacy'', is scheduled for later this year.

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
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	New Soul / Cover Version
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	SJ Entertainment / Self Released
Cat No:	None
Date:	09/02/2024
Key/BPM:	7B/94
Price:	£1

Steve Aggasild [2024-02-20] - SoulAndJazzFlavas [Panacea Radio]

Steve Aggasild's latest radio show (in conjunction with SoulStrutter) on Tuesday 20th Jan 2024 on Panacea Radio featuring 2 hours plus of brand new releases.

Steve does a show Panacea Radio between 20:00-22:00 (GMT) each Tuesday and Fri 21:00-23:00 (GMT) on Soul Music Radio.

Catch up with other SoulAndJazzFlavas podcasts on Podbean

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