Review: Cool Million has long been synonymous with the boogie funk style, which is sadly a genre lost by the late 1980s. Collaborating with singers spanning eras from the 80s to today, they bridge generations of soul, funk, and boogie. Here they work with English soul sensation Kenny Thomas, known for his UK Top 40 hits, who is a cornerstone of the original UK soul scene, boasting eight Top 40 singles and two Top Ten albums. His track 'Without Your Love' exemplifies this genre, a driving uptempo anthem with a funky uplift. The accompanying dub version enhances its appeal for DJs worldwide, affirming its place in contemporary record bags.
Kool & The Gang - "Give It Up" (DJ Soopasoul edit) (4:02)
Aretha Franklin - "Rock Steady" (DJ Soopasoul edit) (3:30)
Review: Jalapeno jive maestro Soupasoul had another standout year, in 2024 and only heightened his reputation for crafting exceptional edits that bring new life into funk standards and hidden gems. With a sharp focus on the groove-rich breaks, he is back once again with another instalment that will ignite dance floors everywhere. This time his scorching rework of 'Give It Up' spotlights dynamic horn interplay and soulful jazzy choruses and 'Rock Steady' celebrates Aretha's powerful vocals paired with a killer breakbeat. These finely tuned edits honour the originals while adding fresh energy.
Marvin Gaye & Tami Terrell - "Tears At The End Of A Love Affair" (3:24)
Marvin Gaye & Kim Weston - "Just Too Much To Hope For" (3:04)
Review: Marvin Gaye, Tammi Terrell and Kim Weston. What an outfit. And what music they made. The Motown soul legends penned several great soul hits between them and now two of them arrive on this 45 rpm courtesy of West Grand. First is Gaye and his lover Terell with 'Tears At The End Of A Love Affair', a tambourine-laced, raw and impactful soul anthem. On the flip is the more tender sound of 'Just Too Much To Hope For' with Kim Weston which is packed with buttery harmonies.
Review: Curtis L. Kendrick is a Rochester-based artist who single-handedly crafted and produced his debut solo album, 3rd Degree. It came all the way back in 1982 on a small and limited run of 200 cassettes and so years later it is still a much sought-after classic and has even reached 'holy grail' status amongst those who know. Prime Time has now got this special 7" which is the first single, 'Heartbeat,' off his upcoming new album. On the flip is a reimagined version of Curtis' super soulful track by Brian Ellis, who is the pride of Escondido, CA. Ellis is a talented multi-instrumentalist who adds his unique blend of magic and menace to the original and brings it right up to date.
Review: For five years, Acid Jazz has been showcasing Kevin Fingier's productions with each one carrying his signature Latin flair. It all began with 'Latin Dynamite', which sold out 15 days before its release and was followed by 'Cocktail de Medianoche' and 'Why Don't You Go Home', which were both instant sellouts. The second pressing of 'Latin Dynamite' included a fiery Latin rendition of the r&b classic 'It's Your Voodoo Working'. When Fingier released 'Not Strictly Soul,' it featured the Latin gem 'El Popcorn' which is now available on 7" for the first time. These four Latin Soul anthems are now united in one explosive Boogaloo EP that arrives just in time for summer.
Review: Soul-Direction presents the first legitimate re-release of this bona-fide soul rarity which has been licensed courtesy of Resnik Music Group. The track was recorded by King George and The Fabulous Souls and was originally released in the late 60s and early 70s in Los Angeles, where it became a quick favourite on the soul scene. 'I Need You' and its counterpart 'Baby I've Got It' were both written and produced by lead vocalist "King" George Renfro. Despite little information on Renfro or the group, the song became a sought-after gem after being championed by DJ Ion Tsakalis in the 80s.
Peace, Love Not War (Kenny Dope extended mix) (5:35)
Peace, Love Not War (Kenny Dope instrumental) (5:19)
Review: New York City was the early block city foment of The Fatback Band, who would, on the official account, see their names written into history as some of the pioneers of funk at large. Aside from their disputed four-to-the-floor point-sourcings with 'Oops Upside Your Head', The Fatback Band were equally known for many a hit, including 'I Like Girls' and 'Yum Yum (Gimme Some)', and the formula for such repeated successes has been expertly localised by some as resting in the charismatic wiles of one Johnny King, the founding member whose proud, biped posture and wicked vocals brought to the group a firm and charismatic leading presence to the group. This originally 2004 cut by working Master Kenny "Dope" Gonzalez hears us lean into the funkier ends of the latter's remix-craft, as 'Peace, Love Not War' is given a profound kneading and planing across an excoriating final funk beat.
Review: Two powerful women-led soul acts from the 60s combine for memorable 45 with two tracks penned by Ivy Jo Hunter and a feast of rich vocals and timeless melodies. Gladys Knight & The Pips' 'The Stranger (1969) showcases their epic vocal prowess, blending classic soul with powerful pop hooks that resonate with emotional depth, a masterclass in vocal arrangement and soulful storytelling. On the flip side, The Marvelettes' 'I'll Keep Holding On' proves a captivating mix of classic 60s soul with an upbeat rhythm, a Top 40 hit that displays the band's signature harmonies and unforgettable drive.
Review: Japan meets Jamaica in Tokyo Riddim Band's latest single where illustrious keyboardist Izumi 'Mimi' Kobayashi joins forces with Jamaican singer Ras Tavaris. This track revives Kobayashi's 1981 hit, 'Lazy Love,' originally from her sought-after Coconuts High LP recorded in LA. Featured on Time Capsule's 2024 Japanese reggae compilation Tokyo Riddim 1976-1985, the song now transforms from soulful pop to a deep dub cut. The Tokyo Riddim Band brilliantly blends Japanese and London sounds and infuses the track with big energy, reggae rhythms, funky bass lines, and smooth City Pop guitar, all enhanced by Prince Fatty's studio magic.
Review: First Word Records present an AA side collaboration from [ K S R ] and Konny Kon (Children of Zeus) titled 'Part of the Plan/Faded From The Jump' on 7" vinyl and digital. 'Part of the Plan' channels classic soul, echoing the timeless feel of Stax and Atlantic, with [ K S R ]'s rich vocals and Konny's laidback production. 'Faded from the Jump' explores future r&b and neo-soul, capturing their Manny street soul essence. A true showcase of modern British soul music.
Review: Japanese artist Kimiko Kasai is a revered vocalist who worked in the world of jazz throughout the eighties. Her unique style made her an in-demand collaborator who worked with the likes of Mal Waldron, Gil Evans and Herbie Hancock. She released a total of 23 albums on majors including EMI which is where, in 1987, she dropped this full-length of electro-pop Japanese works. Perigo A Noite features a collection of songs all written by the lady herself and many of them have an adult and exotic style that blends pop, funk and soul with her signature jazz.
Review: Kashmere Stage Band - formed back in Houston, Texas, by a music teacher by the name of Conrad O Johnson - is one of those outfits that have got plenty of cult status. He hooked up with some of Kashmere High School's most elite musicians to form this superb funk collective. They were busy locally with gigs but also went on to tour internationally and record several albums. They were only ever distributed locally though and pressed up in small quantities so are almost impossible to find. P-VINE is correcting that with a special series of mixed edition reissues and Thunder Soul is one of those. It's an album that captures the group's signature sound with funky drums and fresh licks aplenty.
Review: Mississippi Records' obsession with underground Greek music continues with ten ultra-rare recordings of heartbreak and vice from rembetiko legend Giorgos Katsaros. Katsaros, who by some accounts lived to be over 100 years old, carried the old songs of Greece to the Diaspora in the United States, bridging centuries of music in one storied lifetime. Born in 1901 on the Greek island of Amorgos, Katsaros was enchanted with the songs he picked up as a kid in the streets of Piraeus and Athens. Encouraged by his grandfather, an amateur singer, Katsaros developed a style that mirrored his upbringing - centuries-old Asia Minor songs, island rhythms of his homeland, well-known Athenian songs of the time, and anonymous rebetiko songs. This new decalogue brings a well-selected chronology - sieved from a wider, but still minimal, corpus of just 64 recordings made over the course of Katsaros' life - and melts it all down in a single crucible. The sense of hypnotic intrigue is central to Katsaros' music, and is made obvious as soon as one drops the needle on the record: what starts out from simple instrumentation - mere elegiac voice, and steel-string guitar - ends on a reverent, lulling high (the mechanism behind which effect, we have no idea).
Review: The legendary Giorgos Katsaros, a revered figure in Greek rembetiko, is celebrated in this remarkable collection of ten ultra-rare tracks. Known for his steel-string guitar and powerful voice, Katsaros shaped Greek underground music, transporting it across the Atlantic to the Greek Diaspora in the US. His songs reflect the soul of a bygone era, blending rhythms from Asia Minor, Greek islands, and the streets of Piraeus and Athens. Born in 1901 on Amorgos, Katsaros was deeply influenced by his grandfather and the street music he absorbed as a young boy. His sound captures the spirit of the manges, the rebellious figures of early 20th-century Greece who found solace in wine, hashish, and music. This collection, remastered from 64 surviving recordings, revives the rich, melancholic beauty of his guitar and voice, carrying listeners into the smoke-filled taverns where his music thrived. These newly remastered recordings, pressed on red vinyl, breathe fresh life into Katsaros' timeless work, ensuring his legacy endures. With lyrics translated by Tony Klein and newly unearthed research by Greek historians Stavros Kourousis and Konstantinos Kopanitsanos, this release provides a comprehensive look at the myth and music of a Greek icon. The LP comes complete with extensive liner notes, adding depth to this already essential release.
I Thot There Was One Wound In This House, There's Two (2:11)
Way Eye (1:22)
Rectifiya (2:25)
Hvnli (2:42)
Hvnli (reprise) (3:28)
Do Yourself A Favor (2:27)
A Mile A Way (1:56)
I Want My Things! (2:12)
Change The Story (interlude) (2:43)
Every Nigga Is A Star (2:33)
I! Gits! Weary! (1:55)
Negus Poem 1 & 2 (2:26)
Forreal??? (3:53)
FWU (3:01)
Nu World Burdens (3:21)
Keep It Real (3:03)
Review: XL Recordings presents the long-awaited repress of keiyaA's 2020 album Forever, Ya Girl. The singer-songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist was raised in Chicago's South Side; now based in New York, her jazz training, R&B sensibilities, and hip-hop inheritability are all deployed to full effect, crafting an experimental soul sound inundated with powerfully sultry voice and dense lyricism. Aiming to to foreground the standpoint and intellect of the black woman in the late-stage capitalist landscape, Forever, Ya Girl brings a sawn-off, digital neo-soul inflection to themes of struggle and grace, all while deploying many a quirky interjection and voice-modded sample between the beats.
Review: The first release from the all new Epsilon label is Loving Cup, an album from Keys & Friends that features eight of their incredible and previously unreleased soul songs from the mid-70s. These have all been sourced directly from a master tape that was unearthed in the CEO and Founder of Music Of The Sea Inc, Eddie Caldwell's vault. The group was assembled by the famously talented Southside Chicago songwriter William A. Keyes and some included here were tracks first penned for artists like Sly Johnson, Little Johnny Taylor, and Joyce Faison. Now available on vinyl for the first time, these high-quality recordings capture the essence of 70s soul and disco with some upbeat delights next to rueful downbeat beauties.
Review: Studies In A Dying Love is Edmonton-based multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, arranger, producer, and DJ Aladean Kheroufi's debut full-length album. It finds him crafting soulful, idiosyncratic songs with a melancholic yet optimistic vibe that mix pain and pleasure in musical form. Starting at 17, he toured extensively as a session player, performing with acts like The Velveteins and Marlaena Moore, and opening for artists such as Angel Olsen and Orville Peck, all of which helped him hone his skills. Influenced by Curtis Mayfield and Sunny Ozuna, Kheroufi's minimalist soul sound feels timeless throughout this record which comes after a series of sought-after 7" singles.
Review: Recorded in 1968 at the Fillmore Auditorium in San Francisco, California; Live Wire/Blues Power is a timeless live album by the great blues guitarist Albert King. Known as one of the "three Kings of blues" alongside BB King and Freddie King, this courtly rally, mic'ed up to pristine clarity, hears the wisest of these three wise men proclaim the universally apprehensible power of the blues. Alongside standards from Herbie Hancock ('Watermelon Man') and B.B. ('Please Love Me'), 'Blues Power' is the most salient track here, sticking out among the bunch as a song exclusively performed for this unassailable live show and this unassailable live show alone. "Everybody understands the blues... everybody from one day to another has the blues... you take the lil' baby that's laying in the cradle, he can't get that milk bottle fast enough, he go to kickin' and cryin' and going on tearin' up the little baby bed... he got the blues! Can you dig it?!" Nobody escapes the blues, and that is its power. Now, *that* is a message we can get behind.
Review: Craft Recordings Deluxe Edition of In Session, featuring the legendary collaboration between blues titans Albert King and Stevie Ray Vaughan, is an important new edition of this meeting of legends. This long-awaited release arrives for the first time on triple vinyl, capturing the historic 1983 performance at CHCH-TV studios in Ontario, Canada, where the two guitarists showcased their extraordinary talents. Initially hesitant to share the stage with Vaughan, King quickly recognised the young guitarist's immense skill, leading to a profound musical dialogue that reverberates throughout this recording. The set includes the audio debut of iconic tracks such as 'Born Under a Bad Sign', 'Texas Flood' and 'I'm Gonna Move to the Outskirts of Town', offering fans an unparalleled listening experience. As they exchange licks, Vaughan breathes new life into King's classic riffs, demonstrating the evolution of their craft. The remastered performance, pressed on high-quality 180-gram vinyl and housed in a gatefold jacket, celebrates a momentous occasion in blues history. This collection not only highlights the dynamic interplay between two guitar legends but also sets a new standard for live blues recordings.
I Got Some Outside Help (I Don't Really Need) (6:10)
Thrill Is Gone (7:26)
I Need My Baby (7:19)
Sweet Sixteen (3:29)
Closer (3:55)
To Know You Is To Love You (4:57)
When I'm Wrong (5:11)
Have Faith (5:29)
Outro (1:40)
Review: This Record Store Day special for 2024 is an unreleased live recording of the legendary BB King, captured by the French Radio and Television Office on October 7, 1977. It is a full-length concert with an electric vibe that allows a superb glimpse into the great blues singer-guitarist's powerful working band of the era. If you think you know the man's sound, this might well open your ears to some new perspectives. Released by Zev Feldman's Deep Digs label it comes with a set of rare photos by Thierry Trombert, Val Wilmer, and Jan Persson, plus some excellent liner notes by French author Jean Buzeline.
Review: A vibrant blend of political anthems and dancefloor-ready grooves, Gerson King Combo's 1977 album is a powerful and funky testament to the Black Rio movement which linked South America to the street culture of the black America emerging in the 70s. 'Mandamentos Black' sets the tone with its message of racial pride and infectious rhythm, while 'Just For You' and 'Andando Nos Trilhos' showcase a more soulful side to the band. The album's energy is undeniable, with tracks like 'Esse E O Nosso Black Brother' and 'Swing Do Rei' guaranteed to get bodies moving. On the flipside, 'Hereditariedade' and 'Foi Um Sonho So' offer moments of introspection, while 'Uma Chance' and 'God Save The King' deliver powerful messages of hope and unity. 'Blows' closes out the album with a funky flourish, leaving the listener wanting more. This is a must-have for any fan of Brazilian funk and soul, a timeless classic that continues to inspire and uplift.
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