Various Artists - Funky Funky Soul Folks Rare Unreleased Recordings 1968-75 Funky Delicacies (2005) Vinyl Release Only - Rare Soul/Funk (FLAC) 212MB

Another fabulous album of Detroit,s finest on this long deleted album. The tracks were taken from an array of labels and concentrate on the funky side of  Detroit. This is a rare album soaring in price!...A real cracker of an album. Johnnie mae matthews in a rare funky soul mood!....Tracks listed under back cover again for clarity.

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   01 Billy the Baron and his Smokin Challengers - Communication Is Where It's At
   02 Bird Rollins - Party And Don't Worry 'Bout It
   03 King Solomon - Ain't It Funky Y'all
   04 Hermon Hitson - Sweeter
   05 A.C. Reed - Talkin' 'Bout My Friends
   06 Detroit Jr. - Young Blood
   07 Johnnie Mae Matthews - Cut Me Loose
   08 The Pearl Mixed Company (Pearl Woods) - Have You Had Any Lately
   09 Lee Rogers - Double Love Situation
   10 Bird Rollins - Real True to You
   11 Lee Rogers - Disco Boogie
   12 Hermon Hitson - Walkin' in the Park
   13 Joe Hunter Band - Land of Plenty

World Wonders Of Birmingham - The Cost Of Living Is Very High (1980) Savoy - Vinyl Release Only - Rare Uptempo Gospel (MP3) 81MB

I thought it was about time we had a gospel review, and are you in for a treat!..It,s an album that hardly ever sits still with soul and funk intertwined with a powerful gospel delivery. Not much info out there sadly apart that they did record another album that are both now hard to obtain, ive got the other tucked away somewhere ? will review that when found. Great uptempo gospel..it,s enough to make me go to church again (lapsed catholic....no comment!) Not enough tasters to highlight how good this is!

AMM

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Robert Ward - The Original Recordings With The Ohio Untouchables 1961-1967 - Hot Stuff + Mini Booklet (1995) Relic - Rare R&B/Soul (FLAC) 264MB

I,m a bit stuck for time today so just the one post..This Detroit recorded album contains all his Groovesville & Thelma Productions. Robert Jeryl Ward was born in Georgia 1938 & passed in 2008.Growing up in abject poverty he learned the guitar at an early age. He moved to Dayton, Ohio where he formed the Ohio Untouchables who recorded several 45,s for the Detroit Lupine label.The band would go on to stardom (less robert) as the Ohio players. Robert did a lot of session work for the Detroit labels Lupine,Thelma & Groovesville in between gigs and his own work.Robert was also lead guitarist of The Falcons, & during the 1970s he mostly worked as a session guitarist for Motown after which he left the business but returned years later & recorded several very good albums i have and may post up. You can read all about his career over here

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Goldmine Sevens - The U.K. Singles Volume 1 - Soul (MP3)150MB

The Goldmine Sevens re-issue series of rare collectable Northern Soul 7" vinyl singles were issued in the late 1990's and early 2000's here in the U.K.Part of the Goldmine/Soulsupply chain. Courtesy of the UK Soul Brothers (as i have been told off!🤣🤣)

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Bobby Jones & The Mannish Boys - Comin' Back Hard + Mini Booklet (2009) Delta Groove Music Inc - Soul/Blues (FLAC)288 MB

 Following on from bobby,s review yesterday comes this slab of gold from the boys!

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Various Artists - Soul City Los Angeles - West Coast Gems from the Dawn of Soul Music 2 x CD(2014) Fantastic Voyage (FLAC)455MB - Soul

Soul City Los Angeles presents recordings which served to establish the musical direction of LA and neighbouring West Coast areas in the late 1950s and early 1960s when R&B was evolving into the style that became known as soul. Compiled and annotated by soul music authority Clive Richardson, Soul City Los Angeles is the latest in a series that has previously explored the soul scenes in Other major UC cities. This instalment presents a selection from key independent labels of the area, including Sam Cooke s SAR and Richard Vaughn s Arvee, as well as choice items from Aladdin, Liberty, Imperial and Ebb, and collectable releases from more obscure labels. Famous names on CD1 of this 60-track 2CD set include the Olympics, the Valentinos (aka the Womack Brothers) with Lookin For A Love , the Rivingtons and Johnnie Morisette. While CD2 features hitmakers Gene & Eunice, Don & Dewey, early recordings by future stars Johnnie Taylor and Johnny Guitar Watson, and a young Sly Stone as a member of the Viscaynes not to mention a very young Jackie lee under his real name of Earl Nelson with two stormers! Soul fans of the early 1960s could often figure out the geographic origins of new singles as much by the sound as by any knowledge of sometimes obscure artists and labels, with the output of West Coast studios tending to have a harder sound in comparison with some more sophisticated (for the era) productions from the opposite coast or the regions of the Great Lakes. Here we have music from the formative period of the soul era in Los Angeles.All essential stuff for the discerning lover of Soul.

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Various Artists - Groovesville The Singles Collection - Rare Soul (MP3)117MB

Groovesville was owned by Detroit Entrepeneur Don Davis, who apart from owning the label was a writer,producer,& guitarist and played on many great soul records recorded at united sound studios in Detroit. There,s a great interview with him over at this place for further info on his life and career. Thanks to soulfood.

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Various Artists - Joe Hunter Of The Funk Brothers - The Hawk - Rare & Unreleased Transitional Detroit R&B 1960-1963 (2004) Soul-Tay-Shus (Demo) - Rare R&B/Soul (MP3)

An album i sold many moons ago for an offer i couldnt resist but backed up. A great collection of "Ivy" Joe Hunters Productions in this very early stage in the development of Detroit Soul. Joe was the band leader of the Funk Brothers house band at Motown where they churned out 1000,s of tracks day and night from "the snakepit", the studio at united sound where they practically lived. here we have joe and the funks on every track with quite a few rare Del-Phi (Martha Reeves & the Vandellas) Tracks, dont know why they included the demo of "i will let you know" near the end ?. A rare excursion to the mic for Mike hanks as he never recorded many records 4 x 45,s but the track featured is not on, as the title says all unreleased but not strictly true as a few were released on 45 but incredible R&B nevertheless!

AMM

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Bobby Jones - Talkin Bout Jones (1972) Toya - Rare Soul (M4A)

Bobby Willie Jones was born in Louisiana in 1936 and is still alive today as far as i,m aware. He recorded two studio albums under his name and also two albums under the name of Bobby Jonz, and was part of The Mannish Boys with five albums recorded, thats apart from the 10 x 45,s on a multitude of labels he did. My copy i dug out for a request is no good for ripping so a kind member came forward with his M4a copy as no CD release. This is one of the BEST soul albums you,ll ever hear, and very very rare to get hold of. Bobby has Pauline Shivers guesting on some tracks. You can read an interesting interview with the man over here. Not a bad track on here and hard to think this gem is now 51 years old and great to hear his dancers which i havent played for quite a while, another Northern Legend...SUPERB!

AMM

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                                                      Review Courtesy Of Mark....Thank You!

                                                          The Classic Northern Tasters!

 

Various Artists - Groove City & Brute Records Detroit The Complete 45,s - Rare Soul

Groove City was a 1960s Soul label from Detroit, Michigan, owned by Don Juan Mancha.
BRUTE Records was also a 1960s soul label from Detroit, Michigan, owned by Tony Clarke

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Jun Usuba - Jazz Roots (2001) Jazz Bank - Jazz Fusion (FLAC)

Jun Usuba, born 1968 in Tokyo. At the age of 14, he taught himself to play the alto saxophone, and at the age of 16, he switched to the tenor saxophone. In 1996, he started his own group "Jun Usuba Jazz Roots". On February 21, 2001, his first leader album "Jazz Roots" was released from Jazz Bank\Polystar. For this album, Jun showcases all his own original compositions, whereby he actively incorporates a wide range of genres such as funk and Brazil music, etc., into his vibrant interpretation of Jazz. In many ways his music is a modern remake of the sound of the Crusaders, a popular band that dominated the jazz fusion scene in the 70's and 80's. Indeed, he is noted for being a close friend of Wilton Felder and the late Joe Sample. To this day, Jun Usuba continues to perform, evidence of which can be seen at his website. Source: http://junusuba.com/. A shame he didnt pursue his recording career but he,s busy touring the world....Lack of clips on youtube i,m afraid!

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Line Up

Jun Usuba - Tenor Sax, Soprano Sax, Percussion
Satoshi Sano - Trombone, Percussion
Shusei Murai - Keyboards, Piano
Takashi Yofu - Guitar
Shinichi Sato - Bass
Shu Matsuyama - Drums, Percussion
Guest:
Tsuya Honda - Percussion (Tracks 7,8)

Hiromasa Suzuki & Jiro Inagaki - By the Red Stream (LP 1973 Columbia)(CD 2012 Columbia) - Jazz Fusion (FLAC)

A unique and breathtaking collaboration between revered female pianist and composer Horomasa Suzuki and famous jazz rock group Big Soul Media led by Jiro Inagaki. Hiromasa Suzuki, a rare pianist / composer / arranger who wielded her skills in the group of Terumasa Hino and Akira Ishikawa. This work, combined with Big Soul Media, led by Jiro Inagaki, one of the best jazz fusion groups of its time, is a concept that has the theme of “worldwide anti-war and peace”, which is unusual for a Japanese jazz work album.

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Line Up

Piano - Hiromasa Suzuki
Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone – Jiro Inagaki
Alto Saxophone – Shigeo Suzuki
Baritone Saxophone – Tadayuki Harada
Bass – Yasuo Arakawa
Drums – Gen Ishimatsu
Guitar – Tsunehide Matsuki
Organ – Masaru Imada
Trombones – Kazuo Usui, , Shigemichi Domoto , Tadataka Nakazawa
Trumpets – Takehisa Suzuki , Takeshi Nomura , Tetsuo Fushimi 

BBC Proms - Northern Soul at the Proms From The Albert Hall London (2023) 1 Hour 29 Minutes

 I dismissed this when i heard about it and thought "here we go again, get it wrong once more" but i was so, so wrong. The people performers have done a great job with this show. The roof of the Royal Albert Hall nearly comes off in this special Prom dedicated to Northern Soul, curated by Wigan’s Stuart Maconie and Manchester’s Joe Duddell. A celebration of raw, rare American soul music that first obsessed young people across the north and the Midlands in the 1960s and 70s, inspiring an all-night dance culture. Epic new arrangements of northern soul anthems are performed by the BBC Concert Orchestra, conducted by a dancing Edwin Outwater, and featuring the vocals of six incredible singers led by Vula Malinga of Basement Jaxx fame. A night of freedom, passion and euphoria presented by Andi Oliver, with special guests Clarke Peters and PP Arnold....Have,nt we come a long way, i never ever thought the popularity of the scene would hit such proportions!!

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                                                             Review Good For 7 Days

Kent 372 Various Artists - Hall Of Fame Vol 1 Rare And Unissued Gems From The FAME Vaults + Booklet (2012) (FLAC)

The series focuses primarily on unreleased gems from the studio’s vaults, but will also make room for unreissued sides along the way. Most recordings are finished masters, although Kent also included some demos to give the listener a glimpse behind the scenes at Avalon Avenue. Many will be early recordings of acknowledged classics, as is the case here with Clarence Carter’s demos of ‘Tell Daddy’ and ‘Too Weak To Fight’. The quality is never less than first rate and is really quite staggering at times. Even allowing for the vast quantity of great Southern soul that was around at the time, it beggars belief that Rick Hall was unable to find takers for so many great performances, many of them proving to be more than a match for any of FAME’s readily acknowledged classics. Many of FAME’s major players get a look in,numerous of the songs will be familiar to collectors in recordings by others who plied their trade at the studio, but the versions here are mostly previously unheard by anyone other than those who participated in the sessions. The CD abounds with highlights, for e.g. Ralph “Soul” Jackson’s fantastic take on Jimmy Hughes’ ‘You Really Know How To Hurt A Guy’ and for Jimmy’s own riveting version of Etta James’ ‘I Worship The Ground You Walk On’, also June Conquest’s Motown style rendition of Dan Penn and Spooner Oldham’s ‘I Do’ and Prince Phillip Mitchell’s chunky remake of James Barnett’s ‘Keep On Talking’ one of only three tracks on here to have been previously issued in any format. But really I can recommend literally everything on a CD for which the phrase all killer, no filler applies big time!..These 3 CD,S really do have all genres of SOUL COVERED!...READ ALL 3 BOOKLETS ALL THE INFO IN THERE ABOUT THESE SUPERB ALBUMS!...Most of these tracks are not on youtube especially the Northern Dancers!

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Kent 386 - Various Artists - Hall Of Fame Vol 2 More Rare & Unissued Gems from the FAME Vaults + Booklet (2013) (FLAC)

 

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Kent 410 - Various Artists - Hall Of Fame Vol 3 More Rare & Unissued Gems From The FAME Vaults + Booklet (2014) (FLAC)

 

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The Sisters Love - Give Me Your Love (2006) + Booklet - Soul Jazz (FLAC) +++The Sisters Love - With Love (2010) Reel Music (FLAC)

I,m reviewing both of these albums as between them everything these talented gals recorded is here as they never released an album ,but read on they had one shelved. The Sisters Love was founded in 1968 by former members of The Raelettes. The total members were (with a couple who left) Merry Clayton, Jeannie Long, Vermettya Royster, Lillie Fort, Gwen Berry, & Odia Coates....After releasing a single on the L.A. manchild label they signed to A&M...In 1972, the group left A&M and signed with MoWest Records, a Motown subsidiary. They toured with the Jackson Five and had an album scheduled for release," With Love" in 1972, but this was shelved and the group disbanded in 1973. The recordings for the album remained unreleased until 2010 when Reel Music issued the album in its intended running list, along with several bonus tracks featured here today.......‘Ahead of their time’ is a much used phrase to describe some of the most creative groups and The Sisters Love were most definitely that. In 1980 New York DJ Danny Krivit released an extended eight-minute cut-up of a track called "Give Me Your Love" by The Sisters Love. Already an underground disco classic (partly on account of its rarity), this release brought it to a new audience of disco and rare groove fans. In 2006 Soul Jazz Records released this amazing collection of soul/funk/early disco cuts from this cult group who only ever released singles (on Motown and A&M), the scarcity of which has made some of them £100 records! The track "Give Me Your Love" originally came out in 1973 and subsequently become the property of the New York underground disco crowd of DJs David Mancuso, Nicky Siano, Walter Gibbons and Larry Levan et all who made it a regular party anthem. The Sisters Love worked with producers such as Willie Hutch, Leon Ware, Gloria Jones and Richard Evans, toured the world with The Jackson Five, and appear in the Blaxploitation movie "The Mack". They made some classic music previously only available on 45, and some unreleased as most collectors/fans of soul were aware of. So the booklet in "give me your love" again essential reading. So whats on one album may not be on the other & vice versa, all covered! It went without question the Northern Scene took them to their hearts & pounded the floors to their records,the sheer power that emanated from these girls voices is incredible ..fabulous Soul at its best!

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Various Artists - Those Philly Instrumentals (2009) That Philly Sound - Rare Instrumentals (MP3)

Had a request for this obscure album i sold way back but backed up of old studio outakes from The Madera/White/Renzetti production team in Philadelphia before these guys went on to make a name with you know who. Some of these rare insts were played on the scene. Mixture of soul & pop backings.

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Kent CDTOP2 392 - Johnny Copeland - It's Me; Classic Texas Soul 1965-72- 2 x CD (2013) + Booklet (FLAC)

One of the greatest soul/blues singers that ever walked this earth. One of kent,s best ever albums IMHO, all his soul material is covered on this double CD that is creeping up in price as now deleted after 10 years. Again ive been hunting for this for a long time after getting a request & wanting to find it to play. Not all of these tracks are on youtube e.g. his northern classic "i waited to long"...zilch! but his northern classic on wet soul is with Lavelle White as Johnny & Lilly "sufferin city" as well as his solo version both superb!..Please READ the booklet all the info on this giant of black music is in there. This is truly a wonderful album from a legend of Blues & Northern Soul!

AMM

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RARE NORTHERN SOUL VOL 154 (MP3)

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Various Artists - Solid Hit The Complete Singles (2023) - Rare soul (MP3)

For those who dont know Soild Hit & Revilot were Detroit labels well known to Soul fans & collectors alike.

AMM

 

                                                           Courtesy Of soulfood Thank You!

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                                               Various Artists - Revilot The Singles Vols 1 & 2

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Various Artists - Goldmine Connoisseurs - The U.K. Singles (2023) - Rare Soul (MP3)

                                                 All Series Courtesy Of The UK Soul Brothers
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                      Various Artists - GoldSoul - The U.K. Demo Singles (2023) - Rare Soul (MP3)

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                                    Various Artists - Shrine - The Singles Collection Vols 1 & 2

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