Billy Valentine & The Universal Truth [2024] - Lady Day And John Coltrane [Acid Jazz]

Billy Valentine continues with cover songs following his last album "Billy Valentine & The Universal Truth"  last Feb. 

He pairs two of Gil Scott-Heron's best loved modern soul gems "Lady Day And John Coltrane" with an edit of "Home Is Where The Hatred Is" (which appeared on the album) for his latest single which hits the main DSPs tomorrow but has been released today on Acid Jazz's Bandcamp store.

It will also be available on 7" vinyl from 14 April.

Both songs featured on Scott-Heron's "The Pieces Of A Man" in 1971 on Flying Dutchman who joint released Valentine's album last year with Acid Jazz.

UPDATE: 1 Mar '24: Now available on the main DSPs e.g. Amazon

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

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

Details

Rating:	8.5
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Modern Soul / Cover Version
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital / 7" Vinyl
Label:	Acid Jazz
Cat No:	None
Date:	01/03/2024 / 14/04/2024
Key/BPM:	N/A
Price:	£3.50 / £12

Copyright © 2009-2024 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

Billy Valentine & The Universal Truth [2023] - We The People Who Are Darker Than Blue (Strings Version) [Acid Jazz]

Earlier this year Acid Jazz in conjunction with Bob Thiele's Flying Dutchman released an album by Billy Valentine. The album, "Billy Valentine & The Universal Truth", consisted of covers and the lead single was Curtis Mayfield's "We The People Who Are Darker Than Blue" (From "Curtis" 1970).

A new shorter version "We The People Who Are Darker Than Blue (Strings Version)" along with the original has been released today.

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

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

Details

Rating:	8.4
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	New Soul / Cover Version
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Acid Jazz
Cat No:	None
Date:	01/09/2023
Key/BPM:	1A/62
Price:	£1.79

Copyright © 2009-2023 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

Billy Valentine & The Universal Truth [2023] - Billy Valentine & The Universal Truth [Acid Jazz / Flying Dutchman]

After the drip feed of several singles, the much anticipated full album Billy Valentine & The Universal Truth is out today digitally, on CD and vinyl. 

The album is being released by Acid Jazz in conjunction with Bob Theille's reactivated Flying Dutchman which has been dormant for 40 years. The album draws from eight songs by the likes of Stevie Wonder, Curtis Mayfield, Gil Scott-Heron, Eddie Kendricks, Leon Thomas, Prince, War. 

Theille himself plays on the album along with a  host of experienced musicians including legendary drummer James Gadson (who has recorded with a who's who list of soul artists), Theo Coker, the ubiquitous Amber Navran of Moonchild crops up again on 'Master Plan' as well as Larry Goldings, Jeff Parker, Pino Paladino, Linda May Oh, Alex Acuña, and Blue Note recording artists Joel Ross and Immanuel Wilkins.

Five of the eight tracks have seen the light of day already with the three remaining unheard tracks being "Sign Of The Times" (Prince), "Wade In The Water" (trad.) and "The World Is A Ghetto" first recorded by War in 1972 but great versions also done by George Benson, Will Downing, Phil Perry amongst several others.

Billy Valentine was a member of The Valentine Brothers (with brother John whose real names are Denhan not Valentine) who of course released the original version of Simply Red's debut hit "Money's Too Tight (To Mention)" in 1982. He was also a member of Young-Holt Unlimited for a period.

Billy has two live shows lined up in London on 7th and 8th April at The Forge, Camden, NW1 7NL. Tickets HERE.

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

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

Details

Rating:	8.8
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Classic Soul / Cover Versions
Format:	Album
Media:	Digital / CD / Vinyl
Label:	Acid Jazz / Flying Dutchman
Cat No:	None
Date:	24/03/2023
Price:	$7.99 / £13.50 / $25

Copyright © 2009-2023 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

Billy Valentine & The Universal Truth [2023] - Home Is Where The Hatred Is [Flying Dutchman/Acid Jazz]

Acid Jazz in conjunction with Flying Dutchman today has released a new cover of Gil Scott-Heron's "Home Is Where The Hatred Is" by Billy Valentine & The Universal Truth. The song was first recorded as Gil Scott-Heron with Pretty Purdie & The Playboys in 1971 as a Flying Dutchman single on the flip side to "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" and featured on the album "Pieces Of A Man".  It is the second single on Bob Theile's reactivated Flying Dutchman and the first new music on the label since the 70s which launches a new album from Billy Valentine & The Universal Truth. The album draws from eight songs by the likes of Stevie Wonder, Prince, Eddie Kendricks, Leon Thomas, War and the first single (released 7 Oct 2022) is a rendition of Curtis Mayfield's "We The People Who Are Darker Than Blue".

The  Scott-Heron song should need little introduction but this new version seems to be taken at a slightly slower pace. There are several other versions such as Esther Phillips (1972) Bossa Nostra Feat. Vicki Anderson (1995) and Anita Lane (2001) and Scott-Heron re-recorded it in 2003 with Jean-Jacques Milteau in a more blues style and with Jaimie xx in 2011 (which is barely recognisable as the same song) plus a few others.

Billy Valentine was a member of The Valentine Brothers (with brother John whose real names are Denhan not Valentine) who of course released the original version of Simply Red's debut hit "Money's Too Tight (To Mention)" in 1982. He was also a member of Young-Holt Unlimited, who jumped ship from the Ramsey Lewis Trio, for a period.

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

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

Details

Rating:	8.5
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	New Soul / Cover Version
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Flying Dutchman/Acid Jazz
Cat No:	None
Date:	09/01/2023
Key/BPM:	6A/85
Price:	£1

Copyright © 2009-2023 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved