Carletta Sue [2022] - You Keep Holding Back On Love b/w Tell Me Everything You Know [Numero Group #5677]

One of only two singles credited to Carletta Sue, originally released in 1985 as one of a handful of releases on Alton, IL, label Shoestring. Howard Neal as involved in writing, arranging and producing most, if not all, of the releases so I would hazard a guess that he perhaps owned the label. Writing credits on "You Keep Holding Back On Love" are to Howard Neal and one Carletta Chaney, so I would also guess that's Carletta Sue?

The A side is and in demand 80s two-stepper whilst the flip "Tell Me Everything You Know" is a 'spacey' bluesy number.

Both sides of the single have been reissued digitally by Numero Group on 7 Jun 2022.

Details

Rating:	8
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Modern Soul / Stepper
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Numero Group
Cat No:	5677
Date:	07/06/2022
Key/BPM:	3B/73 / 6B/91
Price:	£1.79

Copyright © 2009-2022 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

Phil Perry & Renee Diggs [1993] - All My Love [Capitol #CDP 0777 7 99896 2]

The fifth and final track posted today from the BeBe's Kids compilation comes from Phil Perry and Renee Diggs (Starpoint) with "All My Love" which later featured on Renee Diggs' "Oasis" album in 1993.

A great modern soul stepper that was written by Chaka Khan and Marcus Miller. I'm not sure if anyone else recorded it.

Tygressa [2021] - Shake It For You [Self Released]

Tygressa Jones released her debut single "Hey You (A Minute With You)" on 2 Jul which hit the top of the UK Soul charts and followed it up with a four track EP "A Minute With You" two weeks later.

She is back with a brand new single "Shake It For You" which is set for release this Friday (8 Oct 2021). As with her debut the song was self-written and produced by Terry '20' Poindexter. The new song has a similar stepper's feel to her debut.

A Washington D.C. native, she was an Apollo winner and regularly performs her show "Tygressa Sings Natalie ... Remembering Natalie Cole, a tribute"

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

Details

Rating:	8.2
Genre/Style:	Neo Soul / Stepper
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Self Released
Cat No:	None
Date:	08/10/2021
Key/BPM:	N/A
Value:	£1

Ingram Street [2021] - Paint The Town (Nigel Lowis Dance Steppers Remix) [Self Released]

Ingram Street's "Paint The Town" originally released as the title track of their sophomore album in 2020 gets a Nigel Lowis Steppers Remix. This is the third post today where Lowis has been involved! Who is this Nigel Lowis anyway, he's omnipresent?  I just seem to take him for granted and have never really dug deeper. 

He is 62 yr old (born 6th Feb 1959) songwriter, producer, remixer from Kent and it would seem that his career really got started in 1990 and to date has almost 400 credits on Discogs which will not include the multitude of remixes he has done over the last few years that have been digital only! 

He had his first hit in 1990 with Maureen Walsh (who was previously with Bomb The Bass) on a cover of Sister Sledge's "Thinking Of You". He has worked with Eternal, Louise, Dina Carroll, Lulu, Pauline Henry (The Chimes) and a host of other, mainly UK, artists from the 90s and beyond. I think I first really became aware of him via a remix of Ola Onabule "Soul Town" around 2015. It seems he may have taken a hiatus between 2006-15 as there is nothing much listed for him for those dates.

Ingram Street are brothers Howard “Minquel” Ingram & Daniel “Woody” Ingram who released their debut album "Escapism" in 2015. They released another album "Paint The Town" in 2020 produced by another 'ever present' Preston Glass. The current single, released on 16 Jul 2021, is a remix of the title track.

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

Original Album Version

Details

Rating:	7.5
Genre/Style:	Nu Disco / Stepper
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Self Released
Cat No:	None
Year:	16/07/2021
Key/BPM:	8B/104
Value:	£1

Colonel Abrams [2021] - Good Things (2021 Remake) [Big Tribe Records]

Originally released on his third album 'About Romance' in 1992, a 2021 Remake was released on 22 Feb 2021.

Best known in the UK for his #3 pop hit 'Trapped' in 1985 which didn't chart stateside, although reached #20 R&B. His biggest hits in US were "How Soon We Forget" (#6 R&B / #75 UK) and "I'm Not Gonna Let You" (#7 R&B / #24 UK). He had two further chart entries in UK "Music Is The Answer"(#84) and "The Truth# (#53).

His first single, released in 1984, "Leave The Message Behind The Door" is a quiet storm classic.

He was the vocalist for 94 East in the 70s. A teenage Prince and Andre Cymone were also members of the group formed by Pepe Willie who was the husband of Prince's cousin.

Abrams died in 2016 aged 67, so I don't know when this remake was done, presumably it's a posthumous remake from the original recording?

I've posted the original as well for comparison.

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

Details

Rating:	8.5
Genre/Style:	Modern Soul Stepper
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Big Tribe Records
Cat No:	None
Year:	22/02/2021
Key/BPM:	2B/88
Value:	£1

David Scott [2021] - Still R&B (Stepp / You Don't Have To Be Hard) [V Sconney Entertainment] (Full EP)

Another great release out yesterday (22 Apr 2021) comes from David Scott. It's a double-sider /EP featuring two good tracks 'Stepp' and 'You Don't Have To Be Hard'.

'Stepp', as you would have guessed, is a stepper in which, right at the end, he pinches a line from Charlie Wilson's 'There Goes My Baby' released in 2009 on Uncle Charlie.

I can't separate the two tracks as they are both equally as good so I'll post both.

With a fairly common name, I can't find any info on the artist, and he only has this EP posted on Spotify, but the voice sounds seasoned, so I'd be surprised if he was a new artist. 

A bit of google sleuthing discovers that V Sconney Entertainment is based in Cincinnati, OH, so, if it's his own company, then that is where I guess he's from. However, the registered directors are Damon Snellgrove and Vanessa Calhoun, so perhaps not. A bit of further digging and it appears that Damon Snellgrove is producer SpaceBassDJ who has also released material on the label (electro house stuff) and I hazard a guess that Vanessa Calhoun is his wife/partner, but that doesn't really get us nearer to finding out who David Scott is!

Details

Rating:	8.5
Genre/Style:	Neo Soul / Stepper
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	V Sconney Entertainment
Cat No:	None
Year:	22/04/2021
Key:	10A / 9A
BPM:	94 / 100
Value:	£1

Mary Wilson [2021] - Pick Up The Pieces [Universal / Motown]

Announced shorty after her sudden and untimely death on 8 Feb 2021 (tribute here), the expanded edition of Mary Wilson's self-titled, debut solo album on Motown, originally released in 1979, was released 16 Apr 2021.

The top track is the stepper 'Pick Up The Pieces'.

The Isley Brothers Feat. Ronald Isley & Snoop Dogg [2021] - Friends And Family [R. I. Top Ten LLC]

Still going strong in 2021 with a nice little stepper featuring Snoop Dogg with a 'rhythmic' rap, released 5 Apr 2021.

The Isley Brothers were formed in 1954, surely there can't be a longer running group in history? Of the six brothers, three are still alive but only Ronald & Ernie are still performing. Ronald Isley will be 80 this year and brother Ernie will be 70. Vernon died at 13 in a road accident, O'Kelly died in 1986, Rudy retired in 1989, Marvin retired due to ill health in 1997 and died in 2010. 

Thay have posted dates for their 60th Anniversary tour with six dates in the UK in Jun/Jul 2021. Let's hope that they can go ahead!

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

Details

Rating:	8.4
Genre/Style:	Neo Soul Stepper
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	R. I. Top Ten LLC
Cat No:	None
Year:	2021
Key:	1A
BPM:	101
Value:	£1

Junior Giscombe [1991] - Morning Will Come [MCA #MCSX 1504]

A great stepper from 1991 by Junior Giscombe which was co-produced by 'The Funky Ginger', Simon Law (original member of Soul II Soul) who I mentioned last week who is the brother of Joanna Law whose 'Rhythm Of Years' track I posted.

Beware of the 1995 version by M-Beat Feat. Junior Giscombe as that's a speeded up jungle version.

It's got a Mazwell vibe about it long before Mazwell arrived on the scene.

Details

Rating:	9.4
Genre/Style:	Modern Soul 90s
Format:	Single
Media:	12"
Label:	MCA
Cat No:	None
Year:	2021
Key:	N/A
BPM:	84
Value:	£1

Roz Ryan [2021] - Life After Love [7th Galaxy SDE56]

An unreleased two-stepper by Roz Ryan (produced by Mike Theodore and Dennis Coffey) from 1980 is the latest project from Super Disco Edits. It's not due for release until Jun 2021, although limited editon white label promos have been available but have all sold out now.

Roz is an all round entertainer, singer, actress, comedian, voice-over artist. She released her first single in 1970 on Volt 'Your'e My Only Temptation' which has been known by soul aficionados for many years. Aside from two previously unreleased singles put out by Super Disco Edits (i.e. this one and a previous one in 2017 'Keep Shining / Put Love Back', her only other release is an 1983 funk/boogie record 'Boy Where Have You Been'.

website

SUPER DISCO EDITS · Roz Ryan Life After love-1980 previously unissued soul-7th Galaxy

Kevin Toney [1999] - So Good [Shanachie #5059]

A classy jazz/soul stepper called 'So Good' from Kevin Toney's 1999 album 'Extra Sensual Perception' released on Shanachie.

Toney was keyboardist with The Blackbyrds and went solo in 1982 when the group disbanded.  He's released eight solo albums since 1982.

Gloria Jay v Sandra W. LeCounte - Know What You Want

The last few days I've been trying to keep abreast of the best new releases, of which there have been many, so today I'm focusing on Modern Soul which hasn't had much of a look in lately. I've already posted a dozen or so. 

This post has been prompted by a recent post on Soul Source as a new version of this song, originally recorded in 1977 by Gloria Jay, by Sandra W. LeCounte (on Stage SP-5065) was unearthed a few years ago languishing deep in the collection of Paul Capon. It was 'believed' to be the only known copy at the time but at least one more has surfaced since. It was sent to John Manship to auction and thankfully John has uploaded it on YT for the world to hear.  This is the only listed release for both singers.

I've just noticed that there is another copy up for auction on Manship's site ending 3 Mar 2021 so it will be interesting to see what the end price is. It will be the usual battle of rarity over quality as Gloria Jays' sells for no more than £150-£200 and in my view is a superior version.

Gloria Jay [1977] - Know What You Want [Stage Productions #STM-1008-4]

Here's the better, known version which is some tune, a superb late 70s stepper. It was reissued in 2017 on Melodies International. You can read about how Gloria Jay (Jennings) came to make the record on Melodies website. It also appears that there are still copies available for £10.

The flipside is 'I'm Gonna Make It' which doesn't 'make' it for me.

Sandra W. LeCounte [1984] - Know What You Want [Stage #SP-5065]

The flip side is also 'I'm Gonna Make It' which is pretty 'standard' mid 80s dirge.

Ricky Jones [2021] - Lover (The Platinum Remix) [Platinum Vybe]

Another 'fresh' one from the Platinum Vybe label, released 12 Feb 2021, The Platinum Remix of Lover from Ricky Jones. The 'original' version was released 18 Nov 2020 by Mountain Top.

I've posted both versions, but to my ears there's not a great deal of difference. If anything, I think I prefer the original as I think the remix has been 'doctored' to make it appeal to a younger audience who prefer R&B.

Ricky Jones [2021] - Lover (The Platinum Remix) [Platinum Vybe]

Ricky Jones [2020] - Lover [Mountain Top]

Details

Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Platinum Vybe
Cat No:	None
Year:	2021
Key:	4B
BPM:	95
Value:	£1

Michelle Williams [2004] - My Only Love [Columbia #CK 89081]

A solo project from ex Destiny's Child singer Michelle Williams from her second solo album 'Do You Know' from 2004. Album (CD) only except for a 6 track album sampler on vinyl 12".

Marcus Johnson [2000] - On My Mind [Lightyear #54410-2]

Here's one I've just found on my hard drive from Washington D.C. jazz pianist Marcus Johnson from his 2000 debut album Urbangroove - a great little toe-tapping stepper.

To date, since his debut in 2000, he's released 15 albums with another one 'Ballads In My Voice' imminent.

Website

Denise LaSalle [1992] - When We're Making Love [Debut (UK) #DEBTX 3143]

A nice little stepper from Denise LaSalle's 1992 album 'Love Me Right' only released as a single (12") in UK, as far as I can tell, probably for the 2-step crowd! 

Denise LaSalle had a long recording career from 1967 right up unitil her death aged 83 in 2018 releasing approx 35 albums and at least 45 singles, she had only 16 R&B chart entries and 5 Hot 100 entries in her 60 year career!  Sadly, she is probably only known to the masses in the UK for the crass, and only chart entry, My Toot Toot which reached #6 in 1985 and was her highest, and last, chart entry here and in US.  A crazy world we live in if she is only remembered for that one 'novelty' single from a catlogue of hundreds of recordings!

She was 'discovered' by UK NS scene for her version of the Detroit Emeralds' 'Do Me Right' which only got a UK release on Westbound in 1973 and also her debut 1966 single on Tarpon - 'A Love Reputation' which has the same backing as the classic Nolan Chance (Charles Davis) - 'Just Like The Weather' released a year earlier, originally on Bunky and then on Constellation. 

Her 'Too Late To Check Your Trap' has become popular again in recent years which also has a funkier version of Billy Butler's 'The Right Track', written by Jerry Butler, on the flip. This came out of several different labels, Crajon, Peace, Parka and Expo '69, although the original Crajon release has a different B side, the deep 'Heartbreaker Of The Year' which has a crossover feel to it.

In more recent time it's her 'I'm Here Again' on Westbound from 1973, that has become in-demand.  A soulful, southern soul style, modern/crossover tune. A few other tracks picked up on by the modern soul scene in the 80s include 'Lady In The Street', 'Come To Bed'.  There are probably others if I dig a bit deeper but that's not really the purpose of this post.

Terry Harris [2018] - It Never Rains [Izipho Soul #ZP19]

Released a few years ago on Izipho Soul is this neo/modern soul track from Terry Harris.

He hails from Memphis and had a #1 on the US Indie Soul Charts with a track big on the Chicago Stepper's scene 'On The Floor' which must have been digital only as can't find a CD.  It was released on vinyl by Izipho Soul with 'It Never Rans' on flip given the full treatment by New York mix maestro Dale Hitch.

He's got several other videos on his YouTube channel, check them out if you like these tracks.

Out On The Floor