Soul Strutter: 03/05/24

Tuesday, 5 March 2024

R.I.P. - Freddie Chavez (15 May 1948 - 2 Mar 2014)

Northern Soul DJ/promoter/author etc. Kev Roberts has posted on Soul Source that Freddie Chavez passed away on Saturday evening (2 Mar) aged 75.

His 1968 single has been well played on the Northern Soul scene over the years, initially for the B side "They'll Never Know Why" but also in more recent years the official funky crossover A side, "Baby I'm Sorry", which has found favour. Only two years ago we reported an auction for the single which had a bid of almost £3.5k. We didn't check the final bid. As we post this John Manship has another demo copy up for auction closing on 13 Mar with a current bid of £1k

Chavez recorded the single aged 21 for John Wagner's Nashville based Look Records. "They'll Never Know Why" was massive in the mid 70s and was bootlegged owing to popularity.

Prior to the release of his first solo single, he is credited as being a member of Thee Chekkers who also released a single ("Please Don't Go" / "Lack Of Love") on Look in 1968, he wrote both songs. The group released an earlier single (possibly around 1964/65) on Albuquerque's Red Feather label.

Chavez was born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico and began his career aged only 11 in 1959. He played with a band all through high school and beyond singing anything from Spanish songs to psych rock. Two further singles are credited to him on FCP (his own imprint Freddie Chavez Productions) but no dates are available.

He was inducted into the New Mexico Hall of Fame in 2005 and continued performing until his health declined. In 2017 he released a CD, "Time & Time Again", with re-recorded versions of a couple of his Look songs. You can listen to the whole CD on his Soundcloud channel.

In 2018 Izipho Soul uncovered two previously unreleased songs Chavez recorded in 1979, "Cold Rainy Day" / "You've Been Wrong So Long", which they released on 7". The flip is more of a country/soul song similar to Dobie Gray's "Drift Away" written by David Nunez aka Dave Newman who also released a single on Look, "Make Up Your Mind", written by Chavez.

Included below is Freddie singing his NS anthem six years ago in Mar 2018 at Soul Trip U.S.A. Las Vegas organised by Roberts.

IZIPHO SOUL · FREDDIE CHAVEZ - COLD RAINY DAY (Copyright Bleeps)

MS1 Project feat. Daneik Ashley [2024] - Passion [Self Released] PROMO

The Harrison Brothers, Mike 'DJ Blue' and George 'GEO', under their MS1 Project moniker, are set to release their latest offering "Passion" featuring New York vocalist Daneik Ashley.

It's a lovely mid-tempo soul jazz song (perhaps their best yet?) which Ms Ashley's sensuous vocals floats over beautifully.

The song was written and produced by the Harrisons with contributions from their long time collaborator Terrell 'Bishop' Beane and Artem Jazz providing the cool saxophone sections.

It will be available on Bandcamp on Friday (8 Mar) with a full release on 15 Mar.

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Details

Rating:	8.6
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Neo Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Self Released
Cat No:	None
Date:	08/03/2024 / 15/03/2023
Key/BPM:	N/A
Price:	£1

Patrice Isley [2024] - Free [Expansion Records] PROMO

On the heels of Chechi Sarai's cover of Minnie Riperton's "Loving You", by coincidence, is another cover of a song of the same ilk and era. Patrice Isley covers Deniece Williams' "Free" which will be available on 29 Mar.

William's original topped the UK pop chart for two weeks of it's ten week run in the Top 40 in May 1977, spending six in total in the Top 10. It peaked at #25 on the Hot 100 and #2 R&B in the states.

Patrice shares, "I loved this song as a little girl. I loved Deniece's voice. It was easy to sing along with. The chorus was beautifully 'catchy,' and the message was strong, 'I want to be Free!'" As an adult, she now appreciates the message of love and freedom coexisting in a relationship, making this cover particularly meaningful to her.

She goes on to tell us: “What I thought would be different in this recording, I found out Deniece did in the original!. I used male background singers. Turns out Deniece used Maurice White (EWF) and Sidney Barnes as background vocalists! The other difference was my idea to reach a higher vocal register than she did in the original. This was not easy to achieve!! I did it, however (modestly stated). One of my backing singers is Ron Stansfield who announced at the end of the recording session he is, indeed, Deniece Williams’ cousin!”

Ms Isley possesses a five-octave vocal range and is known for her renditions of timeless classics (last Oct she covered The Isley's "Harvest For The World"). She slows down the tempo on "Free" and immerses her own style into the song. To clarify, she is not related (directly) to The Isley Brothers.

Born in Houston, TX, she began singing from an early age, although not in the church as with so many soul singers. She relocated to L.A. where she joined a group that included Nina Simone's daughter, Lisa Simone, and not long afterwards found herself in the studio with Teddy Pendergrass singing BGVs.

After touring with an array of A list artists (including Barry White, Gladys Knight, Teddy Pendergrass, Ashford & Simpson, Andre Crouch, Phillip Bailey Chante Moore and Glenn Jones to name but a few) she recorded her debut solo album "Believe In Love" in 2016, the title track, "Just Believe In Love" featured on Expansion's Luxury Soul 2019.

The new single will be her fourth single since then and first since "Harvest For The World". We have been provided with a 4:16 radio version and a full Monty 8:35 version (below) so suspect that both versions will be available when released.

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Details

Rating:	8.4
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	New Soul / Cover Version
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Self Released
Cat No:	None
Date:	29/03/2024
Key/BPM:	N/A
Price:	£1

Andy & The Big Funk [2024] - Funksploitation (Superfly) [Self Released] (Full Album Live Performance Video)

Recorded live at the famous Abbey Road Studios by Andy & The Big Funk is a version of Curtis Mayfield's funk classic "Superfly" for the soundtrack of the 1972 Blaxploitation movie which was remade in 2018.

The track is from a nine track album of covers "Funksploitation" which doesn't appear on the main DSPs but is available from ProStudioMasters. Most are taken from movie soundtracks with "Superfly", "Across 110th Street" (Bobby Womack), "Bourgie Bourgie" (Gladys Knight & The Pips), and "Empire State Of Mind" (Alicia Keys) possibly being being the ones of most interest to soul listeners.

To do the full album justice, we've included the full live performance of it from YouTube below where Andy explains his choices in between songs. NB Superfly is @24:30.

Andy Wood Mitchell began his career as a trainee engineer at Abbey Road Studios so comes full circle. He has been fronting bands from the age of 12 and formed several bands including the comically named Below Average White Band.

He was bought up on feature film music influenced by his father who was MD of Elstree Film Studios.

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Details

Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Soul Funk / Live
Format:	Album
Media:	Digital / Video
Label:	Self Released
Cat No:	None
Date:	25/01/2024
Price:	£13.49

MAR1ASOL [2024] - what u doing? [Self Released]

We think the new single "what u doing?" from MAR1ASOL is what you would decribe as a 'banger'! We're trying to think who/what it reminds us of, and a blend of Erykah Badu's "On And On" / "Appletree" spring to mind. We expect to see this on many playlists in the coming weeks.

It's her second single of the year after "i'm gone" (17 Jan) which was the first since her four track EP "Different" in Apr '23.

MAR1ASOL is Argentinian singer/songwriter Maria Sol Gutierrez who debuted in 2018 with an EP "Luvsteps. She first caused ripples in the UK with her 2021 single "Rip These Moments". Her previous single to that, "Waterfalls", is also very good which we'll post a video for in the absence of any for her more recent material.

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Details

Rating:	8.5
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Neo Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Self Released
Cat No:	None
Date:	04/03/2024
Key/BPM:	10A/83
Price:	£1

Devon Howard [2024] - Morning Son [Self Released] (Full Album)

Devon Howard is a singer/songwriter from Baltimore, MD, who grew up listening to his father's record collection which consisted of the likes of The Manhattans, Stylistics and Commodores. He was a member of several groups including Me-2-U who released a self-titled album on RCA in 1993 and subsequently three singles from it. He was known then as DeVaughn Howard.

His debut solo project "DH" was released in 2008 followed by "Return To Love" in 2015 and he has now completed his third album "Morning Son". It was originally slotted for release two years ago in Mar 2022. The lead single was "Always & Forever" which has had a number of remixes e.g. "Always Stepper's Remix". Other singles included on the album are "Wherever You Are" and "Your Love Is" along with a new Samir Mix of it, leaving seven new songs, all sounding good to our ears.

Another very good album with a mix of soulful ballads and some dance tunes that is up there with Sy Smith, Ricky Jones and Ledisi this year so far.

The smooth soul ballad "Holding On" is holding our attention, along with "Treat You Right" and "You Know (I Want You)" in particular.

Vocally, Devon is influenced by the likes of Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, El Debarge, Babyface, Usher and Ne-Yo.

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Details

Rating:	8.7
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	New Soul
Format:	Album
Media:	Digital
Label:	Self Released
Cat No:	None
Date:	05/03/2024
Price:	£7.99