Tag Archives: The Salsoul Orchestra
MAJOR HARRIS-JEALOUSY.
MAJOR HARRIS-JEALOUSY. As someone whose a huge fan of Philly Soul, one thing that continues to frustrate me, is that many Philly Soul albums haven’t yet made it to CD. I can think of numerous Philly Soul classics waiting for their CD debut. Considering CDs are nearly thirty years old, that’s disappointing, to say the …
SALSOUL PRESENTS-PHILLY SOUL FLAVAS.
SALSOUL PRESENTS-PHILLY SOUL FLAVAS. There aren’t many musicians who played their part in making two separate record labels the most critically acclaimed, commercially successful, innovative and influential labels in the history of music. However, back in the late sixties in Philadelphia, a group of supremely talented musicians began working together. This included the Baker, Harris, …
VINCE MONTANA JR-FAREWELL TO A TRUE MUSICAL INNOVATOR.
VINCE MONTANA JR-FAREWELL TO A TRUE MUSICAL INNOVATOR. Vince Montana Jr. who passed away on 13th April 2013, aged eighty-five, was one of the most innovative, influential and pioneering musicians in the history of popular music. However, referring to Vince as a musician is an understatement. He was also a songwriter, conductor, arranger and producer. …
SALSOUL PRESENTS: THE DEFINITIVE 12” MASTERS VOLUME 1.
SALSOUL PRESENTS: THE DEFINITIVE 12” MASTERS VOLUME 1. With so many Salsoul compilations having been released over the past twenty years, any newcomer to Salsoul Records is spoiled for choice. Indeed, anyone looking to discover disco’s premier label, will be confused by the sheer variety of Salsoul compilations on offer. Sadly, Salsoul compilations fall into …
SALSOUL PRESENTS: DISCO DIVAS AND SOULFUL SISTA FLAVAS.
SALSOUL PRESENTS: DISCO DIVAS AND SOULFUL SISTA FLAVAS. when you look back at the history of Salsoul Records, you realize they weren’t short of some stunning female vocalists. Loleatta Holloway, First Choice, Charo, Carol Williams, Jocelyn Brown from Inner Life, The Sweethearts of Sigma, Brenda Gooch and Claudja Barry. Each of these divas feature on …
THE SALSOUL RECORDS STORY.
THE SALSOUL RECORDS STORY. Given Salsoul Records is disco’s premier label and was responsible for some of the most innovative and influential music of the disco era, you’d expect there to be many more compilations available than there are. Granted there have been a number of compilations released over the past few years, but recently, …
FIRST CHOICE-SO LET US ENTERTAIN YOU.
FIRST CHOICE-SO LET US ENTERTAIN YOU. Ever since First Choice signed Stan Watson’s Philly Groove Records, they’d enjoyed commercial success. Guiding their career had been songwriter, guitarist and producer Norman Harris. Stan Watson, owner of First Choice’s label Philly Groove Records, had also played an important part in First Choice’s career. Norman had produced First …
NORMAN HARRIS-THE HARRIS MACHINE.
NORMAN HARRIS-THE HARRIS MACHINE. For Norman Harris, all his hard work building Gold Mind Records had been in vain. Gold Mind Records had been experiencing financial problems and eventually became part of Salsoul Records. Latterly, Gold Mind Records didn’t even have a distributor. Eventually the Cayre brothers decided that the only solution was that Gold …
MONTANA-I LOVE MUSIC.
MONTANA-I LOVE MUSIC. 1978 marked the start of the next chapter in the long and successful career of Vince Montana Jr. Just a few months earlier, one chapter closed and the next began. The chapter that had just finished lasted three years. It began in 1975, when Vince Montana Jr. founded The Salsoul Orchestra. Vince …
EDDIE HOLMAN-A NIGHT TO REMEMBER.
EDDIE HOLMAN-A NIGHT TO REMEMBER. Eddie Holman’s career began when in 1956, he was just ten years old, when he auditioned for the Amateur night at Harlem’s legendary Apollo Theatre. Soon, Eddie was hooked. Music came easy to him, he’d been playing piano and guitar from his early years. Following that night at the Apollo, …
THE SALSOUL ORCHESTRA-MAGIC JOURNEY.
THE SALSOUL ORCHESTRA-MAGIC JOURNEY. By 1977, The Salsoul Orchestra had established their reputation as disco’s premier orchestra. They’d been formed in 1975, and had already released a trio of albums, where disco, Philly Soul, funk, jazz, Latin and classical music were seamlessly fused. Much of the emphasis was on individual members stepping into spotlight and …
THE BEST REISSUES OF 2012-PART 2.
THE BEST REISSUES OF 2012-PART 2. The first six reissues of 2012 I reviewed were released between February and August 2012. My first choice from The Best Reissues of 2012-Part 2 was also released in August, before September proved to be one of the best months of 2012 for rereleases. BILLY PAUL-360 DEGREES OF BILLY …
THE BEST REISSUES OF 2012-PART 3.
THE BEST REISSUES OF 2012-PART 3. Throughout my review of The Best Reissues of 2012, I’ve reviewed albums that have either been commercial successful or for some reason, failed commercially. Sometimes, there’s nothing wrong with the music. Often, it’s too innovative, released at the wrong time or not promoted enough. Behind each of the my …
GOODY GOODY-GOODY GOODY.
GOODY GOODY-GOODY GOODY. Often, looking back through musical history, one decision can change forever change a group or label’s future. Whether it was Gamble and Huff’s decision to allow their legendary house-band M.F.S.B. to leave Philadelphia International Records following a dispute with money, or Harold Melvin’s decision not give give Teddy Pendergrass equal billing in …
THE SALSOUL ORCHESTRA-STREET SENSE.
THE SALSOUL ORCHESTRA-STREET SENSE. Recently, I’ve been documenting the Salsoul Records rise to becoming disco’s premier label and the changes the label went through after 1978. Indeed, 1978 was a landmark year for Salsoul.Vince Montana Jr, the man who created, conducted, arranged and produced many of The Salsoul Orchestra albums between their 1975 debut The …
BAKER, HARRIS, YOUNG-B-H-Y.
BAKER, HARRIS, YOUNG-B-H-Y. By 1979 Ron Baker, Norman Harris and Earl Young were still the hardest working and most in-demand rhythm section in music. They were currently part of The Salsoul Orchestra and accompanying artists like the undisputed Queen of Disco Loleatta Holloway, First Choice and Double Exposure. They’d done everything, from writing, arranging and …
THE SALSOUL ORCHESTRA-UP THE YELLOW BRICK ROAD.
THE SALSOUL ORCHESTRA-UP THE YELLOW BRICK ROAD. For Salsoul Records and The Salsoul Orchestra, Up The Yellow Brick Road would prove to be the end of an era. Up The Yellow Brick Road proved to be last Salsoul Orchestra arranged, produced and featuring the sound of vibes virtuoso Vince Montana Jr. It also proved to …
FIRST CHOICE-DELUSIONS.
FIRST CHOICE-DELUSIONS. Three men played a huge part in the success of two of the most important and successful record companies of the seventies, but despite doing so, don’t get the credit they so richly deserve. These three men are bassist Ron Baker, guitarist Norman Harris and drummer Earl Young. Together, were known as the …
THE SALSOUL ORCHESTRA-THE SALSOUL ORCHESTRA.
THE SALSOUL ORCHESTRA-THE SALSOUL ORCHESTRA. Sometimes, fate plays an important part in the success of an artist, album or in the case of Saloul Records, a record label. This was the case when Ken Cayre met vibes virtuoso Vince Montana Jr. Ken Cayre wanted to import the Philly Sound to his nascent record label, Salsoul, …
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