Source Team

Guitar Ray - You're Gonna Wreck My Life - Repro One thing that's become apparent, is the vast trove of super-rare independent U.S. Soul releases that crept out in the ‘60s and ‘70s, usually with only local distribution. Many of these records never made it out of the city they were made in and would have been doomed to obscurity if not for the international network of Soul collectors. Guitar Ray's incredible "You're Gonna Wreck My Life" on New Orleans’ music veteran Senator Jones' label, Shagg, is a case in point. This New Orleans gem from 1974 has recently soared in popularity with much in-demand original copies going for between £1000-£1500 apiece. We're delighted to be able to make this available again with a straight reissue on the original label. Yet another example of the buried treasures that surround us. View full store item

Houston Outlaws - Ain't No Telling / It's No Fun Being Alone - Kent Town 175 The Houston Outlaws ‘Ain’t No Telling’ is re-released due to the constant demand for this atmospheric dance track. It has been coupled with their in-demand harmony ballad ‘It’s No Fun Being Alone’ from the same year – though a different US release View full store item

The San Francisco TKOs - Make Up Your Mind / Ooh Baby Baby - Kent Town 176 Since its first plays at the 100 Club in the 90s, the San Francisco TKOs ‘Make Up Your Mind’ has been a revered sound that consistently packs the dance floor - with soul music devotees who like their music edgy. It first appeared as an Anniversary single and has sold out of its previous Kent pressing. We have taken the opportunity to re-release it coupled with the group’s beautiful ballad version of the Miracles’ ‘Ooh Baby, Baby’. Listen to both sides above View full store item

Hytones - You Don't Even Know My Name / Good News - Kent Repro 10 A top of the tree double sider addition to Kents ever growing Repro imprint. The Hytones were Nashville’s top soul group and under the tutelage of genius producer and songwriter Bob Holmes, made some great music. ‘You Don’t Even Know My Name’ was their first release on the short-lived Southern Artists label before it was released on Bell. It is an exceptionally smooth style of singing by the group - in unison for much of the track. ‘Good News’ by contrast is a gritty Stax-sounding mover that was first a 100 Club Anniversary single before being issued as a Kent 45. Now regarded as a rare soul classic, its release on a Southern Artists repro label will be welcomed. View full store item

Out Of Sights - For The Rest Of My Life - Big Man Records The latest Big Man Records release #4 is now available right here on the Source Store, A fabulous holy grail release from Big Man Records. The holy grail release being the Out Of Sights anthemic 'For The Rest Of My Life' from Cleveland's Saru Records. Coupled with the very tasty 'My Womans Love' on the flip. Both tracks exclusively licenced from Numero. As with previous releases the 45 is issued in a white hard card sleeve complete with sticker and colour postcard. View full store item

September Jones / The Pied Piper Players - Chink A Chank Baby / That’s What Love Is (Instr) - Piper 13 The final September Jones track to be discovered from her amazing eight-song Pied Piper sessions is ‘Chink A Chank Baby’ – the original Detroit recording of a backing track that Doni Burdick recorded over years later as ‘Whatcha Gonna Do’. Burdick’s version went big in some rare soul venues when found in the 90s but is a shadow of September’s exhilarating outing. The flip is the backing track of the Hesitations’ ‘That’s What Love Is’, a stormer of a record the music of which was re-used for Eddie Parker’s ‘I’m Gone’ a couple of years later. View full store item

Lorraine Chandler / The Pied Piper Players - You Only Live Twice (Original take) / Hold To My Baby (instr) - Pied Piper 10 When Lorraine Chandler’s dramatic ‘You Only Live Twice’ was discovered in RCA’s tape library in the 90s, it was recognised as the forerunner of Yvonne Baker’s Northern classic ‘You Didn’t Say A Word’. Both tracks sport the powerful James Bond theme tune motif. Chandler and Baker’s late 60s careers intertwined further when both artists cut versions of ‘Mend The Torn Pieces’ and ‘I Can’t Change’. It was exciting to access the Pied Piper tapes and hear an earlier, rawer take of ‘You Only Live Twice’. Previously available only on a 100 Club Anniversary 45, this is the first single release for the song from the original session. The instrumental mix of the Cavaliers’ ‘Hold To My Baby’ is quite an adrenalin rush for dancers who love to revel in the musical instrumentation that made these sounds so memorable. View full store item

Nancy Wilcox / Lorraine Chandler - He'll Be Leaving You / Mend The Torn Pieces Of My Heart (orig) - Piper 009 Having premiered on our “Pied Piper: Follow Your Soul” CD, Nancy Wilcox’s ultra-fast version of Willie Kendrick’s ‘He’ll Be Leaving You’ is one of the biggest northern soul hits of recent years. It is paired here with Lorraine Chandler singing ‘Mend The Torn Pieces’, one of the songs that started Jack Ashford on his Pied Piper journey, originally cut on Yvonne Baker before it got the Detroit treatment View full store item

The Cavaliers / Willie Kendrick - Ooh It Hurts Me (Alt) / Time Changes Things - Pied Piper 008 The eight 45 release from The Pied Piper imprint. The main side offers from the tapes, the final mix of the Cavaliers ‘Ooh It Hurts Me’. This final mix features a percussion track by Jack Ashford that was missing from previous releases. With the extra punch on the rhythm taking it onward and upward. Backed up with Willie Kendrick’s take of ‘Time Changes Things’ which offers a different slant on the Metros version View full store item

Eddie Holman - Ready Willing Able - Soul Direction Records A previously unissued 60 soul side from the Soul Direction label. Until recently this unknown Virtue acetate was unearthed from the belongings of legendary Philly producer/musician/songwriter John Stiles. Recorded around the same time as "Stay Mine For Heaven Sake" at Virtue Studios in Philadelphia. Eddie's rendition of "Ready, Willing and Able" was something that was thought to have been written potentially for another singer which was to be determined but he sang on the track as a reference point to whoever this might be, which was not an unusual practice. His piercing vocals added to a pounding "Northern soul" style beat lends itself to a packed and sweaty dancefloor. The B side "Too Young for Love" a raw mid-tempo and earlier sounding demo track has been unknown until now but we thought a nice contrast to the A side being another unreleased track. All 45s come in a Soul Direction sleeve complete with postcard flyer and an Eddie Holman publicity photo postcard View full store item

Little Ann - Deep Shadows / Turn Arounds - Stay Away - Kent Deep Soul 02 Kents second Deep Soul 45 release. Little Ann’s Dave Hamilton-produced ‘Deep Shadows’. Recorded in Detroit in 1967, the track has grown steadily in the rare soul public’s esteem ever since its CD debut in 1998, it has even been covered by new bands and has featured in a very atmospheric Jordan trainers ad. On the B-side is the superb ballad ‘Stay Away’ by Los Angeles vocal group the Turn Arounds. Cut in Atlanta in 1966, it has the feel of a classic Chess recording, which is no doubt exactly what the group was trying to achieve.Can listen to both above. View full store item

Mikki Farrow / September Jones - Set My Heart At Ease / I'm Coming Home - Pied Piper 002 The second Pied Piper 45 release saw two classic female dancers back to back. September Jones delivers her anthemic powerhouse 'I'm Coming Home' with Mikki Farow offering the dancers delight 'Set My Heart At Ease' View full store item

Nancy Wilcox / Lorraine Chandler - Gambler's Blues / I Hear Music - Kent Pied Piper 006 A previously unissued storming floor packer that went down so well circa 2004 to release date. Coupled with a marvellous track from our sadly departed former member Lorraine Chandler. Before their appearance on our “Pied Piper Presents…” CD, these two tracks existed only as publisher’s acetates. An acetate of Nancy Wilcox’s ‘Gamblers Blues’ sold for a four-figure sum a few years ago and became a dancefloor hit when spun mainly at southern venues. Lorraine Chandler’s gloriously produced ‘I Hear Music’ is one of her most beautiful and haunting songs and deserves greater exposure. View full store item