All posts by Mick

Emilia Sisco 

“Don’t Believe You Like That” / Trouble” / I’ll Get Better” / Lemon & Lime Sours” / “Love Can Carry Me” / “Let me in”

With her powerhouse vocals and a remarkable ability to weave narratives in her songs, Emilia Sisco effortlessly fuses soul, jazz and blues into a mesmerizing tapestry of sound. 
Her voice carries the weight of raw emotion, echoing the depths of the human experience.
Released on Timmion Records, Emilia Sisco made waves with her previous single, “Don’t Believe You Like That,” which quickly gained her plenty of worldwide admirers. 

Continue reading Emilia Sisco  →

MicCulture Robbie Love

Robbie Love’s musical journey began the day she was born. Growing up in a rock & roll household, Robbie is no stranger to the music industry. It wasn’t unusual for her and her brothers to go shoot billiards at the home of front man Dennis Edwards of the Temptations or to spend weekends over Uncle Charles Wright of the Watts 103 Street Rhythm band’s house, or even get a knock on the door from Mr. Willie Hutch. Robbie’s first photo shoot was at the tender age of 4 months by Mr. Lamont Mc Lemore, one of the founding members of the acclaimed musical group
The Fifth Dimensions. 

Continue reading MicCulture Robbie Love →

New and Jazzy Releases for August 2024

Jazz First by Tony Poole

Here’s another set of ten new jazz track recommendations worth checking out released during August 2024.

Being There by Andy Hay from Polaris (Andy Hay Music)
From Andy’s sixth album and following on from ‘’Children Of The Sun’ which featured the jazz dance monster ‘I Believe In Love’. The welsh drummer provides another spiritual set from the heart. Included is this modal groover that’s sure to receive plenty of air-play.

Palo de Oros (Suit of Coins) by Patricia Brennan Septet from Breaking Stretch (Pyroclastic Records)
Vibraphonist, marimbist and composer Patriocia Brennan has been widely feted as one of the instrument’s newer leaders. On this, the lead single, following an extended bass solo intro by Kim Cass, the band launches into an ‘on the edge’, almost chaotic, jazz attack with wild horns and electronic zings. Brennan gives a dynamic solo between drums and percussion…Boom!

Continue reading New and Jazzy Releases for August 2024 →

Black Girl Singer LM

“I Do Love You” / “Heart Of Hearts”

Label: Izipho Soul Records
Catalogue Number: ZP103
Release Date: Friday 30th August 2024
Format: 7’ Vinyl

Black Girl Singer LM formerly known as Lillie Nicole McCloud is a singer of exceptional ability. Having had a sparkling career with a discography spanning seven albums. Worth noting that in 1986 as Nicole, she had the smash hit ‘New York Eyes’ – a duet with the late great Timmy Thomas. Her musical collaborations include Melissa Morgan, Keith Sweat, Angie Stone to name just a few!

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Romero Bros 

“Samba de Flora”

Label: Echo Chamber Recordings
Catalogue Number: ECRXX001
Release Date: September 2024
Format: 7’ Vinyl 45rpm

We are flying headlong into the second year of Echo Chamber Recordings with this brilliant version of the jazz-dance club anthem  : Airto’s “Samba de Flora” – revisited by the Romero Bros – which is in process to be pressed as  a “rush release “ 45 to get this out into the world as soon as possible …

Following a tip-off from a South American customer of previous ECR 45 releases – I hooked up with the band who are based in Rosario, Santa Fe in the North of Argentina.   
What I hadn’t realised was that the vocals on the original version are actually sung in Spanish (I’d always presumed it was Portuguese due to Airto’s Brazilian background).
This was a big reason for it becoming a popular tune in certain clubs in Argentina over the last few decades – hence the band performing this many times before even recording it.

Continue reading Romero Bros  →

William Kooly Scott

“I’m Satisfied” / “Count- 2-3” / “Love Gone Bad” / “If U Let Me In” / “Love Ballad”


“I’m Satisfied,” William is bringing to you a touch of funk for your listening and dancing pleasure. This is somewhat of a different twist from his smooth jazz track “Twelve O Five,” which was reproduced by legendary bassist Brian Bromberg. William Kooly Scott is a vocalist, songwriter, producer, musician, recording artist, and entertainer. His incredible music career has sanctioned him to perform in several states across the United States, the Caribbean, and around the globe.

Including Germany, Spain, and South Korea. Most notably, he performed annually in Norway for more than 10 years. He was also the lead vocalist for the Norwegian-American supergroup “Transatlantic Express,” which had very successful tours of multiple cities in Norway.

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The Ellis Hall Group

“Music, Sweet Music” / “Forward Motion”

Label: Ellis Hall Records
Catalogue Number: SDE69
Release Date: September 2024
Format: 7’Vinyl

Welcome to our second release by the Talented Ellis Hall Jr and his band out of Boston from 1978. The group caught our attention a few years ago when we spotted a lengthy performance they did for a show called “Night Shift”. These two songs the summer “Music , Sweet Music” and “Forward Motion” didn’t make that tv show reel but we dug deep to get these cuts out for you. 

Continue reading The Ellis Hall Group →

MisterB (UK)
Best ever!
What a fantastic show this is. Mick is so passionate, it drips through everything he says and his choice of tunes.

Bazzzaboy (UK)
Soul Discovered
This has to be the classiest Soul Music show on the radio. Soul Discovery with Mick O’Donnell’s love of the music, be it deep soul, slow R and B or Gospel – is evident by his sheer enthusiasm and obvious joy of the tracks he plays. Current classy Soul played alongside gems from the past, the show is always introducing the listener to music that they might never otherwise hear. Each show is a real joy. 10 out of 10

Peter Churchill  (Sweden)
My name is Peter Churchill, I’ve been Collecting and listening to soul for 40 years, I’ve listened to your Soul Discovery show’s for many years and it just gets better, you just Keep finding tracks that blow me away for ex Karan Clarke, He loves me, Willie Hutch, I can sho can give love, Sandra Richardson, Madeleine Bell etc, I’m hard to please but you just about knock it on the Head for me. I was a regular tourer in the 80s seeing and enjoying all the top artist , Jean Carn, Maze, Patti, Shirley Brown, Bobby Womack, Barry W, Incognito, PAZ the amazing jazz Q, LSG, Gladys, Luther V and many more amazing gigs with a lot of goosebumps and fantastic memories, them times are difficult too experience again but that doesn’t mean theres not a lot off quality top soul artist out there today, its just a big act to follow. 

Thanks for keeping soul Alive and Keep spreading the word

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New and Jazzy Releases for July 2024

Jazz First by Tony Poole

Nana Afrika by Mausiki Scales from Long Memory (Tippin’ da Scales Music)
Keybordist and founder of the Atlanta-based Afro Beat Funk ensemble, Mausiki Scales and the Common Ground Collective. Their music bears influence to the music of Fela Kuti and Roy Ayers. The infectious ‘Nana Afrika’ features a killer groove with added spiritual poetry. Nana, West African (Ghana) literal meaning ‘grandparent, elder, ancester’. No doubt  a future worldwide groove club classic.

Roll The Dice (Raregroove Reprise) by Soulpersona & Carl Hudson fom Magic Bullet. (Sunset City Records)
Potentially the peoples choice pick from the duo’s new album ‘Magic Bullet’. Remixed into a more jazzier affair that highlights the Fender Rhodes and trumpet solos. An exclusive bonus mix only available on Bandcamp. Also included on this 3-track EP is a vocal version featuring Deborah Bond.

Continue reading New and Jazzy Releases for July 2024 →

Soul Underground with Karl White

Northern Soul – The Post Wigan Years


The following article was written for the sleeve note of the 10 CD Box Set The Odyssey: A Northern Soul Time Capsule compiled by Ian Dewhirst and released at the beginning of 2015.  It is a brief overview of the Northern/Rare Soul scene since the demise of Wigan Casino.  it is by no means a comprehensive and full overview of what was happening and has happened since 1980/1981.  It focuses only on the main all-nighters of the time.  There has been 100s off venues since Wigan that have held an all-nighter and it was impossible to mention all within the constraints of the word count I was held to.  It neither focuses on Soul Nights of which there was literally 1000s and even more today.  The majority held no influence on the scene in the way the likes of Blackpool Mecca did.  That isn’t to say there was none, some are featured but many are not as space didn’t allow .  Hopefully there will be a book to follow that will feature many of the venues and clubs omitted.

Much has been written about the Northern Soul scene up to the demise of The Wigan Casino, but very little has actually been written about what followed. For many, the scene died when Wigan Casino closed its doors for the final time. These same people would perversely discover that the scene was far from dead and that a hard-core crowd had continued to keep the flame burning and in the process, had taken the scene back underground with an aggressive upfront music policy.

Continue reading Soul Underground with Karl White →

Bridge 


“Crying For Love” /“Listen”

Label: Izipho Soul Records
Catalogue Number: ZP104 
Release Date: Friday 26th July 2024  
Format:  7’ Vinyl

Paul Tillman Smith is a significant figure within in the music community of Oakland/Berkeley, California. His connections and collaborations read like a who’s who of famous musicians.

As leader of 70s Buddah Records group ‘Vitamin E’ and then onto ‘Bridge’, the subsequent band cut an album in 1981 for the CBS distributed Bang label that never saw the light of day. It was released by First Experience Records as a double LP and CD in 1999 and is recognised as being one of the finest unreleased discoveries within its genre.

Continue reading Bridge  →

History of – Paul Tilman Smith……So Far

19/07/24

The Norman Connors days.
Me and Norman were the young Jazz drummer up-and-comers in the sixties in New York. Normans momma was in Philadelphia and mine was in California. Norman could run to his momma’s house to eat while I starved to death,lol. We were best friends but god obviously had different intentions for the both of us. Norman had no idea I had a love for writing silly little songs on the piano from the age of fifteen.

After I left the Jazz Avant Garde John Coltrane era and came back to Oakland I kept playing but started writing again. In the mean time Norman became one of the best show-men Jazz drummers around and people started noticing him and the right record producer gave him a shot and making records and he then started making great records. We had made a pack that if either one of us could ever help the other we would so the band Vitamin E was born. His wife named the band and I at first hated that name but now ironically I use Vitamin E everyday, hahahahahahaha!

Continue reading History of – Paul Tilman Smith……So Far →

Aflex Combo

“Hibaros” / “Something Blue”

Label: Jazz Room Records 
Catalogue Number: JAZZR 039
Release Date: July 2024  
Format:  7’ Vinyl

Japanese Producer and multi-instrumentalist Keisuke Yamazoe’s outfit Aflex Combo are a super jazzy jazz-funk outfit whose occasional releases are always incendiary. Jazz Room Records are pleased to release this special cover of the underground club classic “Hibaros” by B&G Rhythm (Donny Beck & Steve Gutierrez and featuring Bobby Lyle!) and after one listen you will agree that this is a must-check 45! Over on the flip is “Something Special”, a Latin-tinged jazz-funk number that’s every bit as essential as the floor rocking A-side.

Paul Murphy
https://jazzroomrecords.com/

Ben Jones (UK)
Just wanted to say it’s really good to hear the show again. Been a follower of Soul Discovery for years and was sad when I learnt it was no longer being broadcast Sunday evenings. Always a quality listen and I’ll be locked in this coming Saturday.

Steve Scotney (UK)
Hey Mick, Hope you’re well and thanks for keeping up the great show and website / Podcasts etc. Fantastic soul as always and a weekly lifeline for me 

Jerrij Johnson – California Flight (U.S.A.)
I love your Soul Discovery radio shows.

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Soul Discovery Show – An Exclusive Interview with Candi Staton 19/06/24

In the early ‘70s with a string of hit R&B records, produced by her great friend, the late Rick Hall of the legendary FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals: “I’d Rather Be an Old Man’s Sweetheart (Than a Young Man’s Fool),” “I’m Just a Prisoner (of Your Good Lovin’),” “Sweet Feeling,” “Stand by Your Man” and a cover of “In the Ghetto” that remains nearly as celebrated as Elvis Presley’s original. In the late ‘70s, she reinvented herself as a disco diva, returning to the charts with “Young Hearts Run Free.” She then returned to her gospel roots, a move that unexpectedly led to her career resurgence in the ‘90s and 2000s, as two songs originally written as Christian anthems, “You Got the Love” and “Hallelujah Anyway,” won new audiences with dance remixes.

Continue reading Soul Discovery Show – An Exclusive Interview with Candi Staton 19/06/24 →