Northern Soul & Rare Soul Music News, Reviews & Features

Explore a wide range of soul music articles, from breaking news to in-depth features on Northern Soul, Motown, Funk and Soul Music.

Here it is the 11th release 7” from Soul 4 Real Records, more unreleased music from THE MASQUERADERS. Originally recorded in 1972. Limited Edition of 400 copies.
PRE ORDER NOW FOR 15th JUNE 2020
LISTEN HERE:

The celebrated history of the Masqueraders has given us two of soul music’s most memorable recordings with “I Ain’t Got To Love Nobody Else” and “I’m Just An Average Guy”. Through the years they have left us many classic gems that are heavily sought after by collectors and some that have yet to be mined.
However, if there was ever any doubt about the Masqueraders´ greatness, the previously unreleased “Make Me Think You Love Me” from 1972 puts that doubt to rest. After a stunning intro the group eases into those harmonies that captured our hearts back in day and remind us once again about the magic of that period of soul music.
“When Trouble Calls” is a Jerry Butler and Curtis Mayfield composition from 1961 and the group´s version appeared originally on an impossible-to-find cassette published in 1993. Unlike the Ice Man’s version, the Masqueraders upgrade the song with their patented silky-smooth vocals. Thanks to the team at Soul4Real for digging up and presenting us with these two recordings.
RUBEN MOLINA

Presented in a beautiful picture cover laminated 7" designed by Jordi Duró. Liner notes by Ruben Molina.
PRE ORDER NOW FOR 15th JUNE 2020
13 euros + postage as it follows:
1 to 5 copies: 6,70 euros UK & Europe
1 to 5 copies: 2,40 euros Spain
1 to 5 copies: 10,35 euros USA & rest of the world
Payment by PAYPAL as friends & family:
soul4realrecordlabel@gmail.com
Please check all our releases: https://www.soul4real.es/soul-4-real-records/

By Alexsubinas in Source Archives · May 25, 20205 yr

New release - 2 x Hit and Run 45s - Jo Jo Benson + Bernard Drake

2 NEW RELEASES - DUE : 29 May 2020
MAILING : Wed 27 May 2020
HR 1517 JO JO BENSON - You're Losing Me / I'll Be The One
I remember during the days of Grapevine 2000 going to the studios in Houston with JA to try and work a deal for Huey's masters. There was a legal thing going on and we never got to it - so I'm particularly pleased to be able to eventually release this one on vinyl 45. Unreleased in the 70s, the 'A' side did get a CD release in 2015 and the 'B' side was out on a pretty hard-to-find Jetstream 45, which I recall had off-centre pressing problems on many copies.
Here they are now - totally remastered and sounding pretty darned good. I think most of us love Barbara Lynn's Atlantic original and Jo Jo's version sounds pretty top-notch too.
BERNARD DRAKE - I've Been Untrue / The Natural Thing.
For the last few years, one of the biggest Modern / Crossover sounds in the country.
It may well have been the same Texas trip around 15 years ago, we'd been to Houston and went on to the Austin show that I saw what is possibly the only copy I've ever seen of this 45. Ultra-rare and the few known copies are in the hands of Premier League DJ/collectors. - last one I saw through ebay was $4,000. Over 50 years old and sounds perfect for today.
On sale with paypal payment now : £12.00 each + £3.00 p/p ( good for 1-3 records) paypal to - hitandrunsoul45@gmail.com

By Dewsburyborn in Source Archives · May 18, 20205 yr

BBC 4 The Changin' Times of Ike White... Mon 18 May 2020
The Changin’ Times Of Ike White follows the journey of a musical prodigy and the mythical album he made whilst serving life for murder.
Released in 1976, Changin’ Times was a commercial album recorded inside an American prison, gaining Ike White industry adulation from the likes of Stevie Wonder. This compelling new documentary for BBC Four traces a gritty and soulful tale that twists and turns like the best true-crime cinema and is anything but a straightforward music biography.
Following his release from prison, Ike White was on the path to redemption, but just as he was charting a course to stardom, he disappeared.
Pictured: Ike White Publicity photo, taken in prison for album launch
Monday 18 May
10.00pm-11.20pm
BBC FOUR
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000jb6v

By Mike in Source Archives · May 17, 20205 yr

Soul Boy - Our Lives Series 4
Soul Boy - Our Lives - A teenager in care finds a home on Nottingham’s Northern Soul scene.
Details of an upcoming real life documentary due to be shown on BBC One on Wednesday 27th May 2020. Billed as a 'heart warming' film this 30 minute documentary follows teenager Anthony Flavin as he finds his place on Nottingham’s Northern Soul scene.
Here's the BBC info...
Northern Soul is more than just music to Anthony Flavin - it’s a way of life. Anthony has grown up in care from the age of six. His great passions in life are music, fashion and films from the sixties and seventies, and his love for Northern Soul music tops them all.
This heartwarming film follows Anthony in the run up to his 18th birthday as he finds his place on Nottingham’s Northern Soul scene. With help from his keyworker, Luke, and a collection of Northern Soul friends, he’s about to take his first steps as a DJ and towards an independent life.
It won’t be easy - the Soul Boy will need his new Soul 'family' more than ever.
As Anthony prepares for his first DJ set, his friends are there to make sure he looks and sounds the part.
Classy cobbler Pete 'The Shoe' Bullock kits him out with some fancy hot-stepping shoes; there’s a DJ masterclass from best friends and soul mates Karen and Jason Roberts; and a trip down memory lane with legendary Northern Soul DJ Richard Searling, who gets Anthony on the decks and the dancefloor at Blackpool’s famous Tower Ballroom.
A popular Northern Soul venue is hosting Anthony’s 18th birthday party and his DJing debut. Has he mastered the decks in time to get this discerning crowd on the dancefloor? You’ll have to watch to find out.
Part of the Our Lives Series.
Wed 27 May 2020
19:30 hrs
BBC ONE
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000jk57

By Mike in Source Archives · May 17, 20205 yr

By E. Mark Windle.
In Memphis, there was a period when country and rockabilly prevailed at Hi records, before the label became synonymous with Willie Mitchell, and all things soulful and funky. Producers Quinton Claunch and Bill Cantrell had just left Sam Phillips’ Sun in 1957. They joined forces with country singer Ray Harris and some financial backers to set up Hi. Within a couple years, just before Claunch had left to set up Goldwax and prior to Willie Mitchell joining Hi (initially as a recording artist and then president), a young country / rockabilly singer called Tommy Ray Tucker appeared at the studio on South Lauderdale Avenue to record a couple of country tracks.
Not to be confused with his namesake who gave the world “Hi Heeled Sneakers”, Tommy ‘Ray’ was a white Memphisonian who led a very troubled life right up to his demise. As a young man he was playing local joints, although his gigging career was limited after being charged with working under age on premises which served alcohol. This affected his ability to obtain work locally, causing him to look for work elsewhere. After a spell in Nashville, Tucker finally returned to Memphis, and started working four nights a week at the Little Black Book club on Highway 61 in south Memphis. One night in October 1961, after playing the club, he was drinking with some customers at the bar. On his way home he crashed his 1957 Oldsmobile, resulting in a horrific accident with two car explosions and leaving four dead. He escaped the scene. Tucker was later arrested and charged with involuntary manslaughter and driving under the influence of alcohol. He was sentenced the following May and Tommy served nine months of a one year sentence. RCA, to whom he had been signed whilst in Nashville, dropped him. On release, he continued to play some bars and minor venues. Within a couple of years he was recording again for various labels including Western Lounge and Challenge.
Challenge was a Hollywood, California set-up by country artist Gene Autry and Joe Johnson, A&R man for Columbia, in 1957. After Autry sold his share a year later, the label extended its focus to country, pop, jazz and some R&B. Its biggest hit was provided by The Champs “Tequila” in 1958. The label sprouted nearly 200 releases in its reign, but from the early 1960s onwards failed to produce records which made any significant impact on the charts. The vast Challenge catalogue was disproportionate to facilities it could provide for its recording artists, and product was often imported from other regions.
Tommy Ray had two 45 releases on the label: “Sweet Talk” (Challenge 59294) and “Cry, Cry, Cry” (Challenge 59303). Both tracks, released in 1965, were competent numbers where he tried his hand at a more ‘current’ R&B approach without shaking off that country feel. His truly unique take on Johnny Cash’s “Cry, Cry, Cry” transformed the song into a rocking up-tempo R&B number which doesn’t let up throughout. A curious mix perhaps, and one which did seem to work, but did nothing at the time. However the track was met with approval on the discerning rare soul scene in the UK decades later. This was particularly true of Scottish rare soul venues in the mid to late 1980s where the track was played by DJ Alan Walls. Alan remembers: “I bought it blind, from a record list from the States. The 45 arrived Saturday morning as I got home from a soul all-nighter in Dundee. With judgement askew I covered it up as Little Milton (!). Before I had a chance to play it out I let my mate Stewart Spence hear it who, with customary tact said ‘It’s nat bad at all - but he’s white as f**k, sounds nothin’ like Little Milton!’. Needless to say the cover-up artist was changed to Little Richie shortly after that…”
The producer responsible for “Cry, Cry, Cry” was one Stan Kesler (a.k.a Kessler). Kesler was a talented sound engineer and producer initially based at Sun records in Memphis where he worked on the session for Sam the Sham for “Wooly Bully” in 1965. He also facilitated numerous Goldwax recordings in the city, putting together what became the standard house band who backed James Carr and other major artists there, until they were poached by Chips Moman; another ex-Goldwax sound engineer who had left to set up his own label. No doubt Kesler’s expertise and insight working with Goldwax and Sun product influenced the R&B flavour of Tucker’s version of “Cry, Cry, Cry”. Exactly where the recording was made is unknown. However is very likely that, given Tommy’s and Stan’s whereabouts at the time, LA-based Challenge Records leased in this product from Memphis.
A few more records appeared in the mid 1960s on Challenge, XL and others, which went nowhere. That was pretty much it for studio work for Tucker as an upfront artist. He had one final country release for Hi in the early seventies, then reverted back to playing in local bars and restaurants. He pursued song-writing and did grab some backing vocal work for local studios.
However, Tommy Ray Tucker’s demons never left him. In the early hours of the morning in March 1985 he died in an apartment fire from smoke inhalation, thought to have been started when he had fallen asleep in bed with a lit cigarette. The sole collective reminder of Tucker’s recording history is the Memphis Bad Boy LP produced by Zu-Zazz Records (Zu-Zazz 2001) in the late eighties.

Copyright E. Mark Windle (2020). Modified chapter excerpt from Rhythm Message by E. Mark Windle (2014, 2020).

REFERENCES / RESOURCES
Colin Escott (1996) Tommy Tucker. Shackles and Chains. In: Tattoed on their Tongues. A Journey Through The Backrooms of American Music. Schirmer Books. New York, NY. ISBN 0-02-865033-6.
Raised on Records (Blog spot): Tommy Tucker. Thursday 10 February 2011 Available at: http://raisedonrecords.blogspot.co.uk/2011/02/tommy-tucker-begavning-med-forhinder.html (Swedish, translated).
Hot Soul and Cool Jazz, Lightly Browned, on the Funk Side (Blog spot): Tommy Ray Tucker, Trouble is My Name. Friday 24 December 2010 Available at: http://statestorebluestwo.blogspot.co.uk/2010/12/tommy-ray-tucker-trouble-is-my-name.html?m=1
Steve Kurutz (date unknown) Stan Kesler. Available at: http://www.allmusic.com/artist/stan-kesler-mn0000012007/biography
Author unknown. Challenge Records (1950s). Available at: http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Challenge_Records_(1950s)

By Windlesoul in Artists · May 15, 20205 yr

Details of a upcoming new release from Cannonball Records imprint Quatre Recordings that hits a certain spot
QQT002 Jay Nemor "Freedom" (Dj Rocca Remix)
Quatre Recordings (CANNONBALL RECORDS)
Release: 12th June 2020
Available now for preorder. Press blurb and promo video follow, interestingly note the 45 format it has a 33 rpm speed which seems an odd choice
NEW RELEASE ANNOUNCEMENT
QQT002 - 7"/33RPM
JAY NEMOR (DJ ROCCA REMIX) "FREEDOM"
Side A - Vocal
Side B - Instrumental
OUT JUNE 2020

This is another one we have been workin while we are serving time in the Coronavirus State Prison. It is a little beauty that will tick the boxes of every soulie who strives to push the boundaries. Jason here gives his very best, not just writing lyrics but also laying down some great sax lines. HIS vocals and HIS sax are adapting and adopting, making really deep and groovy anything he works on. Remixed by DJ Rocca and mastered by Sam Berdah, an engineer whose mastering services are now a standard part of our production process within all the labels. Remember, its a 7" spinning at 33 rpm, more room for grooves and track lengths, better sounding quality. Lads, eyes peeled, more of these sounds to come soon on Tesla Groove International Recordings a swell, with some great stuff from our artists roster plus a great additional surprise from one of the best Uk Djs and producers ever.
Preorder Now
QQT002 JAY NEMOR "FREEDOM"
https://cannonballsoul.com/
Cannonball Records

releases

By Mike in Source Archives · May 8, 20205 yr

MD Records and Blue Lotus Recording Studio present Roland Johnson – Set Your Mind Free

Just who is Roland Johnson!
If you have not come across Roland before then be prepared to hear Soul music at its very best. Roland lives in St Louis, Missouri and up until the age of 68 had been plying his trade in front of live audiences and on a couple of releases. Most of the songs were adaptations of standards and other writers’ songs but expressed in such a way that you could hear Roland’s life experience shining through.
Roland’s first album, “Imagine This” was released by Blue Lotus Recording studio in 2016. This album was a deliberate move into mainly self-written songs and marked the desire by Roland to break out to wider audiences, gaining even more success than that shown by his live performances appreciated by all on the St Louis and Beale street Blues and Soul Scene.
Often compared to Otis Redding and Sam Cooke, which you can hear the influence, but Roland Johnson is a singer destined to come out of the shadows.

The success and increased interest in Roland’s first album bright about more interviews with the Missouri press and News, with interviews and award nominations celebrating his highly successful blend of heartfelt Southern Soul with a classic vintage delivery in a new way. In the UK Brian Goucher of Vibe UK picked up on the album and reviewed it excellently.
Come 2019 and Roland set out, with fellow musicians and producers Paul Niehaus IV and Kevin Connor amongst others, to create a 10 track album follow up to “Imagine This”. The aim, to drive forward in search of redefining, St Louis Soul reaching far beyond the boundaries of the Gateway Arch and firmly putting the great city in the limelight for its musical talent.
When you listen to both albums you can hear how far Roland, with the support of the band – there’s no MIDI here its real music and soul through and through, has developed the sound and brand of music.

The title track “Set your mind free” just jumps out of the speakers and drags you into the story. This is a dance floor winner in all counts, the rolling drums and superb brass work underpinned by that driving strings section. Fabulous production overlay Roland’s gravely soulful delivery with the backing group piercing the song with a sweet punctuation. The Southern guitar lines remind you of the fact this is Soul tinged with the South and all the pain and heartache life can deliver. Its message clearly that you can rise above the day to day world and achieve whatever you want, just Set your mind free.
Flip it over and just let “Now your gone” wash over you. The fabulous production, the arrangement with Roland just letting his heart pour out the pain of loss. If this doesn’t pull a heart string then you need to get checked out!
The album was picked up in the UK by DJs such as Cliff Steele, who following a visit to St Louis, started including the title track in his playlists, Andy Bellwood who was playing it on his radio shows and Brian Goucher to name but a few.
The track lists on both albums really cover pretty much most genres from the properly deep through the sweet soul ballads to the feelgood winners all just laden with brass and strings.
Roland recorded both albums at the Blue Lotus Recording Studio in St Louis, set up, owned and run by Paul Niehaus IV – the studio was wet up in 2016 and is a traditional grass roots affair, self-funded by Paul who is himself a multi-talented musician, songwriter and producer. Kevin Connor, also a talented musician and producer, who is part of the studio and can be heard on the albums, along with a host of other musicians and singers. Blue Lotus has an ethos of community to it that comes through in its musical output.
The Studio is heavily entwined in the St Louis music scene, having produced 5 of the St Louis Blues Society compilation albums and having received 3 nominations for the Blues Blast Music Awards run by Blues Blast Magazine out of Chicago.
Blue Lotus had been looking into breaking more into the European market to gain more fans for not only Roland’s music but also some of the other award nominated singer/songwriters that form part of the collective at the studio.
Following discussion contracts were agreed with MD Records Group in the UK, this is the label that has been releasing tracks that have not been available on vinyl 45s previously.
This is the first in a series of planned releases on the label.
Cheers
Mark n Des

https://www.mdrecords.co.uk/product-category/new-releases/

By Md Records in Artists · May 5, 20205 yr

It's Showtime at the Apollo was first broadcast on September 12, 1987 to May 24, 2008 with 1093 episodes.
Just seen that In the Uk The Roku Channel is offering all 15 Series of this show (1987-2001) for free via NowTV, Sky Q or various Roku devices
You just install The Roku Channel as an app on your NowTV box, the same as Netflix etc and away you go
Not a lot of info such as listings about this channel, but it's there, easy to find and available free right now.
https://www.roku.com/

By Mike in Source Archives · May 4, 20205 yr

A new month and in these times it has to be interesting to see just how ebay performed over the last 30 days...
Soul Record Auctions - Recent Completed Soul Auctions [sorted by value]
C O D S Cod S-she S Fire On Kellmac Northern 45-new So.. $4048.00 ended 05 Apr 70s Soul Funk - Soulfull Strutters - Let Your Feelings .. $3051.00 ended 26 Apr R B Soul - Don Carol - You Want No One But Me - Donc.. $2817.00 ended 06 Apr Legendary Ray Pollard Shrine Records Sr0103 M- Soul.. $2151.00 ended 20 Apr Charlene The Soul Serenaders Love Changes $1902.00 ended 23 Apr 70s Lil Major Williams Girl Don T Leave Me You Re S.. $1613.00 ended 16 Apr Joseph Moore-i Still Can T Get You On Mar-v-lus Norther.. $1460.00 ended 05 Apr Invaders You Touch My Soul Reggae Waricka Mp3 $1448.00 ended 27 Apr Marvin Simms Do It To Me Don T Quit Private 12 Singl.. $1411.68 ended 20 Apr Modern Soul Boogie - Faye Turner - Love Bank - Central .. $1309.00 ended 27 Apr Megatone Robert Tanner Deep Funk 7 Inch Limited To 50.. $1175.00 ended 16 Apr Royal Jesters - Chevere - Optimum In Shrink Ultra Chica.. $1125.00 ended 27 Apr 70s Soul Acetate 10 - Charles Drain - Is This Really L.. $1009.00 ended 26 Apr 45rpm Chryslers Monarchs Band Because I Love You Baltim.. $1000.52 ended 28 Apr Sealed Ultra 1977 Milton Wright Spaced Album Original A.. $1000.00 ended 06 Apr The Beatles Rubber Soul Original Factory Sealed First P.. $970.00 ended 03 Apr Mojoba Say You Will I Know Very Orig Soul Vinyl $960.00 ended 28 Apr 70s Soul - Singing Tornados - Traveling Through The Lan.. $877.00 ended 26 Apr Unknown Group - Music To My Heart Acetate Hear $876.00 ended 23 Apr Oneness Watching You Version 12 Si001 Funk Soul Boo.. $874.21 ended 06 Apr Soul Betty Everett My Life Depends On You My Love Cob.. $865.00 ended 11 Apr Hank Mobley Soul Station Jazz Lp Blue Note Blp 4031 4.. $851.00 ended 13 Apr Tomorrow S People Open Soul Original Lp $809.00 ended 23 Apr Unknown Artist Unreleased Rpm Acetate Luther Dixon Lu.. $795.00 ended 06 Apr Appreciations - I Can T Hide It - Aware - Mp3 $787.00 ended 27 Apr Unknown- Upstage - Move Me Don T Stop Me - Modern Sou.. $779.00 ended 15 Apr Francisco Aguabella - Hitting Hard Lp Original On Epsil.. $770.00 ended 07 Apr N Soul Cliff Nobles My Love Is Getting Stronger Atlan.. $727.00 ended 29 Apr Young Mods - You Brought The Sunshine B W Gloria - Gang.. $688.00 ended 05 Apr Pookie Hudson Jamie 1319 M- Soul 45 $685.00 ended 13 Apr Original - Herb Ward Strange Change Argo Records $672.28 ended 26 Apr Finesse Sugahh The Wizard Modern Soul Boogie Kjlh B.. $670.00 ended 26 Apr Modern Soul - Chosen Few Band - What It Takes To Live -.. $641.97 ended 26 Apr Cliff Nobles - My Love Is Getting Stronger - J-v Record.. $639.67 ended 20 Apr Luther Ingram - If It S All The Same To You Babe - Hib .. $609.00 ended 23 Apr Modern Soul - Ronn Colbert - Just One Kiss Away - Silk .. $600.00 ended 27 Apr Sir Henry Ivy He Left You Standing There Future Dimensi.. $577.89 ended 05 Apr Latin Soul - Sunny The Sunliners - Cien Anos - Tear D.. $573.00 ended 19 Apr Noe And The Semitones Oh Darling What Shall I Do Tx G.. $567.89 ended 29 Apr Marvin Gaye What S Going On Insanely Sealed Orig 71 Tam.. $565.56 ended 26 Apr Gaylads Soul Brothers Jackie Mittoo Sounds Of Silenc.. $560.00 ended 27 Apr Invitations - Watch Out Little Girl - Mgm - Og Promo $520.00 ended 27 Apr King Sound Interpreters - You Ve Got Soul - Talent Of M.. $510.55 ended 27 Apr Joblot 145 Tamla Motown 7 Vinyl Record Collection Fu.. $501.70 ended 19 Apr Cookie Scott-i Don T Care On Orr Northern 45-nm Hear $501.00 ended 05 Apr Starcrost Funk Jazz Private Press Fable Label 1976 Seal.. $500.00 ended 23 Apr Modern Soul Boogie Disco Funk The Shider Family Band -.. $499.99 ended 19 Apr Modern Soul Boogie Disco Funk The Shider Family Band -.. $499.99 ended 20 Apr Latin Funk Boogaloo - Tito Puente - Hit The Bongo - Tic.. $492.98 ended 19 Apr Prince Conley All The Way I M Going Home 1961 7 Satel.. $491.75 ended 30 Apr Homer Banks-sweetie Pie On Genie Northern 45-hear $477.70 ended 05 Apr Johnny James Circle M Stomper $475.00 ended 29 Apr Cedric Im Brooks Light Of Saba Original Jamaican Reggae.. $465.00 ended 02 Apr Latin Jazz Inst - Latin Plus Soul - Sangria - Coco - V.. $465.00 ended 26 Apr Modern Carl Smith You Can T Be Replaced Rescue 101 Memp.. $460.88 ended 05 Apr Funk Breaks - June And X - Sunflower - Soul Stars - Mp3 - $455.00 ended 26 Apr Bob Marley The Wailers Fire Fire Don T Rock My Regg.. $455.00 ended 27 Apr Nelson 3 Marvin Make It Soul New Sweat Very Monster M.. $455.00 ended 28 Apr Frank Dell He Broke Your Game Wide Open Valise Og Sig.. $449.00 ended 02 Apr Roy Roberts - Got To Have All Your Love - Boro - Mp3 $449.00 ended 27 Apr Alice Clark Self Titled Lp Mainstream Mrl 362 Us 1972 O.. $446.00 ended 28 Apr Modern Soul Funk Boogie - Aura - When The Feeling S Rig.. $445.00 ended 27 Apr Effi Duke S Love Band Joy Of Living Funk Boogie Lp Em.. $439.87 ended 05 Apr Modern Soul - Mciver - Trying To Be True - Vanton - Vg .. $430.50 ended 26 Apr The Beatles Rubber Soul Original Factory Sealed First P.. $428.88 ended 19 Apr The Jelly Beans Eskee 10 001 M- Soul 45 $425.00 ended 20 Apr Big Don S Rebellion - It Was True Smokin Ethon Hear $418.00 ended 01 Apr Funk Sweet Soul - Transfer - Nothing - Greenback - Vg .. $416.00 ended 26 Apr Unknown 60s R B Soul Test Pressing Got To Move Detro.. $415.00 ended 19 Apr R B Soul - Little Jimmy Ray - You Need To Fall In Lov.. $414.90 ended 06 Apr Black Blood And The Chocolate Pickles Mississippi Mud 4.. $407.67 ended 04 Apr The Deletts What S The Use Look At Me Promo Blue Rock $405.00 ended 06 Apr R B Female Rocker Anita Tucker I Need Love Heartaches.. $405.00 ended 18 Apr Sweet Soul Funk - Gents The Lady - I Can Feel The Tea.. $404.00 ended 27 Apr Acetate Studio 76 Artist Unknown Girl Group Soul Sound .. $401.00 ended 21 Apr Big Don S Rebellion It Was True Smokin Funk Soul Brea.. $395.00 ended 08 Apr Joblot 360 Soul Funk Motown 7 Vinyl Record Collectio.. $388.82 ended 05 Apr Judy Freeman Blackrock Hold On 1970 Rca 0493 Prom.. $385.77 ended 19 Apr Claude Baby Huey Drifting Mega M- Crossover Listen .. $385.00 ended 22 Apr Funk - Wayne Carter - Mad Mouth Woman - Mootrey S - Vg .. $383.00 ended 26 Apr Specials-you Stood Me Up On Satch Northern 45-nm Hear $371.56 ended 05 Apr Quantrells-show Me The Game Of Love On Yambo Northern 4.. $367.99 ended 05 Apr Carlos Cruz Taller Afro Ritmo Federico Yo Se Latin So.. $359.00 ended 14 Apr Cheryl Johnson Raccoon Meat Is Good To Eat 45-rare $358.00 ended 04 Apr Crossover Soul Acetate 10 - Don Thomas - I Ll Keep Hol.. $355.00 ended 26 Apr Barbara Mason - You Better Stop It - Arctic - Mp3 $353.78 ended 27 Apr Linzy Washington You Don T Know South Carolina Deep Sou.. $347.00 ended 19 Apr Deep Psychedelic Soul Funk Symphonic Four Who Do You Th.. $346.99 ended 16 Apr The Soulful Moods Of Marvin Gaye Lp Tamla T-221 1964 2n.. $339.00 ended 26 Apr Funk - Rita Dacosta - Don T Bring Me Down - Mohawk - Mp3 $338.00 ended 27 Apr Ike Quebec - Soul Samba Lp 1st Blue Note Blp 4114 New Y.. $332.38 ended 05 Apr The Chantels Indian Giver 45-rare -mint $331.63 ended 04 Apr Hip Hop Soul Lp - Miguel - Wildheart Gatefold 2xlp 8887.. $330.00 ended 26 Apr Modern Funk Sweet Soul - Ice Band - Live People - Walki.. $328.87 ended 26 Apr Carol Mogan-i Ve Got Everything On Born Northern 45-vg .. $326.23 ended 05 Apr Lloyd Glen Minnie Skirts Go Go Boots Funk On Br.. $326.09 ended 08 Apr R B Soul - Gay Poppers - I Want To Know - Fire - Mp3 $325.00 ended 06 Apr Thelma Skaggs Great Big Circle Bar Kay S Mega Soul $313.00 ended 18 Apr Funk Breaks Deep Soul - Nola Soul Rockers - Reach Dow.. $313.00 ended 26 Apr Kavetts-i Ve Got A Story To Tell You On Lendre Northern.. $310.00 ended 05 Apr Remember if you do wanna get ahead of the crowd, then sign up for our ebay highlights newsletter via the link below.
Tomorrows ebay bargains sent directly to your inbox... every day!
https://www.soul-source.co.uk/newsletters/5-tonights-ebay-enders/

By Mike in Source Archives · May 3, 20205 yr

The monthly Ace Records newsletter, May 2020... a tale of spotifys, mp3s and reads
New Releases for: 24.04.2020

It's Ace new release day today. Due to lockdown we have no new physical releases, so to meet your listening requirements this month we're launching a series of Spotify playlists.

We're also sharing with you our Ace podcast series, lovingly presided over by journalist, record collector and broadcaster Pete Paphides. This occasional series features interviews with guests from many branches of the extended Ace family, detailing their own careers, the artists that have influenced their lives and the records that they love.

Also this month our Ace on the Road feature - amazing record-related stories from Ted Carroll, Alec Palao, Ady Croasdell and Trevor Churchill. It must be time to pull up a chair...
Ace On Spotify

New releases from Ace records

Live In Berlin (MP3)
Vocal Jazz
Leon Thomas
MP3 £4.74
Leon Thomas with Oliver Nelson recorded live at the Berlin Philharmonic Hall in 1970.
https://acerecords.co.uk/live-in-berlin-mp3


Soul Voices - 60s Big Ballads (Sampler) (MP3)
60s Soul
Various Artists (Kent)
MP3 £4.74
Majestic male vocalists singing over subtly orchestrated arrangements of superb songs were the pinnacle of 1960s black music sophistication.
https://acerecords.co.uk/soul-voices-60s-big-ballads-sampler-mp3



Broken Tambourine (MP3)
Psych / Garage
Strangers In A Strange Land
MP3 £0.79
Pop music with a reverence for the past, yet it’s eye fixed firmly on the future, delivered with twice as much energy as fellows half the age.

Stay At Home Blues/Good Morning Mr Sun (MP3)
Rockabilly
Deane Hawley
MP3 £1.58
A song for our times echoing over 60 years, since it appeared on a Doré Records 45. Also check out his Teenage Crush – ‘Look For A Star’ and his New Breed ‘Bossman.’

I Can't Fight It/Vacation/The Time Is Right (MP3)
Psych / Garage
The Textones
MP3 £2.37
The Textones came out of post punk Los Angeles before the Bangles and the Go-Gos, who singer Kathy Valentine later joined. Tom Petty makes a guest appearance on his own song ‘I Can’t Fight It’.

For the mentioned reads, mp3s and much more get to https://acerecords.co.uk/

By Mike in Source Archives · May 1, 20205 yr

One of the quirks of the UK soul scene has always been the acceptance of 'blue-eyed' soul sounds as part and parcel of its many factions. Indeed some 'Northern' classics are sung by white artists and we see and hear many tunes emanating from the Carolina's 'Shag' scene as worthy additions. By and large the tunes must have that 'black' sound reminiscent of the groups and artists from Detroit, Chicago, New York and beyond who are so familiar to us. Whilst most of the blue-eyed efforts easily identifiable, some are more ambiguous and even indistinguishable from their black counterparts. It’s really all about the sound, the beat, production, arrangement and of course the vocals and backing harmonies. One such recording is by the New York come Pittsburgh band The Teardrops, which has had some action in soul venues over the years and remains a firm favorite with collectors. However, it’s not too well known that the story of their song involves one of pop music’s most successful artists of all time.
In the mid-sixties a young pianist from Long Island New York dropped out of high school to follow his dream of being in the music business, but he could never have envisaged that twenty years later he would go on to become an international pop luminary and one of the biggest selling artists of all time. William Martin Joel, or Billy Joel as the world knows him, formed his first band 'The Echoes' in ‘64, who just a year later changed name to the 'Lost Souls' and finally after a further twelve months to 'The Emerald Lords' before disbanding without any real success. Under the guise of the Lost Souls they did however record some demo's for Mercury records, but nothing saw the light of day.
Around '67 another Long Island band 'The Hassles' were changing line ups due to internal disagreements over excessive drug use by some members, who were eventually fired and replaced by Billy Joel and fellow Lost Souls bass player Howard Blauvelt. The Hassles were a psych pop type band, not unlike many others of the period, and were signed to United Artists. They went on to cut two albums, the first containing several soul cover versions, and released a few singles from each with little success.
Joel had always seen himself as a composer and writer as well as a musician and co-wrote their 45 release in '68 called 'Every step I take (every move I make)' released on United Artists UA 50258. The song was co-authored by V. Gormann and one T. Michael's, not be confused with the artist who recorded ‘I love the life I live’ for Detroit’s Golden World label. Their only small success came with 'You've got me hummin', which bubbled under the Top 100 at number 112 for just one week. The band was short-lived again splitting in '69 and Joel moved on to yet another unsuccessful venture, a rock duo called 'Attila' with the Hassles drummer John Small, before eventually going solo around '71, and the rest is history as they say.

The Hassles 45
Meanwhile in a little town called Elmira in upstate New York, a group of young guys were constantly being kicked out of the bars for being under age but come their 18th birthday they were raring to go into the music business. The original band consisted of Dave Paugh, guitar & vocals, Phil Dowd, B-3 organ & vocals, and Wayne Lips, drums & vocals who began playing the nightclub scene all over New York while dreaming of bigger things.
Sam Ippolito was a singer in a rival band which were playing the same club circuit as The Teardrops. Somehow, they met, and Sam invited the band to come to his hometown of Pittsburgh and join forces. Sam had sung with soul, R & B and doo wop groups as well as pop and rock bands. He had a well-seasoned voice and could sing anything from James Brown (he had a brilliant scream) to a smooth Lou Rawls. He had a friend in Pittsburgh called Danny Schegel, who played bass and sang, and approached him to join and Danny eventually became the fifth Teardrops member.
For any band to be successful a strong lead singer and good backup harmonies were a must because the Pittsburgh music scene of the time was very much influenced by soul, R&B and Motown. With Sam leading and the guys backing they had a great vocal blend with tight harmonies, and we were able to cover tracks from the great vocal groups of the day such as The Temptations, Four Tops and Four Seasons as well as the pop material by the Beatles, Stones, and so on.
It was late 1966 and since The Teardrops were new in town, they were not yet able to land gigs at Pittsburgh's hottest clubs. They did however manage to impress the owner of a place called ‘Lashes Lounge’. This was a great out-of-the-way place where they could hone their sound and stage presence.

The Teardrops original line up (L to R: Schegel, Dowd, Ippolito, Paugh and Lips)
They were obviously a talented bunch and it wasn't long before they gained musical recognition as they opened as the support band for many now famous artists including Jay & the Americans, Tommy James, The Foundations, The Shirelles, The Supremes, Martha & the Vandellas, The Drifters, and many others. Achieving this status is difficult for any band, particularly in such a short space of time and it’s worth noting that that these headline artists are predominantly black. Obviously, they had captured that ‘sound’ which complimented the main performers.

The Teardrops with the Vandellas
Rich DePaulis owned ‘General Talent Associates’, located in Pittsburgh's prestigious Gateway Center. DePaulis booked all the big acts for concerts as well as many of the local bands at the hottest Pittsburgh nightclubs. After hearing the name ‘Teardrops’ mentioned several times, he decided to check them out himself. It was a magical night and a perfect match. Rich DePaulis became not only their new agent, but also their new manager. Very soon, under DePaulis’ guidance The Teardrops were playing all the local hot spots Mondays through Thursdays and hitting the road on the weekends to open for countless top recording artists.
Their first concert came in January 1967, when they opened at the Syria Mosque, which seated 3700, for ‘Sam The Sham & The Pharaohs’ and ‘The Spencer Davis Group’ featuring Steve Winwood. This was possibly Winwood’s last gig before starting his band ‘Traffic’. Over the following three years they opened for a lot of great artists, mainly staying within a reasonable driving distance of Pittsburgh, which sometimes meant New York or Atlantic City. Since there were few large arenas in those days, the venues were mostly universities and there was no shortage of colleges to play at around their base. Many of the headline acts were either from the Pittsburgh or Detroit areas, which made it easy for DePaulis to match The Teardrops with the headline act and the performance venue. Along the way, Wayne Lips, Phil Dowd and Danny Schegel were replaced by Denny Hall, Jimmy DePaul and Chuck Walker. This would be the bands final line-up and the one which recorded their 45.
In January 1967, The Teardrops opened at the fabulously named Thunderbird Lounge, owned by Jim Maxim. The Teardrops took over the Tuesday night spot which used to belong to The Raconteurs. Jim Maxim and the Teardrops developed a great rapport over the next couple of years. He saw the Teardrops' potential and eventually decided to put up the money for the band to do a recording session at a local Pittsburgh studio and in January of 1970 the Teardrops recorded ‘Every Step I Take’.
Whilst mentioning The Raconteurs it would be remiss of me not to tell this story. Tommy James, originally from Michigan, came to Pittsburgh in 1966, after learning that a song he had recorded several years earlier was being played on radio stations all over the Pittsburgh area. Tommy's band, the Shondells, had broken up years earlier, so now Tommy was sitting in Pittsburgh with a huge hit developing, but of course Tommy had no Shondells. One night he walked into The Thunderbird Lounge, where The Raconteurs were playing and thought they sounded pretty good, so when they took a break Tommy walked up and asked if they would like to be the Shondells. They said yes and by the middle of 1966 ‘Hanky Panky’ had hit number one in the charts.
Over the years, the Teardrops opened for Tommy James several times. The original bass player, Danny Schegel, already knew Tommy's bass player, Mike Hale, since they were both from Pittsburgh. They used to get together and jam and share bass riffs. One day Mike Hale told Danny that they (The Shondells) were about to record a song called ‘Crystal Blue Persuasion’ but he was having trouble coming up with a comfortable bass line for the song. Danny Schegel came up with a bass line that was so laid back it actually dominated the song in the process. Hale loved the riff and used it on the recording and the result can be heard throughout the song. Unfortunately, Schegel was drafted shortly afterward and contact lost.
Back to the Teardrops and the MAX recording. Rich DePaulis was fan of The Hassles and knew their version of the Billy Joel penned 'Every step I take'. He liked the song and considered it a great fit for the band and a hit just waiting to happen. There is no doubt that Billy Joel and his cohorts had written a memorable tune, which builds nicely across the verse and delivers an instantly catchy hook line. Like most good compositions its relatively simple but comparing the two versions there is no doubt The Teardrops took it to a new level with a better arrangement and a musically and vocally better, more soulful delivery. 'Raise your hand' was chosen as the flip as it was an established tune in their repertoire and a fan’s favorite during their live sets at the Thunderbird Lounge. The MAX label was a dedication to Jim Maxim who never asked for a dime of his investment back. Maxim kept the label name and went on to help future bands get started.

Teardrops on Max
DePaulis and Maxim wanted success for their protégées and so the band worked hard promoting the single heavily through concerts and TV appearances, gaining a positive response from the public and music industry insiders alike. As their efforts began to pay off new bookings came in and they were scheduled to open for the likes of Gary Puckett, Mitch Ryder and Grand Funk Railroad later in the year. Unfortunately, they were destined never to fulfill their engagements, release further material or achieve the recognition they richly deserved.
The Teardrops publicity photo in concert
The Teardrops disbanded several months after recording ‘Every Step I Take’. Of course, the fact that the song was written by the great Billy Joel didn't mean much at the time, but it would become a great talking point for the remaining band members years later. During the final days there was turmoil and disagreement within the band, which sadly they simply couldn't overcome. Finally, at one rehearsal, they all agreed that it wasn't going to work out and walked away. Only Dave Paugh and Denny Hall kept in contact.
Dave Paugh headed for California in the early 70's and began doing studio work around the L.A. area but missed the live performances. So, he called up his buddy Denny Hall in Elmira, NY and asked if he would like to come to California where the two started a new band called ‘Duck Soup’. It was the 70's and they were about to discover hard rock, funk, disco and any other genre you’d like to name. As Paugh now says “Duck Soup turned out to be the second-best band I ever played in. The Teardrops was like a bad marriage that you never really recover from.” Sam Ippolito later became the front man for The Jaggerz between ’76 to ’77.
The Teardrops and ‘Every step I take’ was lost for many years and could have sunk without trace, which would have been a tragedy for such an excellent group and song. It seems the band were clearly talented and going in the right direction musically and also in career terms. Maybe the Teardrops could have become the Shondells had Tommy James visited The Thunderbird Lounge whilst they were performing – who knows? Fortunately, some three thousand miles away an obscure music scene dedicated to all things soulful heard it, liked it and kept it alive for 40 years appearing on DJ playlists worldwide and appreciated by thousands of fans. Strangely, the 45 has probably been played in more venues than The Teardrops ever played at and I’m sure they would be proud of that achievement. These stories of potential commercial success followed by disagreement and breakdown seem to be so common across our music scene, but it’s something which keeps the interest alive and the collectors continually looking for that obscure local release which nearly made it, and the groups who had their hopes dashed.
In writing this I’d like to thank Dave Paugh of The Teardrops for his enormous help and input on the band and background, with other material being sourced from various internet sources. Dave is aware of the UK and global soul scene and is thrilled about the interest in the band and 45.
Andy MacIntyre
April 20.

artists

By Billy Jo Jim Bob in Artists · April 29, 20205 yr

By Mark Windle (April 2020).
“Looking back, I’m really proud of what we achieved in the 1960s” reflected the late Nelson Lemmond of The Tempests. “We made some great R&B. And played with some great talent too. We never performed with Otis or Wilson. But pretty much everybody else in between. At the end of the day though, things started to change. Otis had died, Martin Luther King had been assassinated. Civil unrest was everywhere and there was a militant atmosphere, even in the more progressive areas of the south. People ended up taking sides.”
This feeling echoes previous comments made by various session musicians and singers through the south, including those at Stax and other studios where white and black musicians and singers previously rubbed shoulders. The 1970s marked now dramatically changing times in the south and throughout the USA. The cusp of the two decades witnessed political unrest through Vietnam War and internal racial tension, demonstrated through riots in Detroit and other urban areas of the north. The musical landscape was also changing. Soul music was evolving. Hard hitting funk became the new musical voice. In the south, artists such as Chicago, Allman Brothers band and southern rock were now popular choices with white radio listeners. Other events happening around the country would also affect R&B programming. Nashville’s WLAC was changing its format. John Richbourg, the purveyor of soul who influenced so many local radio stations across America and including the Carolinas, was to leave in disagreement with the new radio policy. Within a couple of years, the final nail in the Nashville R&B coffin was displacement of the black community to make way for new urbanisation projects, dispersing black culture and music.
The beginning of the new decade saw a dramatic wane in popularity among the white record buying audience for soul music. There would still be clear pockets where the R&B industry would thrive, but these were primarily in the cities of the north and the west where the symbiotic relationship between funk and politics existed. In the south studios had their own issues. Socio-political evolution, revolution, and demand for racial identity bled through musical directions and created a true cultural divide. Bridges built via integrated bands and musicians through the mid to late 1960s were largely burned. Many small white-owned studios of the south would turn their focus to country music and southern rock.
There were some exceptions of course. To survive in the industry, independent studios did have to cater for new musical styles and artists but some, like Charlotte’s Reflections Sound Studios felt it was foolhardy to discard relationships with previous key industry players and artists from the black community, and would still be worth of keeping one eye on the residual R&B market.
All lay quiet for a few years between the last Smash 45 and the next release to appear under The Tempests name. In the interim period, the Branch brothers took up session band and production duties at Reflection Sound Studios on South Boulevard.
Wayne Jernigan was the studio’s creator. He had previously enjoyed popularity and some financial success as the drummer with Ernest Tubbs’ country band. Travelling on the road however had put a major strain on Jernigan’s relationship with his wife, so they took the plunge and moved east from Nashville to Charlotte to start anew, with plans to build a studio. Reflection Sound Studios opened in 1969. Jernigan initially struggled to get studio off the ground recording music only. It also become a place for hire for commercials, jingles and film audio tracks at least until business momentum secured its survival. Paul Scoggins, owner of Paul’s Lounge on the same street which featured several local and national acts, joined forces with Wayne as a silent partner with Jernigan’s production company. Ultimately the studio didn’t save Wayne’s marriage, but the facility would enjoy more than forty years of steady recording success via R&B and mainstream artists such as James Brown, Whitney Houston and Kenny Loggins. Probably its biggest commercial association was in much later years when Georgia college band R.E.M. would work on their Murmur and Reckoning projects which would soon shoot them to global fame. At that point the studio had long since been upgraded to new premises on Central Avenue.
Back in the early 1970s, Wayne Jernigan would perform multiple roles at the studio including management, production and as session musician, but realised a team of similarly talented individuals was needed for the studio to function effectively. With that, Roger and Mike Branch came on board as sessions musicians and also to learn some production skills along with Don Strawn, ex-engineer from Arthur Smiths’ studio.
The late Steve Calfee, guitarist, singer and songwriter with the band Lost Soul who had recorded Secret of Mine and I’m Gonna Hurt You for Raven Records a few years earlier, remembered his time there:
“About 1972 I was performing in a band that was supposed to become the back-up guys for what eventually became The Intruders, the R&B group. That bit didn’t work out unfortunately. Anyway, we went to Reflection Sound to do some tracks for a demo, and to add tracks for a guy called Ronnie Arthurs, who I believed performed and recorded as King Arthur. He was repairing a boat behind the studio for Paul Scoggins during his down-time to pay for the sessions. Wayne Jernigan was our engineer. Roger Branch was in and out at various points. The studio was located right on the highway at the time. As you walked in the front door there was a hallway, a waiting area with some couches and a chair or two. The control room was about twelve by twenty feet and looked out on the studio floor. Across the south end there was a raised stage area along the wall and the main studio floor, with baffles for sound isolation.”
The Cannonball song You Keep Telling Me Yes which enjoyed some popularity on both the beach music and the early northern soul scene was recorded at Reflection Sound Studios. Songwriter and Cannonball member Joe Crayton Clinard Jr. had some professional dealings with both Roger and Mike:
“Roger was always around the studio. We recorded three tracks there as Cannonball. I think he may have been working the board with Wayne Jernigan on No Good To Cry, Sunny Day Today and possibly You Keep Telling Me Yes, though that was recorded a year later. Everything thing was quick in and out in those days to save money. We were on the road when the strings were put on by Duke Hall.”
Jeff Ayres was on the inside: “I recorded at Reflection Sound in ‘74 with Roger. I was probably twenty years old at the time and knew very little about the professional recording process. The thing I remember most was the vintage 414....or at least vintage now...and how much I loved the sound of that mic. Also remember sleeping under the console while Roger was mixing one of our tunes at three or four o’clock in the morning. Does it really take that long? I found out in later years ...it really does take that long!”
Marshall Sehorn, who was originally from North Carolina, and industry partner Allen Toussaint were using Reflection Sound as an interim facility to record some of their own label artists and to edit pre-recorded material whilst waiting to finance their Sea-Saint Studios project in New Orleans. Roger already knew Sehorn and Toussaint through an introduction some years earlier by a Smash representative during promotion of The Tempests recordings. Ron Henderson and Choice of Colour, Wilbert Harrison, Eldridge Holmes and Aaron Neville were among those artists.
A characteristic of Reflection Sound was the multi-talented nature of its studio personnel and artists, as demonstrated by the latter-day discovery by the UK northern soul scene of Choice of Colour’s Your Love recording for ABC APT. The song was co-written and produced by Roger Branch. Washington-born lead singer Ron Henderson (ex-singer with The Orioles, The Spaniels and The True Tones), would not only record his own material with Choice of Colour but would also be employed as backing singer and writer for other artists.
The studio would attract other artists from neighbouring states to utilise the facilities. Arthur Freeman was one example, originally recording Played Out Playgirl years earlier on the custom label Regal in Florida. Freeman would re-record it with better quality production at Reflection Sound. Jernigan was in the habit of shopping demos around of their in-house productions to other labels, but for this recording struggled to find an interested label. Reportedly a desperate result of a financial deal with a local adult movie cinema owner, the 45 appeared first in 1971 on the ultra-rare Asta Arts imprint, then received a much wider distribution shortly after via the long running Nashville label Excello.
Local black singers were represented at the studio by Louis King, who previously appeared as King Louie with the Court Jesters on ‘Doc’ Johnson’s Wilmington Mockingbird label (which also featured The Generation’s version of The O’Jays Hold On). King had most likely been brought to Reflection Sound by Scroggins due to his appearances as a popular act at Paul’s Lounge. On these recordings Roger’s backing band would bring horns and a funk groove to the proceedings to support Louis’ competent baritone vocal.
What was effectively the Reflection Sound house rhythm section adopted the name of Backyard Heavies, for ensuing Scepter releases in 1971 and 1972. Consisting of Roger (guitar), Mike (keyboards), Stan Cecil (keyboards), Mike Russell (bass) and Paul “Mickey” Walker (drums), the band recorded the competent funk instrumentals Soul Junction / Expo 83, and Chitlin’ Strut / Humpin’ ; released as respective 45s. One final recording, Just Keep On Truckin’ was released on Hot Line, a subsidiary of the Cutlass label and essentially a Branch-Sehorn collaboration. Neither the Scepter nor Hotline 45s achieved any particular commercial success. However latter-day hip-hop producer Pete Rock and artist Kanye West would acknowledge the Backyard Heavies through sampling elements of Expo 83 in their respective works The Basement and Runaway.

Copyright E. Mark Windle 2019, 2020. Excerpt from The Tempests: A Carolina Soul Story, available exclusively from A Nickel And A Nail.

By Windlesoul in Soul Music Features · April 28, 20205 yr

JUST MAILED OUT TODAY ALL PRE-ORDERS FOR THIS NEW RELEASE :
HR 1516 - DELREYS INCORPORATED :
Destination Unknown -

Crying In My Sleep

£12 + £3 p/p = £15.00 - paypal as f&f please to - hitandrunsoul45@gmail.com
One of the occasions when we will do a 45 previously released on a small regional label in USA - this is one on an obscure Florida label we had lined up for release around 10 years ago.
'A' side is a Cleethorpes era dance winner - there's been a 1972 pretty hard-to-find £500+ original, an alleged boot repress £80+, occasional carvers £30, and a recent Soul Club press.

You now have a beautifully remastered Hit and Run with a quality flip. - pure indulgence on my part - totally brilliant deepsoul featuring Joann Stevens and I'm thrilled to be able to get another deep title out on the label.

releases

By Dewsburyborn in Source Archives · April 23, 20205 yr

Just had the following press release sent in from Loveforce International Records
Loveforce International Records is releasing Rita Graham’s version of the Beatles Classic Come Together.
Graham who is a former Ray Charles Raelette and lead singer for Rita & the Tiaras, has had two songs on UK’s Northern Soul charts The first hit was “Gone with the Wind is My Love” performed by Rita a & The Tiaras. It was released in 1967 about the time the Beatles released their Sgt. Pepper’s album. It is included in the Northern Soul top 500 Rocklist. The second song was “My Cup Runneth Over” produced by Ray Charles. It was released in 1969, the same year The Beatles released “Come Together”.
“I think this is the right time for the world to Come Together” said Graham. “Times of crisis often bring people together. We can still come together spiritually even if we can’t come together physically.” She continued.
“It seems things have come full circle” said Loveforce International CEO Mark Thomas, “Ms Graham had a song on the Northern Soul Charts when Come Together came out. Now we’re releasing her version of “Come Together” as well.
The song will be available on Spotify, iTunes, Amazon Music, Apple Music, Google Play, iHeart Radio, Napster, Deezer, Instgram Stories, Media Net, and Tik Tok.
For further information contact Evan Lovefire at (661) 523-4954.
Links to listen to the song:
Apple Music / iTunes: https://music.apple.com/us/album/come-together-single/1505519107
Spotify:

By Mike in Source Archives · April 23, 20205 yr

Cannonball records have a new 45 out in May 2020, available to pre-order right now.
Have a listen below...
CBLL029 The Swans of New England "Cold Like Ice"

More info including pre-ordering via
https://cannonballsoul.com/

By Mike in Source Archives · April 20, 20205 yr

LRK Records are super excited to announce we will be releasing the super talented soulful North London based singer Danny Toeman - She's got something about her / Give it all up (Mr. Showtime) on 7" limited edition vinyl.
You can pre order the single here :
https://dannytoeman.bandcamp.com/album/shes-got-something-about-her-vinyl-7-single-45rpm
She's Got Something About Her: Vinyl 7" Single 45rpm by Danny Toeman
When thinking about the true legends of Funk and Soul, a certain archetype and era springs to mind. Inspired by the greats, but forging his own path into unchartered territory, Danny Toeman forces music fans to rethink what it means to be a ‘Soul Man’.  
A vibrant and powerful performer, Danny Toeman seamlessly blends the classic vibes of Funk and Soul’s golden age with his own inimitable London edge that modernises his work, far from the realms of tribute and giving it a fresh ‘neo-vintage’ flavour.   His gravel tones combined with an altitude-defying falsetto set him apart, by creating a sound oozing with character and emotion. With his backing band ‘The Love Explosion’, Danny Toeman stages an electrifying show filled to the brim with feel-good funky soul, designed to make you get on up, and shake the blues outta your shoes!  
To date, Danny Toeman has shared the stage with soul luminaries such as Robert Cray, Betty Wright, and Charles Bradley, and recently supported funk legends Kool & the Gang at the o2 Arena. With recent sold out headline shows, his latest single She's Got Something About Her championed on BBC 6 Music Radio by veteran broadcaster Craig Charles, now is the ideal time to catch a live performance from a true rising star.  
With a charming eccentricity and flair enhancing the awe-inspiring musical gifts that consistently captivate audiences, Danny Toeman is a genuine talent and a thoroughly unique proposition in today’s musical landscape
PRE-SALE LINK: https://dannytoeman.bandcamp.com/album/shes-got-something-about-her-vinyl-7-single-45rpm
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/dannytoeman/
INSTAGRAM: https://instagram.com/dannytoeman

By LRK in Source Archives · April 18, 20205 yr

Northern Soul Connections #22 - Baltimore
Site note - The most recent Northern Soul Connection of 2020, we are now at #22 in this long running series from Ken B aka Soul Source member @Kenb and this time around the focus is on Baltimore.
Northern Connections #22 not just birthplace of the U.S. national anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner" Baltimore and its close surroundings was a hotbed for music that became popular for our genre of Soul. The rosta of artists, songwriters, producers, labels, studios, recordings, and music business men and women is a long one and includes the likes of A&D Booking, Soul House, Horizon House & Knights of Maryland Klu Klux Klan, Bay Sound, Recordings Inc, Collection & The Civics, as well as not so many non-music entities such as and Some familiar-some lesser known.

Rod H. Armstrong and Ernie W. Donaldson had started out by attending parties together, and quickly turned that love into a business when they threw a Christmas Gala party in 1970. The second party they put on netted them $1000 which they invested in promoting teenage dances at The Famous Ballroom, in the 1700 Block of N. Charles St. They were both in their mid-thirties, and both worked at The Prudential Life Insurance Company of America, each earning $12K to $1 SK p.a.
In 1971 they took a chance and formed A & D Booking Agency. In 1972 they signed Elanor Mills, The Titans, and The Soft-Tones (managed by Roe-Don Management Company, as too were Chang or & Co) and put Ira Glover on a 10 week tour of Canada leaving July 23rd. In 1973 they brought First Class together, and by 1975 they were grossing ....

You can check out Kens other quality 21 Northern Connections all available via his 'activity' profile page, the link follows below...
More articles from KenB

northern connections

By Kenb in Soul Music Features · April 13, 20205 yr

Obituary

Tony May came from an arts-based family. His father was an actor and classically trained violinist, while his mother was a jazz pianist and composer; she wrote an Ella Fitzgerald 1939 recording. Tony learnt the piano and, as a teenager, tuned them at venues including the Harlem and Brooklyn Apollos and many other top black music night spots. This gave him an insight into the world of contemporary music. A degree course in Physical Education at Temple University didn’t work out - he found the course uninspiring and quit. Musicians had always fascinated him but his first job was in the air force as a technician.

Tony May eventually got into the music business as a humble record store worker, at the legendary Harlem black music store the Record Shack. A similarly unskilled job, at the big publishing organisation BMI, was taken on with the aim of furthering his musical learning. However, he was moved into the accounts department; which wasn’t really the idea. While there he began writing songs on the piano and met a fellow songwriter Naomi Stancil, which led to a recording session; Naomi knew an engineer there. On entering the studio Tony fell in love with the whole milieu and to get into a studio, even if only employed as a lowly gofer, he was prepared to drop his wages from $250 per week to $55. Within a year he was well-versed in recording techniques - his air force training helped. He worked as a full studio engineer first at Adelphi, then at Mira Sound in the Hotel Americana with Brooks Arthur, who was Goffin and King’s main engineer. Later workplaces included DCP for Don Costa and then the top independent studio in town - Bell Sound. He eventually became a master engineer for RCA. His film work on classics such as Barbarella, Cotton Comes To Harlem and Alice’s Restaurant are of particular note. The list of his musical engineering credits are endless but “It’s Your Thing” for the Isleys and the “Into The Mystic” for Van Morrison (recorded live) stand out.

While in the air force, May joined a vocal group that included George Banks, the brother of Larry Banks who was a member of New York vocal group the Four Fellows. While on leave Tony met George’s sister Harriet with whom he fell in love and married. He also became close friends with Larry and the two became life-long buddies. Much of that friendship was based on music, both were songwriters and in 1962 the Four Fellows recorded Tony’s first released number - ‘The City’ for the Pop-Line label. The pair formed Kev-Ton publishing and their next project was the mighty ‘Go Now’ / ‘It Sounds Like My Baby’ session that became a US R&B hit. They then saw the Moody Blues’ cover version of the Larry Banks and Four Fellows-member Milton Bennett’s ‘Go Now’ song chart worldwide. Bessie’s next single was for Spokane, both ‘Do It Now’ and ‘You Should’ve Been A Doctor’ were Banks & May songs and they also produced the tracks. An all-girl group called the Pleasures would be the duo’s next project, they cut three sides which came out over two 45s on RSVP in 1964 and 65. The Pleasures’ lead singer was Joan Bates, later known as Jaibi when she married, wrote and sang with Larry Banks. By 1965 Tony and Larry were at DCP Productions in Manhattan where they cut Larry on ‘I Don’t Wanna Do It’ and ‘I’m Comin’ Home’ when the proposed singer, Kenny Carter, didn’t make the session. Tony then teamed up with Teddy Randazzo at DCP and wrote ‘You’re Not That Girl Anymore’, for Little Anthony. It was only used as an LP track, so Randazzo recorded it himself on 45, then Tony and Teddy wrote the beautiful ‘It’s A Big Mistake’ for the Royalettes, which was issued on MGM. Tony also cut Gayle Harris’ ‘Here I Go Again’ for DCP in 1965.

By 1966 Tony May was a full-time engineer at most of the major facilities in Manhattan. Though he continued to write, usually with Larry, he used the pseudonym Anthony Cotto to keep his two types of work separate. It was a name he told me he adapted from the actor Yaphet Kotto. He had first used it as a co-composer along with his own real name for ‘The City’ in 1962; that was an odd thing to do – maybe Yaphet actually did have a hand in that first published work. He wrote as Anthony Cotto for the Geminis and Kenny Carter at RCA. In 1967 he reverted to Tony May when he composed and produced three more tunes, on his own, for Bessie Banks. Two were released on Verve - ‘I Can’t Make It Without You’ and ‘Need You’, the first of which became popular among UK soul fans belatedly in the 70s. The third song ‘Don’t Just Tell Me’ was unissued but was recut by Marian Love and featured on her 1972 LP that Tony produced in its entirety. The same year he wrote ‘Do You Feel It’ for the Joe Cuba Sextet on Tico. He also produced the Brazilian musician Hermito on an album in 1970 and the Brazilian jazz drummer Airto and the Voices Of Joy’s Paramount 45 in 1971. There was teo final productions of gospel LPs, one by Andrea Vereeen & The St Marks Choir in 1974 and Nat Townsley Jr’s “I Fell In Love With God” on ABC/Peacock.

As the years passed Tony fell out of love with the music industry to a large degree; having to engineer an endless list of “Now That’s What I Call Music” CDs will do that to a man with taste. But he was proud of the music he and his soul mate Larry created throughout their lives. When Larry died Tony was devastated and the loss of his loving wife Harriette only a year later meant he had a very tough time.

Ross Anthony May passed away 18th March 2020

By Ady Croasdell in Artists · April 11, 20205 yr

By E. Mark Windle April 2020.

The passing of Edwin James Balbier a couple of years ago went virtually unnoticed in UK northern scene circles: indeed few outside of the industry will recall his name. Yet, this individual would be the unwitting driving force behind one of the most popular soul re-issue (if brief) label imprints of the 1970s, even if it was the company’s younger soul music enthusiast employees who shaped the nature of the label arm of the operation.
Balbier’s initial interests did not lie in soul music, but more generally in the oldies market. Born in 1930, the Philadelphian had an early career in the US Air Force, then turned to retail and wholesale record business in Philly in the 1960s. Balbier arrived on UK shores in 1971 with his familial entourage of nine children to explore making a living in record importing and sales. The move to Manchester in 1971 wasn’t an overnight success, but he was a determined man with a strong work ethic and a desire to provide the best for his large family.
“Global Records was one of the first companies to import records into the UK” comments Rick Cooper, one-time employee of Ed Balbier’s empire. “Ed owned a couple of record stores in Philly in the early 60s. By the mid-60s he was a distributor of indie labels and then moved into the oldies and deletions business. Somehow, he must have found out that his warehouse full of old records was worth more in the UK than the US. Maybe UK collectors started turning up at his warehouse. Global was set up in a small basement on Corporation Street in Manchester city centre. His eldest son Eddie Jr. stayed in Philly keeping the house going and the warehouse operating. Ed never set out to specialise in northern soul. His main business was country, rock and pop albums and oldies singles. However he knew it was worth employing someone who could pick the titles that were in demand. Derek Howe was one of the first to work there, then Barry Tasker and Richard Searling. Barry was one of the best DJs in the early days and gave Richard his big break at Manchester's Pendulum Club. I landed a part time job at Global and was full time by 1973. By then Balbier had moved to larger premises on Princess St. and finally to the whole basement of an office block off Oxford St. This was about the size of a football pitch and could hold a huge number of records.”
Global’s first priority was to establish the importing side of its business:
“Balbier would go to the States every five or six weeks. He’d stay in Philly and use the warehouse as a collection and packing facility. Two or three times a year he would send a container by sea freight instead of the usual air freight. These would be filled with anything he picked up cheap, both singles and albums. I don't know where he bought them from but was probably smart enough not to buy anything that had already been picked clean. The singles always had some great stuff but not massive quantities. I wouldn't have time to play every unknown title so probably missed some good stuff. Also northern soul was still a fairly narrow genre so even playing everything I couldn't have predicted the future moves through mid-tempo, beat ballads, R&B and funk-edged soul. The best container had multiple copies of Eddie Spencer, Tobi Lark, Mikki Farrow, Jimmie Soul Clarke and most of the Miracle label. One-offs I remember were International GTOs, Gwen and Ray, and Michael and Raymond. I got quite a few unknowns but just kept them rather than selling them to DJs. Several of these eventually received plays at Stafford all-nighters and beyond.
I went to the States with Balbier a couple of times. This should have been a dream come true but was very disappointing. I would have to get up very early, be driven up to eighty miles to huge warehouses full of albums, spend eight hours sorting boxes looking for country and rock music, then get back late at night, exhausted. On my last trip with Global to the States, I was sent on my own. Another employee called Will, was already there. He was living in the Philly warehouse, sleeping in a tiny little room with instructions to never leave after dark. I flew in and was met by Ed’s son. As it was late, I stayed with him that night at the family house in the suburbs. Next day I got the train to inner city Philly to meet Will. As I was leaving the train station a young man approached me, asking the time. Being a young naive Brit I stopped to tell him. He grabbed my jacket, pulled out my wallet, took the contents and calmly walked off. No guns, knives or any violence so I wasn't too bothered especially as it wasn't my money he took. I got to look through books of mug shots at the police station and ride around in a cop car looking for the guy, but we didn’t find him. The warehouse work involved a ten- or eleven-hour day sorting albums with hardly any time to look for singles - even though there were thousands. Also it was February and -15C at night. All I wanted to do was keep warm with a beer in that tiny office. Looking back I should have spent time going through some of paperwork and files.”
Back in Manchester the imported sales were doing well. Record collectors would turn up at the huge basement location to pick up old recordings and to see what had just been imported, and mail order facility was provided. An occasional mail order list was available for customers with around a dozen pages of singles and albums. Ed Balbier focussed on the numbers end of the business, whilst day to day sales and customer contact were left to his employees. Balbier quickly become suspicious if any large orders were received. Panicking that the product was under-priced, items would routinely be marked as “out of stock” until the next list, by which time the price tag would be increased.
“The titles in large quantities were listed for wholesale to shops and northern titles listed on a ‘specials’ list. There was also loads of other stock that was lying around. Some of this had been roughly sorted by artist for unlisted collectors’ stock. The idea was that if someone asked what they had by, say James Brown, it was easy to find a large selection. This proved handy when something started getting played by a known artist on the northern scene. I got “Landslide” as soon as Ian Levine played it by simply going to the Tony Clarke section. Same for The Coasters’ “Crazy Baby”, Gene Chandler’s “Mr Big Shot” and The Van Dykes on Mala. Barry Tasker and Richard Searling got plenty of good stuff before me, so it was really when new stock arrived that I got the best records.”
So to the label arm of Global Records. Back in the 1960s Balbier was not entirely unaware of the soul music market as he distributed a number of independent labels back in Philadelphia, including stock running into the thousands of The Precisions’ “If This Is Love” on Drew. Balbier’s professional connections with Bernie Binnick, owner of Swan Records would be the root of the inception of Global’s foray into label releases and the eventual Cream imprint. Ed had acquired some Swan material from Bernie on ¼” mono tapes and ½” studio masters. Rick Cooper took the tapes to a former BBC sound engineer in Altringham who had facilities to deal the ½” tape. The engineer mixed the material including some instrumental versions of particular tracks and pressed up some 2-3 acetates of each track.
Global’s first two pressings replicated the Swan logo, as part of the requirement of the agreed licencing contract. These were The Guys From Uncle “The Spy” (UK Swan S-4240), a popular Wigan Casino instrumental at the time, and The Modern Redcaps “Never Too Young To Fall In Love” (UK Swan S-4243).
As these sold well, Ed Balbier supported Rick’s idea to set up a label dedicated to releasing further content. There was still Swan material left to utilise, and a new label imprint meant that sourced from other labels could be considered. With that, Cream was born.
Swan output was further represented via Eddie Carlton “It Will Be Done” (Cream 5001), which was mixed from a four-track session master tape. The instrumental version was chosen to replace “Misery” which appeared on the original 45. Cream 5003 would complete the Swan product, featuring The Jaywalkers’ up-tempo “Can’t Live Without You”, and on the flip, an instrumental version of Sheila Ferguson’s “Heartbroken Memories”.
James Fountain’s “Seven Day Lover” (CRM 5002) would be Cream’s biggest seller. Rick felt the time was right to choose this as the inaugural release. In many ways a ground breaker for the northern soul scene with its heavy funk bassline, it was near the peak of its popularity with the original Peachtree format being played by DJs at various events across the country. The time was also right to market a legitimate reissue as demand had not been affected by bootlegging.
“William Bell owned the Peachtree recordings. He wasn’t exactly hard to get a hold of, being a public figure. I contacted him by letter, we drew up a contract. The contract was fairly simple. He confirmed he had the right to licence out the recording. Global agreed to pay an advance and an amount per record when sales had covered the advance. The rights were exclusive for three years. We started pressing and did lot of promotional work was done on this one. Advertisements were placed in Black Echoes and Black Music magazines. We even tried to get national distribution through the major labels, including CBS. In the end they didn’t want to commit, so we supplied directly though Global. Some high street shops picked it up also, like HMV and Boots. The first pressing run of 5000 sold within a week, so we followed it up with another 5000, and then another 2-3000. We must have sold up to 11000 in the end.”
Enter American #2; Irving Weinroth. Irving, a local Judge and his son had been co-owners of the US Party Time label in the 1960s, which had featured the Showstoppers on “Ain’t Nothin’ But A House Party” and The Four Perfections “I’m Not Strong Enough”. Both groups were known on the UK northern soul scene for these recordings and would make easy choices for release.
“He was the person I dealt with for leasing The Showstoppers and The Four Perfections” says Rick. “At the time Irving was out of the record industry. He told me that the Party Time label had been set up for his son some years before. I guess Irving provided the money to try to get his son into the record business. I met him at the North Broad St. warehouse in Philly. He mentioned the producer listed on the Four Perfections record, Kip Gainsborough, was a made-up name from Kip their dog and the street they lived on. Maybe they did this to hide some-one under contract to another label, who knows. He gave me a copy of the Four Perfections and a couple of unreleased Showstoppers tracks. The instrumental version of “I’m Not Strong Enough” on the flip of the Cream release was mixed at Grand Prix studios by Walt Khan, the producer of Life’s “Tell Me Why”.”
Johnny Jones and the King Kasuals’ funked-up version of “Purple Haze” would see a simultaneous release in 1976 on both UK Brunswick and Cream:
“Around the same time, “Purple Haze” was becoming popular in the northern clubs. The original US Brunswick stated it was a Peachtree record, produced by William Bell, not a Peachtree recording (the usual term). We felt this inferred that Peachtree retained more ownership than merely producing the record. I asked William if we could licence “Purple Haze” for release on Cream in the UK. He told us he had owned the recording, so we exchanged contracts and had the record pressed. About two weeks later Decca issued “Purple Haze” on UK Brunswick. We sought legal advice and informed Decca that we had exclusive rights to release the record, through William Bell. The only way we could prove this claim was to refer to William Bell’s contract with US Brunswick. I phoned him and said he’d try to find it. Time was running out as Decca was already selling their record as well as threatening a court injunction. I was on the phone to William Bell every day for about a week to see if he had found the contract. Eventually we decided to withdraw our release of the record as the contract couldn’t be located. I don’t know if Ed Balbier sorted the money side with Bell, maybe he refunded the advance. Whatever, I don’t remember any animosity between Global and William Bell.
One of the DJ's from Amsterdam used to take any deep soul stuff I had at Global. Millie's records bought loads. Loads of the stuff sold by Global to the Netherlands was originally surplus stock we’d bought from John Anderson’s Soul Bowl. I was sent three or four times in the mid 70's to Norfolk in the largest van you could drive without an HGV licence. John Anderson took me to what looked like an old village primary school a few miles out of King’s Lynn. This was packed with 45's. We loaded up the van as much as possible paying about 1p per disc. Back at Global I'd play through them and send samples off to customers in Holland. They would order hundreds at 75p each. We must have got tens of thousands of records from Soul Bowl but not one was in any way ‘northern soul’. John must have been the most thorough dealer of them all. Most people would have let a few slip through. One load was the remains of his Sue/Symbol/Eastern label buy. We also approached William Bell again for a contract to press one thousand copies of Mitty Collier’s “Share What You Got / I’d Like To Change Places” (UK Peachtree P 122) from the original master tape, to sell to the Netherlands. A few copies of that ended up in HMV in Manchester, the rest went to Millie's.
“I left Global after a disagreement with Ed Balbier just after The Showstoppers’ record came out on Cream” continues Rick Cooper. “I'd done the work on the record. It was getting good reviews in the music press and I had been busy sending out promos. Ed then told me that the record, and all previous releases on Cream, were to be sold at the top price charged for US issues and not the same as the usual UK label price. From memory I think this would be 75p instead of 59p. This would mean the price in the shops would be at least £1.25, same as US pressings. This to me was crazy as the whole point of setting up the label was to get records into the big chains such as Boots, HMV, Smiths and Woolworths. They would have never allowed one label's singles to sell at higher prices. If Ed wanted the higher price it would have been simpler just to get the records from the US via the owner or label. We did this for plenty of titles- Carstairs, Oscar Perry, Nasco, Jamie Guyden etc. These sold well in specialist shops but were not really worth issuing on Cream. This is how Inferno, Grapevine, Selectadisc and Black Magic worked it with their records, so I couldn’t understand why Ed thought he could do it differently. We also stocked The Showstoppers’ original record in large quantities at Global, so what was the point of the Cream release. Seemed bloody stupid. I left Global in 1976 and sold most of my own collection to fund a trip to the States. Global would eventually close in the late 1980s. Yanks was the name used for the retail part of the Manchester warehouse, situated in the same premises but set out more like a shop with records in racks. His son, Gregg, was more involved with this but this was after I'd left. Roger Banks helped Ed sort out and price up the stock as northern started its comeback”
So, the epilogue: much of the remaining stock and tapes were eventually sold to Rollercoaster Records, where Dave Flynn remembers initially stored the stock in an attic lorry trailer in a field before moving indoors to a low ceiling ladies clothing store in Cirencester. Robinson's Records also apparently accrued some of the stock. Ed Balbier returned to the US, around ten years after his first wife Anna had passed away. He retired from the business in the 1980s, settling in Denver, Colorado but still took the time to travel the world. He passed away in September 2018, aged 87. His obituary reads: “Edwin is survived by his second wife Gloria, his nine children, eleven grandchildren and four great grandchildren. He will be remembered for his demanding work ethic, love of travel and decaf mocha!”

Copyright 2020 E. Mark Windle, A Nickel And A Nail and Soul Music Stories e-zine.
Acknowledgements: Rick Cooper, Richard Searling, Pete Smith, Roger Banks, Neil Rushton, Ian Cunliffe, Dave Flynn, Dave Moore.

By Windlesoul in Soul Music Features · April 10, 20205 yr

New Diggin' Deep 45 - Joe Johnson out 24th April. Available for pre-order now, release date 24th April 2020. Read and listen...
Joe Johnson "I’ve Done No Wrong" / "Trust In Me"

NEW FROM DIGGIN’ DEEP RECORDS
THE ONE YOU'VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR!
THE NEWEST ‘DIGGIN’ DEEP’ LIMITED EDITION 45
RELEASE DATE FRIDAY 24th APRIL 2020
TWO RARE AND PREVIOUSLY UNAVAILABLE SIDES FROM NEW YORK CITY USA.
SHOWCASING THE TALENTS OF JOE JOHNSON & WARREN SCHATZ.
AVAILABLE TO PRE ORDER NOW!
Can You Dig It?
DD011A Joe Johnson ‘I’ve Done No Wrong’
DD011B Joe Johnson ‘Trust In Me’
It is with great pleasure that we announce the latest Diggin’ Deep 45. A new release and two beautiful sides, to lift your spirits and feed your soul!
Both these tracks are from the vast repertoire of Warren Schatz in New York City. The maestro who brought us The Brothers ‘Are You Ready For This’, The Voice Box ‘I Want It Back Your Love’, The Third Time Around ‘Soon Everything’s Gonna Be Alright’, The American Youth Choir ‘Keep Your Fine Self Near Me’, Evelyn Champagne King ‘Shame’ and many more!

JOE JOHNSON – I’VE DONE NO WRONG / TRUST IN ME (Written by Robert G Maxwell)
Joe Johnson was born May 18th 1950 in Dixie Georgia, just about as far south as a person can get before hitting the Gulf of Mexico. As a young child he attended Georgia Baptist Church, where he watched his mother and grandmother singing. He knew in his earliest years that he wanted to sing more than anything else.
Aged seven his family moved to New York where he was exposed to popular music for the first time, a very different style of music to what he had been used to.
Away from the south, Joe lost interest in singing until in December 1959 when he visited Georgia to see family for Christmas. Finally, he felt back home, listening to good southern music once again, in the environment he had grown up in. It would be 1963 before he returned to New York, aged just thirteen years old. And he knew what he wanted to do for the rest of his life…. sing southern soul music.
In the early 70s, a friend who heard him sing said that he should try to get a recording deal and suggested he should go to Associated Recording on Broadway where many artists went to record demos. It was there that he met Warren Schatz, who at the time was a young engineer working at the studio. Warren had a track of a song he had just finished called “Keep Your Fine Self Near Me”, which he asked the young Joe Johnson to sing. Schatz and his writing partner Stephen Schlaks had just finished a demo of a song of Steve’s called “Together We Can Make It”, which the publisher, George Pincus of Gil Music had placed with Polydor for release under the name of the American Youth Choir. They decided to use Joe’s recording of “Keep Your Fine Self Near Me” as the “B” side. The record gained a 45 release in the UK, as well as the USA and fans of Northern Soul will remember it getting occasional spins in the mid 70’s.
Around that time Warren Schatz was publishing songs by The Main Ingredient (formerly the Insiders) who were with RCA and one of their writers, Robert Maxwell had written two new songs: “Trust In Me” and “I’ve Done No Wrong”. Warren and Robert had previously worked together and a couple of years earlier had recorded a demo of “Baby, Don’t You Know That I Love You” backed with “I Want It Back (Your Love)” by the Voice Box for Loma Records. Warren finished recording the background tracks for the two new sides and decided to try Joe on those as well as ‘Keep Your Fine Self Near Me’. The result was two further fabulous soul sides combining the sublime blend of a big city arrangement, instrumentation and production with the rich southern timbre and raw emotion of Joe Johnson.
Warren knew he had something, but having nowhere to place the tracks at the time, decided to private press just a handful of discs to get around to DJ’s, aiming to create some interest in Joe. He said “I think I just enjoyed seeing my name on a record. But nothing happened. I got busy. They never got to the DJ’s and the project ended”
Right after that Schatz and Johnson somehow lost contact and their gem of a record was shelved and put away. Until now.
Diggin’ Deep are proud to bring you the first official label release of this absolutely wonderful Warren Schatz hidden gem; Joe Johnson ‘I’ve Done No wrong’ c/w ‘Trust In Me’.
Please take a few minutes to listen to the promotional video.
Both sides are now available on a beautifully mastered 45.
DD011 collector’s release is a limited pressing @ just £12 each plus postage and packing.
Avoid Disappointment. Pre-order ON WEBSITE ONLY now, while stocks last: www.Diggin-Deep.com First come, first served.
Diggin’ Deep Records – Sheffield, England. Making available a series of excellent Soul recordings from the 60’s and 70’s, most of which will be released as a limited edition 45 for the very first time, and the occasional, carefully selected, re-issue. Many more titles are already lined up for limited future release. Keep informed by collecting the vinyl, joining the mailing list, visiting the website and social media pages regularly and ensure you’re among the first to know!
https://www.Diggin-Deep.com

By Sean Hampsey in Source Archives · April 8, 20205 yr

The Clark Sisters: First Ladies of Gospel is a new biopic that premieres on the US Tv Network Lifetime this weekend April 11th 2020
Should be available to those who can view US Tv, hopefully a Uk showing will follow soonest?

The Clark Sisters: First Ladies of Gospel
Premieres April 11 at 8/7c

The Clark Sisters: First Ladies of Gospel, from executive producers and Grammy Award winners Queen Latifah, Mary J. Blige and Missy Elliott, premieres April 11 at 8/7c.
The authorized musical of incomparable gospel singers, The Clark Sisters, recounts the story of the highest selling female gospel group in history and their trailblazing mother, Mattie Moss Clark (Aunjanue Ellis).
Credited with bringing Gospel music to the mainstream, the five Clark sisters (Christina Bell as “Twinkie,” Kierra Sheard as “Karen,” Sheléa Frazier as “Dorinda,” Raven Goodwin as “Denise,” Angela Birchett as “Jacky”) overcame humble beginnings in Detroit, enduring abuse, loss, rejection, betrayal, and sibling rivalries to achieve international fame as icons of the Gospel music industry.
Trailer | The Clark Sisters: First Ladies of the Gospel | April 11, 2020

The Clark Sisters: First Ladies of Gospel | Dorinda Clark Sings | April 11, 2020 | Lifetime

By Mike in Source Archives · April 8, 20205 yr

Regretfully we have had to cancel this years event due to the protracted Corona virus outbreak. Tour operators, airlines and government guidelines have made announcements saying there will be no tourists arriving to Ibiza until at least the 1st June and we are desperately dissapointed for everyone in the UK and Europe who had booked for this great event. I have heard from many of you who are already being offered refunds or dates changes from the operators which is good news as some folk having already changed dates with airlines for next years Modified Ibiza which will be from the 21st to 25th May this does not clash with May bank holiday as that is on the 31st.
Thanks for your support and encouragement over the years and we will continue this cracking event for many years to come, Best wishes to everyone Steve

By Ibiza Steve in Source Archives · April 8, 20205 yr

Kings Of Soul, following discussion about a recent BBC show that was titled 'Kings Of Soul', I thought it may be interesting to see what our own Soul Source members take on such a format would be...
So after an all in members shout, we managed to get hold of a load of single artist and video nominations, allowing us to put all the selections together into a Youtube video playlist.
The Final result is here...
Soul Source Members - Kings Of Soul Video Playlist 2020

Just press 'play' and all selections should play automatically (you can use the arrows to "skip/replay"}
Members 'king of soul' shouts, the complete list of all our nominations
1 Bobby Womack - Lookin for a love - @Seano
2 Otis Redding - Try a little tenderness - @Bo Diddley
3.Paul Williams - For Once In My Life - @Firecrest
4. Jeff Perry - Love Don't Come No Stronger - @Tomangoes
5. Johnnie Taylor - Who's making love - @Shinehead
6. David Ruffin - Walk Away From Love - @Jaco
7 Jerry Butler - Only The Strong Survive - @Soulfusion
8. Jackie Wilson - Higher and Higher - @tiberius
9. Levi Stubbs - Ask The Lonely - @MikeHump
10 Little Anthony - Hurt So Bad - @davebanks
11. Wilson Pickett - Don't knock my love @Hayden Road
12. Marvin Gaye - What's Going On - @Mike
13. Dells - Does Anybody Know I'm Here - @Smudger
14, Luther Vandross - A house is not a home @Daved
15 Little Milton - Grits Ain't Groceries @Martin L
@Speedlimit and @Soul Shrews couldn't use both nominations as needed a video nomination as well for the video playlist aspect

Thanks and hats off to all who shared their choices, and assisted in putting this together.

soul source

By Mike in Source Archives · April 7, 20205 yr

New Album - Spring Revisited - Various Artists - Out Now

Mike · yesterday at 09:181 day

Long time coming, 'Spring Revisited' has now been released, complete with a flurry of social links and words, the vast majority you can view and use below Release Notes and Links Spring Revisited - out now! The series breathing new life into soul, funk, and disco with a bold house touch. Now, the wait is over - the album is finally here! Launched in March 2025, this ambitious project invites leading house producers and DJs to rework the original master tapes from New York's legendary 1970 label,
Weekly Soul Event Map Shout - 24-26 Oct 2025

Mike · Thursday at 10:462 days

Weekends almost here and so here's our weekly 'Soul Event Map' shout Screenshot taken from our Event Guide, you need to visit the Event Index page to zoom in and out... s Event Guide Index - Just visit and then tap the Red Link for our dynamic event map to pop up View Soul Source Soul Event Guide Index For more deliberate soul event searching you can use our 'Events Near Me- Local Soul' Feature Explore Our 'Events Near Me - Local Soul' Feature
New Album - Riker Up - Charly Records - Adventures in AI Land

Mike · Monday at 12:005 days

Details of a new upcoming album release from Charly Records, currently a pre-order, shipping on December 12th. And as with all things AI nowadays, there’s no doubt that this latest development in this ‘controversial’ genre will be of interest to both those for and against 'this sort of thing'. Charly Records release notes follow below... Riker Up! - Northern Soul Reborn RIK-LP 101 / RIK-CD 101 UK release date: 12th December 2025 US release date: 19th December 2025 "Riker Up! is the world’s first
New Book - High on Sou!: Tell Me it's Just a Rumor Berry - Al Abrams
New Book - High on Sou!: Tell Me it's Just a Rumor Berry - Al Abrams

Mike · Tuesday at 16:094 days

The follow up to the 2011 Al Abrams book 'Hype & Sou!: Behind the Scenes At Motown' was published recently. Titled 'High on Sou!: Tell Me it's Just a Rumor, Berry', this time around the focus is on Al Abrams' experience, starting from his teenage years in 1959 when he was hired at Motown, to his role as Motown's Press Officer. Already picking up good reviews, release notes follows below Release notes High on Sou!: Tell Me it's Just a Rumor, Berry Al Abrams was Detroit Motown Family Grit; No
- books
- motown
New Album - Soul Jamaica - Various Artists - Soul Jazz Records
New Album - Soul Jamaica - Various Artists - Soul Jazz Records

Mike · October 16Oct 16

Soul Jamaica -Various Artists - Soul Jazz Records Featuring Alton Ellis, Jackie Mittoo, The Heptones, Sound Dimension and more! New album from Soul Jazz Records, available in vinyl, cd and download formats Release notes Soul Jazz Records’ new Soul Jamaica brings together a wicked selection of reggae funk and soul tracks from the legendary Studio One stable, featuring a stellar line-up of artists including Jackie Mittoo, The Heptones, The Gladiators, Sim Smith, Peter Tosh and The Wailers, Cedric
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