Ed Robinson [2024] - Hey Blackman [ Cherry Red Records]

A song written and recorded by Ed Robinson, "Hey Blackman", is digitally reissued today. It was released in 1970 in two parts, originally on GM and later nationally distributed on Cotillion. It was also released the following year in the UK as Eddie Robinson on Ember. The song defies categorisation as Pt.1 one is a deep soul balled with a message whilst Pt. 2 is more upbeat funky soul.

Cherry Red Records, who have reissued it, have used a facsimile of the original Ember picture sleeve for the release. They also released Pt.1 on a 72 track compilation "Soul On Fire (The Detroit Story 1957-1977)" in 2017.

Other notable releases on the, relatively short-lived, GM label include The Jones Girls debut single "My Own Special Way" (Robinson wrote both sides), Mr Floods Party's Northern Soul monster version of Gene McDaniels' "Compared To What" and Dee Edwards first release of "Why Can't There Be Love" (it later came out on associated label Bump Shop).

Robinson's next single was a absolute killer version of the Jimmy Diggs song "Temptation's 'Bout To Get Me" (Atco 1971) first recorded by The Knight Brothers (Checker 1965) who Diggs was a member of. We did a version excursion of the song in 2020 and at that time listed (and linked to) 18 versions.  

He released only one further secular single, an Ashford & Simpson song "I Just Wanna Be There" (Atco 1971), before he turned to gospel and released a couple of singles and an album,  "Reflections Of The Man Inside", on gospel label Myrrh as Eddie Robinson in 1974 followed by another album "You In My Life" in 1979.

Edward Clay Robinson was from Detroit and played the role of Hud in a Detroit stage production of the musical 'Hair'. He was also a songwriter with songs recorded by The Jones Girls, Leah Roberts, Marlena Shaw, Melba Moore, Jeannie Reynolds, The Dramatics and many others including one of our deep soul favourites "I'll Hold The Key" by Nelson Sanders as well as some rare soul favs Metros "What's Wrong With Our Love" and Mildred Clark "Keep Trying".

Destiny's Child's 2004 hit "Girl" sampled a song, "Oceans Of Thoughts And Dreams", he co-wrote with Don Davis for The Dramatics in 1977.

Robinson continued to record into the new century with "Elephant Song(Ant & Elephant)" (2007 as Eddie GM) and "Back On Track" (2010 as Eddie Robinson GM) along with several singles, but died in Apr 2014, we would guess in his 60s/early 70s.

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

Details

Rating:	8.5
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Deep Soul / 70s Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Cherry Red Records
Cat No:	None
Date:	24/05/2024
Key/BPM:	2A/73 / 3A/77
Price:	£1.29

Copyright © 2009-2024 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

ItsJustNecole [2024] - Love Me [Self Released]

Soul as deep as you like! We accept that this latest single "Love Me" by ItsJustNecole may not be to everyone's taste but this is unadulterated gospel / deep soul (with hints of blues) at it's finest which is at the heart of the music we all profess to love. 

Whether the applause at the end is canned or this is a live recording we can't say for sure.

ItsJustNecole is Necole Pew who we tracked down to Orlando, FL. She has only two other singles listed. The first "Let It Go" (Nov '20) is a very tasteful and sultry jazz tinged ballad which credits a TRIDEM (presumably on piano?) and is highly recommended so we couldn't resist including it below. The other, "I Miss You Mama" (May '21) is more of a southern soul style ballad (video included below) dedicated to her mother she lost as a child.

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:	Deep Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Self Released
Cat No:	None
Date:	10/05/2024
Key/BPM:	4A/65
Price:	£1

Copyright © 2009-2024 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

Ike Noble & The Uptights [2024] - Good Thing / Look A Little Higher [Athens Of The North #Ath 153]

Two songs taken from a 2022 Athens Of The North compilation "Look A Little Higher" by Ike Noble & The Uptights.

Both were unreleased until then, but the title track and "Good Thing" are being released digitally and on 7" vinyl on 24 May by the label.

The lead side, "Good Thing" is a funky R&B chugger cover of Frank Williams Rocketeers (Lloyd 1966) / Pearl Dowell (Saadia 1970) with "Look A Little Higher" being a deep soul ballad.

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

Details

Rating:	8.1
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	R&B / Deep Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital / 7" Vinyl
Label:	Athens Of The North
Cat No:	Ath 153
Date:	24/05/2024
Key/BPM:	1B/150 / 8B/87
Price:	£2 / £9.99

Copyright © 2009-2024 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

Ike Noble & The Uptights [2024] - It's Bad / Best of Luck to You [Athens Of The North #Ath 152]

A record that has been championed in recent years by soul record dealer John Manship at the Newark Sunday soul sessions is "It's Bad" by Ike Noble. We've posted it before on an Ike Noble Discography in 2020. 

It is now being reissued digitally and on vinyl by Athens Of The North. It was released in 1967 on Alley and was favoured by the Northern Soul fraternity for the flip side "That's What I Get". As is often the case in later years, enterprising DJs flip record over to test the B sides which were regarded far too slow back in the day when anything less that 100mph was a no go and slower, and perhaps more soulful, songs are now gaining exposure.

Until Manship starting including it in his sets you could have picked an original up for under £100 but they now sell for up to £400! Only one copy is currently up for sale on Discogs with an asking price of £375 for a VG+. You can now buy a minter for  a fraction of that. As far as we can ascertain there is no other way of obtaining it on vinyl, except on an Ike Noble compilation "Look A Little Higher" released by AOTN in Jun 2022.

Instead of the original A side, AOTN have issued it with a previously unreleased deep soul song "Best of Luck to You".

Available along with another two Ike Noble singles from AOTN Bandcamp store, all billed as Ike Noble & The Uptights, from 24 May.

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

Details

Rating:	8.4
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Northern Soul / Deep Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital / 7" Vinyl
Label:	Athens Of The North
Cat No:	Ath 152
Date:	24/05/2024
Key/BPM:	8A/108 / N/A
Price:	£2 / £9.99

Copyright © 2009-2024 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

Ike Noble & The Uptights [2024] - Money Wont Change You / She's Got to Be Loved [Athens Of The North #Ath 151]

The first of three forthcoming digital and vinyl releases by Athens Of The North from Ike Noble & The Uptights.

It pairs two previously unreleased songs by Noble until they were released on a compilation "Look A Little Higher" in Jun 2022.

Both are cover versions leading with James Brown's "Money Wont Change You" (King 1966) and  then Tyrone Davis' "A Woman Needs To Be Loved" (Dakar 1968) retitled "She's Got to Be Loved". 

The latter was written by Gerald Sim and Floyd Smith (who married Loleatta Holloway) although, curiously, Noble's version is credited to Charles J. Holmes, perhaps a few lyrics may have been changed but essentially it's the same song!

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

Details

Rating:	8.6
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Funk / Deep Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Athens Of The North
Cat No:	Ath 151
Date:	24/05/2024
Key/BPM:	3B/156 / 2B/90
Price:	£2 / £9.99

Copyright © 2009-2024 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

VA [2024] - Here Comes The Tears [Soul4Real #S4RLP05] (Full Album)

Hot on the heels of their recent two 45 releases (from Maze and Donald Byrd/Gerald Levert) on the Jai Alai imprint, Soul4Real release their fifth album and fourth Various Artists compilation. 

"Here Come The Tears" is a compilation of tracks released by Atlantic from the 60s and 70s. It includes four tracks never before released on vinyl including The Drifters version of The O'Jays "I Dig Your Act" (thought to have been long lost),  Barbara Lewis "You Put A Song In My Heart", Dee Dee Warwick "What Manner Of Man" and Judy Clay's take on "The Love Of My Man" by Dionne Warwick.

From the compilation title (from the included Darrell Bank song) you may deduce that most are deep soul ballads with many needing no introduction from well established soul singers from the period including one of our long time favourites from The Queen of Soul and The Dynels modern soul / crossover gem.

All have been released digitally which has enabled us to collate them together into a playlist for you to review and hopefully purchase the vinyl from Soul4Real (10 May). Alternatively you can listen to all tracks in full on Soul4Real's Alex Subinas' YouTube Channel.

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

Details

Rating:	8.4
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Deep Soul
Format:	Album
Media:	Vinyl
Label:	Soul4Real
Cat No:	S4RLP05
Date:	10/05/2024
Price:	€24

Copyright © 2009-2024 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

Carl Henderson [2023] - You're All I Need b/w That Girl [Numero Group #NUM4480]

Numero Group continue to reissue singles from Anthony Renfro's 60s/70s L.A. based label supporting his name. Renfro was a young grocery clerk eager to make it in the music business but was advised to focus on production by both Sam Cooke and James Brown, who told him bluntly that he couldn't sing, so he set about creating his own label which, although had little commercial success, has left a legacy of many records played 'up North'.

We posted Morris Chestnut last week and this time out it's Carl Henderson with both sides of his 1966 outing on the label "You're All I Need" b/w "That Girl". The top side a deep soul ballad with flip being a one time in demand Northern Soul stomper. Both sides were also recorded earlier on the label by The Sequins on two separate releases. Their version of "That Girl",  retitled "That Boy" is a tough one to find (their versions are also included below). You may recall from earlier posts for them that, The Sequins were sisters Brenda & Patrice Holloway and Pat Hunt.

It was Henderson's third of five singles for the label. His first, "Sharing You", sold well enough to be picked up by A&M and released on their Omen imprint. The song was also recorded by Mitty Collier on Chess who had her biggest hit with it reaching #10 R&B and scraping into the Hot 100 at #97 in Feb 1966. His next single,  two self-written songs, was released only on Omen.

Henderson had released a single earlier in 1962 with The Dell Kings on Texas label Renco. Prior to that he was a member of Texas doo-wop group The Lyrics who released two singles on San Antonio's Harlem label in 1959. He wrote three of the six sides.

Seven of his Renfro sides can be found on Numero Group's Eccentric series "Eccentric Soul: The Renfro Label" released in 2020, three of them (including "That Girl") are also included on Kent's "Renfro Soul Story: Priceless Los Angeles Northern Soul" (2004).

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

Details

Rating:	8
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Deep Soul // Northern Soul
Format:	Single / Reissue
Media:	Digital
Label:	Numero Group
Cat No:	NUM4480
Date:	04/10/2023
Key/BPM:	8B/85 / 4B/146
Price:	£1.79

Copyright © 2009-2023 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

Tata Vega [1977] - Come In Heaven (Earth Is Calling) (Edit) [Tamla #T6-353S1]

Originally a 9:02 album track on Tata Vega's sophomore album "Totally Tata" 1977, "Come In Heaven (Earth Is Calling)" was always really two tracks rolled into one. The first half a deep soul ballad and the second half takes it into Disco territory. When David Nathan's Soul Music Records reissued the album on CD in 2011 they had the foresight to break it into two bonus tracks. So here's the first half.

We'll also add the full length album track as a couple of minutes have been lost between the two edits.

Carmen Rosa 'Tata' Vega released four solo albums for Motown's Tamla imprint between 1977-80 and then had a break and came back a gospel artist but also performed backing vocals fro many artist.

In the late 60s she performed in a Broadway production of 'Hair' in L.A. and then joined a group called Pollution of which Dobie Gray was a member. Whilst performing they were spotted by Berry Gordy who signed them and released an album on them as Earthquire on Natural Resources in 1972. The album failed commercially and the group were dropped but Tata retained.

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

Details

Rating:	8.7
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Deep Soul
Format:	Album Track
Media:	Vinyl / CD
Label:	Tamla / SoulMusic
Cat No:	None
Date:	1977 / 2011
Price:	£N/A

Copyright © 2009-2023 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

John Edwards [2018] - Walls That Separate Our Love [Deep Soul #07]

A 1973 deep soul recording by ex Spinner John Edwards, "Walls That Separate Our Love", first appeared on a Kent CD compilation "Good Guys Don't Always Win (Hotlanta Soul)" in 1998. It took another 20 years for it to be issued on 7" vinyl for the first time on Kent's Deep Soul label in 2018.

There are several other previously unreleased gems on the compilation (compiled by Ady Croasdel and John Ridley (SirShambling)) which is well worth picking up.

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

Details

Rating:	9
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Deep Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	7" Vinyl
Label:	Deep Soul
Cat No:	07
Date:	2018
Key/BPM:	12B/63
Price:	£10.88

Copyright © 2009-2023 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

Geater Davis [1971] - My Love Is So Strong For You [House Of Orange #HO45-2402]

Continuing to dig through the vinyl vaults, this one is yet to have it's day, although it is creeping up in price with Manship currently listing it for £70. 

A song co-written by Vernon 'Geater' (sometimes Jeater) Davis and Reuben Bell from 1971 on Allen Orange's very short-lived House Of Orange label, set up specifically to releases music by Davis and Bell.  The label released just seven singles between 1970-71 but seems to have been reactivated in the late 70s for a few singles all by Geater Davis.

Allen Orange cut a 45 with Allen Toussaint in 1960 billed as Allen & Allen after the pair auditioning for a New Orleans DJ Larry McKinley. It was Toussaint's first outing on wax. Orange then wrote a couple of songs for Roscoe Shelton on Sims who later joined Sound Stage 7 where Orange wrote several more songs for him. 

Geater Davis' voice was often compared to Bobby 'Blue' Bland. He died in 1984 of a heart attack aged only 38 having released around twenty singles and two albums.

The two songs presented here are his second single "My Love Is So Strong For You" along with the deep soul flip "I Can Hold My Own" from his debut album "Sweet Woman's Love" which is regarded as a deep soul classic. 

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

Details

Rating:	8.5
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Blues Soul / Deep Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	House Of Orange
Cat No:	HO45-2402
Date:	1971
Price:	£70 approx

Copyright © 2009-2023 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

VA [2023] - Psychomania Choppers: Chicano Oldies and R&B Rarities, Vol. 1 [Psychomania]

A good compilation, made even sweeter by the ridiculously cheap price of £2.99 on Amazon, was released on Friday (4 Aug).

As the title implies, it  consists of souldies/lowriders from the 60s/70s and contains one of our favourites Little Royal & The Swingmasters who we did a Discography for several years ago.

Most tracks are from relatively little know artists (with perhaps the exclusion of Donnie Elbert and Barbara Mason) who didn't release a lot of music and even fewer made any impact at the time but have been unearthed by  various underground rare soul scenes over the years.

If you have a penchant for sweet n' deep then these will be right up your street.

The comp opens with "All For You" by The Admirations which was the flip side of their last of only four recordings on One-derful! in 1967.

Donnie Elbert's "Baby Let Me Love You Tonite" was an early recording on Vee Jay in 1960 reissued on Jayboy in UK in 1970, presumably to 'cash in' on his UK success with his All Platinum album "Where Did Our Love Go" which had several tracks picked up on by the Northern Soul scene.

The Barbara Mason track, "Just You And Me", is an unissued Arctic recording from the 'Oh How It Hurts' sessions that seems to have been first released on a Bear Family CD reissue of the album with additional unreleased recordings in 1997.

The last of only three records on L.A. based Venus and the second of two singles by Karen Small is another flipside, "That's Why I Cry", written by Don Julian (& The Larks). It even got a UK release on Vocalion in 1966.

The debut single on Markay in 1962 "I Wanna Chance" by The Vows which included Morris Chestnut (know in NS circles for several recordings both solo and in groups such as The Vows and The Attractions). This one has more of a doo-wop sound.

Although Little Royal & The Swingmasters "Jealous" is credited to Little Royal Torrence, it is more or less the same song, with a few changes, as Garland Green's "Jealous Kind Of Fella" written by Green with Jo Armstead, Morris Dollinson and Rudolph Browner. It was released on Tri Us in 1971. Green's song was 1969.

Yet another B side, to his NS spin "Have Love Will Travel" is "Think About It Baby" by Roosevelt 'Rosey' Jones on Patrick Adams run Today Records. John 'Monster' Davis arranged and Frank Fioravanti produced both songs. It was his only solo single although he released another with The Superiors.

Although sounding very 60s, "I'm So In Love With You" is a 70s recording by Californian Chicano group Thee Dupremes who formed in 1975. They released another single on their own label Depreme Productions .

Walter Webb  & The Highlighters is a completely new name to us, not surprisingly when they released just one single on Chess in 1970 "Your Time Is Gonna Come". The single on both Discogs and 45 Cat is associated with James Bell & The Highlighters (Band) from Indianapolis which seems plausible as they released a single on Lulu (which is also the title of the flipside) written by the same song writers Herman & Brantley (misspelt? Bradly).

The Sequins song, "What Makes Me Love You" is a Phillip Mitchell song recorded on Denise LaSalle's Crajon Records in 1971. They were a girl group trio from Chicago and not, perhaps the better know group, from L.A. which included Brenda & Patrice Holloway.

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

For YouTube Playlist for Full Comp. Click HERE

Details

Rating:	8.4
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Lowrider, Sweet Soul, Deep Soul,  Souldies
Format:	Album / Compilation
Media:	Digital
Label:	Psychomania
Cat No:	None
Date:	04/08/2023
Price:	£2.99

Copyright © 2009-2023 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

Richard Hartley & Soul Resurrection [2023] - Jesus Makes Me Happy / Heart And Soul [Izipho Soul #ZP099]

Izipho Soul has only announced their next release a few hours ago and we're told that they are flying out of the door. It's not surprising when you realise that they are two tracks from a very hard to find 2007 album "Face II Face" by Richard Hartley & Soul Resurrection and also that the label is offering them for only £10!

Whilst the CD album is listed on Discogs, there are no cover images, no label listed and none have ever sold there. A Google search also turned up zero, so this album is certainly a rarity and more than likely a private/self release.

The selected tracks, suggested by Phil 'Phillet Of Soul' Ward, are "Jesus Makes Me Happy" and "Heart And Soul". Don't be fooled by the title of the first as it's a modern soul banger whIch has been edited by Phil as "The Joyful Exaltation Edit". 

Whilst the flip starts off as a more laid back and mellow affair, it builds into a crescendo of deep soulfulness, as Izipho Soul headboy Pat Biggerstaff puts it "a ballad of epic proportions that builds and builds with the finale possessing some of the most gut wrenching vocals you are ever likely to hear. Richard states towards the end that ‘I should be fading right now’, but finds the strength to come back one more time!"

Richard Hartley has had a prolific career as a singer and musical director (whom we've previously featured on a couple of occasions), travelling across the world to work with choirs and musical icons such as Aretha Franklin and Diana Ross. He is pastor at Haven International Ministries, New York and star of his own reality television show ‘The Rev’. He released a single titled "Highway" in Jan '21.

As well as "Face II Face" in 2007, he released "Love Is All We Need" in 2003 and prior to that a live gospel album recorded in Japan "Lovepower Live In Tokyo" in  2002.

The single is available to pre-order now from Izipho Soul for official release on 18 Aug, but as mentioned above, they are sailing out so you will need act quickly to secure one as it looks like they will sell out on pre-order alone.

UPDATE We received scans of the "Face II Face" CD with thanks from Thierry Boulanger and included the front cover image below.

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

IZIPHO SOUL · JESUS MAKES ME HAPPY - RICHARD HARTLEY

IZIPHO SOUL · HEART AND SOUL - RICHARD HARTLEY

Details

Rating:	8.8
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Modern Soul / Deep Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	7" Vinyl
Label:	Izipho Soul
Cat No:	ZP099
Date:	04/08/2023
Key/BPM:	N/A
Price:	£10

Copyright © 2009-2023 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

VA [2023] - East Side Story: Lowrider Oldies, Vol. 1 [Jaipur Music] (Full Album)

A compilation of eight lowriders titled "East Side Story: Lowrider Oldies, Vol. 1" was released by Jaipur Music on 30 Jun.

It promises a lot with the opening track by Florida Spiritualaires "I Remember When" released on Ernie's Record Parade in 1976 (which borrows from The Intruders' "Cowboys To Girls" (Gamble 1968)) but we were left a little deflated by many of the inclusions. An opportunity missed.

Another track also borrows heavily from Barrett Strong's "Money" (possibly more famous by The Beatles 1963 cover) by Nat Brown with "I Need Some Lovin'" which seems out of place on this compilation which we'd describe more as predominantly deep soul rather than sweet soul.

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

Details

Rating:	7.6
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Deep Soul / Sweet Soul / Lowrider
Format:	Album / Compilation
Media:	Digital
Label:	Jaipur Music
Cat No:	None
Date:	30/06/2023
Price:	£6.98

Copyright © 2009-2023 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

Bernetia Miller & The Soul Groovers Band [2023] - You Can Tell Me Goodby / I've Gotta Keep on Lovin' You [Athens Of The North]

A one-off, private press rarity out of Georgia by Bernetia Miller & The Soul Groovers Band "You Can Tell Me Goodby / I've Gotta Keep on Lovin' You" is being reissued digitally by Athens Of The North on 28 Jul (NB there is no indication as to whether it will be made available on vinyl as yet).

Originally released in 1970 on Soul Groover Records this raw/'naive' piece is what many rare soul collectors love. The songs were recorded at Capricorn Records studio in Macon, GA, in 1970 and custom pressed at Sound Of Nashville (i.e. matrix nos SoN 88411/88412).

AOTN's Euan Fryer has licensed the master tapes directly from Bernetia Miller from Hawksville, GA, who wrote both songs, is still singing and has retained the tapes to this day.

Whilst only one has ever sold on Discogs for £924 in Feb 2017, there are five listed on Popsike with the latest copy selling from £2,015 in Apr 2021. NOTE, the label scan on three look identical so whether the same copy has sold three times or the sellers have 'borrowed' the label scan from the same place we don't know.

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

Details

Rating:	7.8
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Southern Soul / Deep Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Athen Of The North
Cat No:	None
Date:	28/07/2023
Key/BPM:	N/A
Price:	£2

Copyright © 2009-2023 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

Bird Williams [2023] - Love You [SouLink Music]

We have featured Bird Williams previously in May '21 with his single "Sometimes Man" and took the opportunity of posting all his singles to date.  Since then he has released just one single "Get Away" in May '22 (which is on a different Spotify profile as is "Sometimes Man") both written by Bigg Robb

He has a new single released on Friday "Love You" which is excellent.

We couldn't find much about him then nor now apart from that we think he's from Memphis.

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:	8.6
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Southern Soul / Deep Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	SouLink Music
Cat No:	None
Date:	05/07/2023
Key/BPM:	11B/65
Price:	£1

Copyright © 2009-2023 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved