Category Archives: Soul

CULT CLASSIC: RUPTURE-ISRAEL SUITE/DOMINANTE EN BLEU.

Cult Classic: Rupture-Israel Suite/Dominante En Bleu. Over the last fifty years, bands and artists have penned ambitious concept albums about all manner of subjects. No subject matter it seems is off-limits when it comes to the concept album. There’s been concept albums about bureaucracy and censorship, death and dreams, evolution and revolution, heaven and hell, …

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ALEX ATTIAS PRESENTS LILLYGOOD PARTY! VOLUME 2.

Alex Attias Presents LillyGood Party! Volume 2. Label: BBE Music. Release Date ‘20th’ March 2020. Thirty-two years ago in 1988,  Alex Attias decided to embark upon a career as a DJ in his home city of Lausanne, Switzerland, and began playing an eclectic selection of dancefloor friendly music.  This didn’t come as a surprise to …

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CULT CLASSIC: EL TURRONERO-NEW HONDO.

Cult Classic: El Turronero-New Hondo. All to often, music that was way ahead of its time failed to find the audience it deserves. It’s only much later when the music is reevaluated by a new generation of record buyers who realise and recognise the importance of the music. That has been the case time after …

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PHILOPSIS. 

Philopsis. Label: Digger’s Digest. Over the last few years, there’s been a resurgence of interest in library music, with British and European independent record labels releasing lovingly curated compilations that are welcomed by a coterie of musical connoisseurs who have a passion for library music. This includes DJs, producers and record collectors who are willing …

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TABANSI STUDIO BAND-WAKAR ALHAZI KANO AND MUS’EN SOFOA.

Tabansi Studio Band–Wakar Alhazai Kano and Mus’en Sofoa. Label: BBE Africa. Philadelphia International Records’ house band was MFSB, while Motown the Funk Brothers and Fame Records had the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section between 1961 and 1969. These three house bands played an important part in each label’s sound and success. That was also the case with  …

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ANDY BEY-BALLADS, BLUE AND BEY-VINYL.

Andy Bey-Ballads, Blue and Bey-Vinyl. Label: Ko Ko Music. By the time Andy Bey released Ballads, Blue and Bey in 1996, his career had already spanned four decades. His career began in 1959 when he worked on the Startime television show with Connie Francis. This continued until 1960, and by then, he had also sang …

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CULT CLASSIC: DON ELLIS-AUTUMN.

Cult Classic: Don Ellis-Autumn. Bandleader, composer and trumpeter Don Ellis’ life was changed forevermore in 1974, when he was diagnosed with an abnormal heart condition. Just a year later, in 1975, he suffered his first heart attack which very nearly cost him his life. Fortunately, Don Ellis recovered and by 1977 signed to Atlantic Records. …

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TERRY CALLIER-TURN YOU TO LOVE-VINYL.

Terry Callier-Turn You To Love-Vinyl. Label: Speaker’s Corner. Talent alone sadly, is no guarantee of success. If it was, the late, great, Terry Callier would’ve enjoyed  a long and successful career. Sadly, for much of his career, he was one of music’s best kept secrets whose music was appreciated more in Britain than it was …

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DJ ANDY SMITH PRESENTS REACH UP DISCO WONDERLAND VOLUME 2.

DJ Andy Smith Presents Reach Up Disco Wonderland Volume 2. Label: BBE Music. During the last three decades, Andy Smith has been a familiar face in DJ boxes at home and abroad, and has entertained dancers with his eclectic sets which can feature anything from boogie and disco to funk and hip hop, right through …

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SPRING NYC SOUL.

Spring NYC Soul. Label: Kent Soul. Spring Records was founded in New York by Bill Spitalsky, Roy Rifkind and Julie Rifkind and based at 161 West ‘54th’ Street. This was also home to two new imprints, Event and Posse Records which became part of the city’s thriving and vibrant music scene. The three labels released …

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RAINER TRUEBY PRESENTS SOULGLIDING.

Rainer Trueby Presents Soulgliding. Label: BBE Music. For the past three decades,  Rainer Trueby has enjoyed a successful DJ-ing career, and has been a familiar face in the DJ box at top clubs and festivals all over the world. Still this globetrotting DJ has managed to find the time to run his own long-running and …

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THE CLARK SISTERS-YOU BROUGHT THE SUNSHINE-THE SOUND OF GOSPEL RECORDINGS 1976-1981.

The Clark Sisters-You Brought The Sunshine-The Sound Of Gospel Recordings 1976-1981. Label: Ace Records. By the late-sixties, both jazz and blues were no longer as popular as they once had been.  That was when it dawned on some mucicians that unless the music they loved evolved,  is risked becoming irrelevant. Both jazz and blues evolved …

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CULT CLASSIC: DR JOHN-DESITIVELY BONAROO.

Cult Classic: Dr John-Desitively Bonnaroo. When a copy of Dr John’s debut album Gris Gris was sent to Atlantic Records’ founder Ahmet Ertegun he disliked the album so much, that he was reluctant to even release the album and said: “how can we market this boogaloo crap?” This wasn’t the response that Dr John had …

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DISCO DEMANDS PART SIX-BY AL KENT.

Disco Demands Part Six-By Al Kent. Label: BBE Music. Release Date: ‘7th’ February 2020. After a ten year wait, Scotland’s disco King Al Kent makes a welcome return on the ‘7th’ of February 2020 with Disco Demands Part Six, which will be released by BBE Music as a 2CD or 3LP set. For fans of …

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ROY AYERS-VIRGIN UBIQUITY: UNRELEASED RECORDINGS 1976-1981 AND VIRGIN UBIQUITY II: UNRELEASED RECORDINGS 1976-1981.

Roy Ayers-Virgin Ubiquity: Unreleased Recordings 1976-1981 and Virgin Ubiquity II: Unreleased Recordings 1976-1981 Label: BBE Music. For Roy Ayers, the late-seventies through to the early eighties was one of the most productive periods of his long and illustrious careers. He was signed to Polydor Records, and between 1976 and 1981, the legendary vibes man was on …

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CULT CLASSIC: RIM KWAKU OBENG-RIM ARRIVES.

Cult Classic: Rim Kwaku Obeng-Rim Arrives. For collectors of Afro-funk and disco, many albums remain tantalisingly out of reach. This includes Ghanian drummer Rim Kwaku Obeng’s legionary lost debut album Rim Arrives. It was released in 1977, four years after a perilous time for Rim Kwaku Obeng.  He found himself stranded in London, without money, …

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CULT CLASSIC: TIM MAIA-TIM MAIA (1977).

Cult Classic: Tim Maia-Tim Maia (1977. As 1977 dawned, Tim Maia had already released seven albums since his 1970 eponymous debut, and although some of these album had been released to critical acclaim and were a commercial success, the charismatic Brazilian singer found himself financially embarrassed. Things had been going from bad to worse over the …

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CULT CLASSIC:SWAMP DOGG-I’M NOT SELLING OUT/I’M BUYING IN.

Cult Classic: Swamp Dogg-I’m Not Selling Out/I’m Buying In. During the sixties, Jerry Williams was for most part, a regular guy. He was a successful singer, songwriter and producer and for most of the time, he was content to help other people become stars. He was a songwriter, played on their albums and produced their …

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CULT CLASSIC: MARY AFI USUA-AFRICAN WOMAN.

Cult Classic: Mary Afi Usuah-African Woman. When Mary Afi Usuah released her sophomore album African Woman on Clover Music in 1978, very few people outside of Nigeria heard the album. That was despite Mary Afi Usuah having performed in front of hundreds of thousands of music fans.  Mary Afi Usuah had spent thirteen years touring …

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