Author Archive: dereksmusicblog
LOVING ON THE FLIPSIDE.
LOVING ON THE FLIPSIDE. In my never-ending quest to bring you new and exciting compilations, recently, I’ve recently been digging even deeper than usual. This has seen me reviewing from labels far and wide, including Japan, Europe and America, plus some of my favorite British labels. One of the reasons I’ve been digging so deep …
ADE ALAFIA ADIO-O.R.G.A.S.M.
ADE ALAFIA ADIO-O.R.G.A.S.M. One of the most important parts of any record company is the A&R Department, which discovers new talent. For smaller labels, this is even more important as sometime, they can pick up some really talented artists early in their career, and nurture them. Often, new talented artists can be found in the …
DISCO RECHARGE-VOYAGE 3-SPECIAL EDITION.
DISCO RECHARGE-VOYAGE 3-SPECIAL EDITION. Since Harmless Records launched their Disco Recharge label in June 2012, they’ve revisited the first two of Voyage’s four albums, Let’s Fly Away and Voyage. For anyone who loves disco, these two albums were a very welcome rerelease and became part of their collection. Now for the latest instalment of the …
DISCO RECHARGE-BORIS MIDNEY VOLUME 1: BEAUTIFUL BLEND-MAKE THAT FEELING COME AGAIN AND BORIS MIDNEY-CARESS.
DISCO RECHARGE-BORIS MIDNEY VOLUME 1: BEAUTIFUL BLEND-MAKE THAT FEELING COME AGAIN AND BORIS MIDNEY-CARESS. As usual, Mr. Pinks has been the hardest working man in disco, compiling not one, not two, but five instalments of Harmless Records’ Disco Recharge series. His hard work has certainly paid off, with him rediscovering some glittering disco gems. The …
FIRST CHOICE-BREAKAWAY.
FIRST CHOICE-BREAKAWAY. After becoming one of Norman Harris’ first signing to his new record label Gold Mind Records in 1976, First Choice released Delusions in 1978 and Hold Your Horses in 1979. Soon, Double Choice became one of Gold Mind Records and indeed, Salsoul’s biggest commercial successes. This lead to First Choice touring worldwide and …
THE SALSOUL ORCHESTRA-STREET SENSE.
THE SALSOUL ORCHESTRA-STREET SENSE. Recently, I’ve been documenting the Salsoul Records rise to becoming disco’s premier label and the changes the label went through after 1978. Indeed, 1978 was a landmark year for Salsoul.Vince Montana Jr, the man who created, conducted, arranged and produced many of The Salsoul Orchestra albums between their 1975 debut The …
NEWBAN-NEWBAN AND NEWBAN 2.
NEWBAN-NEWBAN AND NEWBAN 2. After deciding to form a new band, sometimes one of the most difficult decisions its members make is choosing a name. After all, it has to be something original and catchy. For Albert “Duke” Jones Jr, and Peter Carroll Jr, they had what can only be best describes as one of …
MAJOR HARRIS-MY WAY.
MAJOR HARRIS-MY WAY. For a member of a successful group, it’s always a risk to leave and embark upon a solo career. Often, the success they’ve enjoyed becomes a distant memory. Conversely, the success they’ve enjoyed is often surpassed upon embarking on a solo career. Everyone will have examples when an artists decision to embark …
LOLEATTA HOLLOWAY-LOLEATTA HOLLOWAY.
LOLEATTA HOLLOWAY-LOLEATTA HOLLOWAY. When Loleatta Holloway came to record her fifth album, and third for Gold Mind Records Loleatta Holloway, she encountered a very different company. Gone was Norman Harris who’d previously run Gold Mind and who’d been at Loleatta’s side every step of the way, during her Gold Mind career. Norman Harris wasn’t the …
NUTRITIOUS PRESENTS DUKE WILLIAMS AND THE EXTREMES.
NUTRITIOUS PRESENTS DUKE WILLIAMS AND THE EXTREMES. All too often, good music for whatever reason, passes unnoticed. It can be for any number of reasons, from a record company not promoting an album properly, that particular genre of music becoming unpopular, the band splitting up or even the record company becoming insolvent. I’ve come across …
BAKER, HARRIS, YOUNG-B-H-Y.
BAKER, HARRIS, YOUNG-B-H-Y. By 1979 Ron Baker, Norman Harris and Earl Young were still the hardest working and most in-demand rhythm section in music. They were currently part of The Salsoul Orchestra and accompanying artists like the undisputed Queen of Disco Loleatta Holloway, First Choice and Double Exposure. They’d done everything, from writing, arranging and …
YARBROUGH AND PEOPLES-GUILTY.
YARBROUGH AND PEOPLES-GUILTY. For Yarbrough and Peoples, the saying about keeping the best until last is certainly true. Their fourth and final album Guilty, which was released in 1985, may not have been their most successful album, but Guilty, which will be released by BBR Records in September 2012 is perceived as their finest. Guilty …
PENNYE FORD-PENNYE.
PENNYE FORD-PENNYE. While most fifteen year olds might spend their summer holidays at summer camp or working a part-time job, Pennye Ford spent time touring with Ohio funk band Zapp, who were opening for Parliament-Funadelic. A year later, Pennye spent time touring Japan as lead singer of funk band Reach. For some people, Pennye spending …
THE SALSOUL ORCHESTRA-UP THE YELLOW BRICK ROAD.
THE SALSOUL ORCHESTRA-UP THE YELLOW BRICK ROAD. For Salsoul Records and The Salsoul Orchestra, Up The Yellow Brick Road would prove to be the end of an era. Up The Yellow Brick Road proved to be last Salsoul Orchestra arranged, produced and featuring the sound of vibes virtuoso Vince Montana Jr. It also proved to …
JUNIOR-JI.
JUNIOR-JI. After being a backing vocalist with UK soul group Linx between 1980 and 1982, it was somewhat ironic that Junior Giscombe’s career as a soul singer was launched after he sang on two tracks for reggae label Pressure Sounds. Soon, Get Up and Dance was getting played on radio in the UK, while the …
SUN-WANNA MAKE LOVE/SUN-POWER.
SUN-WANNA MAKE LOVE/SUN-POWER. In a recent article, I mentioned how during the seventies, Dayton, Ohio was funk central, with the region producing some of the greatest funk bands of the era. From The Ohio Players, Lakeside, Zapp, Slave, Bootsy Collins, Platypus and Sun, who released eight albums between 1976 and 1984. Of these eight albums, …
ARETHA FRANKLIN-LOVE HURT ALL THE WAY.
ARETHA FRANKLIN-LOVE HURT ALL THE WAY. After signing to Atlantic Records in 1967, Aretha Franklin released a string of critically acclaimed and commercially successful albums. From 1967s I Never Loved A Man the Way I Loved You and Aretha Arrives, through 1968s Lady Soul and Aretha Now and 1969s Soul ’69 Aretha enjoyed five US …
dereksmusicblog
dereksmusicblog 