Bettye Lavette - Soul Hits (1997) Marginal 056 - Rare Soul

Quite a rare album compiled of her early records aimed at the popcorn/northern scene market with a lot of killer tracks!..My fave detroit femme singer by far!..you can read her full bio HERE

                                                                      

                                                                       The Tasters!
 

Ruby Winters - The Best Of (1999) Pegasus - Rare Soul

This was a tough album to locate. The title says best of but thats a bit misleading, more like "the rare side of" as it contains a few unissued tracks from her days at Diamond,that makes this album so unique, in particular her rare northern anthem "last minute miracle" also covered by linda jones & the shirelles not on youtube...Ruby was born in 1942 & passed in 2016. Her records made the singles charts in both the US and UK in the 1960s and 1970s. Ruby was born in Louisville, Kentucky, and when Ruby was five, her mother died. From that moment on, Ruby was raised by her grandmother in Cincinnati, Ohio. She had her first minor hit in 1967, a duet with pop singer Johnny Thunder on the song "Make Love To Me", which had previously been a hit in 1954 for Jo Stafford. Recording on the Diamond label, she had several further minor hits in the US in the late 1960s and early 1970s, including "I Don't Want To Cry", "Guess Who" and her cover of the Dick Glasser standard, "I Will". Just as her US chart career was ending, her version of "I Will" became an unexpected hit in Britain on the independent Creole label, where it rose to no. 4 on the UK Singles Chart in late 1977. She followed up its success in Britain with several more hits, "Come to Me", "I Won't Mention It Again" and "Baby Lay Down". She had several records played on the uk northern scene and collectors still scour around for her rarer 45,s. Only 2 studio recorded albums and a few comps like this..It is a brilliant album that highlights the lady,s under the radar talent!

AMM

                                                       **********REQUEST**********

                                                             Review Courtesy Of Bobmac

                                                                      The Tasters!

OLD US TV SERIES WITH A MUSICAL TWIST!.....Treme..(2010) 4 Seasons

Recently Pmac a member from New Orleans mentioned this tv series that i never heard of..so i eventually found it and watched 2 episodes last night after the nightmare in paris to cool off. It,s a superb series i would recommend to any fan of black music. Some well known actors and the whole thing is drenched in superb music.Tremé, a historic community just north of the French Quarter, is the oldest African-American neighborhood in America. In the 18th and early 19th centuries, free persons of color and eventually those African slaves who obtained, bought or bargained for their freedom were able to acquire and own property in Tremé.  Pmac was kind enough to give me permission to publish the following information in his own words. "Its an amazingly accurate depiction of what happened in New Orleans in the immediate aftermath of Katrina. When it first aired, there were tons of bars that would host viewing “parties.” Not so much parties, but a way of making sure that you had other people nearby in case the PTSD got too intense. In any event, it does accurately depict Jazz Fest, Mardi Gras and has many notable New Orleans musicians in every episode.I have my own Katrina story that it took a decade for me to be able to tell, because it was just too damn raw at the time.Pmac added "Also – my being in Treme is somewhat a joke. My cousin is an audio engineer who mainly works on movie/tv productions. He was a sound engineer on Treme. They used family photos he had during the opening credits for the first several episodes. There’s one of me standing in a lake, holding onto a small boat that has him and his now deceased older brother in it. They released cds of the music only for the first 2 seasons. If you need copies, let me know. The producers also financed the making of a cd by John Boutte (he sings the theme song, Down in The Treme), entitled “All About Everything” which is very good.Also, the character portrayed by Steve Zahn, Davis MacAulary, is a real person, who also appears several times in the series. The “real” Davis was a below average musician, who was a huge pain in the ass to deal with (much like his character is portrayed). But, he released an album right before the hurricane that the creator of the series, David Simon, absolutely loved. So he not only made him a central character in the story, but also hired him to be in charge of hiring the actual musicians who performed on the series. So, he went from goat to hero quickly, especially since the show paid musicians extremely well (Boutte basically retired afterwards; he still performs but only when he wants)"....many thanks to pmac for the above info...LINK TO SERIES X 4 SEASONS BELOW POSTER .YOU CAN STREAM OR DOWNLOAD,MAY NEED A VPN DEPENDING WHERE YOU LIVE......COPY AND PASTE LINK INTO BROWSER...YOU WONT REGRET IT GUYS!!!....Pmacs own heart rendering experience of Katrina is below the link...Again many thanks to the man for sharing a very personal and painful journey...

 https://ww3.d123movies.to/watch-series-2/treme-2010_cwa8kzy06/a9ewnjw-all-seasons-online-free

 

                                                                PMAC,S OWN STORY

                                                               UPHEAVEL BLUES

     Growing up in New Orleans, you learn to take co-existing with large bodies of water for granted. I was born and raised in the infamous Lower 9^th Ward (completely flooded out in Hurricanes Betsy and Katrina); as an adult, owned a house and raised two kids in the appropriately named Lakeview neighborhood. Some of my fondest memories as a kid was going to Delacroix Island (see Bob Dylan’s song, Tangled Up In Blue) with my father for day long fishing trips. The road to Delacroix ended with a Sunbeam Bread metal sign that proclaimed, “Welcome to the End of the World.” To an 8 year old kid, it certainly seemed that way. My father battled some demons when I was a kid. The serenity of being on a boat in the middle of nowhere, with no one else on board other than your young son was probably comforting to him. The silence of those trips (despite his overall gregarious nature, he rarely spoke when we were on a fishing expedition) was disconcerting to me, especially when we were casting lines from our Boston Whaler adjacent to oil tankers.

     As most people have learned, the topography of New Orleans is somewhat bowl shaped. Ironically, the areas closest to the Mississippi River, are some of the highest in the city, and the least likely to flood. The areas adjacent to the numerous canals and Lake Pontchartrain – ah, you better know how to swim or keep life preservers nearby.

     With my first wife, we raised two kids in Lakeview. Despite the rituals that I experienced with my father, neither my son or daughter ever spent any significant time on the natural bodies of water in the city. My daughter was more concerned with equestrian pursuits (she actually won NCAA championships while attending Auburn), while my son was pre-occupied with H2O in its frozen element – even though he was born and raised in South Louisiana, he became one hell of a hockey player and went on to play juniors in up-state NY (my dad was a renowned HS athlete in NO, while I played college football and my first wife was a college gymnast, so I guess there is something about genetics).    

     For 45 years, water and I co-existed. Whether it be the fishing expeditions that my father and I experienced, or being a homeowner adjacent to Lake Pontchartrain with my ex-wife and kids, it was ever present, but not anything you dwelled upon. It was the Big Easy; life was a constant Bacchanlian feast. Mardi Gras, Jazz Fest, the innumerable other local musical festivals and just the daily experience of living here, emphasized the Joie de Vivre of a French/Carribbean heritage. Being called the Northern most Carribbean outpost in the world was taken as a badge of honor, instead of the insult for which most people intended it to be.

     In the summer of 2005, change was afoot. My daughter was about to graduate from Auburn, while my son was just starting his collegiate experience. After having endured a loveless marriage for the better part of a decade, my then wife and I felt that the empty nest syndrome was the best time to finally sever the marriage ties. Our split had longed been planned, and was as amicable as such things can be; I was a somewhat successful lawyer (but I absolutely hated the practice of law, and longed for doing anything else with my life) and that enabled us to devise a plan under which she got the house (I would pay off the balance of the mortgage), and I would continue to pay for my son’s college years while also helping out my daughter until she found a career. We advised the kids and other close family and friends of our parting, drafted and signed the necessary paperwork to begin the divorce proceedings, and while I still hated being a lawyer, the overriding solace it gave me was that it would fund the necessary moves that the divorce prompted.

   

                                                                   THEM STAY AT HOME BLUES

  Such was early Summer 2005. Upheaval was the theme; relationships being severed, graduations, college entry and new housing arrangements. I found an apartment for myself, and secured a lease starting September 1^st, which afforded me the opportunity to stave off paying four housing notes for a few more months and try to accumulate as much cash as possible throughout the summer to help cushion that economic blow. I also wanted to spend my 45^th birthday (August 29^th) with the four of us, realizing that it could be the last for any such get together.

     New Orleans’ summers are hot, and further marked by humidity levels that make everything feel damp. Mornings gave you a brief respite, and I would normally enjoy the first cup of coffee sitting in our backyard, in which we had planted trees and other shrubs that provided sanctuary to birds and other wildlife. Although I normally kept a radio playing during waking hours, my morning ritual typically was silence, since I was usually the first one up, and enjoyed the solitude marked with frequent bird calls and other animal noises. Late August found me in the midst of packing clothes and also bartering with my soon to be ex over the possession of several pieces of accumulated artwork. It was the only source of friction in the separation proceedings; we had purchased several paintings during our marriage not so much as an investment, but simply because we admired the art. Some had actually become somewhat valuable which also added more fuel to what was becoming an acrimonious point in the ending of our marriage.

     The start of my final week in the family house was upon us. My morning ritual was changed due to the presence of a storm system that was projected to enter the eastern Gulf of Mexico. Although hurricane warnings were typical for the summer in the Gulf Coast region, I would try to get a weather report once I got out of bed, to gauge any potential impact on travel conditions (my legal practice frequently kept me at airports). This storm, named Katrina, initially didn’t seem any more ominous than the other handful of hurricanes that would dot a typical NO summer season. But, as the storm system got into the gulf, it quickly grew in size and soon was labeled a category 4 (on a scale of 5) behemoth.

     With a wild card now thrown into life, my wife decided to vacate the house and seek shelter in Lafayette, La with some of her relatives. Although he initially was reluctant about it, ultimately my son decided to accompany her. My daughter was still in Alabama job seeking, so she was out of harm’s way. I opted to stay at the house. Even as a kid, my family had never evacuated during storms. I had learned the trick of hording candles and battery operated radios and had a sufficient supply of both at hand. Plus, despite the ominous nature of a Cat 4 storm, the city government had not issued anything other than standard storm warnings. Even a football game scheduled for Saturday night was still being held.

     That same Saturday, with the storm persistently adhering to a track that would impact NO, my soon to be ex and son headed west to Lafayette. Landfall (if it were to happen here) was projected for late Sunday/early Monday so I boarded up a few windows at the house and also made my way to my business office to make sure nothing was needlessly left in a vulnerable state. One of my neighbors, who had also become a good friend, Pete, was going through similar rituals and he also opted to be the lone ranger of his family and stay at home throughout the storm. That evening, Pete and I watched the football game together and while we engaged in typical inane chitchat, we steadily avoided any discussions about Katrina.

                                                           GOT MY WALKIN’ SHOES BLUES

     The next day, Sunday, was unlike anything I had ever experienced. The storm was now a Category 5. The city issued a mandatory evacuation order, which despite its sound, meant that if you did opt to stay, you could not count on any emergency response in the event it was needed.  Weather forecasts revealed a storm that literally occupied the entire Gulf of Mexico with landfall now projected to be due south of NO by the next day. Any thought of actually leaving the city at that time was dashed by bumper to bumper traffic on every major road artery.

     With nothing else to do, I just stayed at the house and kept the tv on – all of the local channels had gone to 24 hour news broadcasts. I actually started to regret my decision of adhering to the shelter at home policy but realized that it was too late to cut and run. I kept in frequent contact with Pete and we would exchange ideas about how to lessen the personal impact of the worst that the storm could bring, such as leveraging against the loss of electricity and the impact on coffee makers by storing a carafe in a large thermos. Booze, a storm’s friend, was already accounted for in one of several ice chests.

     While it was not unusual for storms to go off target at the final hour, Katrina stayed true to its course. I stayed awake all Sunday night and into Monday morning (Happy 45^th!). The storm did veer slightly to the east upon landfall, and it wasn’t as wet as expected. Also, once it did actually make landfall, it quickly devolved into a less ominous Cat 3 variety. Still once it passed over the city, you could feel the house shake at times, punctuated by howls of wind and the cracking of tree branches.

     With day break at hand, and electricity still funneling to the house, I decided to venture outside. The worst of the storm had passed. I checked on the exterior of the abode and happily discovered minimal damage across the 2 story structure; some missing roof shingles, a wooden fence section missing, backyard littered with tree limbs and other shredded plant leaves. Surveying the rest of the neighborhood from my front door, it also looked like this was typical for what the other neighbors would find; not much damage, just a lot of inconvenience.

     In a celebratory mood since it appeared that the worst had failed to materialize, I grabbed the thermos and emptied out a hot cup of coffee. I fell back into a chair, and once again started to watch the local news reports. A few moments later, there was a loud, repetitious knock at the side entry door of my house. Upon opening the door, I was greeted by Pete, who immediately yelled, “Come on, we got to go, now!” I simultaneously looked to the street view from my door step. What had been a dry street less than a half hour before, now had water cascading down it, akin to what you would see by fully opening both faucets in a bathtub. The water was advancing at such a furious rate that it was now past the sidewalk in front of my house, making the street impossible to view. The view absolutely froze me. Pete again exhorted that we had to leave. Not sure how we were going to accomplish this, I followed behind him back to his house. But, what I had forgotten was that Pete was an avid fisherman, and kept a small boat trailered in his backyard. We grabbed the trailer and brought it to the edge of the water, and pushed off the boat. I told Pete to hold on and returned to my house and grabbed shoes, cellphone, a wallet, a small transistor radio and then went and locked all of the doors. When I returned to the boat, Pete advised that we shouldn’t use the motor since we had no idea as to what we might hit – so we grabbed stored paddles and commenced to navigate this new waterway.

     Although we both had been watching the televised news, nothing about the flooding had been reported. I turned on the radio and after a few moments the local announcer claimed that there were unsubstantiated reports of some portions of the city starting to experience flooding. Yeah, unsubstantiated. We decided that we should try to paddle toward a relatively close by elevated interstate offramp since that was the highest point in our vicinity. We otherwise sat in silence as we paddled, both stunned by what we were viewing. Water was now completely topping over parked automobiles, and entering stores and houses. It actually felt like we were paddling upstream given the force of the current that we were encountering. Eerily, the only sounds we were exposed to was the rushing water and the paddles entering it. No birds, no people, no other noises.

     I truly had no idea as to how much time elapsed before we got to the elevated ramp. While we didn’t see any other people while paddling, there were a couple of other abandoned boats at the ramp. The radio announcer was also now proclaiming that the flooding was “substantiated.”

    Once we walked up the ramp and onto the interstate, we peered out across the city – all we could see was water with houses, buildings, trees and street poles emerging from it. There were a few other people also on the roadway. All of us were standing silent by what we were viewing, and just shaking our heads in utter disbelief. I was completely numb. Having just gone through the relief of believing that little to no damage had been occasioned to my neighborhood by the storm, to now maybe 2 hours later viewing complete devastation by flooding, left me completely emotionless.

    After a few moments, we started walking west on the roadway. I kept trying to contact people with my cellphone, but calls were met with a quick busy signal, evidencing that service was out. The further we walked down the elevated interstate, we encountered more people doing the same. No one was talking. All of us were just too stunned. Although I had no concept of how much time elapsed, or the length we had walked, we ultimately got to the boundary between Orleans and the west suburban neighbor, Jefferson Parish. Below us was a levee which separated the two areas. The Jefferson side – relatively dry. The Orleans side- don’t ask.

     Finally, the silence was broken by the ring tone from my cell phone. My son called to check on me and advised that he had been trying for over three hours. He confirmed what we already knew – levee failures after the storm had passed had inundated most of New Orleans.

     Ultimately, I was able to make phone contact with a friend in Jefferson Parish who retrieved Pete and me from the interstate. Shortly thereafter we both made arrangements to go with relatives in nearby areas. My ride got there first and I embraced Pete as I left, never contemplating the thought that we would never see each other again.

 

                                                                                 ARTWORK BLUES

     After a month had elapsed, the city was re-opened to allow people to return and take inventory of their houses. I drove over from my temporary living quarters in Baton Rouge, and passed through several military style check points. The closer I got to my house, the one thing that immediately struck me was the smell – a putrid mix of dried mud and mold. Navigating streets was arduous, because there literally were no longer streets in certain areas. I only knew where to make turns due to landmarks I recalled – a certain tree meant you were close to the end of the block and to turn left; a store front meant you were now on the appropriately named Lakeshore Dr.

     I pulled up to the front of my house. The last view I had had of it was in its minor damaged state immediately after the passing of the storm. Now, the doors I had taken care to lock upon leaving were completely blown open by the force of the water, which had actually subsumed 15’ of the two story structure. Once I summoned the courage to walk inside it, I was struck by the colors on the still standing walls. Purple and orange tinged hues were dotted across the plaster and drywall, and appeared to be throbbing. Only later did I learn that this was the effect of a certain deadly mold which had festered in many of the water logged structures. Every step I took was met with the sound of either glass breaking or crusty mud giving way to the weight of my foot. The artwork that my ex and I had argued over? Now, consumed by mud. While I had hoped that my trip would enable me to gather a few mementoes of my life there, I quickly discovered that nothing was salvageable. Everything that had been acquired into converting a house into a home was gone. Water, mud and mold had indiscriminately left nothing fit to be retrieved.

     I probably spent no more than 5 minutes in the house before my sense of self preservation forced me to leave. The place I had fastidiously locked the doors when leaving by boat approximately one month earlier, was no longer fit for habitation. Upheaval was the theme, indeed.

 

    

    

 

WEEKEND DOCUMENTARYS - Soul Deep. The History Of Soul Music - Episodes 4, 5, 6.

 The last 3 episodes in this great series!

                                                               Courtesy Of Oldsoulrebel

                                                              Links Good for 7 days Only

Idris Muhammad - Turn This Mutha Out - LP (1977) kudu - CD (2015) Soul Brother - Jazz Funk - FLAC

Idris Muhammad was born leo Morris in New orleans in 1939 & Passed in 2014.With 21 albums under his belt its unusual for a Drummer to lead a band with a few exceptions. Idris Muhammad recorded this classic Jazz Funk album 'Turn This Mutha Out' in 1977 for the Kudu label. Some great session musicians accompanied him and the album has that David Matthews signature Disco-Jazz-Funk sound. It was well received in the UK most notably for the opening track 'Could Heaven Ever Be Like This', an undisputed classic. Idris and Wilbur Bascomb on bass create the perfect bedrock for Mike Brecker on Tenor Sax, Hiram Bullock on Guitar and Cliff Carter on Synthesizer to solo above, topped by Frank Floyd's vocals. He is an icon with the Jazz Funk/Fusion crowd and i snapped up everything he,s done, Superb Album! with an awesome Line up of musicians.

AMM

                                                                       The Tasters!

Line Up

Drums – Idris Muhammad
Bass – Wilbur Bascomb
Guitars – Charlie Brown,Hiram Bullock,Hugh McCracken
Harp – Margaret Ross
Keyboards – Cliff Carter
Percussion – Rubens Bassini,Sue Evans
Saxophones – Dave Tofani,Michael Brecker,Ronnie Cuber
Trumpets – Jon Faddis,Randy Brecker
Vocals – Frank Floyd,Ray Simpson,Bill Eaton,Zachary Sanders
Flute – Jeremy Steig
Producer – Dave Matthews

 

                                                                      LP Back

                                                                         CD Back

Bill Cosby - Sings Silver Throat (1967) Warner Bros - LP Only Release - Rare Soul

Strange as it may seem but bill cosby banged out some classic soul albums in the 1960,s..This is a fine example of that when he teamed up with Mirwoods James Carmichael & Fred Smith to over see proceedings. Hidden away on here were 4 northern monsters back in the day now relegated to "oldies" rooms at northern venues in UK. Bill was born in 1937 in philly, i wont bore you to death about his TV career and sex scandals etc, i,m only interested in the musical side of the guy. Bill is a huge jazz fan but recorded with Quincey Jones on a few albums ,on here though he is backed up with The watts !03rd Street Band. This was Cosby's first album that was recorded in the studio, as well as his first album that showcased his singing. Although marketed as a musical comedy album,which it most definately is not ? it consisted mostly of straightforward rhythm and blues performances, including several Jimmy Reed songs, a cover version of Ray Charles' "I Got a Woman" with slightly comedic lyrics, "Mojo Workout", which was a sequel to the Muddy Waters classic "I Got My Mojo Workin'", and "Little Ole Man" which combined a comedic monologue with Stevie Wonder's "Uptight, Everything's Alright". (Note that "Uptight" co-author Henry Cosby is no relation to Bill Cosby.) Also included is an original song credited to Bill Cosby, "Don'cha Know". "Little Ole Man" became a major hit upon release as a single, reaching #4 on the U.S. Hot 100 chart. He recorded 50 odd albums which i was surprised at when researching him. This still LP only release.

AMM

                                                                        The Tasters!

Kent 454 - Various Artists - Come Back Strong - Hotlanta Soul 4 (2017) FLAC

Underrated Atlanta, Georgia and Birmingham, Alabama give us 23 southern soul scorchers, raw and refined. The cities of Atlanta, Georgia and Birmingham, Alabama were never major recording hubs but in the early 70s they were the source of many fine examples of southern soul. The Moonsong and Clintone labels of Birmingham and the GRC, Aware and Hotlanta imprints from Atlanta sported artists of the calibre of John Edwards, Bill Brandon, Lorraine Johnson and Loleatta Holloway. Those acts are all included on this CD, but it is the lesser known performers who complete the labels’ story. Judy Green recorded only two singles with local producer Tee Fletcher. Her Aware sides, the groovy ‘Face To Face’ and the beautiful ballad ‘I Still Love You’, are here. Delia Gartrell’s powerful recording of Al Braggs’ ‘If I Had My Way’ is the rarest of the labels’ releases. Another notable female singer, Dorothy Norwood, combines a gospel message with the soul sound of the day on the previously unreleased Deke Richards penned ‘Big Boat Ride’. Lorraine Johnson sang on many demos for the publishing arms of the labels and her performances of the jazz soul gem ‘A Love Like Yours’ and the previously unheard ‘The Best Of My Years’ show her talents were underused until later in the decade when she had hits with Prelude. Two great Clintone label female artists are also showcased: Rozetta Johnson with an alternate take of Sam Dees’ ‘I've Come Too Far With You (To Turn Back Now)’ and Jean Battle with another great Sam Dees’ number, ‘When A Woman Loves A Man’, as licensed out to the small Red Lite label. There was a Los Angeles side to the GRC set up, Dee Ervin, Joe Hinton, Lee Brackett and Jimmy Lewis from that city are all featured on rare or previously unissued recordings. Detroit and Chicago also provided a few acts, Deep Velvet’s take on ‘Complain To The Clouds’ is much more harmonious than Ripple’s funk take on the song, while producer Floyd Smith goes all Barry White on his interpretation of the Ripple penned ‘I Want ‘Cha To Let Me Come Home’ and the Steppers were an interesting amalgamation of Detroit musicians and singers whose one-off 45 ‘Come And Get It’ made a lot of noise but failed to chart.Soul at its finest! Thanks to S13 for Booklet.

AMM

                                                                        The Tasters!

Kent 355 CDTOP - The Monitors - Say You! - The Motown Anthology 1963-1968 (2011) + Booklet (FLAC) - Rare Soul

I,ve been asked many times who were my fave artists on motown..well marvin is top man for me but THE MONITORS have been a close second, and i was going to post this up the other day.Lost it,searched everywhere still no luck!!..So i bought it again as its the best kent release ever to my ears!..The Monitors were long in the making. In the early 1960s, Richard Street a member of the Distants in the late ‘50s with school friends and future Temptations Otis Williams and Melvin Franklin  joins the new label Thelma Records as both the A&R director and an occasional recording artist, first leading a new version of the Distants and then a group called the Majestics. Street soon moves to Motown taking a job in the Quality Control Department, writing songs, producing and doing studio work. The Majestics, who include Warren Harris and the husband wife duo of John “Maurice” Fagin and his spouse Sandra, soon follow Street to Motown. The four record a few tracks that remain in the vault. The Majestics continue recording without a release until they take on “Say You,” a track intended first for the Four Tops and then the Spinners, in mid-1965. It becomes the A-side of their first V.I.P. single, but it is quickly withdrawn when Motown realizes a West Coast group named the Majestics has been releasing singles. The single is re-issued with a new name on the label, The Monitors. It reaches Number 38 on the R&B chart. The same track is used shortly after by the Temptations, who record their own popular version of “Say You” for their Gettin’ Ready LP.  As the Vietnam War escalates in early 1966 and more servicemen are drafted, Motown dusts off its 1961 hit “Greetings (This You have to feel for those artists that didn’t get the breaks at Motown. Most that didn’t were every bit as good as those that did. Their lack of success was the result of being some way down a pecking order dominated by acts such as the Temptations, Four Tops and Supremes. Even the second wave of higher profile acts had to battle to be heard above the big noise made by the hits of those groups. With hindsight, the Monitors hardly stood a chance. Their lack of real success is no reflection of how excellent Richard Street, Warren Harris and Maurice and Sandra Fagin were as a group. Richard Street’s pleadingly soulful lead was good enough to win him a gig with the Temptations in 1971, where he replaced the group’s original lead singer Paul Williams. The material the Monitors recorded, some of which Street co-wrote, was frequently supplied by some of Motown’s biggest names, including Smokey Robinson and Mickey Stevenson. They were recorded under the same conditions as their bigger counterparts, and the end results were invariably as satisfying. That their discography can boast merely a couple of modest soul chart hits is a mystery that even Sherlock Holmes would be at pains to unravel.Chart hits or not, the Monitors have always been revered by the Motown collectors and soul fans, and a CD devoted to their extremely fine recordings has long been overdue. The album is an extensive overview of the group’s time at the company. Their one album, “Greetings! We’re The Monitors”, is featured in its entirety. The album is joined here by two exceptional non LP flipsides and a staggering 12 previously unissued tracks spanning the group’s entire tenure with Motown. Ten of these have never been issued before in any shape or form. Whatever it was that caused Motown to pass over these tracks for release in the 1960s, it wasn’t a lack of excellence.Say You!” is a superb addition to any soul fans collection and one of kents best issues! Sad to say that these great records got lost amid all the greatness existing else where at that time, only finding their audience long after they had disbanded.mainly via UK collectors....THIS IS A DANCERS DELIGHT!

AMM

                                                         **********REQUEST**********

                                                                        The Tasters!

 

 

 

Mike James Kirkland - Doin' It Right (1973) LP Bryan - (2007) CD P-Vine -Japan - Rare Soul (FLAC)

 Mikes second release on Bryan records his brother Roberts label....How this genius never hit the big time is a bloody mystery ?...SUPERB!

                                                                      The Tasters!

Tracks

Got To Do It Right
I's Too Late   
Oh Me Oh My (I'm A Fool For You Baby)   
You Put It On My Mind   
Doin' It Right   
Love Is All We Need   
Love Insurance   
The Only Change

Dan Penn - Close To Me - More Fame Recordings (2016) Ace + Booklet - Rare Soul

One of the greatest songsmiths of his generation, featured on a second helping of vintage soul and R&B goodies from the vaults of Fame Records. There have been few song salesmen as remarkable as Dan Penn was during his apprenticeship at Fame in the mid-1960s. This was the era when music publishing houses actively solicited their wares, hopeful a hit artist would propel one of their copyrights into the charts. Most material was circulated via bare boned recordings performed by faceless session players. Only occasionally might the hired vocalist stray from a lack luster rundown of the lyric and melody, or the accompanying combo stretch beyond sight reading from the chord sheet. Sometimes the songwriter might feature on the demo, which normally counted for a more lively interpretation. But rarely did they ever invest their heart and soul the way that Dan Penn did at Fame, regularly spilling his blood on recordings that were never intended for public consumption. Dan paid his dues punishing his vocal cords in the early 60s as frontman for Alabama frat rats the Mark V, Nomads and Pallbearers. Thanks to the magnanimity of Fame’s Rick Hall, along with a procession of equally talented and complementary musical collaborators such as Spooner Oldham, Donnie Fritts and Marlin Greene, the studio and the song soon became Penn’s primary focus. It was precisely because he tried to avoid a recording career, and the musical diplomacy that might require, that Dan Penn gave it his all on this material. As with Ace,s well received previous compendium “The Fame Recordings”, the selections on offer here have been carefully sifted from over a hundred items Penn cut at Fame up to the autumn of 1966. The Penn/Oldham partnership in particular is now irrevocably associated with the southern soul genre, but in his own influences and aspirations, Penn was reaching for all the formats of the R&B music he heard and cherished. Thus we also encounter uptown New York erudition, smooth Chicago harmony, warm New Orleans pop styling, melodic Motown rhythm, and fatback Memphis grooves. Southern soul classics ‘Without A Woman’ and ‘She Ain’t Gonna Do Right’ nestle with uptown gems and a handful of previously unknown copyrights such as ‘It Hurts’ and ‘Standing In The Way Of A Good Thing’. He duets with Don Covay on their collaboration ‘I Can’t Stop (The Feeling Won’t Let Me)’, and there’s a fly on wall peek at the creation of a Penn/Oldham classic in ‘Downright Uptight Good Woman’. The magic of Penn’s Fame recordings accompanied by exactly the right musicians for the job, and run to tape through the mics, amps and tubes of the incomparable Fame facility is no longer a music industry secret. It’s something at which we can all marvel. And here’s 24 more vintage diamonds from Dan Penn to enjoy  His mega rare northern dancer " Destroyed" is included on here also, never on youtube, as well as others....The legend lives on !

AMM 

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Rose Royce - Jump Street (1981) Whitfield Records - Soul/Funk (FLAC)

 Rose Royce the Los Angeles based group comprised of Henry Garner (drums); Terral "Terry" Santiel (congas); Lequeint "Duke" Jobe (bass); Michael Moore (saxophone); Gwen Dickey, performing with the group using the stage name Rose Norwalt (lead vocals); Kenny Copeland (trumpet, lead vocals); Kenji Brown (guitar, lead vocals); Freddie Dunn (trumpet); and Michael Nash (keyboards) - were actually formed by Copeland and Garner. Both were preparing for graduation from high school, and contemplating their careers. Joined by Dunn and Moore, the two decided to go the route of the music business under the name Total Concept Unlimited (and later as Magic Wand). They auditioned for Edwin Starr, and he hired them as his backup band. The group's association with Starr enabled them to interact with numerous music industry personalities. One in particular was Motown producer Norman Whitfield. Whitfield gradually became associated with the group by hiring it for recording sessions. The group also worked with Yvonne Fair, the Undisputed Truth, and the Temptations through Whitfield's influence. After a couple of years of seasoning, the group began production on its debut album under Whitfield's supervision. Also during this time, MCA Records was seeking an artist for the soundtrack to the movie Car Wash. Whitfield convinced executives that the band was more than competent for the job. So the material that Whitfield had assembled for the group's debut album became the soundtrack's material. The movie Car Wash and the soundtrack were big hits, and they also propelled the group, now known as Rose Royce, into national recognition. Rose Royce followed with a string of hits that roamed the charts, but never gained the chart status that their previous songs did. They became very popular in England and have remained a marquee attraction there. This was their 7th studio album. A band ive always admired and the tasters show their versatilty.

AMM

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Tracks

01 Jump Street
02 Illusions
03 R.R. Express
04 Famous Last Words
05 Tell Me That I'm Dreaming
06 Please Return Your Love To Me
07 Fight It

Mavis Staples & Levon Helm - Carry Me Home (2022) Anti- Soul/Gospel/Folk/Blues (FLAC)

Iconic soul singer Mavis Staples is an alchemist of American music, and enduring her 70+ year career one of her most beloved musical moments was her riveting performance in Martin Scorsese’s film’ The Last Waltz,’ performing “The Weight” with The Band, a moment that forged a life-long friendship between her and Levon Helm well known drummer now sadly passed. Staples came to Woodstock, NY to perform as part of Helm’s renowned Midnight Ramble series, and the ensuing concert available now for the first time on the rousing new ANTI- Records release Carry Me Home would mark a personal high watermark for both artists. Captured live in the summer of 2011, Carry Me Home showcases two of the past century’s most iconic voices coming together in love and joy, tracing their shared roots and celebrating the enduring power of faith and music. The setlist was righteous that night, mixing vintage gospel and soul with timeless folk and blues, and the performances were loose and playful, fueled by an ecstatic atmosphere that was equal parts family reunion and tent revival. Read between the lines, though, and there’s an even more poignant story at play here. Neither Staples nor Helm knew that this would be their last performance together. The collection marks one of Helm’s final recordings before his death in 2012 and listening back now, a little more than a decade later, tunes like “This May Be The Last Time” and “Farther Along” take on new, bittersweet meaning. The result is an album that’s at once a time capsule and a memorial, a blissful homecoming and a fond farewell, a once-in-a-lifetime concert, and friendship, preserved for the ages. Staples and the night’s soulful crew of backup singers handle the vast majority of the vocal work here, but it’s perhaps album closer “The Weight,” which features Helm chiming in with lead vocals for the first time, that stands as the concert’s most emotional moment. "It never crossed my mind that it might be the last time we’d see each other,” says Staples. “He was so full of life and so happy that week. He was the same old Levon I’d always known, just a beautiful spirit inside and out.” "My dad built The Midnight Rambles to restore his spirit, his voice, and his livelihood,” says Helm’s daughter, Amy, who sang backup vocals with her father and Staples at their performance. “He’d risen back up from all that had laid him down, and to have Mavis come sing and sanctify that stage was the ultimate triumph for him.”...Wonderful album from these 2 seasoned artists.

AMM

                                                                Review Courtesy Of Yves

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Mike James Kirkland - Dont Sell Your Soul - The Complete Story Of Mike And The Censations (2011) 2 x LP Luv N Height (FLAC) Rare Soul

Robert Kirkland and brother of Mike James Kirkland formed Mike and the Censations with brother in law lonnie ?...At the outset of the Seventies.Mississippi soul singer Mike James Kirkland, like so many of the 1960s and 1970s soul singing greats, grew up singing doo wop and gospel, and by the time he was fronting Mike & the Censations in the mid-'60s, he had mixed in elements of funk and jazz as well, coming up with an impressive hybrid that sounded a bit like Sam Cooke singing with a garage soul band, and sides like the striking “Don’t Sell Your Soul” could hold their own on any radio station. In all, Mike & the Censations released seven singles, none of which got the attention they deserved as Kirkland moved from label to label in search of the right deal, even turning down Columbia Records at one point, and the end result of it was that the Censations never got to release an album of any kind. Kirkland drifted into the 1970s and really found his stride with a pair of albums with MCA Records, 1972’s Hang on in There and 1973’s Doin’ It Right, both of which sounded like Superfly-era Curtis Mayfield crossed with What’s Going On-era Marvin Gaye, and tracks like the ecological-themed “What Have We Done,” the reassuring “Hang on in There,”POSTED.. and the lush and beautiful “Love Is All We Need” ended up being highly sought-after collector’s items with the low-rider set. That was it for Kirkland, though, at least as a secular musician. In later years he ended up hosting a socially conscious television talk show in Los Angeles and reconnecting with his gospel roots, singing mostly in churches and only occasionally reaching into his secular catalog. Kirkland, in a fair and just world, should have been a big-time funk and soul star, but it was not to be. It certainly isn’t the music’s fault. At his best, Kirkland could hold his own with Sam Cooke, Marvin Gaye, Curtis Mayfield, or Otis Redding, and he deserves to be spoken of in that company. This valuable two LP set combines  those rare early singles from Mike & the Censations to deliver the collected secular works of a great lost funk and soul singer. It’s wonderful to finally have it all together, even if it took some 40 years. Soul is soul. Some great gems on here that graced the floor of many a northern soul club..Rare as hens teeth!...5 Unissued tracks included!

AMM

 

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