Soul Strutter: 05/01/24

Wednesday, 1 May 2024

Yellie [2024] - Triggered [Self Released]

Yellie is Shayla James from Brooklyn, NYC, now resident in Atlanta. She's released two singles to date, the first as a featured artist in Apr '23 on a single by PlainOldD and a solo one in Jun '23. Her third single, "Triggered", was released yesterday (30 Apr '24) which is one of those neo soul tunes but with an old school favour.

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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:	30/04/2024
Key/BPM:	12A/62
Price:	£1

Zanah [2024] - Honey [Self Released]

Canadian artist Zanah (Susana Rodriguez) is of Latin decent and, having grown up as a Latina listening to music in both English and Spanish, produces music in 'Spanglish'. Her style is a hint of old school with Latin vibes.

Her first single for a couple of years is a neo soul ballad called "Honey" which includes Minnie Riperton style whistle register notes.

On her social media she describes herself as a singer, producer, audio engineer, vocal coach and worship leader and it appears that she is transitioning to Christian music.

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Details

Rating:	8.1
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Neo Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Self Released
Cat No:	None
Date:	01/05/2024
Key/BPM:	11A/75
Price:	£1

Duffmusiq feat. Jeliz [2024] - Perfect Morning [Self Released]

Toronto based (Serbian born) producer, guitarist, multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Damir Demirovic goes by the name Duffmusiq. He's been self-releasing his soul-jazz compositions independently since 2017 with three albums and an EP to his name.

His latest single, "Perfect Morning", is a collaboration with Jeliz (Jill Zadeh) who co-wrote the song and performs lead vocals. After many years backing and featuring on others' music (such as Janet Jackson, Christina Aguilera, Diana Ross and Sting), she has released her debut single "Good Old-Fashioned Love" (16 Apr) which is doing very well.

The new single he describes as "a warm exercise of sunshine jazz. With George Benson-like guitar plunks and gutsy neo-soul vibes, this refreshing midtempo love song feels like a careful Saturday stroll draped in smooth jazz sultriness. It’s a delicate trip back to vintage Jill Scott and D’Angelo, exposing soulful grooves topped with Jeliz’s playful, flirtatious coos".

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Details

Rating:	8.4
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Soul Jazz
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Self Released
Cat No:	None
Date:	26/03/2024
Key/BPM:	11A/80
Price:	£1

NaTasha [2024] - It's Gonna Be Alright [Self Released]

NaTasha McKenzie is new artist from Brandon, FL (Originally from Queens, NYC) who's released her fourth single to date, "It's Gonna Be Alright", today.

Her first "Fall 4 U" was released in Jan '23.

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Details

Rating:	8
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	New Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Self Released
Cat No:	None
Date:	01/05/2024
Key/BPM:	10B/83
Price:	£1

Jewels [2024] - Full Circle [Daisy Records] (Full EP)

Jewels is singer/songwriter Juliette Farrell from Birmingham (UK) who started her professional singing career at the age of 19 as a session singer for a local rock band in Lichfield, West Midlands

Her first solo album "Unconditional" was released in 2005 and a single from it, a cover of Teddy Pendergrass and Stephanie Mills "Two Hearts" (which she recorded as Juliette Leon with US Soul Singer Myron), was picked up by Freestyle records for vinyl release.

Juliette also sang with Birmingham Community Gospel Choir for several years and formed the trio Chos3n with two local singers at the same time as her own solo endeavours.

She was introduced to producer Herb Middleton who signed her to his label and completed an album "Key's of Love" in 2012 with a single "Love Me and My Hair" being released from it. The video for the song won an MVSA award at the Black International film Festival in Birmingham UK.

In 2015 Juliette was nominated for a MOBO award singing as one third of her gospel trio Chos3n on their album "We Are Chos3n" on Daisy Records, and in the same year went on to win the Urban Music awards held in Kensington London

At the same time as penning the Chos3n album she was working on a second solo album "9 Fruits" which was released in Nov 2016, from which a single "Brand New" was released. An EP "Heaven Mentality" followed in 2019.

We last featured her with the single "Ocean Eyes" in Feb '22. She is now releasing a six track EP "Full Circle" on vinyl with only two of the four new songs being available digitally "This Is The Beginning" and "When Did I Start Loving You".

Two songs were originally released on her 2019 EP "Heaven Mentality", the title track and "Back On The Scene". We have been provided with samples of the other two new songs, "Full Circle" and "Hallelujah", that will only be available on the vinyl EP.

The two digital tracks are released today with pre-orders for the vinyl EP "Full Circle" being taken from 3 May via One Nation.

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Full Circle

Hallelujah

Details

Rating:	8.4
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Neo Soul / Nu Gospel
Format:	Full EP
Media:	Digital
Label:	Self Released
Cat No:	None
Date:	01/05/2024
Key/BPM:	4A/98 / 4A/96
Price:	£1.98

Candi Staton [1972] - Candi Staton [Kent #CDKENM 519] (Full Album)

Ace Records, on their Kent imprint, have reissued Candi Staton's 1972 self-titled album on CD and vinyl for the very first time. It was Staton's third album for Rick Hall's Fame label and the first that was distributed by United Artists aimed to give the label international recognition.

It contains her three hit singles, a cover of Elvis' "In The Ghetto" (who complemented Candi her on her rendition), "Do It In The Name Of Love" and "Lovin' You, Lovin' Me" along with the B sides to the second two "The Thanks I Get For Loving You" and the wonderful "You Don't Love Me No More" which should have been an A side.

Of the album only songs, "Blackmail" would be our choice cut.

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Details

Rating:	8.2
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Southern Soul
Format:	Album
Media:	CD / Vinyl
Label:	Kent
Cat No:	CDKENM
Date:	29/03/2024
Price:	£10.68 / £22.14

Act 1 / Ivano Fossati [2024] - It's The Same Old Story / Night Of The Wolf (Tema Del Lupo) [Measured Mile #NW 517]

Every day's a school day. A massive instrumental played on Northern Soul dancefloors in the 70s (it may have been a Cleethorpes discovery as it was very popular there and always synonymous with the Pier/Winter Gardens all-nighters) was a song called "The Night Of The Wolf" which was billed/released in 1975 as a single on Roulette under the pseudonym The Al Foster Band.

Saint Etienne group member and music journalist, Bob Stanley's Measured Mile label has just reissued it on 45 paired with Act 1's "It’s The Same Old Story" under it's original guise Ivano Fossati "Tema Del Lupo" which was the original single title on Italian label Cetra in 1974. It was initially an album track on a progressive rock album "Poco Prima Dell'Aurora" in 1973 which has been reissued several times over the years.

It's a bit of a Marmite tune but there is no denying that it was incredibly popular back in the day when instrumentals were all the rage. Quite what many of them have to do with soul music is debatable but it was all about the beat! It was also a big New York disco sound.

Act 1 was a Spring Records studio group from Detroit who later became Special Delivery. Their claim to fame (in the UK) was their 1974 single "Tom The Peeper" which made it to #40 on the UK pop chart. However, it was several of their album cuts that got attention on the rare soul scene, one of them being "It's The Same Old Story" along with "It Takes Both Of Us", "Goodbye Love (We're Through)"and a storming NS dancer "I Never Had a Love Like Yours". They released just four singles and one album, all on Spring, before morphing into Special Delivery.

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Details

Rating:	8
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Modern Soul / Northern Soil Instrumental
Format:	Single
Media:	7" Vinyl
Label:	Measured Mile
Cat No:	NW 517
Date:	29/03/2024
Key/BPM:	B/115 / 7A/128
Price:	£10

VA [2024] - Atlanta Hotbed of 70s Soul [Kent #CDKEND 518] (Full Album)

A CD only compilation, "Atlanta Hotbed of 70s Soul", was released at the end of March. It consists of many previously unreleased 70s Atlanta recordings from Michael Thevis' short-lived group of labels, GRC, Aware and Hotlanta.

Much of the material was left unreleased when the labels folded after Thevis was arrested and imprisoned for eight years in 1974 for transportation of pornographic material and conspiracy to commit arson. He was later also charged for murder via information received from a prison informant who was released on parole. Thevis escaped from prison in 1978 and the informer was found shot dead for which Thevis was captured, charged and imprisoned for life for two murders, the informant's and the original murder committed in1970. He died in prison in 2013 aged 82. You can read about his sordid story HERE.

Thankfully the tapes have been preserved with many tracks already having been issued. This latest batch of tape discoveries contains many songs written by Sam Dees.

With 24 tracks we don't propose to discuss each in detail (as you can listen to sound samples below) but a few are worth highlighting.

The pièce de résistance is the opening track and the original recording of "Con Me" by Miss Louistine (Burnett) (who was married to Tee Fletcher) which was later recorded by The Paragons on Buddah in 1975 (we own the record but sadly only a single sided promo with the modern soul dancer "Oh Lovin' You" on both sides, needless to say the issue with "Con Me" is valued considerably more). Dees also recorded the song (presumably originally as a demo) on the Kent CD "The Heritage Of A Black Man" (1998). Another Miss Louistine recorded Sam Dees song is also included, "Extra Extra", which was released as the 100 Club anniversary single last year.

Along with the two above, our highlighted tracks include: Alpaca Phase III "Paper Man" (released on a Deep Soul 45) & "Someone To Run To" (released on 45 by Sean Hampsey's Diggin Deep label in 2020), The Steppers "Keep On Walking", Joe Hinton "Depend On Me", Lorraine Johnson "Can I Hold You To It?" and a new version to us of a song recorded by Nancy Wilson on Capitol in 1974 "There'll Always Be Forever" by Lomita Johnson. Johnson was a founding member of Side Effect but was replaced by Helen Lowe (aka Helen Baylor). It is thought that perhaps she recorded the song as a demo for Nancy Wilson or possibly that it was withdrawn when Wilson decided to recorded it.

The CD is available (complete with a comprehensive 20 page booklet) direct from Ace Records or from record dealers. Vinyl copies also available from Ace Records.

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01 - Miss Louistine - Con Me

02 - Alpaca Phase III - Paper Man

03 - Deep Velvet - Is There Someone Else

04 - Kenneth Wright - The Souls Of Black Folks

05 - Joe Hinton - Grant Me One More Day

06 - The Steppers - Keep On Walking

07 - Dorothy Norwood - Time Is Winding Up

08 - Jean Battle - Love Making

09 - Miss Louistine - Extra-Extra

10 - Deep Velvet - I'm Tired Of Dreaming

11 - Joe Hinton - Depend On Me

12 - Kenneth Wright - Me And Jen

13 - Joe Graham - What Am I To Do

14 - Shirlean Fant - Sure Could Do With Some You

15 - Alpaca Phase III - Someone To Run To

16 - Lorraine Johnson - Can I Hold You To It?

17 - Lorraine Johnson - When Will I Stop Loving You

18 - Dee Ervin - I Need Me Some More Of You

19 - Joe Hinton - Shouldn't I Be Given The Right To Be Wrong

20 - King Hannibal - Fight Fire With Fire

21 - The Surprise Sisters - Talk's Cheap

22 - Joe Graham - Loneliness Hurts Just A Little Bit

23 - Lomita Johnson - There'll Always Be Forever

24 - Dee Clark - My Peaceful Forest

Details

Rating:	8.6
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	70s Soul
Format:	Album / Compilation
Media:	CD
Label:	Kent
Cat No:	CDKEND 518
Date:	29/03/2024
Price:	£11.70