Mike

New single from Stone Foundation featuring Bettye LaVette. Titled 'Season of Change' this single is taken from Stone Foundations next studio album. The actual album 'Street Rituals' is due to be released on 31st March on 100% Records label, and is produced by Paul Weller. Plus as well as Bettye LaVette the album also features another stone cold soul legend William Bell, who contributes as well. The album was recorded at Black Barn and as said has been produced by Paul Weller, who also plays and sings and has co-written two of the 10 brand new Stone Foundation tracks and has said "These are dark, dark times so I was glad to hear a positive voice and vibrations in the words and a joy in the music...what a pleasure and a privilege it was to work with these fellas". “It’s their best songwriting to date, and I just hope people get to hear it because there are some great tunes and I like the message on the record. I like the social comment, because you have so little of that these days.” - Paul Weller on the band and record The album is due out on March 31st via 100% Records, and can be pre-ordered right now. more info can be had at the bands website http://www.stonefoundation.co.uk/ and various formats avaialble via https://stonefoundation.tmstor.es/ Tracklisting: 1: Back In The Game (feat. Paul Weller) 2: Open Your Heart To The World 3: Love Rediscovered 4: The Limit Of A Man 5: The Colour Of… 6: Street Rituals (feat. Paul Weller) 7: Strange People (feat. William Bell) 8: Your Balloon Is Rising (feat. Paul Weller) 9: Season Of Change (feat. Bettye LaVette) 10: Simplify The Situation The album is available for pre-order now. All pre-orders will receive an instant download of Your Balloon is Rising (featuring Paul Weller on lead vocals). There will be further tracks released before the album is out, all these tracks will be made available as instant downloads to all who have pre-ordered the album as soon as they are released. For the collectors, a super-limited number of Street Rituals test pressings are available on PledgeMusic. Fastest finger first! Season of Change Season of Change is the second track to be taken from our new album Street Rituals. It features the amazing vocal talents of one of our soul heroes, the wonderful Bettye LaVette. The song was produced by Paul Weller. The track is available for instant download to all who have pre-ordered the album from our online store, PledgeMusic or iTunes. It will be available on Spotify as well

You may remember this track from a bit back, well Tanika Charles has now signed for Record Kicks and they are now releasing this single via new vinyl/digital formats in advance of a new album release scheduled for 7th April Now out and about (Feb 10th) details of this fine 45 can be read and listened to below Here's the sampler Here's where you can view and purchase pre-release offers like clear limited vinyl releases and such https://tanikacharles.bandcamp.com/album/soul-run-endless-chain-45 Here's the company blurb... Limited edition 45 vinyl 150 copies Transparent vinyl / 250 copies Black vinyl. Record Kicks proudly pres. Soul Run the new single by “The most buzzed-about Soul singer in Toronto (CBS Music)” TANIKA CHARLES. Soul Run is the 1st single from her self titled debut album, that will hit the streets worldwide on April the 07th on Record Kicks. Produced by Slakah The Beatchild, best known for his works with Canadian rapper Drake, "Soul Run" is Tanika Charles' new single, taken from her self-titled forthcoming debut LP out April 07th on Record Kicks. Pre-orders are now available on Bandcamp bit.ly/SoulRun45. In a few short years, Tanika has transformed from an emerging solo artist to a commanding performer and bandleader, a staple in the Canadian soul scene. Her touring career has seen her supporting the likes of Estelle, Haitus Kayote, Lauryn Hill and Macy Gray. Highly impressive, considering she is only just releasing her debut album to the world.

Just had the sad news highlighted by member @Rick Cooper that Bobby Freeman passed on 28th January 2017 in Anson, Texas, U.S.A. Robert Thomas "Bobby" Freeman (June 13, 1940 – January 2017) Freeman was born in Alameda County and raised in San Francisco, California.He attended Mission High School.[4] He started singing in a doo-wop group, the Romancers, in his early teens, and first recorded with them for Dootone Records in 1956. Their recordings included "House Cat", included on several later rock and roll compilations. However, the group soon fell apart, and Freeman started a new group, the Vocaleers (not to be confused with an earlier group of the same name who recorded "Is It a Dream"). When asked by a local DJ if he had written any songs, he wrote several and recorded them as solo demos. These included "Do You Want to Dance", which were heard by a visiting record label executive, Mortimer Palitz of Jubilee Records. He signed Freeman to the label and had the original recording overdubbed in New York by session musicians including guitarist Billy Mure. Released on the Jubilee subsidiary label Josie, "Do You Want to Dance" quickly rose to number 5 on the pop chart and number 2 on the R&B chart in early 1958, when Freeman was still only 17 The song was covered later (as "Do You Wanna Dance") by Del Shannon, the Beach Boys, Johnny Rivers, Bette Midler, John Lennon, Cliff Richard, Marc Bolan & T.Rex, the Mamas & The Papas, Bobby Vee and the Ramones. Freeman appeared on American Bandstand and toured with such musicians as Fats Domino, the Coasters, and Jackie Wilson. Several of his follow-ups on Laurie, including "Betty Lou Got a New Pair of Shoes" and "Need Your Love", a ballad, also made the pop charts. He left Laurie in 1960 and signed with King Records, reaching the charts again with "Shimmy Shimmy".However, several of Freeman's later recordings for King in the early 1960s went unreleased, for unexplained reasons. He did not return to the charts again until 1964, after signing for the Autumn label, when he had his second top ten hit with "C'mon and Swim". The song was co-written by label owner and radio DJ Tom Donahue (credited under his birth name, Thomas Coman), and 20-year-old Sylvester Stewart, later known as Sly Stone, and was produced by Stewart. Freeman's final hit was "S-W-I-M", later in 1964. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobby_Freeman http://www.soulfulkindamusic.net/bfreeman.htm Soul Walking has a good biography http://www.soulwalking.co.uk/Bobby Freeman.html photos via https://www.acerecords.co.uk/give-my-heart-a-break-the-complete-king-recordings

a new book release... 75 Years of Capitol Records Hardcover – 12 Dec 2016 by Reuel Golden (Author, Editor), Barney Hoskyns (Author) 'An unmissable milestone for music lovers, this photo history celebrates 75 years of the legendary Capitol Records' To commemorate this extraordinary history of recorded music, TASCHEN presents this official account of Capitol Records, from its founding year of 1942 to today. With a foreword by Beck, essays by cultural historians and music and architecture critics, as well as hundreds of images from Capitol’s extensive archives, we follow the label’s evolution and the making of some of the greatest music of the 20th and 21st centuries. Through pop, rock, country, classical, soul, and jazz, the photographic and musical history includes the label’s most successful, cool, hip, and creative stars, as well as the one-hit wonders who had their all-too-brief moments in the spotlight. About the Author Reuel Golden graduated in politics from the University of Sussex, UK, and is the former editor of the British Journal of Photography. He has edited various titles for TASCHEN including The Rolling Stones, Her Majesty, Harry Benson: The Beatles, Age of Innocence: Football in the 1970s, and the New York and London editions of the Portrait of a City series. Hardcover: 500 pages Publisher: TASCHEN; 01 edition (12 Dec. 2016) Language: English https://www.taschen.com/pages/en/catalogue/music/all/01140/facts.75_years_of_capitol_records.htm

The recent sad news regarding David Axelrods passing on has led to Wax Poetics magazine site pushing out a turn of the century interview from the Big Daddy Magazine Issue #5 Part one of the interview can be viewed here and as still as worthwhile as when first read well worth the walk over... David Axelrod’s life is sensational. Forget for a minute that the man produced some of the finest R&B and jazz albums of the 1960s for luminaries such as Lou Rawls and Cannonball Adderley. Forget Axelrod the visionary who, long before Shadow and his sampling contemporaries “endtroduced” themselves to the musical world, created the blueprint for classical melodies melded with the funkiest of backbeats. This interview would be worth reading for the intense anecdotes that characterize David Axelrod’s life. http://www.waxpoetics.com/blog/features/articles/david-axelrod-part-1/ Forum thread https://www.soul-source.co.uk/topic/364427-rip-david-axelrod/ cover scan from the Soul Source Gallery Selection

BBE Records has a new set out, a vinyl / CD boxed set titled 'The Men In The Glass Booth' Its a 3 xCd / 5x lp /digital format release, details and release notes below The Men In The Glass Booth Part One: Ground Breaking Re-edits & Remixes By The Disco Era's Most Influential DJs They describe in the release details this release as 'opulent', well you could call the sampler 'opulent' as well....as its a opulent lengthy 45 mins of fun.... Listen Release Blurb... In May 1976 a record was released that would have an unforeseen and lasting impact on the music industry “Ten Percent” by Double Exposure was an early release on the New York independent label Salsoul Records. America was in the grip of a disco explosion with new clubs opening on a weekly basis; Salsoul saw what was happening and swiftly created a sound for their label, heavily influenced by the music then coming out of Philadelphia, aimed directly at New York’s dance-floors. Records like “Salsoul Hustle,” “Tangerine” and “You’re Just The Right Size” by The Salsoul Orchestra borrowed heavily from the beautifully orchestrated Philadelphia International records but added a more percussive, bass heavy depth that New York’s DJs loved. So what was so special about this particular single then? Double Exposure was, after all, just another band, “Ten Percent” just another song; one of many “disco” records released that week. First of all Salsoul became the first record label to make a twelve inch single available to Joe Public - the exotic format was previously only available to DJs as promotional items or bought under the counter at certain record stores. Not only that though, the extended version was created by Walter Gibbons, a DJ at New York’s Galaxy 21 who’d built his reputation making exclusive versions of tracks to play in his sets. In 1976 it was unheard of for a DJ to set foot in a recording studio, being seen as little more than living jukeboxes by the serious music industry. Recording studios were strictly the domain of recording artists and producers so Walter found himself in a unique position, gaining access to a world no DJ had been granted before. The Men In The Glass Booth compiled by Al Kent tells the full story. Featuring ground breaking re-edits and remixes by some of the Disco era’s most influential DJs including Walter Gibbons, Bobby DJ Guttadaro, Tom Savarese, Jellybean Benitez, Tee Scott and John Luongo, this opulent release also includes a 40 page book which features exclusive photos and insights from some of the story’s key figures. Current prices/formats 3CD - With 40 Page Booklet. 5LP - Part A contains 40-page coffee table book telling the story of the DJ as remixer and featuring previously unseen vintage photographs. Cat: BBE 191CLP1 Released: 27 Jan 17 5LP vinyl box set Part A (incl. 40 page book) – £60.00 5LP vinyl box set Part B (incl. poster) – £60.00 3CD (incl. 40 page book) – £25.00 Track listings: 5LP Box Part A Vinyl 1 A1 Leon Collins – I Just Wanna Say I Love You (John Luongo Remix) A2 Marboo – What About Love (Tony Gioe Remix) B1 Double Exposure – Ten Per Cent (Walter Gibbons Sunshine Sound Acetate Edit) B2 Juggy Murray Jones – Inside America (Rick Gianatos Disco Queen Acetate Edit) Vinyl 2 C1 Hot Ice – Dancing Free (John Luongo Remix) C2 The Sunshine Band – Black Water Gold (Sunshine Sound Acetate Edit) D1 The Salsoul Orchestra – Magic Bird Of Fire (Francois Kevorkian Sunshine Sound Acetate Edit) D2 The Salsoul Orchestra – It’s Good For The Soul (Jay Negron Sunshine Sound Acetate Edit) Vinyl 3 E1 Double Exposure – My Love Is Free (Walter Gibbons Disco Madness Remix) E2 Fay Hauser – Reaching Out For Happiness (Jonathan Fearing Remix) F1 Love Symphony Orchestra – Let Me Be Your Fantasy (Tom Savarese Remix) Vinyl 4 G1 Ripple – The Beat Goes On And On (Jim Burgess Remix) G2 Ruby Andrews – I Wanna Be Near You (John Morales Sunshine Sound Acetate Edit) H1 TC James and The Fist O Funk Orchestra – I’ve Been Looking For Somebody (Walter Gibbons Remix) Vinyl 5 I1 Lake Shore Drive – The Disco Scene (Rick Gianatos Remix) I2 TC James and The Fist O Funk Orchestra – Bumpsie’s Whipping Cream (Tom Savarese Remix) J1 Skip Mahoney – Janice (Don’t Be So Blind To Love) (Bobby DJ Guttadaro Remix) 5LP Box Part B Vinyl 1 A1 The Salsoul Orchestra – My Number’s Up (Tee Scott Remix) A2 The Skyliners – The Love Bug (Done Bit Me Again) (David Todd Remix) B1 Aura – L.A. Sunshine (Robert Ouimet Remix) Vinyl 2 C1 Tony Valor Sound Orchestra – Love Has Come My Way (Jim Burgess Remix) C2 Sparkle Tuhran & Friends – Handsome Man (Bobby DJ Guttadaro Remix) D1 First Choice – Love Thang (Tee Scott Remix) Vinyl 3 E1 Kay Gee’s – Burn Me Up (Jellybean Benitez Edit) F1 Brooklyn Express – Love Is The Message (Tee Scott Remix) Vinyl 4 G1 Chain Reaction – Changes (Jellybean Benitez Remix) G2 John Gibbs And The Jam Band – J’Ouvert (Frank Sestito Remix) H1 Bunny Sigler – By The Way You Dance (I Knew It Was You) (Bobby DJ Guttadaro Remix) Vinyl 5 I1 The Salsoul Orchestra – It’s Good For The Soul (Walter Gibbons Disco Madness Version) J1 Gladys Knight & The Pips – It’s A Better Than Good Time (Walter Gibbons Remix) 3CD CD1 Leon Collins – I Just Wanna Say I Love You (John Luongo Remix) Marboo – What About Love (Tony Gioe Remix) Double Exposure – Ten Per Cent (Walter Gibbons Sunshine Sound Acetate Edit) Juggy Murray Jones – Inside America (Rick Gianatos Disco Queen Acetate Edit) Hot Ice – Dancing Free (John Luongo Remix) The Sunshine Band – Black Water Gold (Sunshine Sound Acetate Edit) The Salsoul Orchestra – Magic Bird Of Fire (Francois Kevorkian Sunshine Sound Acetate Edit) The Salsoul Orchestra – It’s Good For The Soul (Jay Negron Sunshine Sound Acetate Edit) Double Exposure – My Love Is Free (Walter Gibbons Disco Madness Remix) Fay Hauser – Reaching Out For Happiness (Jonathan Fearing Remix) Ripple – The Beat Goes On And On (Jim Burgess Remix) CD2 Love Symphony Orchestra – Let Me Be Your Fantasy (Tom Savarese Remix) Tony Valor Sound Orchestra – Love Has Come My Way (Jim Burgess Remix) Ruby Andrews – I Wanna Be Near You (John Morales Sunshine Sound Acetate Edit) TC James and The Fist O Funk Orchestra – I’ve Been Looking For Somebody (Walter Gibbons Remix) Lake Shore Drive – The Disco Scene (Rick Gianatos Remix) TC James and The Fist O Funk Orchestra – Bumpsie’s Whipping Cream (Tom Savarese Remix) Skip Mahoney – Janice (Don’t Be So Blind To Love) (Bobby DJ Guttadaro Remix) The Salsoul Orchestra – My Number’s Up (Tee Scott Remix) The Skyliners – The Love Bug (Done Bit Me Again) (David Todd Remix) Aura – L.A. Sunshine (Robert Ouimet Remix) CD3 Sparkle Tuhran & Friends – Handsome Man (Bobby DJ Guttadaro Remix) First Choice – Love Thang (Tee Scott Remix) Kay Gee’s – Burn Me Up (Jellybean Benitez Edit) Brooklyn Express – Love Is The Message (Tee Scott Remix) Chain Reaction – Changes (Jellybean Benitez Remix) John Gibbs And The Jam Band – J’Ouvert (Frank Sestito Remix) Bunny Sigler – By The Way You Dance (I Knew It Was You) (Bobby DJ Guttadaro Remix) The Salsoul Orchestra – It’s Good For The Soul (Walter Gibbons Disco Madness Version) Gladys Knight & The Pips – It’s A Better Than Good Time (Walter Gibbons Remix) Links BBE Music https://www.bbemusic.com/downloads/the-men-in-the-glass-booth/ Al Kent http://www.alkent.co.uk/ Video Trailer