Juno Recommends Soul Best of 2019

Review: Acid Jazz has pulled off something of a coup here by persuading legendary '70s soul man Leroy Huston to part with a couple of previously unreleased cuts. A-side "Positive Forces" was recorded by Hutson in 1977 and sits somewhere between the sweeping, orchestrated bliss of Philly soul, the soaring dancefloor celebration of disco and the loose-limbed instrumental goodness of jazz-funk. It's an absolute stunner, all told, and sounds like it was tailor-made for spins at sweltering summer festivals. On the B-side you'll find a previously unreleased instrumental version of 1975's "All Because of You". While a vocal-free version has previously been released, this particular mix includes a little more drum action at the beginning to assist with mixing.

Review: Oooh! Angie Stone's "Wish I Didn't Miss You" definitely belongs in the canon of all time modern soul classics. Taken from her 2001 second album Mahogany Soul, the Swizz Beats produced track made optimum usage of an O' Jays sample and was instrumental in that LP going gold and propelling the former D'Angelo collaborator to stardom. It also inspired countless official and under the counter remixes with Blaze's perhaps the most recognisable. So yes this reissue on 7" from Outta Sight is worthy if you don't have the original in your collection and features a housed up remix from Hex Hector on the flip.

Review: You'll struggle to find a more loved-up and life-affirming chunk of proto-disco brilliance than The Sisters Love's 1973 "Give Me Your Love". The record's lasting impact can be seen in the number of times that it's been reworked, re-edited or bootlegged over the years. Here it gets an official 7" reissue via Soul Brother Records. It sounds as good as ever, with the all-female group's now familiar vocals rising above Blaxploitation style guitars, fluttering flutes and powerful horns. It's a celebratory release, and then some. This time round it's accompanied by a lesser-known gem, "Try It, You'll Like It", which first featured on the B-side of a 1973 single. This is a powerful chunk of conscious funk/soul fusion of the sort that was incredibly popular during the period it was recorded.

Review: Many of the finest independent disco 45s that Athens of the North has reissued were licensed by crate digger David Haffner, so it's fitting that AOTN boss Euan Fryer has given him a compilation of his own. "Disco With A Feeling" contains some of those picks, alongside other obscure favourites from Haffner's sizable record collection. It's absolute fire from start to finish, with the little known private press and small-run cuts tending towards the more soulful and jazz-funk influenced end of the disco spectrum. Basically, it's a must-have for anyone who gravitates towards the rare end of the disco spectrum.

Review: Wonderlove is the re-editor at the controls for the latest edition of the Soul Flip reworks series, which this time boasts tidy rearrangements of killer cuts from the Temptations and Jack Hammer. It's the former's 1969 single "I Can't Get Next To You" that gets the rework treatment first, with Wonderlove making merry with the track's jangling piano riffs, hybrid rock/soul groove, insatiable vocals and much-sampled drum breaks (which get extended for added dancefloor pleasure). If you're in the mood for something heavier and fuzzier, the "Short Re-Edit" of Jack Hammer's insatiable, spiraling funk workout "Swim" will have you dancing like you've got ants in your pants.

Review: In 1972, Marvin Gaye set to work recording what was scheduled to become the follow-up to his greatest single studio album, the previous year's "What's Going On". In the end, only one single from that mooted set ever appeared - "You're The Man", a weary assessment of that year's U.S Presidential Election - and Gaye's bitter arguments with Motown continued. This intriguing album tries to set the record straight, gathering together work completed for the shelved album with newly mixed songs based around previously unfinished works. There's much to admire throughout, with the material flitting between the kind of lusciously orchestrated, conscious songs featured on Gaye's previous set and more commercial-sounding Motown pop (much of which was produced by Willie Hutch).

Review: ** REPRESS ALERT ** Good ole' foot stomping and hand clapping - this true Tony Humphries, Southport and soul collectors favourite finally gets a full single release. "Looking For You" is massive crossover hit from 2005 by American Gospel star Kirk Franklin, who marries Patrice Rushen's "Haven't You Heard" with R&B and hip-hop to produce an uplifting, inspiring and infectious feel good classic. Franklin pilots his ensemble through a joyful song that will have you tapping your feet and clapping your hands in no time - and if put the lyrics and sermon aside, this could be superb dance music, too.

Review: Expansions' latest essential reissue takes us back to 1980 and the much sought after seven-inch edition of singer Ty Karim's collaboration with lesser-known soul man George Griffin. "Keep On Doin' Whatcha' Doin'" was written and produced by Karim's other half Kent Harris and, like the original seven inch, appears here in two parts. The glorious A-side version is a lolloping chunk of disco-era sweet soul rich in soaring orchestration, fluttering flutes and Marvin Gaye/Tammi Tyrell style duet vocals from Karim and Griffin. Part two focuses more on the killer groove and the duo's impassioned improvised vocalizations, with a variety of tasty solos helping to whip things into a mid-tempo dancefloor frenzy.

Review: This special Record Stay Day reissue gathers together two of Philadelphia soul legend Teddy Pendergrass' finest dancefloor moments. Both are essential, making this a must-buy for disco DJs who've yet to acquire them. On the A-side you'll find "You Can't Hide From Yourself", a sumptuously orchestrated affair whose killer groove is matched in quality by Pendergrass' impassioned vocal (check the rasping freestyle vocalizations towards the end for proof). Equally as impressive is "The More I Get, The More I Want", an insatiably sexually charged affair that builds in intensity throughout and not only contains one of the funkiest basslines in disco history, but also some seriously addictive female backing vocals.

Review: London singer-songwriter Michael Kiwanuka builds on the success of his first two albums by drafting in Danger Mouse and Inflo to produce the beats that house his hugely expressive voice. That voice is of course front and centre - and whether delivering tender moments of intimacy or more breezy soul, it is always wrought with tension and emotion, slow burning and buttery smooth. The production feels timeless yet contemporary whether offering gauzy, guitar laden textures "Hero" or soaring pop ("Final Days") and makes this an album that touches on all forms of soul with equal originality.

Review: Did you know that Britain was not the only country where street soul was a musical force to be reckoned with during the late '80s and early '90s? As this fine compilation from record collector Augusto Olivani shows, the sound also thrived in Brazil, where inner-city musicians embraced its post-boogie fusion of head-nodding grooves, smooth instrumentation and even smoother vocals. There's much to enjoy throughout "Street Soul Brasil", from the dreamy chords and sparkling melodies of Afrodite Se Quiser's breezy "Fora De Mim", to the Soul II Soul style shuffle of Luna E DJ Cri's "Acabou Como Comecou", via the rushing cheeriness of Junior's "Vim Te Buscar" and the sugary bliss of MC D'Eddy's "Jeito De Menina (Instrumental)".

Review: A quick Google search confirms that copies of the original 1979 Bear Records Inc. pressing of Sunstreet's "Lovin" regularly change hands for eye-watering sums of money. This Rain & Shine reissue is, then, well overdue. While it's not one of the better known rare disco records, it's arguably one of the best. Certainly, the full-length A-side version is a perfect example of independent disco-soul/jazz-funk fusion, with super-sweet vocals riding a spacey backing track rich in walking bass, crunchy Clavinet lines, sun-kissed orchestration and rousing horn lines. The flipside edited version - which was also included on the 1979 12" - is a little punchier with more dominant vocals and an altogether slicker, radio-friendly feel.

Review: Spirit's impossible-to-find 1979 debut album "Put Your Hands Together" has long been a favourite of those dusty-fingered crate diggers who love gospel soul, funk and disco. Here Rain & Shine offer a chance to own the album's standout moment, 12 minute opener "Spirit", for a fraction of the cost of the album. It's an absolute stunner - a busy, energetic gospel-soul/gospel-disco hybrid that simply increases in intensity throughout (with no small thanks to some killer organ solos). Turn to the flip and you'll find the added bonus of Phil Asher and The Mighty Zaf's punchy re-edit, which not only re-arranges the track for maximum dancefloor impact, but also plays around with the EQs to produce a weightier low-end sound.

Review: Here's something to excite those who dig quality 1970s funk, soul and disco: a tidy 7" containing two stone cold classics from the Rod Temperton-helmed, UK-based "international band" Heatwave. Side A boasts one of the standout moments from the group's much-loved 1977 album "Central Heating", seductive, string-laden love song "The Star Of A Story". It's superbly arranged and brilliantly produced, with warm keys, Spanish guitar solos and rich orchestration combining beautifully with the band's slick and smooth vocals. Side B is taken up by 1976 single "Ain't No Half Steppin'", a bolder and more dancefloor-friendly chunk of warm and woozy dancefloor soul.

Review: Athens of the North supremo Euan Fryer was helped in his efforts to reissue this sought-after soul ballad - arguably the most in-demand cut from obscure Dallas-based artist Willie Griffin - by Brooklyn-based crate digger Brian Sears. Together, they somehow managed to locate the master tapes for "I Love You", allowing this pressing to sound even better than the original seven-inch. It's a deliciously breezy and heartfelt affair, with Griffin's impeccable vocal rising above a lo-fi soul backing track rich in gentle guitars and loose drums. Also worth a listen is the slightly heavier and more dancefloor-friendly "Where There's Smoke, There's Fire", which features a glam-rock style beat, bluesy acoustic guitars and some seriously heavy bass.

Review: To mark Record Store Day 2018, London store Love Vinyl pressed up a tasty 12" containing the best of the disco-era work of Ohio-based soul combo Timeless Legend. Tucked away on the B-side was "I Was Born To Love You", a soaring chunk of sweet and punchy disco-soul from 1980. Here that track gets the reissue treatment from Richard Searling and John Anderson's admirable Expansions imprint. As with the original Dawn-Lite seven-inch single, the inspired A-side vocal version (Part 1) is accompanied by a slightly wilder, largely instrumental flipside take (Part 2) that's worth the entrance price on its own.

Review: Sometimes you just can't beat the golden oldies and so it is that Soul Flip turns his attention to a couple of raw soul bangers. Up first is Otis Redding's classic "(Your Love Lifted Me ) Higher & Higher" with a rousing bass section which drives along the original version.The hits hit hard, the vocal is given room to breathe and the swing in the drums is infectious. The flipside houses a soaring tweak of Gerri Granger's "I Go To Pieces", with its clattering keys and rolling soul all quickly finding a way into your affections.

Review: If you're a talented soul vocalist who wants an authentically fuzzy late 1960s sound, you could do worse than join forces with Timmion Records' in-house backing band, Cold Diamond & Mink. They're in fine form here providing admirable backing to rising star Carlton Jumel Smith. "Love Our Love Affair" is undeniably attractive, with Smith's confident and emotion-rich vocal rising above the band's hazy horns, languid trumpet solos, sun-bright guitar licks and lolloping, hip-hop style funk-soul beats. As is customary, the band's tidy instrumental version can be found - and enjoyed - on the flip.

Review: Pure boogie, pure voice... UK singer/songwriter Cheri Maree comes correct on this Boogie Back rebirth over two uncut 80s style Brit funk gems. "Starting Over Again" is the more seductive of the two with its silky groove and hushed vocals while "I Want You Back" goes into boogie overdrive with lavish synth bass (wait for the solo), velvet chords and strong backing vocals. If you enjoy Atmosfear or Hi-Tension, you'll love this!