Mike

The Mayberry Movement - I Can See Him Making Love To You - Kent City 090 This pairing was slated to be Event 218 in late 1974, but as no copies have emerged, it can be assumed that the single was pulled. It is hard to know why, but judging by its rarity the Anderson Brothers GSF release of ‘I Can See Him Loving You’ was a commercial failure - perhaps Event didn’t want to suffer a similar fate. This reading of producer Ray Dahrouge’s song is more soulful and vital than the Anderson Brothers which was huge on the Northern Soul scene, but without this take for competition at the time. Maybe the steamy finale to the Mayberry’s version was a bit too much for radio play, but surely the brilliance of the ballad A side would have compensated for that. Their loss; our gain View full store item

Lamont Johnson & Eugene - Let's Go Dance Tonight / Burnin' For Love - Soul Junction 45 Fast forward to the present and Soul Junction have licensed two previously unissued dance orientated Lamont Johnson produced compositions for this 45 single release with more to come. Under the project/artists name of “Lamont Johnson & Eugene” the recordings feature several different local Detroit musicians and vocalists. The a-side is a male vocally led early 90’s mid-tempo feel good dance number. While the B-side in contrast is a more synthesized bass driven 80’s female dancer which should appeal to the Boogie crowd View full store item

The Hill District / Richie Merrett - Your Scared Of Falling In Love / You’ll Always Have Yesterday Standing By - Soul Junction The Hill District were a group of working musicians assembled by bassist Walter “Sonny” Hughes who following one afternoon rehearsal session together the very same evening recorded their only ever 45 outing the somewhat elusive and now sort after amongst group harmony collectors “Your Scared Of Falling In Love”. T Prior to the Hill’s District release Rich Calloway had penned and released a 45 single on another local Pittsburgh artist Richie Merrett. The 1973 outing You’ll Always Have Yesterday Standing By b/w “I Gave It Up” (C-Way 103). Merritt a professional singer who performed with several groups including The Electron’s on their 1968 outing “Turn On Your Lovelight (Shock 209) View full store item

Willie Williams - Give It All I Got / Do You Understand - Soul Junction NEW 45 On the 22nd of December 1970 a recording session was held in RCA’s Studio B, on North Wacker Drive, Chicago with sound engineer Russ Vestuto. The result of this session yielded four Willie Williams tracks. Two of them were later released, two remained in the 'can' So now before you we have the two excellent previously unissued Willie Williams songs that Eddie Thomas passed on, the delightfully soulful “Give It All I Got” backed with the funky, social conscience themed “Do You Understand”, lost early 1970’s Chicago Soul at its finest View full store item

Ty Karim - Wear Your Natural, Baby / If I Can't Stop You - Kent Repro 17 The latest addition to Kents Repro series #17. Release notes follow below ‘Wear Your Natural, Baby’ was a good seller when issued on Kent Harris’ Romark label in the late 60s – judging by the, at least, three pressings of it. Understandably so, as it is a captivating rhythm for a then very current political and fashionable message. Towana was in fact Ty Karim, singing under her young daughter’s name. On this flip, Ty recorded as herself on a cover of the CB Overton’s hit ‘If I Can’t Stop You’. However, Kent Harris decided to not go with this recording at the time and re-cut it with new lyrics as ‘Keep On Doin’ Whatcha’ Doin’’ as a duet with George Griffin issued in 1980 on Sheridan House. That record has become a modern soul classic over time and this alternate solo version, with the different lyrics, by Ty is sure to excite lovers of that genre. View full store item

Anthony Fontaine - How Can I Lose (What I Never Had) / Stop That Old Grapevine - Soul Junction Anthony Fontaine was originally from Memphis Tennessee. During 1969 he signed up with Pasadena Texas record producer Claude Latimore Milburn, under whose auspices he recorded two fine songs. Firstly 'Stop That Old Grapevine' which starts with a female monologue before a horn section kicks into a fine uptempo southern dancer, and 'How Can I Lose (What I Never Had)' which is a more melodic soulful mid tempo outing, both songs were released as a 45 on C.L. Milburn’s ‘Souled Out’ record Label (Souled Out 36203. Both songs were written by Earl Rhodes which is actually Anthony Fontaine’s real name. View full store item

Tobi Lark - Challenge My Love / Sweep It Out In The Shed - Kent Repro 14 In the 70s ‘Happiness Is Here’ was the standard, Motown-influenced, Northern Soul play by legendary Detroit artist Tobi Lark. By the 80s and 90s soul fans tastes had matured and the slower and deeper ‘Challenge My Love’ took over to such an extent that it was the go-to Lark recording. The final twist was the discovery that its flip, the moody and bluesy ‘Sweep It Out In The Shed’ was a new floor-filler to spin to the R&B-loving dancers. What was considered a moderately-priced collector’s item is now fetching four figure sums. Our Repro recreates that longed-for pressing, but with a colourful twist. View full store item

Act I - It's The Same Old Story / Night Of The Wolf - MEASURED MILE 517 The latest 7" single on Bob Stanley's MEASURED MILE label is a floor-filling double-sider. The percussion-and-woodwind driven ‘Night Of The Wolf’ has been played out at northern soul nights in the UK, at Brooklyn discotheques in the mid-70s, and originally it was an Italian progressive rock album track. Much loved by everyone. It was issued as a super-rare US 45 in 1975 under the name the Al Foster Band, and this is its first official reissue. ACT 1's 70s modern soul midtempo classic ‘It’s The Same Old Story’ also got played out in the early discos of New York, Chicago and LA, but it was only ever an album track. This marks its first ever release on a DJ-friendly 7". Get it while you can! View full store item

The Embers - First Time / I Wanna Be (Your Everything) - BMR 1018 This JCP northern soul monster first championed on the scene by the likes of Guy Hennigan, an Embers original song written by Jackie Gore has become a big collectable on it's USA original, with their fabulous cover of the Manhattans Carnival classic 'I Wanna Be (Your Everything)' which The Embers very much make their own certainly a real sleeper of a flip. Under licence from Embers Entertainment Enterprises to Big Man Records will come with custom card picture sleeve, Sleeve notes by Mark Windle, A6 collectors card in a poly sleeve. View full store item

LaVel Moore - The World Is Changing - BMR 1016 Two fabulous tracks originally released on St.Louis based 'Yodi' records, under licence from Numero Group to Big Man Records, taken from 'Yodi' masters and remastered for this release. The 45 will come in a custom birth card sleeve, A6 collectors card in a poly outer sleeve. 'Yodi' records was an early 70's soul label based in East St. Louis, Illinois, owned by Allan Merry associated with Gateway and Merry records View full store item

Dee Ervin - You Make Me Happy / Give Me One More Day - Kent City 089 Dee Ervin suffered collateral damage from GRC/Aware’s bankruptcy. He only got to release two mediocre sides on Hotlanta but these recordings match anything he created in a successful career throughout the 60s & 70s. By 1974 he was as much a composer as artist, but he excels at both on these two numbers that were fully produced and ready for release. ‘You Make Me Happy’ is a terrific uptempo dance track that recently featured on CDKEND 512 “Masterpieces Of Modern Soul; Vol 6”. ‘Give Me One More Day’ was issued erroneously in 1975 as a Tribe LP track on ABC, but the session details clearly have it as a Dee Ervin recorded number. Your browser does not support the audio tag. View full store item

Darrow Fletcher - Hope For Love / No Limit - Kent City 088 ‘Hope For Love’ turned up on a one-off master tape which arrived at Ace HQ courtesy of Grapevine Records, who knew we were working with Darrow. Darrow thought the tape was one he and his stepfather Johnnie Haygood made to interest Ray Charles. Ray eventually signed Darrow to his Crossover label. Darrow remembered cutting it in the early 70s, a period when he was relatively inactive recording wise. It has proved to be very popular with the two-step crowd and a vinyl single version will be very welcome. Darrow’s original recording of the Grey & Hanks’ song ‘No Limit’ was issued by Kent in 2012 on CD and as a single. That limited-run 45 sold out quickly but demand has continued to grow, making the current price upwards of £100. ‘No Limit’ was also recorded and released by both Jean Terrell and Breakwater in 1979. View full store item

Joe Graham / John Edwards- Higher Than High / John Edwards - Kent City 087 The recent find of four Joe Graham recordings in the GRC/Aware tapes has shown there was much more to Joe’s talents than the southern soul of his 60s Chant recordings and the synthesiser, electro pop he recorded for various Atlanta labels in the 80s. ‘Higher Than High’ is a soulful disco number featuring a relentless beat. The track already has a strong following, thanks to advance plays in Europe and the UK from DJ Dave Thorley. This track, along with three other numbers, were recorded around 1976 for the GRC stable – just as the company was floundering so badly that the songs were left as unmixed multi-track tapes. Now mixed the demand for this one will be high. We’ve taken the opportunity of including another excellent, unreleased at the time, recording from the revered John Edwards. ‘It’s Got To Be The Real Thing For Me This Time’ is an uptempo Sam Dees song, unheard until the 1990s release of the first batch of GRC/Aware tapes. View full store item