Category Archives: Soul

FRENCH DISCO BOOGIE SOUNDS VOLUME 3: 1977-1987.

French Disco Boogie Sounds Volume 3: 1977-1987. Label: Favourite France. Over the last few months, there seems to have been a resurgence of interest in disco and boogie, with major and independent record labels in Britain and America releasing countless compilations that look back to the glory days of both genres. Despite this, these compilations …

Continue reading

BARRENCE WHITFIELD AND THE SAVAGES-DIG EVERYTHING! THE EARLY ROUNDER ALBUMS.

Barrence Whitfield and The Savages-Dig Everything! The Early Rounder Albums. Label: Ace Records. Barry White, who later found fame as the frontman for Barrence Whitfield and The Savages was born on June the ‘13th’ 1955, in Jacksonville, Florida, but his family moved to East Orange, in New Jersey when he was a child. That was …

Continue reading

MILLIE JACKSON-CAUGHT UP.

Millie Jackson-Caught Up. Label: Southbound Records. It didn’t look like life was going to be easy for Millie Jackson who was born in the city of Thomson, in Georgia, on July the ’15th’ 1944. Her father was a sharecropper and worked long hours for little reward. Life was tough for the Jackson family, and got …

Continue reading

Z.Z. HILL-THAT’S IT! THE COMPLETE KENT RECORDINGS 1964-1968.

Z.Z, Hill-That’s It! The Complete Kent Recordings 1964-1968. Label: Kent Soul. Sadly, the Z.Z. Hill story is a familiar one, with Texan born soul and blues man never really enjoying the commercial success his considerable talent deserved. Z.Z. Hill moved to Los Angeles in 1963, and in 1964 had a minor hit with You Were Wrong, …

Continue reading

GABRIELE POSO-AWAKENING.

Gabriele Poso-Awakening. Label: BBE Music. Release Date: ‘30th’ of March 2018. New Release Of The Week. Italian multi-instrumentalist and master percussion Gabriele Poso’s lifelong love affair with music began after he discovered his family’s record collection as child. This was a cultural awakening for Gabriele Poso who was soon discovering the delights of jazz, soul and …

Continue reading

THE HERBALISER-BRING OUT THE SOUND.

The Herbaliser-Bring Out The Sound. Label: BBE Music. As October 2012 dawned, Jake Wherry and Ollie Teeba had been making music as The Herbaliser since 1995, and were now regarded as UK hip hop’s most exciting live band. The two members of The Herbaliser were also preparing to release their seventh studio album There Were …

Continue reading

SPENCER WIGGINS-THE GOLDWAX YEARS LP.

Spencer Wiggins-The Goldwax Years LP. Label: Kent Soul Although Spencer Wiggins is nowadays, widely recognised by critics as one of the finest exponents of deep soul, sadly, he’s still one of soul music’s best kept secrets. Spencer Wiggins at the peak of his powers, had the ability to breath life, meaning and emotion into the …

Continue reading

RUMBITA BUENA: RUMBA FUNK AND FLAMENCO POP FROM THE 1970s BELTER AND DISCOPHON ARCHIVES.

Rumbita Buena: Rumba Funk and Flamenco Pop From The 1970s Belter and Discophon Archives. Label: Pharaway Sounds. As the sixties gave way to the seventies, many within the Spanish music industry realised that the next few years were hugely important for the future of Spanish music. What these songwriters, producer and musicians realised that music …

Continue reading

GEORGE JACKSON-LEAVIN’ THE HOMEWORK DONE: IN THE STUDIO WITH GEORGE JACKSON 1969-1971.

George Jackson-Leavin’ The Homework Done: In The Studio With George Jackson 1969-1971. Label: Kent Soul. When Dean Rudland and Tony Rouce were compiling the George Jackson compilation Old Friend The Fame Recordings Volume 3, which was released in late November 2013, they believed that there was only a handful of songs that had yet to …

Continue reading

ERNESTO CHAHOUD PRESENTS TAITU SOUL-FUELLED STOMPERS FROM 1960S-1970S ETHIOPIA.

Ernesto Chahoud Presents Taitu Soul-fuelled Stompers From 1960s-1970s Ethiopia. Label: BBE Africa. It’s often the case that the people who compile and curate compilations have a fascinating story to tell, and especially about how their love of music came about. That is the case with thirty-six year Lebanese DJ and crate digger Ernesto Chahoud who …

Continue reading

BEATCHILD AND THE SLAKADELIQS-HEAVY ROCKIN’ STEADY. 

Beatchild and The Slakadeliqs-Heavy Rockin’ Steady. Label: BBE. While many of Byram Joseph’s classmates at junior school  Sarnia, a small city in Southwestern Ontario, in Canada were interested in sport, the future Slakah The Beatchild was much more interested in music. He already had a small record collection which his parents had given him, and …

Continue reading

THE BEST VINYL RELEASES OF 2017 PART 2.

The Best New Vinyl Releases Of 2017 Part 2. Eric Clapton-Slowhand-Vinyl. Label: Polydor. When November 1977, Eric Clapton released his much-anticipated fifth album Slowhand, the reviews were mostly positive. Critics were won over by an album where Slowhand’s playing was much more subtle and understated on an album where he sometimes laid bare his soul. …

Continue reading

JON SAVAGE’S 1965: THE YEAR THE SIXTIES IGNITED.

Jon Savage’s 1965: The Year The Sixties Ignited. Label: Ace Records. When The Chipmunks released The Chipmunks Sing With Children on January the ‘1st’ 1965, it didn’t look as this was the start of a landmark year for popular music which would totally transform the popular culture forevermore. However, by the time The Beatles’ released …

Continue reading

DOLORES VARGAS-“LA TERREMOTO” ANANA FUNK HIP 1970-75. 

Dolores Vargas-“La Terremoto” Anana Funk Hip 1970-75. Label: Pharaway Sounds. Ask anyone who saw Dolores Vargas at the peak of the powers in the early seventies and they almost go misty eyed as they describe a flamboyant performer who combined a unique and inimitable mixture of flamenco funk, gypsy funk and rumba pop with a …

Continue reading

HIROSHIMA-EAST AND PROVIDENCE

Hiroshima-East and Providence. Label: BGO Records. By 1989, Hiroshima was preparing to release their much-anticipated sixth album East, which was the followup to 1987s Go, which was the most successful album of the band’s ten year recording career. For Hiroshima, East and Providence which was recently reissued by BGO Records as a two CD set, …

Continue reading

BEST NEW ALBUMS OF 2017-PART 9.

Best New Albums Of 2017-Part 9. Schneider-Kacirek-Radius Walk. Label: Bureau B. In 2017, two of the leading lights of the German music scene Schneider-Kacirek returned with their sophomore album Radius Walk. It features Sonia Jernberg on three soundscapes, which was something of a masterstroke, as she’s a truly talented singer who has honed her own inimitable …

Continue reading

THE REAL SOUND OF MARK GRUSANE.

The Real Sound Of Mark Grusane. Label: BBE.  Eight years ago, on the ’26th’ of January 2010, Mark Grusane made his BBE debut, when he co-compiled The Real Sound Of Chicago with Mike Cole, his partner in Mr. Peabody Records. It was then one of Chicago’s premier record shops, and was the first port of …

Continue reading

THE BEST REISSUES OF 2017-PART 2.

The Best Reissues Of 2017-Part 2. Cromwell-At The Gallop. Label: Got Kinda Lost Records. By 1975, Ireland had a vibrant music scene, and one of its rising stars Cromwell, was about to release its debut album, At The Gallop. It was an album guaranteed to get any party started, and feared an irresistible fusion of …

Continue reading

THE BEST REISSUES OF 2017-PART 3.

The Best Reissues Of 2017-Part 3. Erasmo Carlos-Sonhos E Memórias 1941-1972 Label: Light In The Attic Records. When Sonhos E Memórias 1941-1972 was released in 1972, this was the last instalment in a trio of albums that featured Erasmo Carlos at his creative zenith. His bubblegum beginnings seemed a long time ago, and he was …

Continue reading

THE BEST REISSUES OF 2017-PART 4.

The Best Reissues Of 2017-Part 4. Iggy Pop-The Idiot. Label: UMC. When Iggy Pop released his debut solo The Idiot in March 1977, it was a stylistic departure from the former leader of The Stooges. The Idiot seemed to have been influenced by Kraftwerk, James Brown and David Bowie’s Berlin trilogy. As for the title, …

Continue reading