Soul Strutter: 03/12/24

Tuesday, 12 March 2024

Erica Falls [2024] - Emotions [Louisiana Red Hot] (Full Album)

NOLA's Erica Falls released her long-awaited third album, "Emotions", on Friday. It was written during the pandemic and reflects Erica's experience living life as a Black woman during a tumultuous time and expresses human sentiments and 'Emotions' digging deep into love, sadness, frustration, fear, grief, marginalization, joy, doubt, encouragement, and release and is a testament to her determination, perseverance, and growth as an artist.

Co-produced with her long-time collaborator and member of her backing band, Vintage Soul, drummer Nick Mercadel and includes bandmates Donald Ramsey (bass), Chris Adkins (guitar), Jason Hodge (keys) along with George Porter, Jr. (The Meters) (bass), Grammy-nominated drummer Jamison Ross, and Cresent City vocalists Coty Hunter, Alayna Mayberry, and Christen Spencer.

The album is Ms Fall's first since "Homegrown" in 2017 which followed "Me Myself" in 2011. It includes two of her recent singles, the superb "Up" (Jul '23) and her last single, "Good Time" (Jan '24).

An earlier single "Let's Get Down Tonight" (Apr '22) is available to pre-order on vinyl. which we believe has "One Stop Shop" (Aug '22) on the flipside.

The album's fifteen tracks are interspersed with five short interludes and strangely, unless it's an upload error on all platforms, the first two, "Frustration" and "Exasperation", appear to be identical. It opens with the single "Up" and an earlier single "Let's Get Down Tonight" , and, skipping interludes, continues with a slightly reggae flavoured "Over It", a soulful ballad "Take Me Away", a more southern soul styled "Pete's Tune" and then the 'creme de la creme' "One Stop Shop" which was released as a single in Aug '22 and also has a remix as the last track.

"Big" is a bluesy funker followed by the more soulful, mid-tempo, "Chocolate Sunshine" and finally the funk dance single "Good Time".

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Details

Rating:	8.3
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	New Soul
Format:	Album
Media:	Digital
Label:	Louisiana Red Hot
Cat No:	None
Date:	08/03/2024
Price:	£7.99

Michelle David & The True-tones [2024] - Brothers And Sisters [Live at MDTT]

On 30 Jan we alerted you to the forthcoming album "Brothers And Sisters" by Michelle David & The True-tones with the lead single which was pre-released on Bandcamp. It was then released on all platforms the following week.

We still have just over three weeks to wait for the album due on 5 Apr and no further tracks have been leaked as yet. However, a couple of weeks ago the group performed the lead single live, video below.

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Details

Rating:	8
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Retro Soul / Northern Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Record Kicks
Cat No:	None
Date:	30/01/2024 / 07/02/2024
Key/BPM:	8B/137
Price:	£1

The Notations [2024] - Oh Honey [Silent Giant Entertainment]

Veteran Chicago group The Notations have recorded the Ken Gold Michael Denne written song "Oh Honey" . It was originally recorded by British group Delegation from Birmingham in 1978, who's version has been played on 2-step and modern soul scene for many years.

The Notations new version is faithful to the original which was Delegation's biggest US hit reaching #8 R&B and #45 Hot 100. Their first, and biggest, UK hit, "Where Is The Love (We Used To Know)", doesn't appear to have been released stateside, and hence never charted there.

We last featured The Notations, who's current line-up includes original member Clifford Curry, Eric Rapier Bryant and Marzette Griffith, with their cover of The Whispers "Seems Like I Gotta Do Wrong" in Sep, '22, and most of their recent material has been cover versions. Their last single being a new version of their first hit "I'm Still Here" (1970) on Christmas Eve '23.

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Details

Rating:	8.2
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Modern Soul / 2-Step Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Silent Giant Entertainment
Cat No:	None
Date:	10/03/2024
Key/BPM:	10B/95 / 10B/94
Price:	£1

Brighter Side of Darkness [2024] - Because I Love You b/w Oh Baby [Numero Group #NUM4753]

Brighter Side of Darkness was formed in 1971 at Calumet High School in Chicago. The group consisted of Ralph Eskridge, Randolph Murph, Larry Washington, Albert Vanderlier Roberts and their 12-year-old lead singer Darryl Lamont.

They released their debut single "Love Jones" in Aug 1972 which peaked at #3 R&B and #16 Hot 100. On the strength of the single, 20th Century released a full album titled "Love Jones" produced by Clarence Johnson, The second single, "Just A Little Bit", bombed and their third, "I Owe You Love", made it to #48 R&B.

It would appear that they were then released by 20th Century and signed to Clarence Johnson's Star-Vue where they released one song from the album, "Oh Baby", along with "Because I Love You" in 1974 which has been reissued digitally by Numero Group.

The group disbanded after this single but got back together to release a final single "He Made You Mine" / "Disco Ball" in 1978 on Magic Touch (also reissued digitally by Numero Group in Dec '22) before breaking up for good.

Discogs lists one further single "Natually" released as The Brighter Side. The label states that it's from the album "Love Jones" which it didn't actually feature on, so perhaps it's an unreleased track Johnson released later. It's the second of only two listed singles on an 80s Chicago label Phoenix. The only other release is dated 1987 by Serenade, "La La For Love", which is a rather good mid-tempo sweet soul number, flipped with "I Like The Little Boy In You", co-written and produced by Johnson which sounds very like The Lovelites who Johnson managed in the 70s.

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Details

Rating:	8.4
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Sweet Soul
Format:	Single / Reissue
Media:	Digital
Label:	Numero Group
Cat No:	NUM4753
Date:	12/03/2024
Key/BPM:	8B/74 / 10B/127
Price:	£1.79

The R&R Soul Orchestra [2024] - When You Come Back [The American R&B Company]

Our friend Julio Herrera of The R&R Soul Orchestra has just posted an edit of "When You Come Back", a song the band recorded in 2018.

He tells us that it's from an album "Live from a Basement in Queens" and that the band is getting ready for live performances.

The song includes Valerie Kelley on lead vocals, Saxy Ric on Soprano Sax, Cecil Sanchez on bass, Carlos Sanchez on guitar, Ralph Roper on percussion and Julio on keys.

If you wish to learn a little more about Julio and R&R Soul Orchestra then Steve Aggasild interviewed him for us in Sep '22.

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Details

Rating:	8.3
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	New Soul
Format:	Single / Video
Media:	Digital
Label:	The American R&B Company
Cat No:	None
Date:	12/01/2018 / 11/03/2024
Key/BPM:	7B/96
Price:	£1