“Paying For Your Love/Let’s Get Nasty” (Soul Junction SJ1011) 7′
Release Date: Monday 9th April 2018
Chuck Stephens originally hailed from upstate New York reputedly Buffalo. He was during the mid 1970’s one of the leading disc jockey’s on the popular New York radio station WWRL AM. Chuck had always hankered with the aspiration of being a recording artist and in the pursuit of his dream approached the respected New York songwriting team of brothers Richard and Robert Poindexter.
Freestyle Records – Digital EP (FSRJESDIG01)
A mainstay of London’s alternative music scene, Jessica has worked with the like of Jean Carne, Tom Browne, Dexter Wansel and James Mason, Japan’s United Future Organisation, and UK soul diva Juliet Roberts The deeply percussive, afrocentric ’Kofi Nomad’ features Tamar ‘Collocutor’ Osborn.
The EP includes also the track ‘Amalfi’ and a remix by the drummer and producer Emanative of ‘Kofi Nomad’ Continue reading Jessica Lauren “Kofi Nomad”
‘Where could I go” / Solid rock” (IZIPHO SOUL Records) 7’
What a true blessing this is! ‘Where Could I Go’ is considered by the discerning real soul fan to be one of the finest examples of modern gospel soul. Originally on a CD that was withdrawn just after release, copies are impossible to find. IZIPHO SOUL have purchased the exclusive rights and done the right thing – issued it on a 45!
Copies are £15 each. Available to purchase from 11th April. If you would like to reserve a copy please comment on this thread or message me. Limited run of 300.
Special thanks to Mick O’Donnell & Mark Merry for inspiration, belief and gifted ears x
Mark Allbones of Grand Vinyl Ltd for the spiritual label design and lots of other stuff!
Patrick Biggerstaff
A little late into the month but with Soul Essence just around the corner, I’m motivated to get some reviews onto the website. Enjoy!!.
First off, the deeper side:
Paul Williams; “Once you had a heart”
We all know that feeling, you hear a song that just stops you in your tracks but you can’t find out a great deal more about it, so it was for me when Richard Searling played this on his Sunday morning show for Jazz FM up in Manchester many, many moons ago. It was only listening to some Temptations tracks on You Tube that I finally found it. Many of you will know it can only be found on The Temptations Anthology “One by one” (the best of their solo years). Williams grew up with Eddie Kendricks and with Kell Osbourne they formed the Primes and when Otis Williams was looking to bolster his group the Distants. Eddie & Paul were recruited. However things were not to stay good for Paul as he started to take less of a presence as lead singer and then his drinking habits caused the group to bring in Richard Street. This track seems so reflective of the hurt he was going through at the time as he sings about the lost love of his life, a beautiful arrangement and a great song for us to remember his life and contribution to our music, such a pity it never made it onto vinyl.
“Shardarp II” ( CB11018 Cannonball) 7’
Another musician, another great voice who wants his music to be listened and danced to
overseas. And here we gotta thank Yann Vatiste big time for the great help in making this possible. Songwriter, Arranger, Producer, Sax & Keyboard Player, Singer William Travis aka “El Willie” began his professional career in the early 70’s, when he joined The Original Drifters as a sax player. After playing with the Original Drifters for about 4 years, Karl Knighton, Larrice Byrd , Stan Travis, and El Willie decided to get off of the road for a while.
“The following is based upon my personal knowledge, personal research and personal experiences”
Back in the day there were many artists whose music never made it to the mainstream but deserve to be noted. These groups produced some of the best music of the day, however, they were never able to sign with a major record label. Everyone knows about the major groups who climbed the charts from Motown, Stax, Buddha, and other major labels. There were quite a few whose music was played on “local” R&B radio stations but never reached the national scene. Many of these artists received more recognition in Europe than was afforded them here in the USA. Although a couple were signed with the major labels, they were never “marketed”. In fact, there were even a few from right here in Boston, Massachusetts…… Those I will get to later.
CATALOG: TSR-003
Sweet California Soul with remnants of Philly and Chicago Doo-Wop make this new 45 from Transistor Sound a must have for fans of the slow and low sound. The Sentiments have composed in one song a companion for warm summer nights and long winter days. Let the sweet, soulful sounds of “She Won’t Be Gone Long” wash over you.
Continue reading “She won’t be gone long” (Transistor Sound) 7’
“We ain’t got no $$$” (CBLL017 Cannonball Records) 7’
After the deep funk, the raw funk, the street funk, the modern funk, the jazz funk and the prison funk, here we go with the first example of dollar funk ha ha ha. Jokes aside, some of you may recall a little post I did a couple of weeks ago about old school american soul artists who are still doing their music. So, this one is the first of our 2 todays releases. The first version was recorded last year at a studio in Louisville (Kentucky) by a band that gathered together again after several years and privately released it on a 45 which has been brought to me by my pal Dave.
“All My Life” / “Disco Hustle” (Soul Junction SJ1010)
Release Date: Monday 12th February 2018
The Nu-Rons, were a family group consisting of two sets of brothers and cousins, the four young men in question being brothers Daryl Howard and Raymond Gibson (Daryl’s mother registered him under his father’s surname of Howard and Raymond under her maiden name of Gibson) together with Otho Bateman and Charles Bateman. They were all born and raised in Salem, New Jersey and from the age of ten and eleven began singing with a fifth member and Gibson brother Rudolph in a group called The Gospel 5. They eventually decided to crossover to secular music and as a group known for their energetic dance routines they came up with the new performing name of ‘The Nu-Rons’ (taken from the word ‘Neuron’ which is a cell that transmits nerve impulses). However Rudolph was soon to leave the group due to physical illness. Also Daryl Howard and Charles Bateman had also been part of a working group known as The Devotions prior to becoming The Nu-Ron’s.
“Oh my goodness” / “We fell in love” (Soul 4 Real S4RO2-S4RO3) 7′