Yvonne Gage [2023] - Garden of Eve [Numero Group #NUM4519]

Yvonne Gage surprised us last July ('22) with an album  "Feel Love" which was one of the albums of the year. 

At the time we suggested that she was perhaps best known for her underground dance hit "Garden Of Eve" which was her debut single released on Atlantic in 1981.

It has been re-released digitally by Numero Group earlier this week (27 Jun). Sadly an opportunity has been missed as they reissued only the 7" rather that the 12" mix! However, if you click the link above, we posted the full 12" version (along with a video of her performing the song) back in 2020

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Details

Rating:	8.6
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Modern Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Numero Group
Cat No:	NUM4519
Date:	27/06/2023
Key/BPM:	1A/114
Price:	£1

Copyright © 2009-2023 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

Yvonne Gage [2023] - Feel Love (Maurice Joshua Club Mix) [MJD # MJD065]

Yvonne Gage has a massive underground following for her 1981 single "Garden Of Eve" and released one of the best albums of 2022 "Feel Love". The title track has been remixed by Maurice Joshua converting, what was essentially a balled, into a soulful house tune.

We posted samples of this release last Sunday from Traxsource, which is officially released today (12 May '23).

It comes with Club Mix along with Instrumental, Love Dub Main Mix and Dub Beats. I remember in the 70s the soul press bemoaning that an instrumental was put on the B side of records instead of a 'proper' song. It seems be be de-facto now and the only folk I suspect use/play them are DJ's for live sets or remixes?

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Details

Rating:	8.5
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Soulful House
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	MDJ
Cat No:	MDJ065
Date:	12/05/2023
Key/BPM:	8A/123
Price:	£3.96

Copyright © 2009-2023 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

Yvonne Gage [2023] - Feel Love (Maurice Joshua Club Mix) [MJD # MJD065]

On Sundays we try to round up the best of the week's reissues. As it was quite a busy week last week, there are not many, if any, around this week so we will take our occasional dip into Traxsource and pick out some of the more soulful dance tunes that are around.

Yvonne Gage has a massive underground following for her 1981 single "Garden Of Eve" and released one of the best albums of 2022 "Feel Love". The title track has been remixed by Maurice Joshua converting, what was essentially a balled, into a soulful house tune.

It's set for release next Friday (12 May '23).

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:	Soulful House
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	MDJ
Cat No:	MDJ065
Date:	12/05/2023
Key/BPM:	8A/123
Price:	$2.49

Copyright © 2009-2023 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

Yvonne Gage [2022] - Feel Love [Music Matters Entertainment] (Full Album)

Yvonne Gage debuted in 1981 with, what is now regarded, an underground rare groove / modern soul classic "Garden of Eve" which has been posted here previously. She is back with a brand new album "Feel Love" released on 15 Jul 2022.

I have to say that, assuming several photos on her facebook are recent, she is wearing her 62 years very well and, as for the album, it is superb and could well be a candidate for SSSotW! 

There a few of covers "Save The Children" (Marvin Gaye) "Light My Fire" (The Doors) and "A Song Of Love" (Lonnie Liston Smith), there may well be others but I don't immediately recognise them. A song titled "Reservations For Two" was recorded by Dionne Warwick in 1987 but I don't think it's the same song.

It's tough choosing a particular standout but I think the stepper "You Don't Understand Me" would be my instinctive choice. I'm not sure why a Christmas song was tagged on the end which is the only gripe!

According to the Wiki article she joined The Soulettes aged 14 (1973) and was with them for seven years. There were several female groups with that name but most 'likely', I would guess given that they recorded on a Chicago label, would be the group that recorded two Otis Brown songs on Dud Sound, but that's only a guess. There was another who recorded in 1968 on Detroit's Scope label but that may be too early. 

They changed their name to First Love releasing an album "Love At First Sight" in 1980 (according to Wiki) but Discogs lists it as 1982 (which is more plausible going by cat. no.), in which case she had already left to join Captain Sky (who has recently released a new single) as a backing vocalist.

Through Captain Sky she met Donald Burnside who was his producer and he went on to write, arrange and produce her first single "Garden Of Eve" (on Atlantic) and her album "Virginity" (1984). He coincidentally, or otherwise, also wrote, arranged and produced First Love's album and both albums were released on C.I.M. (Chycago International Music).

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Details

Rating:	8.7
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	New Soul
Format:	Album
Media:	Digital
Label:	Music Matters Entertainment
Cat No:	None
Date:	15/07/2022
Price:	£7.99

Copyright © 2009-2022 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

Yvonne Gage [1981] - Garden Of Eve / Tonight (I Wanna Love You) [Atlantic #3869]

Another '80s Hidden Gem' which I found by accident whilst looking for something else.

A great double-sider from Yvonne Gage and her debut outing on Atlantic in 1981.  The only other material I knew from her was the dreadful 'Doin' It In The Haunted House' from her debut album 'Virginity' released a couple of years later (1983) on Chycago International on the cover of which she is scantily clad holding a white fur coat.  There is nothing special 'soul wise' on the whole album (unless you like the synthesised electro boogie sound!), but the debut single on Atlantic is special.

I can find no evidence that this record charted even on the US R&B chart.  Her only chart entry was the aforementioned 'Haunted' which only reached #78 US R&B but fared better in UK with a Pop chart position of #45 in June 1984.

I believe she was predominantly a session singer and had about half a dozen sporadic releases between 1984 and 2018 and released a self-titled album  in 2004 which has a few decent cuts on it.  Her latest release from 2018 First Touch & Yvonne Gage ‎– Tonight's The Night / You Can Have It All is one of her better releases.

Yvonne Gage [1981] - Garden Of Eve [Atlantic #3869]

Rare Groove / Modern Soul Boogie - I've been trying to think what this track reminds me of and think I detect hints (rhythmically) of Change's - Glow Of Love which was released a year earlier and certainly elements of a Chic bassline in there.

Some nice live footage of her performing this track.

Yvonne Gage [1981] - Tonight (I Wanna Love You) [Atlantic #3869]

Superb rare groove stepper on the flip.