Truth & Devotion [2024] - Heaven At Last [Holy Grail Records #HGR-002] (Full Album)

Truth & Devotion were a gospel/soul group from Anderson, IN, who released a solitary album, "Heaven At Last", on Tyscott Records in 1981 and one single from it on Champ Records. The single included a non-album track "To Know Him" along with "I'm So Happy" and sells consistently for around £100 with the original album fetching up to £200 plus.

The album has been reissued digitally and on vinyl in Jan this year by Holy Grail Records prompted by hop-hop producers sampling the title track, which is worth the price of the album on it's own. 

It's the Worcester, Massachusetts, based label's second release after reissuing Tomorrow's Wish "On My Mind" album on vinyl last year. 

The group was led by Dewayne Johnson (keys / vocals) and included Bobby Simonds (guitar & vocals), James L. Dixon (drums), Edgar M. "Mickey" Woodall, Bill Miller (vocals), John L. Hester (bass and narration on "Heaven At Last"), Garland L. Simmons (percussion) and Horace Brooks (guitar).

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

Details

Rating:	8.3
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Gospel Soul
Format:	Album / Reissue
Media:	Digital / Vinyl
Label:	Holy Grail Records
Cat No:	HGR-002
Date:	15/01/2024
Price:	$15 / $25

Copyright © 2009-2024 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

Betty Wright [1981] - Make Me Love The Rain [Epic #14-02602]

A topical one... no NOT the just announced General Election on 4 Jul, the other thing Brits talk about incessantly, and with good reason recently, the weather and more specifically the RAIN!

Betty Wright from her self-titled 1981 album on Epic and nice 2-stepper, "Make Me Love The Rain", not available for download, although it was reissued on CD in 2016.

The album's not expensive and well worth seeking out for the deep soul killer "One Bad Habit (And That's Loving You!)" (which we will also include, why not?)

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

Details

Rating:	8.6
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Modern Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	7" Vinyl
Label:	Epic
Cat No:	14-02602
Date:	10/1981
Key/BPM:	N/A
Price:	£10-£25

Copyright © 2009-2024 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

Michael Wycoff [2024] - Looking Up to You (Mike Maurro Mix / Original) [RCA]

Originally released digitally in Dec. last year on a compilation "The Mike Maurro Remix Vault" (consisting of Maurros remixes of 17 classic dance songs) was one for Michael Wycoff's modern soul gem "Looking Up To You".

It is now getting pressed on 12" vinyl along with the original 1982 album version from "Love Conquers All". It will be available on 7 Jun but can be pre-ordered now from vinyl dealers.

The song, written by Leon Ware and Zane Hanks (Grey & Hanks) and produced by Webster Lewis, has been sampled multiple times, first by Dodge City Productions "Ain't Going for That" in 1991 but most famously by Zhane on "Hey Mr DJ" in 1993.

Wycoff sang backing vocals on Stevie Wonder's "Songs In The Key Of Life" (as well as for Natalie Cole, DJ Rogers, Gwen McCrae and others and played keyboards on Bobby Womack's The Poet II). He embarked on a solo career in the late 70s releasing three albums for RCA Victor in the early 80s. Sadly, he succumbed to alcohol and drug addiction which terminated his music career and he later found faith and became a minister. He died from pancreatic cancer in March 2019 aged 63.

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

Details

Rating:	9
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Modern Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	12" Vinyl
Label:	RCA
Cat No:	None
Date:	07/06/2024
Key/BPM:	6A/106 / 6A/104
Price:	£14

Copyright © 2009-2024 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

Lee Tracy & Issac Manning [2024] - Is It What You Want? / Saving All My Love For You [Athens Of The North]

An obscurity from 1989 by Lee Tracy (Johnson) & Isaac Manning has been reissued digitally and on vinyl by Athens Of The North. The songs were originally released on Nashville label One Chance Records in 1989 and again in 1991 as promos only and are pretty hard to come by. The last one listed on Popsike sold for almost £900 in Dec '22 and was only VG/VG-. 

Athens Of The North issued a full album by the pair in 2022 digitally and on vinyl which included both songs.

The sides have been flipped leading with the original B side "Is It What You Want?" with an unrecognisable rendition of Whitney Houston's hit, "Saving All My Love For You" (written by Gerry Goffin and Michael Masser) on the flip.

A very lo-fi production which seems to add charm to these sort of obscurities which is an acquired taste. (Posted more out of curiosity and interest rather than any musical merit!)

It's also available digitally on Amazon for only £1.38 but we've posted it from Bandcamp as the vinyl is available from there.

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

Details

Rating:	N/A
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Rare Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital / 7" Vinyl
Label:	Athens Of The North
Cat No:	None
Date:	26/04/2024
Key/BPM:	8A/100 / 11B/102
Price:	£2 / £9.99

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

The Controllers [2024] - Stay [UMG] (Full Album)

Like most, we would guess, The Controllers entered our consciousness with their superb, and epic 8 minute, deep soul ballad "Somebody's Gotta Win, Somebody's Gotta Lose" which rose to #8 on the R&B chart in 1976. It was their biggest hit which just missed out on Billboard's Hot 100 at #102.

The closest they came to that position again was with the title track of their 1986 album "Stay" which peaked at #12. The album has been digitally reissued and also contains their modern soul (album only) favourite "My Secret Fantasy" along with their version of Marvin Gaye's "Distant Lover" which opens the album and was released as the lead single.

The group was originally an eight piece gospel group reducing to four, brothers Reginald and Larry McArthur and their cousins Ricky Lewis and Lenard Brown from Fairfield near Birmingham, AL. Their first single, the funky "Right on Brother, Right On" / "I Ain't Lyin'", was as The Soul Controllers (written by Ramsey Lewis' bassist Cleveland Eaton) whilst they were still at high school in the late 60s, possibly 1970. One source states that they were originally formed in 1965 as The Epics when they would have been 11/12 years old.

They signed to Frederick Knight's Juana label in 1975 where they released around a dozen singles and three albums before moving to MCA in the early 80s where they released a further three albums, "Stay" being their second for the label. The group released just two more albums, in 1989 on Capitol and a comeback album in 1997 for Malaco.

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

Details

Rating:	8
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	80s Soul
Format:	Album
Media:	Digital
Label:	UMG
Cat No:	None
Date:	09/02/2024
Price:	£6.99

Copyright © 2009-2024 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

Eramus Hall [2024] - Your Love Is My Desire (2024 Remastered) [Westbound #WB 5000] (Full Album)

More nostalgia as Eramus Hall's 1980 album "Your Love Is My Desire" has been remastered and reissued digitally, on CD and also on vinyl.

Original vinyl copies fetch as much as £700 but has been reissued several times, initially on vinyl and CD in 1996 by Ace. The CD release contained two bonus tracks not included on the original or this release.

The tracks of main interest to the modern soul followers are the title track "Your Love Is My Desire" and a cover of J.R, Bailey's "Just You And Me".

Eramus Hall were a  group who were allegedly named by George Clinton from the name of a Chicago building. One of their members, bassist and vocalist Joe Anderson, previously released three singles on Buddah in 1974-75, one of them being "You And I" that uses the same backing as Ed Summers "I Can Tell". You can listen to both HERE.

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

Details

Rating:	8.3
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Modern Soul / 80s Soul
Format:	Album / Reissue
Media:	Digital / CD
Label:	Westbound
Cat No:	WB 5000
Date:	09/02/2024
Price:	£7.49 / £32.62

Copyright © 2009-2024 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

Dayton [1983] - Feel The Music [Capitol] (Full Album)

Reissued digitally today (along with a whole batch of other reissued albums from Universal's back catalogue which has somewhat queered the pitch for finding brand new material!) is Dayton's 1983 album "Feel The Music" which contains their modern soul masterpiece "Promise Me". This is a must have for that track alone which we believe may the first time it has been made available digitally.  The album was last reissued on CD in 2022 in Japan and on vinyl in the U.S. in 2004.

The album leads with their only UK hit "The Sound Of Music" (a big club sound in 1983 and peaked at #75) and contains the 2-stepper "It Must Be Love" and the ballad "Caught In The Middle" being our highlights..

The "Promise Me" single rarely come up for sale (why would you part with it?), there are none currently available via Discogs with the last two selling there for in excess of £250! The album version is a slightly longer take, 4:02 v 3:42.  It was paired with "Eyes On You" (1980) and reissued on 7" by Expansion last July who appear to have some still available on their website.

Talking of Expansion, they have a batch of four vinyl reissues being released at the end of the month which we will catch up with at some point.

Unsurprisingly the group was formed in Dayton, OH, in 1980 and consisted of former members of Sun and Magnum. They released five albums between 1980-85

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

Details

Rating:	8.4
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Modern Soul / 80s Soul
Format:	Album / Reissue
Media:	Digital
Label:	Capitol
Cat No:	None
Date:	09/02/2024
Price:	£8.91

Copyright © 2009-2024 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

Johnnie Taylor / Bobby Bland [2023] - Let's Get Back On Track / Heart Open Up Again [Jai Alai #JAR12]

The second release from Soul4Real's Jai Alai imprint due on 14 Oct pairs two album tracks from Malaco. One from Johnnie Taylor's  "Gotta Get The Groove Back" (1999) and another from Bobby Bland's "Members Only" (1985)

It was Taylor's last album before he died of a heart attack in May 2000 aged 66, although a studio and a live album were released posthumously. The first two tracks on the album were paired as the only single from the album. The track selected for release for the first time on 7" is "Let's Get Back On Track" co-written by Frederick Knight and Chares Brooks. We are told that the backing track was used seven year later on David Sea's "Stay In My Arms".

Taylor's career dates back to the 50s, first as a member of a doo-wop group, The Five Echoes, and then as part of gospel group The Highway Q.C.s which included Sam Cooke. Cooke left to join The Soul Stirrers and when he left that group, for a secular career in 1957, Taylor replaced him. The connection didn't stop there as, when Cooke set up his own label SAR in 1961, Taylor became one of his first signings releasing his first solo single in 1961 on SAR. Soon after the death of Cooke in 1964, SAR was closed and Taylor signed for Stax releasing his first single there in 1966. He had five minor R&B hits until he hit the R&B #1 spot with "Who's Making Love" in 1968 which crossed over to 5 Hot 100. He had two further R&B chart toppers with Stax but none broke into the Hot 100. After Stax's demise, owing to bankruptcy, in 1975 he signed to Columbia and had his fourth R&B #1 hit and first Hot 100 #1 with "Disco Lady" in 1976 which was re-recorded in 1998 as "Disco Lady 2000" and was his final R&B chart entry but only reached #98. By 1981 Taylor had left Columbia for new label Beverly Glen run by Otis Smith where he released four singles and two albums before being signed by Malaco in 1984 (apparently after being heard by the company founders singing at Z.Z. Hill's funeral) where he recorded ten album in sixteen years.

Taylor was nominated for three Grammy awards, for "Who's Making Love", "Disco Lady" and for the album "Gotta Get The Groove Back". The song "Disco Lady" was the first ever Platinum Award by the RIAA. 

Robert Calvin Brooks acquired his name Bobby Bland from his stepfather, Leroy Bridgeforth also known as Leroy Bland, after his birth father left the family not long after his birth in Barrettville, TN, in 1930. At 17 he moved to Memphis and began singing in gospel groups later venturing into Beale Street and acquainted himself with the Beale Streeters (i.e. B.B. King, Junior Parker, Johnny Ace and Rosco Gordon).

Having recorded a few unsuccessful singles in the early 50s for Modern and Sun, he was signed to Duke Records. Bland had dropped out of school in third grade and was illiterate. After spending two years in the Army, upon his return Duke had a new owner who duped him into signing a contract which short-changed him to receive a quarter of the industry standard per record i.e. $0.005 instead on $0.02 per record sale. 

His first single on Duke was released in 1955 with his first hit appearing in 1957. He had a string of R&B hits including three #1 hits up to 1985 but none troubled the Hot 100 Top 20 and only two broke into the Top 40. Duke was bought by ABC/Dunhill and Bland was retained where he stayed until signing for first MCA in 1979 and then with Malaco in 1985 where he stayed until his death in June 2013 aged 83.

The track selected from his first Malaco album ("Members Only") in 1985 is "Heart Open Up Again" which appears as a single for the first time.

Despite never really crossing over into the mainstream, he received seven Grammy nominations and multiple awards such as being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992 and received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1997 amongst several others.

The single is available to pre-order from Sou4Real for release on 14 Oct.

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

Details

Rating:	8.2
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Soul Blues
Format:	Single
Media:	7"
Label:	Jai Alai
Cat No:	JAR12
Date:	14/10/2023
Key/BPM:	11B/93 / 4B/65
Price:	€14

Copyright © 2009-2023 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

Gloria Weems [2023] - Lovelight [Freestyle Records] (Full Album Reissue)

A digital and vinyl reissue of a quite rare 1983 boogie funk album "Lovelight" by South African singer Gloria Weems.

It appears to be her only album from which two singles, "Wanna Dance With You" and "Push It Up", were released, all in 1983. The album was only released in South Africa but the first single got a 12" release on Prelude in the US.

To be honest it's not really our thing as it has that 'tinny' early/mid 80s production that just doesn't stand the test of time (to our ears at least) but the French, in particular, seem to rave on this sort of material. We have a truck load of this sort of stuff on promo 12" from back in the day that doesn't get anywhere near a stylus then or now, so probably needs a better home that appreciates it.

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

Details

Rating:	7.6
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Boogie Funk
Format:	Album / Reissue
Media:	Digital / Vinyl
Label:	Freestyle Records
Cat No:	None
Date:	29/09/2023
Price:	£3.49 / £23.99

Copyright © 2009-2023 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

Low-Down [2023] - Music Is The Answer / Somebody [Stream #STR011]

Low-down were formed in San Diego in the late 70s originally consisting of the founders John Lowe, Raul Gallegos (lead vocalist), Angel Hayes (guitar soloist), with Ken Reeves (Bass Guitar), Skip Pendleton (rhythm guitar player), Ray Baker (keyboard), Raymond Gulley (vocalist) and Prince Seawood (vocalist) joining later.

They released their first of only three singles ("Music Is The Answer" / "Somebody") on Javar (possibly a self-release as it's the only release on the label) in 1982 (which Discogs lists as 1979). The A side is a modern soul / boogie tune with flip being more funk oriented. Both sides are being reissued by Alberto Zanini (Cannonball Records) and Yann Vatiste (Epsilon Records) on their joint venture Stream label and is available to order now via Epsilon website.

Two more singles followed later in the 80s: "Hanging" / "Beautiful People" in 1986 and "You Got Me Hanging" (vocal and instrumental) both on Music City, again the only two releases listed for the label. The latter may be the same song as "Hanging" but we've been unable to find a sample of "Hanging" to compare.

We are informed that "Music Is The Answer" peaked at #72 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and #20 on the R&B chart and also reached #61 on the UK Singles Chart, however, we are unable to confirm this as we can't find it listed in Joel Whitburn's book of R&B Hit Singles.

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

Details

Rating:	8
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Modern Soul / Boogie / Funk
Format:	Single
Media:	7" Vinyl
Label:	Stream
Cat No:	STR011
Date:	23/09/2023
Key/BPM:	N/A
Price:	£20

Copyright © 2009-2023 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

Tommy Tate v The Controllers [1981/1978] - Listen To The Children [Juanna]

An underplayed/overlooked (possibly even under the radar?) gem from Tommy Tate's 1981 self-titled Juana album.

"Listen To The Children" was written by Joe Shamwell and features The Controllers on BGVs who recorded it in 1978 on their  "Fill Your Life With Love" album, also on Juana.

Neither of them released it as a single, so both are album only tracks.

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

Details

Rating:	8.8
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Modern Soul
Format:	Album Track
Media:	Digital
Label:	Juana
Cat No:	JU 1003 / 200,002
Date:	1981 / 1978
Price:	£10-£20 approx.

Copyright © 2009-2023 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

Bridge feat. Freddie Hughes [1999/1981] - Listen [F.E.R.#FER-CD3]

The late Freddie Hughes takes lead vocals on the a Paul Tillman Smith song "Listen". It was first recorded for Norman Connors & Starship Orchestra "This Is Your Life" album in 1977 with James Robinson on lead vocals. 

This version is from Bridge's unreleased "Crying For Love" album recorded around 1981 but not released until 1999 thanks to Mark Coddington's First Experience Records (F.E.R.).

It was first issued on CD and then vinyl. The vinyl copies now fetch as much as £250, when they are for sale, as there are no vinyl copies currently for sale on Discogs.

A desert island disc for sure and if ever the phrase 'masterpiece' applied then surely it is fitting here?

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

Details

Rating:	9.5
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Modern Soul
Format:	Album Track
Media:	CD
Label:	F.E.R.
Cat No:	None
Date:	1999 (1981)
Price:	£N/A

Copyright © 2009-2023 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

Soul Liberation [2023] - Who Are You (Remastered) [BBE] (Full Album)

Another album we posted over three weeks ago was a digital reissue of "Who Are You?" by Soul Liberation. It has been remastered and reissued again digitally today which coincides with the double vinyl, gatefold and CD release.

Soul Liberation was a Gospel group from Dallas, TX, led by Jimmy Miller and Teresa Miller. They were the brainchild of minister Tom Skinner, a former gang-leader turned evangelical preacher from NYC, who toured the states doing revival-style crusades. He began using local choirs and bands as his backup and then decided to recruit a dedicated band.

They released their first, self-titled, album  in 1974 and another "Who Are You" in 1982. The latter is hard to find on original vinyl and a decent copy will set you back between £200-£300 or more. It was reissued digitally in 2015 by BBE and licensed to Japanese label BBQ for CD reissue in Japan only. It was also unofficially reissued on vinyl in France by Rainbow in 2015.

Back in the day London's two step scene latched onto "Touch Me Again" which is reminiscent of The Controllers "My Secret Fantasy" (which didn't come until after long after this release) with shades of Keni Burke's "Rising' To The Top" so not surprising that it caught on. 

Other tracks of interest include "It Won't Go Away" and "Send Me". Only two of the songs received a single release, the title track "Who Are You" (which is also rather good) coupled with "Blessed" on gospel label Rainbow (which is probably why the Rainbow name was used for the French bootleg).

Only one single was released from their first album but Luv N' Haight reissued an album track "Who Is Your Friend" from it in 2010 which sounds quite advanced for a 1974 recording as it has an early 80s boogie funk sound.

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

Details

Rating:	8.5
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Gospel Soul
Format:	Album
Media:	Digital / CD/ Vinyl
Label:	BBE
Cat No:	None
Date:	25/08/2023
Price:	£7.99 / £16.99 / £30.23

Copyright © 2009-2023 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

Wayne Warren [1985] - Hit On Somebody's Baby [Happy Hooker #HHR-680]

Continuing to dig into the vinyl vaults for some, perhaps, lesser known recordings to mark time until some good new release arrive.

We know nothing about Wayne Warren except that he has two singles listed. One is on Memphis label Happy Hooker recorded at Muscle Shoals Sound which only has one other single listed by George Jackson with Louis Williams of The Ovations which is the same A side, a Sam Cooke tribute medley "Sam, We'll Never Forget You", both are dated 1985. The side of interest is "Hit On Somebody's Baby" which we did find posted on YouTube (so saves us streaming it) which John Manship described in 2016 as a sleeping giant.

His other single is a one-off on another Memphis label Four Ace, so possibly a private press? It's not dated, and difficult to date, as its southern soul that could have been recorded in the 60s/70s but, given the other singles is date 1985, we guess it must be from around the same time. "I Need You Girl" is a gritty southern deep soul ballad whilst the flip is a more mid-tempo song "Oh I Really Love You" which apparently is a bit of an obscurity with none ever selling on Discogs, although we found two on Popsike selling around £200 but that was in 2011 and 2012 (and it looks like the same copy that has sold twice as it's the same label scan and both were only G+, so how much now for a decent copy?).

The Happy Hooker single is not too difficult to find nor too pricey. You should find easily on Disocgs as there are several VG+/NM copies available £10-£15.

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

Details

Rating:	8
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Modern Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	7" Vinyl
Label:	Happy Hooker
Cat No:	HHHR-680
Date:	Unknown late 70s / early 80s
Key/BPM:	N/A
Price:	£10-£15 approx.

Copyright © 2009-2023 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

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.

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

Click icons below for further information or to connect with the artist. 

Copyright © 2009-2023 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

Pumpkin [2023] - Take Me Back (feat. James 'Crab' Robinson) / U Drive Me Crazy (feat. Paris Ford) [Overlord Entertainment Group Inc Recordings]

There's a bit of  story to this one as last weekend Roger we were contacted asking if we knew a song being played on Solar Radio by Tony Monson. After scanning through a few of his podcasts (which are 3 hours long) we couldn't find the song being played so gave up. We were told that it featured James Robinson and that the artist name was thought to be Pumpkin.

It sounds very much like an 80s recording and the sleeve indicates 1984. The A side "Take Me Back" features James 'Crab' Robinson (written by Pumpkin and Robinson) whilst the B side "U Drive Me Crazy" features Paris Ford written by Ford. 

Ford is Robinson's cousin and was a member of BB&Q Band as well as The Whole Darn Family in the 70s and is the owner of Overlord Entertainment Group on which these tracks are released. Ford has played bass and toured with many artists including Oneness Of JuJu, Vickie Sue Robinson, Lonnie Liston Smith, Johnny Gill, Village People, Stacy Lattisaw, Evelyn Champagne King, Rick James and New Edition.

The artwork/labels suggest that it may be available on vinyl but we don't see any way to purchase vinyl from the website but both tracks are available as digital downloads from the website.

There's no way to embed/stream the tracks so visit the Paris Ford website for them.

Information on artists given on the website:

Pumpkin was Errol E. Bedward (21 Jan 1961 - 24 Aug 1990) a musician, percussionist, and band leader renowned for being the one behind many old school hip hop tracks for the Profile, Enjoy, and Tuff City record companies. He worked with several influential early hip-hop acts from 1979 to 1984, such as Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five Spoonie Gee, Treacherous Three, Funky Four, Grandmaster Caz, the Fearless Four, and Dr. Jeckyll & Mr. Hyde, and several more obscure names. 

His 1983 single "King of the Beat" was followed by one of his last productions, Pumpkin and the Profile All-Stars' "Here Comes the Beat" (Profile, 1984).

James 'Crab' Robinson was a member of Change recruited by Jacques Fred Petrus to replace Luther Vandross, owing to his ability to perform in a similar vocal style. He sang of three albums between 1981-83 and was also a solo artist signed to Tabu Records in 1987 where his one album was 'Guilty'. That album contained the popular track 'I Feel Like Going On'.

He sang guest lead vocals with artists including Norman Connors ('Stella' and 'Listen') and Lonnie Liston Smith ('Song For The Children and 'Love Is The Answer') as well as on albums by Lenny White, Jeff Lorber, Bob Baldwin and Mark Johnson on his outstanding track "Daydream" in 1995 (which we have featured previously and has reissued on 7" by Izipho Soul in 2020 NB there are some still available).

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

Details

Rating:	7.7
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	80s Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital / 7" Vinyl
Label:	Overlord Entertainment Group Inc Recordings
Cat No:	None
Date:	08/2023
Key/BPM:	N/A
Price:	$2 / $TBC

Copyright © 2009-2023 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

Soul Liberation [2023] - Who Are You [BBE] (Full Album)

Soul Liberation was a Gospel group from Dallas, TX, led by Jimmy Miller and Teresa Miller. They were the brainchild of minister Tom Skinner, a former gang-leader turned evangelical preacher from NYC, who toured the states doing revival-style crusades. He began using local choirs and bands as his backup and then decided to recruit a dedicated band.

They released their first, self-titled, album  in 1974 and another "Who Are You" in 1982. The latter is hard to find on original vinyl and a decent copy will set you back between £200-£300 or more. It was reissued digitally in 2015 by BBE and licensed to Japanese label BBQ for CD reissue in Japan only. It was also unofficially reissued on vinyl in France by Rainbow in 2015.

Therefore, the first official vinyl reissue is due by BBE on 25 Aug '23 which will be presented as a double vinyl, gatefold album.

Back in the day London's two step scene latched onto "Touch Me Again" which is reminiscent of The Controllers "My Secret Fantasy" (which didn't come until after long after this release) with shades of Keni Burke's "Rising' To The Top" so not surprising that it caught on. 

Other tracks of interest include "It Won't Go Away" and "Send Me". Only two of the songs received a single release, the title track "Who Are You" (which is also rather good) coupled with "Blessed" on gospel label Rainbow (which is probably why the Rainbow name was used for the French bootleg).

Only one single was released from their first album but Luv N' Haight reissued an album track "Who Is Your Friend" from it in 2010 which sounds quite advanced for a 1974 recording as it has an early 80s boogie funk sound.

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

Details

Rating:	8.5
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Gospel Soul
Format:	Album
Media:	Digital / CD/ Vinyl
Label:	Self Released
Cat No:	None
Date:	08/06/2015 / 25/08/2023
Price:	£7.99 / £16.99 / £36.58

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