Category Archives: Soul

SOOTHSAYERS-TRADITION.

Soothsayers-Tradition. Label: Wah Wah 45s Release Date: ‘29th’ June 2018. New Album Of The Week. For nearly two decades, London-based Afro-dub pioneers Soothsayers, have been winning friends and influencing audiences with their unique brand of politically charged music at their now legendary concerts. Soothsayers have also released a number of singles, EPs and six albums …

Continue reading

DIALI CISSOKHO AND KAIRA BA-ROUTES.

Diali Cissokho and Kaira Ba-Routes. Label: Twelve Eight Records. Release Date: ‘29th’ June 2018. Just over six years ago, North Carolina-based Senegalese kora master Diali Cissokho and Kaira Ba released their debut album Resonance in April 2012. Resonance featured songs about mythology, migration and justice, while Diali Cissokho and Kaira Ba combined elements of African …

Continue reading

RAMSEY LEWIS-FUNKY SERENITY, RAMSEY LEWIS’ GOLDEN HITS, SOLAR WIND AND SUN GODDESS.

Ramey Lewis-Funky Serenity, Ramsey Lewis’ Golden Hits, Solar Wind and Sun Goddess. Label: BGO Records. Not many recording artists spend sixteen years signed to the same label, but bandleader, composer and pianist Ramsey Lewis had signed to Chess Records in 1956, and his band Ramsey Lewis and The Gentlemen Of Swing their debut album later …

Continue reading

CZECH UP! VOLUME 2: WE’D BE HAPPY.

Czech Up! Volume 2: We’d Be Happy. Label: Vampi Soul. Nowadays, competition within the compilation market is fierce, and each week hundreds of compilations are released by record companies across the world and are competing for the compilation pound, dollar or Euro. However, not all compilations are equal, and some of these compilations are more …

Continue reading

UNDER THE INFLUENCE VOLUME 6: A COLLECTION OF RARE SOUL AND DISCO COMPILED BY FAZE ACTION.

Under The Influence Volume 6: A Collection Of Rare Soul and Disco Compiled By Faze Action. Label: Z Records. Every time an independent record label releases a new compilation there’s always the hope that this will be the first instalment in a long running and successful series. Sadly, that hardly ever happens, and the majority …

Continue reading

CHUCK JACKSON-THE BEST OF THE WAND YEARS (VINYL).

Chuck Jackson-The Best Of The Wand Years (Vinyl). Label: Kent Soul. By the time Pittsburg-born Chuck Jackson signed to Wand Records in 1961, he was just twenty-four,  and was already an experienced singer, who many within the music industry thought had a great future ahead of him. Chuck Jackson’s career began four years earlier in …

Continue reading

ON THE SOUL SIDE.

On The Soul Side. Label: Kent Soul. Thirty-five years ago in 1983, Kent Records, which had been founded a year earlier in 1982, released their sixth release, On The Soul Side on vinyl. It was the fourth compilation that Ady Croasdell had compiled for Kent Records. The previous compilations had all been well received and …

Continue reading

WESTBOUND DISCO.

Westbound Disco.  Label: Westbound Records. By 1969, Armen Boladian was a familiar face within the Detroit music scene, and the musical impresario was about to launch a new label Westbound Records. This came as no surprise to those that knew Armen Boladian who previously, had founded and run the Fascination label and the Record Distribution …

Continue reading

KRONIKI FILMOWE: POLISH LIBRARY MUSIC 1963-1978.

Kroniki Filmowe: Polish Library Music 1963-78  Label: GAD Records. 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 …

Continue reading

MILLIE JACKSON-STILL CAUGHT UP.

Millie Jackson-Still Caught Up. Label: Southbound Records. There’s nothing worse than not hearing how a story ends, and that was how many record buyers felt after hearing Millie Jackson’s critically acclaimed fourth album Caught Up, which was released in 1974. Caught Up was essentially a concept album, but in truth was like a musical soap …

Continue reading

DON ELLIS-SHOCK TREATMENT AND DON ELLIS AND HIS ORCHESTRA AUTUMN.

Don Ellis-Shock Treatment and Don Ellis and His Orchestra-Autumn. Label: BGO Records. Bandleader, composer and trumpeter Don Ellis’ life was changed forevermore in 1974, when he was diagnosed with an abnormal heart condition, and a year later, in 1975, suffered his first heart attack which very nearly cost him his life. Fortunately, Don Ellis recovered …

Continue reading

SHIRLEY DAVIS AND THE SILVERBACKS-WISHES AND WANTS.

Shirley Davis and The Sliverbacks-Wishes and Wants. Label: Tucxone Records. Two years after Shirley Davis and The Sliverbacks released their critically acclaimed debut album Black Rose in March 2016, the London-born soul diva her backing band return with their much-anticipated sophomore album Wishes and Wants which has just been released by Tucxone Records. The release of …

Continue reading

MOTOWN FUNK 2-RECORD STORE DAY 2018 EDITION.

Motown Funk 2-Record Store Day 2018 Edition. Label: UMC. By 1959, Detroit based songwriter, producer and future musical impresario Berry Gordy Jr had already discovered The Miracles and started to build a successful portfolio of recording artists. There was only one problem, what would Berry Gordy Jr do with these talented artists and groups? It …

Continue reading

TOO SLOW TO DISCO BRAZIL COMPILED BY ED MOTTA.

Too Slow To Disco Brazil Compiled By Ed Motta. Label: How Do You Are.  It was back in 2014 when the German label How Do You Are released the first instalment in the Too Slow To Disco compilation series, which  was one of the first compilation series to revisit West Coast sound, which provided the …

Continue reading

THREE SIX NINE! THE BEST OF SHIRLEY ELLIS.

Three Six Nine! The Best Of Shirley Ellis. Label: Ace Records. The ‘16th’ of June 1954 was a proud day for twenty-five year old singer-songwriter Shirley Ellis, when she registered her first songwriting copyrights with Library Of Congress. This she hoped would be the start of a successful songwriting career that would transform her fortunes …

Continue reading

NICKODEMUS-A LONG ENGAGEMENT.

Nickodemus-A Long Engagement. Label: Wonderwheel Recordings. Brooklyn-based producer Brian J Nickodemus Nickodemus was only fourteen when he made his DJ-ing debut behind the wheels of steel, and just like many before him, he was hooked. Soon, he was playing out on a regular basis and throwing his parties where he played everything from hip hop …

Continue reading

PLANET MOD-BRIT SOUL, R&B AND FREAKBEAT FROM THE SHEL TALMY VAULTS.

Planet Mod-Brit Soul, R&B and Freakbeat From The Shel Talmy Vaults. Label: Big Beat Records. The name Shel Talmy, means different things to different people, and many record buyers all automatically remember the Chicago-born producer’s work in Britain with legendary rock bands The Who and The Kinks. Others will remember Shel Talmy as the producer …

Continue reading

SEUN KUTI AND EGYPT 80-BLACK TIMES.

Seun Kuti and Egypt 80-Egypt Times. Label: Strut Records. Nowadays, one of the most overused word in the English language is legend, which is bandied about all too freely, with faux punks, third rate Britpop bands and Beatles impersonators being labelled legends by fawning music journalists who hang on their every word. These bands aren’t …

Continue reading

NEW ORLEANS SOUL 1967-RECORD STORE DAY EDITION

New Orleans Soul 1967-Record Store Day Edition. Label: History Of Soul. By early 1967, New Orleans’ vibrant music industry was thriving, and one of the one the Crescent City’s smallest labels Parlo Records, was celebrating the success of Aaron Neville’s million selling soul ballad Tell It Like It Is. It was released on November the …

Continue reading

ALEX ATTIAS PRESENTS LILLYGOOD PARTY.

Alex Attias Presents LillyGood Party. Label: BBE Music. Release Date ‘11th’ May 2018.  It was thirty years ago in 1988, when 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.  Alex Attias friends weren’t surprised by …

Continue reading