Category Archives: Soul

THE A-Z OF THE BEST REISSUES OF 2013 PART 4.

THE A-Z OF THE BEST REISSUES OF 2013 PART 4. LOVE COMMITTEE-LAW AND ORDER. Love Committee were one of many Philadelphia soul groups formed in the sixties. Their original lineup featured Larry Richardson, Joe Freeman, Norman Frazier and future-Temptation Ron Tyson. Later, Michael Bell replaced Larry Richardson. Having released their debut single Think About Tomorrow …

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THE A-Z OF THE BEST REISSUES OF 2013 PART 5.

THE A-Z OF THE BEST REISSUES OF 2013 PART 5. OMAR SOULEYMAN-WENU WENU. Prolific. That’s a good way to describe Omar Souleyman. After all, how many artists have released over 550 albums? However, not all that glitters is gold. Many of these albums Omar has released are recordings of him singing at weddings. They’re sold …

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THE A-Z OF THE BEST REISSUES OF 2013 PART 6.

THE A-Z OF THE BEST REISSUES OF 2013 PART 6. THE CURTIS COUNCE QUINTET-EXPLORING THE FUTURE. One of jazz’s best kept secrets is hard bop and West Coast jazz double bassist Curtis Counce. He may not have enjoyed the longevity of many of his contemporaries, but was one of the leading lights of West Coast …

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THE A-Z OF THE BEST COMPILATIONS OF 2013-PART 1.

THE A-Z OF THE BEST COMPILATIONS OF 2013-PART 1.  Considering how many compilations have been released during 2013, picking the fifty best compilations wasn’t easy. After all, I’ve listened to hundreds of compilations. They’ve come from the four corners of the globe, featuring every musical genre known to man. This includes everything from Acid House, …

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THE A-Z OF THE BEST COMPILATIONS OF 2013-PART 2.

THE A-Z OF THE BEST COMPILATIONS OF 2013-PART 2.  CAN YOU JACK? CHICAGO HOUSE AND EXPERIMENTAL HOUSE 1985-1995. Can You Jack?Chicago House and Experimental House 1985-1995 isn’t a new compilation. Not at all. It was originally released way back in 2005. Now eight years later, just as the Chicago House is about to celebrate its …

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THE A-Z OF THE BEST COMPILATIONS OF 2013-PART 3.

THE A-Z OF THE BEST COMPILATIONS OF 2013-PART 3.  HALL OF FAME VOLUME 2. Without doubt, one of the most influential record labels in the history of Southern Soul is Fame Records. It released some of the most important music in the history of not just Southern Soul, but soul music. Then there’e the music …

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THE A-Z OF THE BEST COMPILATIONS OF 2013-PART 4.

THE A-Z OF THE BEST COMPILATIONS OF 2013-PART 4.  LOUISIANA SATURDAY NIGHT REVISITED. Ace Records waited an amazing twenty-three years to release the followup Another Saturday Night, which was released back in 1990. Released to critical acclaim and an appreciative audience, Another Saturday Night was one of the compilations of 1990. Everyone expected a followup …

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THE A-Z OF THE BEST COMPILATIONS OF 2013-PART 5.

THE A-Z OF THE BEST COMPILATIONS OF 2013-PART 5.  PIED PIPER PRESENTS A NEW CONCEPT IN DETROIT SOUL, When the definitive history of soul music is written, several cities will loom large in the story. A triumvirate in particular, have played a hugely important part in the development of soul. This triumvirate are Memphis, Philadelphia …

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THE A-Z OF THE BEST BOX SETS OF 2013-PART 1.

THE A-Z OF THE BEST BOX SETS OF 2013-PART 1.  With 2013 drawing to a close, and a new musical year beckoning, it’s time to look back at the best music released during the year. Over the next few days, I’ll look back at the best compilation, reissues and new releases. Before that, I’ll pick …

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THE A-Z OF THE BEST BOX SETS OF 2013-PART 2.

THE A-Z OF THE BEST BOX SETS OF 2013-PART 2. ELLA FITZGERALD-DEARLY BELOVED. Ella Fitzgerald enjoyed a fifty-nine year career that saw her crowned The Queen of Jazz and The First Lady of Song. With a three-octave vocal range, Lady Ella became one of the most influential and revered singers in the history of jazz …

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THE A-Z OF THE BEST BOX SETS OF 2013-PART 3.

THE A-Z OF THE BEST BOX SETS OF 2013-PART 3. PHILLY REGROOVED: THE TOM MOULTON REMIXES-SPECIAL VINYL EDITION. Just over three years ago, in August 2010, Harmless Records released the first instalment in the Philly ReGrooved compilation series. Featuring twelve remixes of tracks from the Philly Grooved back-catalogue Philly ReGrooved: The Tom Moulton Remixes was …

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SWAMP DOGG-TOTAL DESTRUCTION OF YOUR MIND.

SWAMP DOGG-TOTAL DESTRUCTION OF YOUR MIND. Described as an album of gonzo soul from a true musical maverick, Total Destruction Of Your Mind was the debut album from Swamp Dogg. Released in 1970, Total Destruction Of Your Mind saw Swamp Dogg draw inspiration from everyone from Frank Zappa, Van Morrison and Sly Stone. Everything from …

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PLEASURE-SPECIAL THINGS.

PLEASURE-SPECIAL THINGS. Having spent spent several years honing their style and sound, Pleasure were “discovered” by Wayne Henderson of The Crusaders. Pleasure’s persistence had paid off. Pleasure had worked hard at improving and honing their style. They’d also made sure any band that swung through Portland, were handed a copy of Pleasure’s demo. Grover Washington …

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THE DETROIT EMERALDS-LET’S GET TOGETHER.

THE DETROIT EMERALDS-LET’S GET TOGETHER. By 1978, when The Detroit Emeralds released their final album, Let’s Get Together, much had happened to them. The last few years had been eventful, and marked a change in the The Detroit Emeralds’ fortunes. For their first three albums, The Detroit Emeralds it seemed they could do wrong. Their three …

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SOUL IN HARMONY-VOCAL GROUPS 1965-1977.

SOUL IN HARMONY-VOCAL GROUPS 1965-1977. Whether your preference is for country, crossover, deep, modern, Northern, Philly or Southern Soul, everyone will have their favourite group soul single. It may be an old favourite or hidden gem, however, for you, it epitomises everything that’s good about group soul. For three minutes, that single tugs at your …

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JULIEN DYNE-DECEMBER.

JULIEN DYNE-DECEMBER. One of the most anticipated albums of recent months, has been Julien Dyne’s third album December. It’s just been released on BBE Music, and sees Julien pick up where he left off on his sophomore album Glimpse. On Glimpse we saw a tantalising glimpse of the direction Julien Dyne’s music was heading. This …

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LEON THOMAS-SPIRITS KNOWN AND UNKNOWN.

LEON THOMAS-SPIRITS KNOWN AND UNKNOWN. In 1969, Leon Thomas released his debut album Spirits Known and Unknown for Bob Thiele’s Flying Dutchman Records. This eleven years after he released his “other” debut album. Confused? The story begins in 1958, when Leon Thomas, aged just nineteen years old, signed to RCA Records. Now signed to RCA, …

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DONNY HATHAWAY-NEVER MY LOVE: THE ANTHOLOGY.

DONNY HATHAWAY-NEVER MY LOVE: THE ANTHOLOGY. Described by some as a musical genius, Donny Hathaway never got the opportunity to fulfil his potential. No. Tragedy intervened in Donny Hathaway’s life, when his career was cut shot in January 1979. Donny was just thirty-four. He’d released just a trio of solo albums between 1970 and 1973. …

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PIED PIPER PRESENTS A NEW CONCEPT IN DETROIT SOUL.

PIED PIPER PRESENTS A NEW CONCEPT IN DETROIT SOUL. When the definitive history of soul music is written, several cities will loom large in the story. A triumvirate in particular, have played a hugely important part in the development of soul. This triumvirate are Memphis, Philadelphia and Detroit. Some of the best soul music ever …

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GLADYS KNIGHT AND THE PIPS-I FEEL A SONG.

GLADYS KNIGHT AND THE PIPS-I FEEL A SONG. For too long, Gladys Knight had been in the shadow of Diana Ross at Motown. Between 1967 and 1973, Gladys Knight and The Pips released eight albums. Then in 1973, when her contract with Motown ran out, she signed to a label where she would be wanted …

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