Category Archives: Colemine Records

Colemine Records was started by accident in 2007. Me and a buddy of mine, Louis Rideout, had just finished an album called The City. The album was an extension of the hip-hop/funk band we were in at the time called Soundscape. Everyone in the group contributed to the record and I was pretty proud of the final product, so we wanted to start selling it at shows. But I wanted it to seem legitimate and shopping the record around to labels didn’t appeal to me. So, we developed some artwork and I made up a label….Colemine. The logo image came to me when I was eating Subway in Oxford, OH while attending graduate school at Miami University. I drew it on a napkin and boom! We had a logo.
So, we pressed up 500 CDs and sold them at shows. I even got a few retailers to stock them online. Most notably Dusty Groove in Chicago, IL. We had made what I thought was a good record and people could now enjoy it, so I was happy. Then Rideout & I received a message via MySpace (that’s right…MySpace) from P-Vine Records in Japan. They said they were interested in licensing the album. I thought it was bullshit. I thought there was no way a company wanted to pay us money for our music. But it was legit. And that was the first time I thought just maybe this whole record label thing wasn’t such a bad idea. So the rhythm section from Soundscape cut our first funky organ 45 as The Jive Turkeys and that broke us into the funk/soul scene.
Since that first release we’ve been lucky enough to work with many talented musicians and producers. Our extended family seems to grow every year and we have no plans of slowing down. My goal for Colemine was always very, very simple. I simply wanted to release music that I love and help those that create that music in any way possible. This label was never about getting rich, becoming famous, or overnight success. I was a high school biology teacher for the first eight years of the label’s existence and this label has always much been my labor of love. True love.
It wasn’t until the stars aligned just right towards the end of 2014 that I could officially say that running Colemine Records was my “job”. My younger brother, Bob, had just finished graduate school and was all set to start his career as a computer engineer. Great money, benefits, a comfortable life was ahead of Bob. So naturally I convinced him to forego all that in order to somehow make Colemine Records our career. The answer was opening up a brick & mortar record store to compliment what we were already going to be doing as a label. So within a week of the idea we had a business plan, a location, and a one-year lease. Thus Plaid Room Records in downtown Loveland, OH was born. And since opening, both businesses have complimented each other while each continues to grow and reach its full potential.
The growth since opening the shop has been rapid we have no plans of slowing down! We’re going to plug away and make soul music the way we think it should be made until people stop wanting to hear us or we’re tired of doing it.

Terry Cole
Colemine Records

The Harlem Gospel Travelers


“Rhapsody”

Label:  Colemine Records
Release Date: Friday 23rd August 2024  
Format:  LP Vinyl

With The Harlem Gospel Travelers’ new album Rhapsody, the extraordinary vocalists Ifedayo, Dennis Bailey, and George Marage are able to fully explore the entire range of music that influenced them. The follow-up to their acclaimed 2021 release Look Up!, the record is a dive into a lesser-known but hugely important era in the evolution of gospel music.

Starting in the mid-1960s, local gospel groups and singers began incorporating elements of popular soul and funk styles and in 2006, Chicago-based reissue label Numero Group released Good God! A Gospel Funk Hymnal. HGT’s longtime friend and mentor Eli Paperboy Reed approached the group with the idea of digging through the Numero catalog and recording some of the gospel-funk material, reinterpreted in their own way—from the high-energy, old-school soul of “God’s Been Good to Me” to the hip-hop-inflected “Get Involved.” 

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The Harlem Gospel Travelers

“Do You Know The Man”

Label: Colemine Records
Catalogue Number: CLMN-231
Release Date: 18th October 2022
Format: 7’

The Harlem Gospel Travelers. “Do You Know The Man” is an amazing and heartfelt cover of a classic gospel tune, with lead vocals from HGT member, George Marage. This song is available on 45 as part of the Colemine-exclusive bundle with their recent LP, Look Up’.

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The Ironsides

‘Changing light” / “Sommer”

Label: Colemine Records
Catalogue Number: CLMN-176
Release Date: 14th October 2022
Format: 7’

Breezy instrumental soul from California’s The Ironsides. Featuring members of Monophonics, ‘Changing Light’ is a cinematic and orchestral track that is uber-pleasing to the ears. The B-Side, “Sommer” is a cover of an obscure 1973 song by Stig & Steen, but the mood seems very modern with the help of some excellent production by brothers Max and Joe Ramey.
Terry Cole

The Harlem Gospel Travelers

Things are looking up for The Harlem Gospel Travelers, who return here with a new album, a new lineup, and a new lease on life. Produced by Eli Paperboy Reed, Look Up! marks the group’s first full-length release as a trio, as well as their first collection of totally original material, and it couldn’t have come at a more vital moment. The music still draws deeply on the gospel quartet tradition of the ’50s and ’60s, of course, but there’s a distinctly modern edge to the record, an unmistakable reflection of the tumultuous past few years of pandemic anxiety, political chaos, and social unrest. The songs are bold and resilient, facing down doubt and despair with faith and perseverance, and the performances are explosive and ecstatic, fueled by dazzling vocal arrangements punctuated with gritty bursts of guitar and crunchy rhythm breaks. 

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Durand Jones & The Indications

“Power to the people” /“Never heard ’em say” 

Label:  Colemine Records 
Release Date: 4th April 2022Format:  7’
Event: Record Store Day 
Quantity: 1900
Release type: RSD Exclusive Release

“This 45 marks the label’s 100th 45 and what better way to celebrate it than with a 45 from arguably our most prominent artist, Durand Jones & The Indications. This mix of “Power To The People” was the first new recording by the band after their self-titled album had been released. I distinctly remember hearing it for the first time and just feeling like we were hearing the next phase for the guys. I was behind the counter at Plaid Room, with my laptop plugged into the speakers so we could listen. There was no one in the store, just Bob and I. And when it finished playing Bob said, “Where can I pre-order?”
So what you’re hearing on this 45 is the original demo mix that was sent to us, with little to no reverb on Durand’s vocals, a marching band kick drum in the mix, and no synth. Something about the dry falsetto vocal of Durand’s voice made it feel like he was right in your ear. Such a special recording to all us. ….Terry Cole – Colemine Records

Oliver James

“One and only”/“But for the love” 

Label:  Colemine Records 
Catalog: CLMN-202
Release Date: 25th March 2022
Format:  7’

Oliver James is a time capsule. Raised in a family of musicians and a man who has been performing live since he was a child, Oliver comes to his love of soul music in a most honest and authentic way. Growing up listening to gospel, blues, and R&B from the classic early Stax era, his influences as a musician, songwriter, and producer are clear. After a stint working as a songwriter for Rick Hall, Mr. James is now set to start his own career. Producing, editing, mixing, and performing completely to tape, Oliver makes his mark with his debut single “One And Only” on Colemine Records.  Terry Cole

Wesley Bright

“Come right back”

Label:  Colemine Records 
Catalog: CLMN-205
Release Date: 18th March 2022
Format:  7’

Ohio’s sweetest soul singer Mr. Wesley Bright has returned with a new ear-worm called “Come Right Back”. This family man, entrepreneur, and beekeeper came down to Loveland and to produce some tracks with Leroi Conroy in a more minimal, hard hitting manner. The track started off with a Wu-Tang reference and then eventually evolved into a massive 7 minute soul jam featuring strings and horns arranged by Wesley himself….Terry Cole

The Soul Chance & Wesley Bright

“Who could it be?”/“Sorry”

Label:  Colemine Records 
Catalog: CLMN-194
Release Date: 11th February 2022
Format:  7’

A cross-country collaboration reaffirms that strong Ohio-California connection ever-present for many Colemine artists. This time, Mr. Wesley Bright (sweet soul singer and professional beekeeper) is stepping out over some heavy reggae with The Soul Chance! Sweetness all around!…Terry Cole

The Harlem Gospel Travelers

“Nothing but is love” (Colemine Records) 7′

Catalog: S4R11
Release Date: 15th June 2020

The sixth week of our Brighter Days Ahead campaign, in which we will be releasing a new track from the Colemine label group every Friday until the end of summer 🙂 And each week, all the Bandcamp sales of that track during the first week go directly to the band.

This week, we’re back with a new Harlem Gospel Travelers track! It’s a bright little ray of sunshine with a catchy little hook. Hope ya dig it!

Barbara Howard

“On The Rise” LP (Remined Records) – Colemine Records

Catalog: RMND-12002
Release Date: 2/15/2019

Barbara Howard’s On The Rise is more than just another rare soul LP. It’s a love story. It’s a dream. It was an attempt to break through. And although Barbara certainly never became a star, one song did become a staple in rare soul and funk DJ sets, keeping interest in Barbara Howard just under the surface. And as fate would have it in 2016, a sealed copy of the LP would find its way into Plaid Room Records in Loveland, OH and kick start the revival of her story and her music. 

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Durand Jones & The Indications

“Don’t you know” / “True Love” (Colemine) 7’

Catalog: CLMN-172
Release Date: 15/2/2019

The lead single from the sophomore LP from Durand Jones & The Indications has everything you could ask for: dual lead vocals from Durand Jones and Aaron Frazer, a danceable beat, and super sweet soul harmonies that won’t soon leave your ear or turntable. It’s familiar yet modern and it’s truly beautiful seeing these guys push soul music forward with their second LP!