Category Archives: Soul

DO IT AGAIN! THE SONGS OF BRIAN WILSON.

Do It Again! The Songs Of Brian Wilson. Label: Ace Records. Format: CD Release Date: ‘28th’ October 2022. Brian Wilson is seen by some as the closest thing music has had to a genius. Proponents of this argument cite the Beach Boys 1966 progressive, psychedelic Magnus Opus Pet Sounds. By then, he was one of …

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NORIKO MIYAMOTO WITH ISAO SUZUKI-PUSH.

Noriko Miyamoto With Isao Suzuki-Push. Label: BBE Music. Format: CD. During a long and illustrious career, double bassist Isao Suzuki was one of the most important and influential Japanese jazz artists of his generation. His career began in 1956, and over a career that spanned seven decades he released over fifty solo albums. That’s not …

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THE MICK COX BAND-THE MICK COX BAND.

The Mick Cox Band-The Mick Cox Band. Label: Another Planet Music. Format: CD. Mick Cox was born in Gillingham, Kent, in 1943. His father was a bandsman in the Royal Marines, and he encouraged his son to play classical piano as a child. However, by the time he was eleven, and attending Grammar Schoo,l he …

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A SNAPSHOT IN TIME.

A Snapshot In Time. Ace Records. Format: CD. Ever since the birth of rock ’n’ roll,  youth cults have come and gone. Some have proven to be nothing more than passing fads that nowadays, and nowadays, are mere footnotes in cultural history. Some youth cults have endured and played an important part in British culture. However, …

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WRAP IT UP-THE ISAAC HAYES AND DAVID PORTER SONGBOOK.

Wrap It Up-The Isaac Hayes and David Porter Songbook. Label: Ace Records. Format: CD. Release Date: 30th September 2022. One of the most important songwriting partnerships in the history of Stax Records was Isaac Hayes and David Porter. They started writing together towards the end of 1964, and success came quickly for the pair when …

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LOOK BUT DON’T TOUCH! GIRL GROUP SOUNDS USA 1962-1966.

  Look But Don’t Touch! Girl Group Sounds USA 1962-1966. Label: Ace Records. Format: LP. Ever since the eighties, Ace Records has been the go-to label for girl group compilations. Since then, they’ve released ten volumes of their critically acclaimed Where The Girls Are as well as the Girls About Town and Stop, Look and …

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GIRLS WITH GUITARS GONNA SHAKE!

Girls With Guitars Gonna Shake! Ace Records. Format: CD. There are very few compilation series that are still going strong after thirty-three years. Often, by then, the compiler has run out of material or musical tastes have changed.  However, some compilation series survive changing musical tastes and prosper. That’s the case with Ace Records’ long-running …

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LEON THOMAS-BLUES AND THE SOULFUL TRUTH.

Leon Thomas-Blues and The Soulful Truth. Label: BGP. Format: LP. Release Date: 26th August 2022. Some labels prove to be the perfect fit for an artist, and this was the case when Leon Thomas signed to Bob Thiele’s Flying Dutchman Productions.  By the late sixties, Leon Thomas had embraced free jazz fully. He turned his back on …

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MASTERPIECES OF MODERN SOUL VOLUME 6.

Masterpieces Of Modern Soul Volume 6. Label: Kent Dance. Format: CD. Release Date: ‘29th’ July 2022. Almost nineteen years ago,  in October 2003,  Kent Soul released the first instalment in the Masterpieces Of Modern Soul series. Since then, another six volumes have been released. The first came in January 2009, when Masterpieces Of Modern Soul …

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ATLANTA SOUL ARTISTRY 1965-1975.

Atlanta Soul Artistry 1965-1975. Label: Kent Soul. Format: LP. Atlanta’s black music scene started to thrive during the fifties and sixties. However, one of the most important figures during the sixties was Bill Haney.  He was a producer, songwriter and owner of Down South Productions who was responsible for some of the finest Southern Soul …

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FUNKADELIC’S GREATEST HITS.

Funkadelic’s Greatest Hits. Label: Westbound. Format: CD. Nowadays, most albums released in 1975 have been reissued at least once. An exception is Funkadelic’s Greatest Hits compilation which was originally released in 1975. That’s about to change when Westbound, an imprint of Ace Records reissues this ten track CD. It’s been newly remastered and is a …

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WHATEVER YOU WANT-BOB CREWE’S 60s SOUL SOUNDS

Whatever You Want-Bob Crewe’s 60s Soul Sounds. Label: Kent Soul. Format: CD. Mention Bob Crewe’s name and most music fans remember the pop-soul songs he wrote, and his recordings with Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons and Mitch Ryder and The Detroit Wheels. Then there’s the New Voice and Dynavoice labels which he founded and …

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BOB STANLEY AND PETE WIGGS PRESENT FELL FROM THE SKY: DOWNTEMPO AND AFTER HOURS 1990-91. 

Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs Present Fell From The Sky: Downtempo and After Hours 1990-91. Label: Ace Records. Format: CD.  Release Date: ‘1st’ July 2022.   House music arrived in Britain in 1987 and instantly transformed the musical landscape. Just like disco a decade earlier, it went on to provided the soundtrack for a generation in clubs …

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MOONSHINE AKA MONICA RYPMA AND FRIENDS-CLASSIFIEDS.

Moonshine aka Monica Rypma and Friends-Classifieds. Label: BBE Music. Format: CD. Release Date: 17th June 2022. When BBE Music recently released the compilation We Are The Children Of The Sun, one of the highlights was Monica Rypma’s Let Love Flow, a hook-laden Balearic groove hidden gem. The track was a tantalising taste of the album …

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WILLIAM BELL-NEVER LIKE THIS BEFORE.

William Bell-Never Like This Before. Label: Kent Soul. Format: CD. Veteran Southern Soul man William Bell was born William Yarbrough on July the ’16th’ 1939, in Memphis, Tennessee. Growing up, he sang in church and was inspired by the gospel group The Soul Stirrers, who at the time, were led by Sam Cooke. By the …

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WE ARE THE CHILDREN OF THE SUN.

We Are The Children Of The Sun. Label: BBE Music. Format: CD. Recently, BBE  released the compilation We Are The Children Of The Sun, which was compiled by DJ and renowned crate digger Paul Hillery, who is one of leading lights of folk-funk scene. This new compilation offers a tantalising taste of a genre that …

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LUKE UNA PRESENTS E SOUL CULTURA.

Luke Una Presents E Soul Cultura. Label: Mr. Bongo. Format: CD. Each week, countless new compilations are released into what’s become an increasingly competitive marketplace. These compilations are released by indies and major labels in the hope that this is the start of a lucrative and long-running series. However, the reality is that most will …

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SOUL DROPS.

Soul Drops. Label: Acid Jazz Records and Miles Away Records. Format: CD. In April 2019, Acid Jazz Records and Miles Away Records decided to reissue some of their favourite 45s. This included many soul sides released from 1969 onwards. Many of them were long out of print and nowadays, are real rarities coveted by crate …

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DUSTY SINGS SOUL.

Dusty Sings Soul. Label: Ace Records. Format: CD. Dusty Springfield’s love of soul and R&B was apparent from the very start of a solo career that spanned three decades. Between 1964 and 1995 she released fifteen studio albums. However, she was at the peak of her powers when signed to Philips Records. Especially on the …

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THE MORE THINGS CHANGE-FILM, TV AND STUDIO WORK 1968-1973 BY JOHN BARRY.

The More Things Change-Film, TV and Studio Work 1968-1973 By John Barry. Label: Ace Records. Format: CD. By 1968, composer and conductor John Barry was enjoying a golden era in a career that began in 1957. He had come a long way in a short space of time and already written the soundtrack to four …

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