Assal [2023] - Set Me Free [Plaizir Music]

We posted Assal's latest mashup "Set Me Free" last week (13 Jul) from Traxsource. It's officially released today (21 Jul).

It clearly samples McFadden & Whitehead's "Ain't No Stopping Us Now" but we had no idea what the vocal overlay was so contacted Assal to find out.

He has told us that he used the acapella from Qubiko's "Set Me Free" but doesn't know who the singer is. Quibiko is Italian DJ Giuseppe Di Stasi who released a three track EP "These Days" in March 2018 on Defected which included "Set Me Free". We also found the acapella version on Spotify (it's not on the EP) which was released on a Defected compilation "Defected Accappelas Deluxe, Vol, 15" in March 2019.

Assal (real name Jack Audouy) is originally from Annaba, Algeria, now living in Quebec, and his name in Arabic translates to 'Honey' .

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Details

Rating:	8.6
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	70s Soul / Mashup
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Plaizir Muzic
Cat No:	None
Date:	21/07/2023
Key/BPM:	3A/114
Price:	£1

Copyright © 2009-2023 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

Assal [2023] - Set Me Free [Plaizir Music]

A new mashup titled "Set Me Free" from Plaizir Muzic's Assal. The obvious sample is McFadden & Whitehead's "Ain't No Stopping Us Now" but don't have a Scooby Doo what the overlaid vocal is from. It sounds like a 70s or early 80s Philly song (to us) which we thought sounds a bit like Slick or Philly Cream but not either. Anyone?

The song is scheduled for release on 21 Jul or available now on Traxsource.

We have done a bit of further digging on the artist as most of his mashups are pretty good and he generally uses obscure tracks rather than the obvious. He is originally from Annaba, Algeria, now living in Quebec, and have learned that Assal translates to 'Honey' in Arabic. We have reached out for further information and are awaiting a response.

Assal has told us that he used the acapella from Qubiko's "Set Me Free" but doesn't know who the singer is. Quibiko is Giuseppe Di Stasi, an Italian DJ who released a three track EP "These Days" in March 2018 on Defected which included "Set Me Free". We also found the acapella version on Spotify (it's not on the EP) which was released on a Defected compilation "Defected Accappelas Deluxe, Vol, 15" in March 2019.

"Set Me Free" was also sampled by Mendo in 2019 for "Get A Funk".

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

Details

Rating:	8.6
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	70s Soul / Mashup
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Plaizir Muzic
Cat No:	None
Date:	21/07/2023
Key/BPM:	5A/115
Price:	$2.49

Copyright © 2009-2023 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

Assal [2023] - Somebody [Plaizir Muzic]

Another 'sampler' from Assal who has featured here previously with other new dance tracks that sampled from the 70s. We don't recognise the sample that "Somebody" is based on, if any, so any of you vinyl hounds who may know it then put us out of our misery.

We've received a comment from DJ Kool Keith suggesting that the sample may be from Fonda Rae "Over Like A Fat Rat" (1982) and there are similarities in the bassline to the break at around 4:10 of Fonda Rae's song, included below so you can decide for yourself.

UPDATE: We have another, more plausible, candidate, as Ray Oyers has left a comment suggesting Thundercat "Them Changes" from "Drunk" 2017 (included below) which samples The Isley Brothers "Footsteps In The Dark".

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Details

Rating:	8.6
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Nu Disco
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Plaizir Music
Cat No:	None
Date:	09/06/2023
Key/BPM:	3A/112
Price:	£1

Copyright © 2009-2023 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

Assal [2022] - I Don't Wanna Be With U [Plaizir Muzic]

Assal Jean has featured on these pages a couple of times previously and both tracks used samples Webster Lewis' "Emotions" on one and Don Downing's "Dr Boogie" on the other. Therefore, I'm pretty sure this new one "I Don't Wanna Be With U" does too but haven't figured it out yet. 

Curiously, he did a version of Silk's "I Can't Stop" in January, between "Emotions" and "Dr Boogie", so I wonder if that's where LF System got the idea from? (included below).

UPDATE: Many thanks to Starpoint Radio's Mike Prior who has put me (and possibly you) out of my misery and identified the 'sample' as Joe Simon's "I Don't Wanna Make Love" released as the B side to "Glad You Came My Way" on Posse in 1980. It appears to be a non-album single only and features those pesky Sweethearts of Philly, Evette Benton, Barbara Ingram and  Carla Benson, on backing vocals. It did feature on a Joe Simon Ace/Kent compilation "Soul For The Dancefloor" in 2009. The world of soul lost Joe Simon last December (2021).

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

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Details

Rating:	8
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Neo Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Plaizir Muzic
Cat No:	None
Date:	07/10/2022
Key/BPM:	8A/110
Price:	£1

Copyright © 2009-2022 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

Assal [2022] - Dr Boogie [Plaizir Muzic]

I felt pretty sure that "Dr Boogie" was probably sampling something, or was at least derived from something, which I couldn't initially place but after a little head scratching it revealed Don Downing's "Doctor Boogie" (obviously doh!) from 1978 but Assal has speeded it up from 95 bpm to 110 bpm. 

It's out and out Philly / Disco from Assal and Plaizir Muzic. Dust off your flares and platforms and 'get down'!

Details

Rating:	8
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Nu Disco / Philly
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Plaizir Muzic
Cat No:	None
Date:	04/02/2022
Key/BPM:	1A/110
Value:	£1

Assal [2022] - Emotions (Original Mix) [Plaizir Muzic]

Webster Lewis' 1979 modern soul / rare groove classic "Give Me Some Emotion", covered by Merry Clayton in 1980 simply as "Emotion", gets a 2022 update by Assal titled "Emotions". The tempo has been bumped up from 91 bpm to 108 bpm.

The original Webster Lewis version features San Francisco's Johnny (Shy Guy) Baker on lead vocals, and, although not on this track, the album the song is from ("8 for the 80s") features the Tower Of Power Horns.

Merry Clayton was one of Ray Charles' original Raelets and was first to record "The Shoop Shoop Song" which became a massive hit for Betty Everett. She has famously performed background vocals on Rolling Stone's "Gimme Shelter" (which she later recorded herself in 1970 which was the title of her debut album)  and Lyndrd Skynrd's "Sweet Home Alabama". Sadly she was critically injured in a car accident in 2014 resulting in both her legs being amputated at the knees.

It's difficult to tell whether this has been re-recorded or not, but the vocals sound like Johnny Baker to these ears, so I would guess the tempo has been upped and the backing beefed up and the song extended, but original vocals from the Webster Lewis original kept?

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Details

Rating:	8.2
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Nu Disco / Modern Soul / Cover Version
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Plaizir Muzic
Cat No:	None
Date:	07/01/2022
Key/BPM:	10B/108
Value:	£1