Mike

Las Vegas Connection - Running Back To You - Hep Me - Repro One of the more idiosyncratic U.S. independent labels must be the Hep’ Me imprint from New Orleans run by veteran Soulman Senator Jones. Very few of Hep’ Me's numerous releases made it out of New Orleans and the ones that did, tended to go into collections and nowhere else. Las Vegas Connection's ‘Running Back To You’ surfaced some time in the mid 1970s but there were never enough copies for it to take off. Hopefully that will change with this re-release on the original label. Also, a lovely piece of mid-tempo soul on the flip with the stunning ‘Can't Nobody Love Me Like You Do’. Original copies are few and far between and the current price benchmark for this superior slab of New Orleans vinyl is hovering around the £250 mark. As with most of our reissues this will appeal to across-the-board scenes. View full store item

The Modulations Rough Out Here / I Can't Fight Your Love - Reissue A Record Store Day RSD 2019 outing. Release notes follow from then... A killer rare groove classic and a modern soul belter from The Modulations - featuring arrangements by Vince Montana, Norman Harris and Ronald Baker and instrumentation by members of MFSB, key mainstays of the city's 'Philly sound'. The only original 7 inchs from the 70's are changing hands for £150, so it's high time an official remastered, reissue landed View full store item

Ernie K Doe - Here Come The Girls / Back Street Lover - Repro A Record Store Day RSD 2021 Drop 2 outing. Release notes follow from then... Most people will remember the Boots advert from 2007 which used Ernie K. Doe's infectious funky 'Here Come The Girls' and caused a surge of new interest in this killer 1970 New Orleans vintage groover. The Sugababes then nicked it and managed a Top 3 hit. However, accept no substitute for the original! An essential Allen Toussaint song and production which should be in everyone's 7Inch box as a staple. In store and available right now via our fast first class same working day shipping service Can listen to both tracks above View full store item

The Barrino Brothers - The Bad Things (You Said To Me) / Just A Mistake - Kent Repro 8 Detroit’s four Barrino Brothers first recorded for Dave Hamilton on his TCB label in 1969. The single went by largely unnoticed until all things Dave Hamilton-related became of interest in the 90s and onwards. The record only sold locally but the belated interest from funk fans in ‘Just A Mistake’ has pushed the price to around the $1,000 mark for a mint copy. We’ve reproduced the label, with a subtle colour switch, and put the tape find of ‘The Bad Things (You Said To Me)’ on the A-side. That is a standout dance track that has been issued before as a now-deleted Kent 45 that looks great on the label Dave Hamilton had originally planned to release it on. Your browser does not support the audio tag. View full store item

Randolph Brown & Company - It Ain't Like It Used To Be - SHOTGUN 116 Randolph Brown & Company was the identity of future soul star Randy Brown as he embarked upon his successful solo career following a six-year period as lead singer of The Newcomers at Stax. After a 1974 single on Stax-owned Truth Records, Brown issued two singles on the obscure Memphis label, Black Magic. Both were written and produced by Carl Smith and David Weatherspoon and were picked up in 1975 by Mainstream Records in New York for national release on their IX Chains label. The second of these singles, 'It Ain't Like It Used To Be', captured the mood of the times as people faced the social and financial challenges of a deepening economic crisis. This anthemic song has much relevance today, hence this timely revival. Your browser does not support the audio tag. View full store item

Carmy Love - In The Morning / Together Again - Big AC Records ‘Together Again’ is soul singer Carmy Love’s third single on London independent Big AC Records. ‘Together Again’ has a groove Bobby Womack would have been proud of and with its themes of unity, friendship and positivity, the song is feel-good through and through. Backed by heavy brass, a lush string arrangement and featuring some iconic whispered backing vocals, ‘Together Again’ is a statement that Carmy Love means business! For fans of Aretha Franklin, Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings, Michelle David & The True Tone’s, Yola, Celeste, Jill Scott View full store item

Abi Farrell - Stepping Out Of Your Shadow / Don't Follow Me - Big AC Records Introducing ‘Stepping Out Of Your Shadow’, the new single from soul sensation Abi Farrell. This is a stomping dancefloor filler for every DJ and collector to add to their record box! Draped in elegant strings that call to mind the disco queens of the 70’s, ‘Stepping…’ kicks into gear from the off, with the help of a driving horn section and chanting backing vocals. The sense of overcoming adversity and finding oneself is notable in the anthemic, chest-beating chorus: “I’m stepping out of your shadow / I won’t be lonely when you pick up your stride”, a positive outlook to begin 2022! On the flip side is ‘Don’t Follow Me’ - a stunning, stirring and unforgettable composition which will surely add to her burgeoning reputation amongst fans of soul, funk and great song writing! View full store item

Emma Noble & Nick Corbin - Back on Track / We Gonna Live Forever - Big AC Records 'Back on Track' is a joyful, emotive and soulful duet giving recognition to those who get us through uncertain and challenging times. Written remotely in the midst of Lockdown 2, Noble & Corbin have teamed up once more to write the perfect accompaniment to 'We Gonna Live Forever'. With hints of the Staple Singers and the influence of modern soul artists such as The Indications and Mayer Hawthorne, this track is exactly what you need to put a spring in your step and get back on track. Limited to 500 copies View full store item

Arthur Alexander - Stay By Me / Me And Mine - Kent City 074 A new 45 release on Kents Select Soul imprint, Arthur Alexander’s mid-60s releases for Monument and Sound Stage 7 under the supervision of Fred Foster in Nashville failed to register on the charts but are highly regarded, none more so than these sides cut on his first session for the company. The released tracks from the session, ‘Baby For You’ and ‘The Other Woman’, were more country sounding. View full store item

The Opals - Can't Give It Up - Kent City 072 The uptempo ‘Can’t Give It Up’ is taken at a perfect dance beat for Northern Soul discos. It was written by Billy Butler and Gerald Sims, and likely recorded around the time of the ‘Right Track’ session in 1966. On the flip is the beautiful, mid-tempo ‘End My Suffering’, which bears a resemblance to Marvin Smith’s ‘Time Stopped’, also from 1966 and produced by Carl Davis. This is the first release for both tracks View full store item

Maxine Brown / Chuck Jackson - I Wonder What My Baby's Doing Tonight / Two Stupid Feet - Kent City 071 This Kent 45 delivers two previously 'album only' tracks back to back. Now on the one single 45, this repeat paring of Kents stalwarts Maxine Brown and Chuck Jackson making the most of two popular songs from Van McCoy and Luther Dixon works well View full store item

John Edwards - We Always Come Back Strong / Tin Man - Kent City 070 Two top John Edwards tracks on offer here, 'Tin Man' arguable the better known of the two, gets a second time around release on a Kent 45 due to the demand for its previous life on the 2002 long sold-out Kent single. While the classy Sam Dees written (previously lp only) ‘We Always Come Back Strong’ track gets the a-side billing. View full store item