Curtis Mayfield [1987] - Move On Up [Live @Parkpop, The Haque 1987]

An interlude from the new releases as this has just come up on our YouTube feed: Curtis Mayfield performing "Move On Up" live in 1987 at Parkpop, The Hague, so we just had to share it.

The Parkpop is one of the longest running festivals in Europe. It runs annually from The Hague (situated on the outskirts of Rotterdam) and is free admission.

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Copyright © 2009-2023 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

Avis [2023] - Baby, This Love I Have [Mr Bongo]

A track we came across on a compilation "Luke Una Presents É Soul Cultura" released on 9 Jun by Mr Bongo is Avis "Baby, This Love I Have". We subsequently discovered that it was released as a single over a month earlier on 3 May and seems to have gone under the radar. 

It is a digital reissue of a recording on Dallas label Feline (which is not dated but is probably 1987 as it was also released on a four track 12" EP then). It's a cover of a Leon Ware, Minnie Riperton, Richard Rudolph (Minnie's husband) written song that Riperton recorded on "Adventures In Paradise" in 1975. Avis paired it with another Riperton & Rudolph song, "Simple Things", also from the same album. We featured it in a Minnie Riperton Profile celebrating her posthumous 75th birthday in Nov '22.

Unfortunately we didn't feel that there was much else on the compilation suitable for posting so decided to just post this track but you can check it out for yourself on Bandcamp. Most of the artists on the compilation, compiled by Sheffield DJ Luke Una, are pretty obscure.

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Details

Rating:	8.3
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Classic Soul / Cover Version / Reissue
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Mr Bongo
Cat No:	None
Date:	09/06/2023 / 03/05/2023
Key/BPM:	11B/87
Price:	£1

Copyright © 2009-2023 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

Sherrick [2023] - Just Call (Alex Di Ciò Re​-​Edit) [Jus' Groove]

Another Alex Di Ciò mix this time a re​-edit of Sherrick's 1987 hit "Just Call" available from Bandcamp.

It was the title track from Sherrick's only album in 1987 which produced three singles in the US but another single was released in the UK not released stateside ("Let's Be Lovers Tonight"). Only two charted, "Just Call" (#8 R&B) and a cover of the Marvin Gaye penned hit for The Originals "Baby I'm For Real" (#53 R&B). In the UK "Just Call" peaked at #23 on the UK pop chart with the non US single "Let's Be Lovers Tonight" reaching #73.

Sherrick (Lamont Smith), according to Joel Whitburn's book, was born in 1962 in Austin, TX, yet Wikipedia and Discogs state that he was born in 1957 in Sacremento, CA.

He was signed to Motown by Berry Gordy's first wife Raynoma Gordy Singleton (after Gordy she married Eddie Singleton and set up, the now legendary, Shrine label in Washington D.C. in the 60s) to join Kagny & The Dirty Rats. They released a self-titled album in 1983 and recorded another in 1984 which was unreleased until 2021 and titled "Mind Control: the Unreleased LP" although one track was released as a single with another non album track. Only two singles were released by the group (although a few more were issued as promos only) with neither charting.

Whilst completing the recording of his debut album he was attending rehab sessions for cocaine addiction and allegedly whilst touring to promote the album disappeared on drug finding excursions. Work on a second album was aborted when he took advances of thousands of dollars and was never completed. Raynoma washed her hands of him and he  never recorded again. In 1999, claiming to be drug free, he proposed to make a comeback but died on 22 Jan 1999 aged 41 of unknown causes. 

More controversy followed when in 2021 TV presenter Wendy Williams claimed that Sherrick date raped her in the 80s.

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Details

Rating:	8.4
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Modern Soul / Re-Edit
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Jus' Groove
Cat No:	None
Date:	22/01/2023
Key/BPM:	N/A
Price:	€1.50

Copyright © 2009-2023 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

John White [2021] - (Can't) Get You Out of My System [Orpheus Enterprises]

John White's one and only album "Night People", originally released in 1987 by Geffen, has just received a digital reissue on 14 Sep 2021. Several of the tracks, to these ears I'm afraid, haven't stood the test of time but a few of the ballads have.

"(Can't) Get You Out of My System" was his only chart outing reaching #27 on US R&B charts which was coupled with the album's title track "Night People". The other tracks worthy of mention are "Don't Let It Be Too Late" and "Mood for Love". The up-tempo 80s dancer "Fooled Around (And Fell In Love)" (which is not the Elvin Bishop song from 1976) still stands up.

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Details

Rating:	8
Genre/Style:	Modern Soul / Reissue
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Orpheus Enterprises
Cat No:	None
Date:	14/09/2021
Value:	£7.92

Anita Baker (for International Women's Day)

Into the 80s now, and as far as I'm concerned the obvious choice for the best female artist to emerge in this decade was Anita Baker.  Here's 'six of the best' - her top charting singles from the 80s.

1986 - Sweet Love

1986 - Caught Up In The Rapture Of You

1987 - Same Ole Love (365 Days A Year)

1987 - No One In The World

There's also an 'amateur' video of her perfroming this with an impromptu contribution by BeBe Winans in 2021.

1988 - Giving You The Best That I Got

1988 - Just Because

Nancy Wilson [1968] - Face It Girl, It's Over [Capitol #2136]

For me, Nancy Wilson is one of the classiest jazz singers, with such a distinctive voice and style who we lost in the same year as Aretha at the age of 81.  This is a live performance of one of her best songs which is the A side side of her Northern Soul classic 'The End Of Our Love'.

I've also added a live rendition of a standard she released in 1961 which she performs in her own inimitable way in 1994 and a full concert from 1987.

Nancy Wilson [1961] - Guess Who I Saw Today [Capitol #4647]

Now this is how to deliver a song! A spectacular performance in 1994.

Live @ Newport Jazz Festival 15 Aug 1987 - Full Concert

If you listen to nothing else on this concert, listen to her rendition of 'A Song For You' at 2:25.

Lanier & Co. - Discography

Lanier & Co. released two albums, in 1983 and 1987, and a handful of singles and seemed to disappear after their 1987 album from which this featured track was taken. After some research I discovered that they were previously known as The Jacksonians, so I decided that, rather than just post their modern soul gem from 1987, I'd expand it to a full discography.

Lanier & Co. [1987] - I Don't Know (What To Do About You) [Threeway #WAY102T]

A cracking modern soul tune from 1987 which rarely gets a look in nowadays. The UK extended 12" is a full minute longer than the US 12" version and 2 minutes longer than the album version.  The US 12" posted below in the discography is a different mix which seems a little faster.

I've had this since release and it's always stuck in my mind and is so soulful and still stands up 30 odd years later, unlike so many 80s tunes.

They started out as The Jacksonians around 1968 with the line-up being Farris Lanier Jr. (lead vocals), Fenoye Lanier (drums), Joseph McKinney (keyboards), Lee Freeman (guitar), Mark Brown (trumpet) and Sam Frazier Jr. (tenor sax). Lanier & Co. was the same line up with the addition of Marion Lanier (alto sax) and Milton Price (fender bass). 

I'd hazard a guess that they were from Jackson, TN, from their name?  (There is a 'token' entry for Lanier & Co. on Wiki that confirms this and also states that Farris Lanier died in Nov 2019 aged 70.)

The Jacksonians released their first single in 1968 on Cleveland's Way Out label. It's a funky/R&B affair titled 'Hook It To The Mule' (instrumental on flip) which has Northern Soul appeal/potential.

The only other recordings by The Jacksonians that I can find is a good (deep) cover of The Mamas & The Papas "California Dreamin'" c/w 'Laugh (Tickle Your Belly Button)' which was released on Pawn in 1976. 'Caifornia Dreamin' also seems to have been released three years earlier on MGM in 1973 on the flip to 'Sparkle Eyes', both produced by Dan Greer. Both of these records appear to have been promo only i.e. never actually released.

There was a previously unissued track by them released on a Kent CD compilation 'More Lost Soul Gems From Sounds Of Memphis' in 2014, which is a cover of 'If I Could Build My World Around You' recorded by Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell. It looks like it was an unissued Sounds Of Memphis (subsidiary of MGM) recording, probably recorded at same session as the MGM promo.  They later also recorded it as Lanier & Co. on their 1983 self-titled album with a reggae feel.

Another couple of unissed tracks I've come across are on another Kent CD compilation from 2010 'Steppin' Stone: The XL & Sounds Of Memphis Story Volume 3'  'I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know' a real deep southern soul tune, and 'Saturday In The Park'. These also appear to be previously unissued Sounds Of Memphis recordings.

I'm not sure when they changed their name to Lanier & Co., but their next recording wasn't until 1982.

Discography

Albums

## prefix denotes album only track. Links to other tracks are in Singles section.

Lanier & Co. [1983] - Lanier & Co. [LARC #LR 8102]

After I Cry Tonight (4:26)

##Drowning In The Sea Of Love (3:17)

I Just Got To Have You (4:52)

Share Your Love With Me (5:54)

Come On Out, Let's Party (4:11)

##Please Don't Go (3:28)

Fallin' In Love Again (3:28)

##If I Could Build My Whole World Around You (4:35)

Lanier & Co. [1987] - Dancing In The Night [Waylo #WAYLO 13005]

Dancing In The Night (5:42)

Stranger Love Affair (4:05)

I Don't Know (4:05)

##You Know That I Want You (4:13)

##Up In Smoke (5:07)

Afraid Of Losing You (3:51)

Let's Go For It (5:01)

##Lately (3:22)

Singles

The Jacksonians

1968 - Hook It To The Mule (Vocal) / Hook It To The Mule (Instrumental) [Way Out #WAY 1004]

1973 - California Dreamin' / Sparkle Eyes [MGM #K 14640]

1976 - 'Laugh (Tickle Your Belly Button)' / California Dreamin' [Pawn #5N-3812-DJ]

Lanier & Co.

1982 - After I Cry Tonight / Living For My Music [LARC #LR 81010] (R&B #23)

1983 - I Just Got To Have You / Come On Out "Let's Party" [LARC #LR-81017] (R&B #47)

1983 - Share Your Love With Me / Fallin' In Love Again [LARC #LR-81021] (R&B #57)

1986 - Let's Go For It / Let's Go For It (Inst) Waylo #WAYLO 3004]

1987 - I Don't Know (What To Do About You) / Super Lady [Waylo #WAYLO-102]

NB Super Lady was a non-album track

1987 - I Don't Know / Afraid Of Losing You [Waylo #3018]

1987 I Don't Know / Afraid Of Losing You [Waylo #WAYLO-12-3018] 

NB I Don't Know is a slighter faster US 12 " mix

1987 - Dancing In The Night / Dancing In The Night [Waylo #Waylo 7-3011]

Previously Unissued Jacksonians Tracks

2010 -  from 'Steppin' Stone: The XL & Sounds Of Memphis Story Volume 3' [Kent Soul #CDKEND 339]

I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know 

Saturday In The Park

2014 - from 'More Lost Soul Gems From Sounds Of Memphis' [ Kent Soul #CDKEND 421]

If I Could Build My World Around You

Regina Belle [1987] - You Got The Love [CBS #REBE 1]

The video of a single taken from her debut album 'All By Myself' way back in 1987 which was only released in UK and Holland as a single but has always surprised me why it never charted.

Love T.K.O.

From her 1995 album 'Reachin' Back' which consisted of covers of Philly classics. This is her version of the song made famous by Teddy Pendergrass which was written by Cecil Womack and Eddie 'Gip' Noble for David Oliver who recorded it on his 1980 'Here's To You' album before Pendergrass. 

It has subsequently been recorded by many others including both writers Womack & Womack (1983) (Cecil & Linda) and Eddie 'Gip' Noble (2004) along with others such as Daryl Hall & John Oates (2004), Boz Scaggs (2005), Michael McDonald (2007), Fourplay Feat. Ruben Studdard (2010) and Seal (2011).  Even Bette Midler had a go with it in 2000 and have to say not a bad version.

Ike Noble - Your Love - 4 different versions

A bit of a diversion from new releases. A wonderful modern soul tune from Ike Noble which has several 'slightly' different versions.

Ike Noble [1978] - Your Love [Chanson #CH-1177]

The first was released on a 45 on Chanson.  It's a bit more of a sparse version without the female backing or the full strings and is only 3:48 long.

Ike Noble [1980] - Fresh Start [Connowil #005039X]

It then came out in 1980 on his very rare 'Fresh Start' album 4:49 and got a shorther 45 release on Connowil 3:55. This version is a bit 'deeper'.

Ike Noble [1980] - Your Love [Connowil # CON.-10742]

A shorter version (3:55) than the album version released as a single.

Ike Noble [1987] - Lonely People [Timeless #TRLP 100]

A re-recorded version for his 1984 album 'Angie' later in 1987 some of the tracks were reissued on 'Lonely People' released in UK and Germany.

Anita Baker [1987] - One Night Of Rapture Live

I've just been in a time machine which has taken me back 33 years to watch Anita Baker live in concert promoting her classic album 'Rapture'.  It is many years since I have listened to the album properly in full and what a joy it was watching her perform all the songs from the album pitch perfectly.  This is an official video released by Elektra Records in 1987 and is interspersed with clips of Anita being interviewed.

She had a difficult upbringing, being abandoned by her mother aged two and then brought up by foster parents who died when she was 12, thereafter being raised by her foster sister. At 16 she was singing in nightclubs in Detroit before joining Chapter 8 in 1975 who were later signed by Ariola, releasing their first album in 1979. Ariola was acquired by Arista, and as mentioned in a previous post, some 'genius' at Arista decided to drop Chapter 8 as they didn't think Baker had 'star quality'.  She then proceeded to release 6 solo albums and a Christmas album (a very jazz infused production), four of which went multi-platinum (selling over 1m copies) and her last in 2004 went gold (500k copies), and was awarded 8 Grammy's from 18 nominations. Christmas album aside, only her highly regarded 1983 debut  album 'The Songstress' on Beverly Glen failed to go at least gold.

Apart from a cover of Tyrese's 'Lately' in 2012, she hasn't produced any new material since 2005.  'Lately' was due to feature on a new album scheduled for release in 2013 titled 'Only Forever' but it was never released. 

She announced a 'Farwell Tour' in 2018 when she reached 60 and in 2020 quashed rumours that she was making a comeback by announcing her retirement on Twitter. So we will have to make do with the existing catalogue.  I wonder how many of today's neo soul artists we will still be listening to and appreciating in 35 years time?

1. Mystery 1:28

2. Caught Up In The Rapture 9:23

3. Same Ole Love 15:29

4. You Bring Me Joy 19:20

5. You've Changed 25:34

6. Watch Your Step 27:55

7. Sweet Love 34:55

8. Been So Long 41:38

9. No One In The World 48:35

David Hudson [1987] - Let's Get Back Together / Just A Feelin' [Waylo #WAYLO 3008]

A terrific double-sider by David Hudson from 1987 to add the 80s Hidden Gems. On Willie Mitchell's Waylo label. 

David Hudson [1987] - Let's Get Back Together [Waylo #WAYLO 3008]

I've flipped the titles around above so as to start with the flip side 'Let's Get Back Together' which is a superb deep southern soul tune reminiscent of Al Green's - Let's Stay Together (perhaps it's an answer song?) which Hudson co- wrote with Willie Mitchell.

David Hudson [1987] - Just A Feelin' [Waylo #WAYLO 3008]

A good modern soul tune co-written by Willie Mitchell and Earl Randle.  A book could be written about Willie Mitchell's contribution to soul music so i won't even start, but Earl Randle is credited with around 200 songs. I assume at some point he must have been located in Chicago as he wrote many songs for Chicago based artists such as Syl Johnson, Natural Four, The Radiants and Nate Evans as well as southern soul artists such as Ann Peebles, Otis Clay, O.V. Wright, Willie Clayton, Denise LaSalle, Al Green, Jean Plum, Lynn White, Latimore and many others!  To give you a flavour some of the better known songs he wrote here are some of his gems: Nate Evans - Main Squeeze, Ann Peebles - I'm Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down / If This Is Heaven, Jean Plum - Look At The Boy / Here I Go Again