Trace feat. Paul Mac Innes [2024] - Ain't For Free [Six Nine Records] PROMO SAMPLE

A song that you may recall from 2006 is "Ain't That Free" by Trace feat. Swedish blue-eyed soul singer Paul Mac Innes when it featured on the "Soul Togetherness 2006" compilation (only?).

It now gets a release on 7" vinyl by Six Nine Records which includes the original 2004 version along with a new edit for 2024. It's available now to pre-order and we're told will be released in a couple of weeks.

It's the label's first release for a little while, since 3TOB "My Baby" / "Love Will Find It's Way" last year.

Coincidentally, Mac Innes released a new single on Friday titled "No Chains", We last featured him with another vinyl release in 2022 on LRK Records, "Falling By The Wayside".

Excuse the pun but we can find no trace of Trace but from writing and production credits (Christopher Ekholm and Nils Dahl) and musicians Anna Bellander (backing vocals), Carl Bellander (trumpet) and Carl Ryden (guitar), believe they may also be from Sweden.

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Ain't For Free (Original 2004 Version)

Ain't For Free (2024 Edit)

Details

Rating:	8.5
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	New Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	7" Vinyl
Label:	Six Nine Records
Cat No:	None
Date:	05/2024
Key/BPM:	N/A
Price:	£20

Copyright © 2009-2024 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

Donald Byrd & 125th Street N.Y.C. / Gerald Levert [2024] - Everyday / The Top Of My Head [Jai Alai #JAR #14]

The second Jai Alai release this month is an unlikely and perhaps unusual combination. 

The top side is "Everyday" from Donald Byrd's "Words, Sounds, Colors & Shaped' album from 1982 with 125th Street, N.Y.C. The album was produced and arranged by Isaac Hayes. 

For more info on Byrd we did a Donald Byrd Profile for what would have been his 90th birthday in Dec 2022.

The flip side is "The Top Of My Head" by Gerald Levert from his seventh solo album "G-Spot" in 2002. Tragically, Levert died of an accidental overdose of prescription and over-the counter drugs aged just 40 in 2006 but not without leaving a huge legacy of music with his brother Sean and Marc Gordon in Levert, eleven solo albums and three LSG albums as a member of supergroup Levert, (Keith) Sweat and (Johnny) Gill.

Available now from Soul4Real.

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

Details

Rating:	8.4
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Jazz Funk / New Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	7" Vinyl
Label:	Jai Alai
Cat No:	JAR14
Date:	17/04/2024
Price:	£1

Copyright © 2009-2024 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

Jaheim [2023] - Just In Case / Diamond In Da Ruff [Jai Alai #JAR11]

Jaheim H. Hoagland from New Brunswick, NJ, is the grandson of singer Victor Hoagland, aka Hoagy Lands, known well to the Northern Soul community for his classic tune "The Next In Line" (Laurie 1967) in particular. Lands was born to an Afro-Cuban father and Afro-American mother of American Indian descent. His singing career spanned the late 50s to the mid 70s.

Jaheim grew up in a New Brunswick housing project, (176 Memorial Parkway Home). His father died when Jaheim was just two years old. At 15 he was a three time winner of the famed Apollo theatre talent show. Just two years after that his mother also died but he persevered and continued winning talent shows and four years later (around 1999/2000) submitted a demo tape to Kay Gee's (aka Kier Gist a founding member of Naughty By Nature) Divine Mill label (distributed by Warner Brothers). 

Divine Mill released his debut album "Ghetto Love" in 2001 and followed it in 2002 with "Still Ghetto". A third with a Ghetto title, "Ghetto Classics", appeared in 2006 which debuted at #1 on Billboards Top 200 album chart. He has released a further four since making seven albums to date, his last "Struggle Love" in 2016. Only a couple of singles have materialised since.

Soul4Real has selected a track from each of his first two albums for release on 7" on their Jai Alai imprint: "Just In Case" from "Ghetto Love" (which gained some spins on some of the hipper modern soul rooms on release) and "Diamond In Da Ruff" from "Still Ghetto". Both have seen previous 12" releases but appear on a 7" for the first time.

The single is available to pre-order from Soul4Real with a release date of 14 Oct.

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

Details

Rating:	8.4
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Modern Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	7" Vinyl
Label:	Jai Alai
Cat No:	JAR11
Date:	14/10/2023
Key/BPM:	8B/101 / 2B/91
Price:	€14

Copyright © 2009-2023 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

VA [2023] - Soul 1 [FirstCom Music / MasterSource] (Full Album)

We stumbled across this compilation "Soul 1" during our searches over the weekend releases which was originally released in Aug 2001. We tried to find the original release but all that it turned up was a subscription service for Universal Records. So it's a strange one as it seems like it's library music that is licensed. All the tracks feature either Jamie Dunlap or Paul Taylor.

A Jamie Dunplap is listed on Discogs but only for appearances on half a dozen compilations, four of which are from the same source i.e. MasterSource, so it's more than likely the same artist. It gives his full name as James Ronald Dunlap who was a member of a group/duo named Lazarus Heart who released an album  "Open The Sky" in 2002. All songs were written by Dunlap and Molly Pasutti who also only otherwise features on MasterSource or Killer Tracks compilations.

We gave up on Paul Taylor as there are literally dozens of artists with the name, but suspect the result will be the same i.e. a session singer who featured on MasterSource compilations.

Whilst many of the MasterSource compilations are listed on Discogs we could not find this one listed.

It seems a bit 'random' that it has been reissued all of a sudden and out of the blue and it wasn't available on Spotify until today.

It's a mixed bag with a lot of pop/blue-eyed soul and many of the tracks sound older than 2001. However, there is one 'jewel in the crown' credited to Jamie Dunlap, Scott Nickoley & Stephen Lang "Take A Little Time" (track 14) along the with perhaps the last track "More Than I Can Say" which reminded us of something and think it may be Heatwave's "Always And Forever" in parts).

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

Details

Rating:	N/A
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	New Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	FirstCom Music / MasterSource
Cat No:	None
Date:	21/07/2023
Price:	£9.99

Copyright © 2009-2023 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

Tomorrow's Promise v Glenn Jones - You're Sweet, You're Fine, You're Everything

We are just in the process of compiling some of the best tunes of 2006 for the next instalment of 21st Century Soul which has been dormant for a couple of weeks owing to holidays. This one from Glenn Jones' 2006 album "Forever: Timeless R&B Classics" stood out. 

It's a cover of a song "You're Sweet, You're Fine, You're Everything" written by James Sawyer who was a member of Tomorrow's Promise who recorded it for Capitol in Aug 1973 reaching #31 R&B.  

Sawyer was a Vietnam veteran who served two tours of duty there. Later in life he became a deacon. He died in 2013 aged 68.

It's a very cheap and easy record to pick up on vinyl, depending on condition. If it were rare then this would almost definitely sell for big bucks! Tomorrows Promise released just five singles between 1973-75, three on Capitol followed by two on Mercury,  before disbanding. 

Here are both versions of the song.

We did a feature on Glenn Jones last year for his 60sth birthday, yet somehow managed to miss this gem from the playlist of 30 of his best songs!

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Copyright © 2009-2023 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

Prince [2007] - Somewhere Here On Earth [NRG Records]

As you are probably well aware, it would have been Prince's 65th birthday today. He died on 21 Apr 2016 aged 57 of a fentanyl overdose.

To commemorate it here is possibly his finest recording from his 2007 album "Planet Earth" titled "Somewhere Here On Earth", simply 'stunning', showing his more soulful, deeper and jazzier side.

Details

Rating:	9.4
Genre/Style:	Soul Jazz
Format:	Album Only Track
Media:	Digital / CD
Label:	NRG Records
Cat No:	None
Date:	2007
Value:	£1

Randy Brown [2008] - Bridges [LocoBop] (Full Album)

The album alluded to on the Ten-63 post for the latest single from Izipho Soul. It's an album by Randy Brown called "Bridges" from around the same time which features five tracks from his 1981 Randy  album plus another six previously unreleased songs.

Two killer cuts from the unreleased material include "In The Night Time" and "Bedroom Eyes". Speaking to Izipho Soul's Pat Biggerstaff recently re Ten-63  and Randy Brown he tried to licence "Bedroom Eyes" for release but unfortunately Randy does not have the rights to this music.

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

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Details

Rating:	8.4
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Modern Soul
Format:	Album
Media:	Digital
Label:	LocoBop
Cat No:	None
Date:	21/01/2009
Price:	£7.99

Copyright © 2009-2023 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

Ten-63 The Browns [2009] - Facing The Music [LocoBop]

Izipho Soul has two tracks from this 2009 album, "Facing The Music" by Ten-63 The Browns lined up for release for the first time on vinyl. Whilst the album was released in 2009 it was recorded much earlier circa late 80s / early 90s.

Ten-63 The Browns were Randy Brown and his two brothers Bertram and William. They have a history of recording in and around Memphis as William was a member of The Mad Lads with Randy and Bertram being members of The Newcomers who morphed into Kwick in 1980. However, by this time Randy had left, leaving in 1973 and initially recording as Randy / Randolph Brown & Co. and then released five solo albums between 1978-81.

We have also posted a later album by Randy Brown, "Bridges", consisting of fiver tracks from his 1981 "Randy" album and six unreleased tracks.

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Details

Rating:	8.6
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Modern Soul
Format:	Album
Media:	Digital
Label:	LocoBop
Cat No:	None
Date:	14/02/2009
Price:	£7.99

Copyright © 2009-2023 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

Norman Hutchins [2023] - I Really Love You / God's Got A Blessing [Izipho Soul #ZP083]

Izipho Soul has two new vinyl single releases available to pre-order which will be released on 1 Mar '23. The first is a pair of tracks by Bishop Norman Hutchins taken from two albums. 

The A side is an extended mix of  "I Really Love You" from "Where I Long To Be" (JDI Records 2006) paired with "God's Got A Blessing" from "Nobody But You" (JDI 2002) (which is incorrectly titled "Norman Hutchins" on Discogs)

Norman Earl Hutchins was born in Delaware in 1962 and started his solo music career in 1992 with the release of an eponymous album. He proceeded to release at least another eleven albums over his career with his last album released in 2013.

He started preaching at the age of 8 becoming ordained at 12 and later, aged only 19, the preacher of Hope Church of God in Christ in Delaware. When he relocated to L.A. he became music minister for COGIC before returning to Delaware to start Frontline Ministries.

His first two albums ("Norman Hutchins" (1992) and "Don't Stop Prayin'" (1993) failed to chart. After six years his next album "Nobody But You" appeared on L.A. based JDI where he would release five albums, the first three charted ("Nobody But You" and "Battlefield" in 1999 and "Emmanuel" in 2001) but the last "Battlefield: The Sermon" (2002) and "Where I Long To Be" (2006) didn't.

In 2008 he signed with IR Records for the releases of "Spontaneous Praise, Vol. 1" (2008), "God Is Faithful" (2009), "If You Didn't Know...Now You Know" (2011) and his last album "Hosanna" (2013). All charted on the Gospel Albums chart.

Hutchins has received eight Dove Award nominations and eight Stellar Award nominations, along with Grammy Awards nominations.

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

Details

Rating:	8.4
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Modern Soul / Gospel
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Izipho Soul
Cat No:	ZP083
Date:	01/03/2023
Key/BPM:	9B/94 / 12A/95
Price:	£12

Copyright © 2009-2023 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

David Hudson [2009] - (Girl I'm Coming Home To) Something Good [Soul Junction #SJ504] v Al Green [2003] - Million To One [Blue Note #7243 5 93556]

Eagle eyed (or is it rabbit eared?) Gary Van Den Bussche spotted the similarities between these two songs on his radio show today.

David Hudson's "(Girl I'm Coming Home To) Something Good" was a previously unreleased 80s recording issued by Soul Junction on 7" vinyl in 2009. Gary then played Al Green's, album only track, "Million To One" from his 2003 album "I Can't Stop" and hey presto the backing is the same.

Copyright © 2009-2023 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

Tommy Sims [2000] - A New Jam / When You Go [Cherry Entertainment Group #012 159 292-2]

A couple of tunes that were burning up modern soul dancefloors in 2000 from Tommy Sims debut, and so far only, album "Love and Peace". 

They were alluded to on the post for Darryl Anders AgapéSoul EP "Heart Conditions" EP as Tommy featured on the 2020 single "Bulletproof" included on the EP and Darryl regards him as his good friend and mentor.

The two tracks are "A New Day" and "When You Go". As a point of interest Stevie Wonder appeared on harmonica on the track "Summer" which may indicate the respect Tommy had getting someone of that stature to feature on a debut album?

Details

Rating:	8.8
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Modern Soul
Format:	Album
Media:	CD
Label:	Cherry Entertainment Group
Cat No:	012 159 292-2
Date:	2000
Price:	£5-£15 approx.

Copyright © 2009-2022 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved