Thee Illusions sophomore release on Black Bird Records “Baby Don’t (Waste My Time)” – This heart wrenching song features a brilliant performance by Atara Phillips backed by Thee Illusions heavy rhythm powerhouse with a live string section beautifully arranged by David Reyes.
Continue reading Thee Illusions – Black Bird Records
“Color One Tear Black” Parts 1&2
Label: Symphonical Records
Catalogue Number: SR-012
Release Date: 26th October 2022
Format: 7’ / Digital
Double O’s Demingo’s Cincinnati teens Bill Smith & Randy Vandivier would play together during the late 60s in a group called ‘Billy & The Hitch Hikers’ fronted by James Bowens, who through his fascination with James Bond would adopt the nickname ‘Double O’ Hailing from Lincoln Heights, the group would be surrounded by and play with the likes of Bootsy Collins, Charles Spurling who became staples at local King Records.
Continue reading Double O’s Demingo’s
Reflecting on my life, there was never a time when music wasn’t a part of it. In fact, at the age of 7, I remember walking down 52nd and Hooper in South Central, LA, and hearing a voice say to me, “You are a singer and you will sing.” That voice turned out to be correct. I went on to sing in the California state choir that was directed by Andre Crouch when I was 8 years old. I sang soprano at the time because I had a really high voice. I’ve been singing ever since, though now, I’m definitely more of a tenor.
Continue reading Robert IMtume Owens
Rod Dearlove asked me six times to DJ at Thorne. Below are tracks I played a the time……Magic days
Continue reading Canal Tavern, Thorne
Betty Wright is a soul and R&B singer with deep gospel roots. She influenced a generation of female singer-songwriters and continues to influence the world of hip hop, who sample some of her more famous material.
Born singing gospel with the family group, the Echoes of Joy, Wright began experimenting with R&B music in 1965 when she was only 11. In 1968, she released her first album, My First Time Around, by the age of 14, and scored her first national hit, “Girls Can’t Do What Guys Can Do”. But it was not until the end of 1971 that Wright’s most successful phase of her career began to take place.
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When I was a singer for Warner/Atlantic/Cotillion Records, I only recorded one album, “Love City,” which produced and co-written by the legendary Michael Stokes, but now I..m more into writing and production…
Some artists that I have written for that you may know are: Keith Barrow, Shirley Caesar, Eddie Kendrick of the Temptations, Paul Williams of the Temptations, Posse, Bobby Taylor of Bobby Taylor the Vancouvers, Millie Scott, Conquest, and many others have recorded tunes of mine. I also had the pleasure of producing sessions featuring the famed Motown Funk Brothers rhythm section… Done sessions at some of Detroit’s most legendary recording studios, including The Sound Suite, United Sound, Pac 3; Super Disc, Cloudborn,Motown Studio A and The Pit. I’ve been very lucky in my associations… My first professional writing collaboration was done at Motown with a guitarist named Ricky Matthews, who later changed his name to the more memorable Rick James.
Continue reading Ronn Matlock
“Crystal Motion” was a singing group from “New Bedford” Massachusetts. The group was formed in 1974 and the original members were “Kevin Gomes”(lead vocals),” Rodney (Skeeta)Santos”(and cousin to Kevin), Daniel(Buddy)Monterio” (A lifelong friend),and “John Paris”. The group was managed by”Carter Management”(Eddie Carter) Of Onset, Mass., who now resides in Orlando, Fl.. They had a brush with stardom in 1975 with a recording called” You’re My Main Squeeze”, which was on the “Sound Gems” record label, and was a small hit in the Boston, Mass. and Providence, R.I. area. It also was played on radio stations in Philly, Atlanta and Houston, Texas.
‘Disco Fantasy Land’
Label: Albina Music Trust
Catalog: AMT-004
Release Date: 23rd April 2021
Format: LP
“It’s a place where people go, again and again. The name of the place is Disco Fantasy Land.”
These lyrics introduce the title track of this previously unreleased Transport album from 1978. Featuring members of The Gangsters, Ural Thomas’ 1960s band, and Nu Shooz, this group has been under the radar since its inception, only recently rediscovered by Albina Music Trust.
Continue reading Transport
Label: Albina Music Trust
Release Date: January 22nd, 2020
Catalog: AMT-003
Genre: Soul/Jazz/Funk from 1975 (previously unreleased)
Format: Vinyl Only
Next up from Albina Music Trust is a previously unreleased reel-to-reel session by Slickaphonic, a nine-piece powerhouse in Portland’s lost funk scene. Recorded in 1975 at Recording Associates by engineer Bob Stoutenberg (The Wipers, Baba Yaga, Mel Brown), this carefully restored collection places the listener in the thick of a watertight disco-funk session done the Albina way.
Continue reading Slickaphonic LPLabel: Albina Music Trust
Release Date: October 16th, 2020
Catalog: AMT-002
Genre: Soul/Jazz/Funk from 1977 (previously unreleased)
Format: Vinyl Only
For over fifty years, The Legendary Beyons have delighted Portlanders with their music. And now, for the first time, their work has been documented in this high fidelity LP accompanied by a detailed oral history of the group. The album’s well-designed booklet features a range of archival photography, serving as a period piece for the uninitiated.
Continue reading The Legendary Beyons LP
“So glad”/ “Oceans of thoughts and dreams” (Scoot Grooves) 7′
Many Young artists today are copying the funk soul of yesteryear quite successfully,
it’s not necessary to name names or bash their sonic efforts.
But just know Al Hudson & One Way are the real deal.
There’s no need to educate them on this era of music, they were THERE in the thick of it and more importantly still kicking today.
Ok ok … Let’s do the Melissa Morgan, Whispers and Patti Labelle gig we agreed over dinner one midweek evening, I will order the tickets now , after all Melissa and Patti were still on our ‘to see ‘ list.We arrived at a very tired Manchester Apollo, attendance was surprisingly light for these world class artists.
Melissa was first up and gave us a great set of the old favourites . This included a walk out into the audience performing Fools Paradise.It was great to meet her too in the lobby area after the performance, she was fab and very friendly and eager to chat about old times.
Next up were the Whispers…They performed a very polished ‘Vagas’ type set lasting 30 minutes with many of the uptempo favesThe Whispers Orchestra truly awesum, they oozed quality and composure Warm , rich , professional harmonies the hallmark of the group rattled around Continue reading A Marvel in Manchester
Dan Greer “Masquerade” Masquerade” (Sound Of Memphis 45)
One question? Why isn’t this a massive and well respected tune on the Northern Soul Scene? After all, the so called “modern scene” is having its playlists of the last 20yrs plundered by Northern Jocks, so I wonder, what’s wrong with this gem of a dancer? Dan Greer is of course a much respected southern soul icon amongst collectors world wide on this tune his vocals are a power house of emotion over Continue reading Collectors Soul
As I’ve got older, the thought of another night spent listening to time warped oldies on New Year’s Eve drives me crazy, so imagine how my pulse jumped when I saw that Chicago Soulstress, Joshie Jo Armstead was going to perform in Brooklyn at the rather fine Dig Deeper. From then there was only one course of action – get the flights & hotel booked, check the credit card has a few $$$’s still left, promise Clare that New York at this time of year is very special & go . . . !
I had missed Joshie when she ‘joined the caravan’ & visited the UK back around 1990, performing to backing tapes at Southport & The Kilt in Scotland. It probably wasn’t her finest hour, but having the opportunity to sing in front of a real band, supported by a brass section & top drawer backing singers must have turned the lady, as it was her first live show in the US since 1981.
Dig Deeper has been keeping Brooklyn Soulful for the last 6 years constantly bringing wonderful acts to the stage at Littlefield. Run by Richard Lewis & Michael Robinson, this is a pretty up-front venue & when you factor in it was New Year’s Eve then it was only ever going to be electric. Continue reading Joshie Jo Armstead in Brooklyn
Why ask me?
I don’t know. Why do women look into a full wardrobes, sigh, and say ‘I’ve nothing to wear’.
Why do people take cars only couple of years old and in perfect working order and change them for a newer model? Why do people spend millions on a canvas with paint splattered on it?
It’s their money, they do what they want with it. Me? I’m happy buying records. I buy them because I like them. 1962 to 2010 couldn’t care less, as long as the vocal’s there, no problem. Get it in the collection. Photos too, especially the 60s ones, black & white photographs – magic. And the songsheets. And dentures, yeah, false teeth as worn by Sy Hightower. Continue reading Why do we collect records?
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