SongbirdSylvia [2024] - The Pivot EP [Self Released] (Full EP)

Sylvia Rochelle Dudley graduated from Shreveport University, LA, and is now living in Bossier City, CA.

After just one single, "Love Cry" in Feb under her musical alias SongbirdSylvia, she has released a debut 4 track EP "The Pivot". We'd describe it as neo soul with a southern soul twist (or vice versa).

She appears to have written all the songs with our favourite being "Surprise" and the closing ballad "Pick Me".

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Details

Rating:	8
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Neo Soul / Southern Soul
Format:	EP
Media:	Digital
Label:	Self Released
Cat No:	None
Date:	06/05/2024
Price:	£3.96

Copyright © 2009-2024 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

Candi Staton [1972] - Candi Staton [Kent #CDKENM 519] (Full Album)

Ace Records, on their Kent imprint, have reissued Candi Staton's 1972 self-titled album on CD and vinyl for the very first time. It was Staton's third album for Rick Hall's Fame label and the first that was distributed by United Artists aimed to give the label international recognition.

It contains her three hit singles, a cover of Elvis' "In The Ghetto" (who complemented Candi her on her rendition), "Do It In The Name Of Love" and "Lovin' You, Lovin' Me" along with the B sides to the second two "The Thanks I Get For Loving You" and the wonderful "You Don't Love Me No More" which should have been an A side.

Of the album only songs, "Blackmail" would be our choice cut.

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Details

Rating:	8.2
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Southern Soul
Format:	Album
Media:	CD / Vinyl
Label:	Kent
Cat No:	CDKENM
Date:	29/03/2024
Price:	£10.68 / £22.14

Copyright © 2009-2024 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

J'Cenae [2024] - He Lied [Raw Soul Muzik Group]

Rolling Fork's (MS) Jacqueline Cenae Williams, know to us all as J'Cenae, has  a new single out today titled "He Lied", co-written with Jawonn. 

In between the last one we posted, "Am I Not Enough" in Aug '23, she released "Real Real Woman" in Nov.

After auditioning for America Idol in 2004, J'Cenae toured with Marvin Sease until his death in 2011. She then began focussing on a solo career debuting with a single "Good Stuff" in 2016.

In 2018 she performed with, and was mentored by, the late Wendell B (Brown) releasing her breakthrough single, "I'll Be Down In A Minute", co-written with Brown who also featured on the song, in 2019.

Her debut album, "Decency", was released in Nov '21 and was our SoulStrutter Selection of the Week.

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

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Details

Rating:	8.1
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Southern Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Raw Soul Muzik Group
Cat No:	None
Date:	08/03/2024
Key/BPM:	10A/83
Price:	£1

Copyright © 2009-2024 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

Willie Clayton [2024] - Let's Stay Together [Endzone Entertainment]

A new version of probably Al Green's best known song, "Let's Stay Together", is released today by Willie Clayton. He recorded another, self-written, song with same the title on his 2006 "It's All About Love" album on Malaco, which is also included below.

Mississippi born Clayton will be well known to southern soul aficionados. He has been singing since the late 60s and recorded six singles for Hi subsidiary Pawn which were all released on a compilation in 1992. His debut album, "Forever" appeared in 1988 but not in his homeland as it was released in UK, Germany and Japan.

He has released around thirty or more albums since then, his latest "Showtime Mr. C" in Oct '23. 

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Details

Rating:	8
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Southern Soul / Cover Version
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Endzone Entertainment
Cat No:	None
Date:	23/02/2024
Key/BPM:	9B/97 / 7B/60
Price:	£1

Copyright © 2009-2024 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

The Staples [2024] - Take This Love Of Mine / Precious Precious [Soul4Real #S4R034]

The Staple Singers where mainstays at Stax in the 60s and early 70s. When Stax was forced to close it's doors in 1975 they signed to Curtis Mayfield's Curtom label and achieved their second Billboard Hot 100 (and third R&B) #1 hit with "Let's Do It Again", the title track from the soundtrack album.

The success of both single and album attracted Warner Bros where they would release their next three albums as The Staples: "Pass It On" (1976), "Family Tree" (1977), "Unlock Your Mind" (1978). 

Soul4Real has selected two tracks, "Take This Love Of Mine" and "Precious, Precious", from the first, Mayfield written and produced, Warner's album "Pass It On", for 7" vinyl release as neither has been previously released as a single.

Available to pre-order now from Soul4Real for release on 1st March 2024.

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

Details

Rating:	8.6
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Southern Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	7" Vinyl / Reissue
Label:	Soul4Real
Cat No:	S4R34
Date:	01/03/2024
Key/BPM:	11A/95 / 7B/106
Price:	€15

Copyright © 2009-2024 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

Tommy Tate [2024] - I Can't Do Enough For You Baby / Hold On (To What We've Got) [Soul4Real #S4R33]

A respected name in rare soul circles, but barely known outside, is Tommy Tate. Tate was born in Florida in 1944 and had only three singles register on the R&B charts between 1972-76, none of which you would say are particularly well known, "School Of Life", "Hardtimes S.O.S." and "If You Ain't Man Enough".

His recording career dates back earlier to 1965 with a debut single for ABC-Paramount. He released a couple of singles for Chicago's Okeh label in 1966 after two in groups, Tommy & The Derbys and Tim Winslett & The Imperial Band. A few more appeared on different labels before his most productive period at Johnny Baylor's KoKo label beginning in 1971 (after a brief spell with The Nightingales when Ollie Hoskins decided to go solo) where he had all three of his R&B hits. 

By the end of the 70s he switched to Frederick Knight's Juana label where he released a self-titled album in 1981 and then a few singles on Sundance. Another album appeared on Tim Whitsett's Urgent in 1990. Several compilation are available from Kent, P-Vine and Soundscape.

Alex Subina's Soul4Real Records has selected two tracks from his debut album, "Hold On", which he recorded at Malaco in the late 70s but was left unreleased. Without his knowledge, it was released by Malaco in Japan in 1979 (and later reissued on CD in 2014, 2018 and 2019, again only in Japan). 

The songs are the title track, "Hold On" written by Tate and first recorded by James Carr on Atlantic in 1971 (which was Carr's last recording). The other is possibly one of his most in-demand songs "I Can't Do Enough For You Baby" which has only appeared on 7" vinyl previously via a 2014 reissue by Austrian label Record Shack. Tate died in Jan 2017 aged 71.

Available to pre-order now from Soul4Real for release on 1st March 2024.

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

Details

Rating:	8.5
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Southern Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	7" Vinyl / Reissue
Label:	Soul4Real
Cat No:	S4R33
Date:	01/03/2024
Key/BPM:	N/A
Price:	€15

Copyright © 2009-2024 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

Lebrado [2024] - Fire [MakeCent$ Records] (Full Album)

The highlight for us from the new album "Fire" by Lebrado is a cover of Enchantment's 1976 classic "Sunshine" which was co-written by group member Emanuel Johnson and producer Michael Stokes.

The album is predominantly southern soul which isn't really our bag but a few tracks are worth highlighting such as "Keep You Near",  "Angel" and "Beautiful".

The album is in fact a reissue as it was released in 2009 with exactly the same tracks in the same order!

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Details

Rating:	8.2
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Southern Soul
Format:	Album
Media:	Digital
Label:	Self Released
Cat No:	None
Date:	09/01/2024
Price:	£7.99

Copyright © 2009-2024 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

Spencer Wiggins [2023] - Holding On To A Dying Love / I'm At The Breaking Point + Let’s Talk It Over [Hit And Run#HR 1555]

The second of two vinyl releases from Hit And Run contains three tracks from Spencer Winnins' Fame period. It covers several bases, a southern soul deep cut, a crossover soul and one for the Northern Soulies.

"Let's Talk It Over" is an unreleased Goldwax recording which gained a release in 2009 on Kent Select having been released on Torch and Soul Series around 1996. The song first saw the light of day on a 1991 Japanese compilation CD "Goldwax Collection" released by Vivid Sound who had licensed Goldwax recordings for release. It transpires that this song (as well as others) had been sold to Fame but were inadvertently included. The Kent Select one is the only one 'properly' licensed.  In addition the Torch release is a different mix with an organ (listen @ 0:13 and again @ 1:26 below).

The crossover track "I'm At The Breaking Point" is another unreleased recording from 1969 (not the Brad Lundy song of the same name also recorded by Deena Johnson). It was also first released on Kent Select as a single in 2011 having been included on Kent's Spencer Wiggins compilation "Feed The Flame - The Fame And XL Recordings" CD. The flip is a cover of Bettye Swann's "Make Me Yours".

Finally the A side, "Holding On To A Dying Love", was previously unreleased until it featured on Kent's "Feed The Flame - The Fame And XL Recordings" in 2010 which also includes both of the B side songs. It was also recorded by Otis Clay, an album only track from  on "Trying To Live My Life Without You" in 1972 on Hi.

Wiggins left secular music in 1973 leaving his birth town Memphis for Miami and became a deacon and choir director at the New Birth Baptist Church. He died in Feb '23 aged 81

It's available now paypal hitandrunsoul45@gmail.com (as 'friends and family').

£15 each + £3 UK postage (good for 1-3 records) OVERSEAS - please pm for current postage rates.

Details

Rating:	8.4
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Southern Soul / Crossover / Northern Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	7" Vinyl
Label:	Hit And Run
Cat No:	HR 1555
Date:	17/09/2023
Key/BPM:	N/A
Price:	£15

Copyright © 2009-2023 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

William DeVaughn [2023] - Thank You - Thank You (For Your Love) (Remastered 2023) [Sound Gems Records]

Regular visitors may recall that a few weeks ago we received a message from writer/producer and Sound Gems owner, Frank Fioravanti, notifying us of the release of a previously unreleased archive recording by William DeVaughn that he found on a tape. The song is "Thank You - Thank You (For Your Love)" written by DeVaughn and produced by Frank.

The recording was a bit warbly, as the tape had been languishing in the vaults for close to 50 years, but Frank told us that he may attempt to improve it. He has contacted us today to inform us that he has now remastered and reissued the song. The improvement can be heard instantaneously, it's crisper and brighter for sure, but don't take our word for it, compare with the original via the link above for yourself.

For those who missed it first time around, it was recorded around 1974 for DeVaughn's debut album "Be Thankful For What You Got" on Roxbury but wasn't finished in time to be included so was scratched. 

To clarify a comment on the last post, Frank confirms that it must have been recorded around 1974/75 as he didn't produce DeVaughn prior to that and the sound is different owing to a different rhythm section on the recording who he was not able to get together to re-record the song.

For more on William DeVaughn we did his discography a few years ago, obviously we will now have to update it!

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

Details

Rating:	7.8
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Southern Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Sound Gems Records
Cat No:	None
Date:	07/08/2023
Key/BPM:	4A/116
Price:	£1

Copyright © 2009-2023 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

Cecily Wilborn [2023] - Cant Leave Him Alone [I Got This Record]

Cecily Wilborn is singer, songwriter, producer from Marianna, AK, now residing in West Memphis. She obtained a BA in Music from Full Sail University, FL.

Since 2016 she has performed with several bands such as Kymestri Band and Diversity Band of BB King's Blues Club (Beale St, Memphis).

Her debut solo single, "I Guess I'll Drown" arrived in Apr 2017 and she has since released five singles, an EP and her debut album, "Stages Of Love", in Feb '21. 

Her latest single "Can't Leave Him Alone" was released on 4 Aug.

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

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Details

Rating:	8.4
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Southern Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	I Got This Record / Self Released
Cat No:	None
Date:	04/08/2023
Key/BPM:	6A/80
Price:	£1

Copyright © 2009-2023 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

J'cenae [2023] - Am I Not Enough [I Got This Record / Raw Soul Muzik Group]

Only yesterday the death of Wendell B was announced and today one of his proteges, J'cenae, releases a new single "Am I Not Enough".

J'Cenae (aka Jacqueline Cenae Williams) is from Rolling Fork, Mississippi, and auditioned for American Idol in 2004. In 2010 she toured with the late Marvin Sease. After his passing in 2011 she started to focus on her solo career and she released her debut single "Good Stuff" in 2016. 

In 2018 she was taken under the wing of Wendell B (Brown) and appeared in shows with him and in 2019 released a single "I'll Be Down In A Minute" which featured Wendell B. Her next single "I Ain't No Side Piece Lover" didn't arrive until Aug 2021 followed by an excellent  debut album "Decency" in Nov '21.

She last featured with her last single "Set The Groove" at the end of Jun.

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:	Southern Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	I Got This Record / Raw Soul Muzik Group
Cat No:	None
Date:	04/08/2023
Key/BPM:	9B/65
Price:	£1

Copyright © 2009-2023 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved