UNEXPLOITED & UNDERRATED: MORE CONTEMPORARY MODERN SOUL GEMS (VARIOUS ARTISTS)
Relatively recent soul tracks, but mostly with a classic feel
– given that many of the tracks on the set were cut by artists who broke big in
the 60s and 70s! The package is a really unique collection – titles from the
past decade or two, recorded by older soul artists in a mode that mixes vintage
styles with more contemporary production – yet all in ways that are light years
from the mainstream R&B you'd hear on the charts! The set's great proof that
a great voice never dies, and it also includes a few younger artists who
definitely draw inspiration from the older crowd too – and many of the cuts are
from the recent Motorcity recordings, showing a real UK love of classic Detroit
styles. Titles include "Soul Searching" by Barbara Randolph, "Don't Wait Around"
by The Elgins, "No Need To Explain" by GC Cameron, "Back In Circulation
(metropolitan soul mix)" by Sweet James Epps, "Crying Shame" by Lynda Laurence,
"Love Still Lives In My Heart" by The Originals, "Prime Time Lover" by Linda
Griner, "Too Great A Price To Pay" by Bettye Lavette, "My World Will Never Be
The Same" by Gina Foster, "Got To Win You Back" by The Contours, "I've Seen The
Light" by JJ Barnes, and "Hurt The One You Love" by David Ruffin. ~ Dusty Groove
CROSSOVER TO SOUL: MORE CROSSOVER SOUL FROM THE 60S & 70S (VARIOUS ARTISTS)
Sublime soul all the way through – really tremendous little
tracks that are just waiting to be discovered – and none of them the kind of
mainstream grooves you might expect from the "crossover" in the title! Instead,
these tracks have a power that really helps shift perception of a genre – almost
a bridge between upbeat 60s Northern Soul and smoother 70s modern – with a
warmth that's undeniable, and a groove that never lets up! The vocals are
sublime, and the production is perfect – totally tight, but never slick at all –
just perfect for the arrangements that really help these tunes soar! The set
features a whopping two dozen tracks in all – and in addition to some real gems
by lesser-knowns, there's also some great overlooked tracks by bigger names too
– titles that include "I'm Not Ready" by Ujima, "The Common Broken Heart" by Lou
Courtney, "Let's Try It Over Again" by Willie Hutch, "Midnight Sunshine" by The
Soul Children, "It's Gonna Be Alright" by Maxine Brown, "One Step Ahead" by
Aretha Franklin, "Fool's Hall Of Fame" by Ike Lovely, "Wait Till I Give The
Signal" by The Shirelles, "Sweeping Your Dirt Under My Rug" by Ann Bailey, "Main
Squeeze" by Syl Johnson, "Satisfactorise Your Mind" by Africano, "Trapped In A
Love" by Barrino Brothers, and "I Gotta Keep My Bluff In" by Freddie Hughes.
~ Dusty Groove
LAY BACK & CHILL: MORE SUPERIOR SENSOUS SOUL (VARIOUS ARTISTS)
Here's some chillout music we can really get behind – mellow
soul tracks with a beautifully gentle groove – all cut back in the days when an
artist could relax a bit without ever losing their cool! The set's heavy on
mellow modern soul numbers – all hand-picked by Expansion Records frontman Ralph
Tee – who's shown us for decades that he's really got a golden ear when it comes
to music like this! There's loads of great gentle steppers on the package, sung
by some of the best voices of the mainstream soul scene at the end of the 70s –
cuts that include "We Need Love" by Chapter 8, "Be My Girl" by Michael
Henderson, "We Found Love" by The Dynamics, "Gonna Make Changes" by Phyllis
Hyman, "No Love Nowhere Without You" by Linda Williams, "Ain't That Love Baby"
by Lou Rawls, "Brother Brother" by Esther Phillips, "What Do You Want Me To Do"
by Lou Courtney, "Stay" by Glenn Jones, "We Never Said Goodbye" by Dionne
Warwick, and "Paintings Of Love" by Keni Burke. ~ Dusty Groove
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