Thursday, November 21, 2013

NEW RELEASES - SCHERRIE & SUSAYE, SAMUEL JONATHAN JOHNSON, BETTYE SWANN

SCHERRIE & SUSAYE - PARTNERS

A surprisingly great album from these two former member of The Supremes – Scherrie Payne & Susaye Greene-Brown – put together with production help from Eugene McDaniels, who really helps give the whole thing a hipper spin than some of the girls' more famous work from before! There's a slight Minnie Riperton touch to the vocals a times – a really great sense of range – and the best tracks have a warm modern soul vibe that really lets the girls move forward strongly, especially at the few points when there's an undercurrent of funk. The material's arranged by Alan Silvestri, Odell Brown, and Leon Pendarvis – and the whole thing's definitely not the usual 70s bag from Motown. Titles include "You've Been Good To Me", "Luvbug", "I Found Another Love", and "Leaving Me Was The Best Thing You've Ever Done. ~ Dusty Groove

SAMUEL JONATHAN JOHNSON - MY MUSIC

 Stellar spiritual soul from Samuel Jonathan Johnson -- an artist who only ever cut this one full album (in 1978 for Columbia Records) during his career, an album we'd rank right up there with the best ‘70s work by jazzy R&B contemporaries like Roy Ayers or Norman Connors!  The record's got a wonderful blend of mellow moments and more groove-heavy tracks -- all handled with wonderful keyboards from Johnson, who gets nice and spacey at times. Our Real Gone/Dusty Groove reissue features liner notes by his daughter (and fine singer in her own right) Yolanda Johnson, with added photos and remastering by Maria Triana at Battery Studios in NYC. Very tasty, long-requested and oft-sampled ‘70s soul sounds! Tracks include: My Music; What the World Needs Now Is Love; Sweet Love; Because I Love You; It Ain’t Easy; You; Just Us; Yesterdays and Tomorrow; Thank You Mother Dear; and Reason for the Reason

BETTYE SWANN - THE COMPLETE ATLANTIC RECORDINGS

Soul singer Bettye Swann first came to international prominence with her now-classic 1967 No. 1 R&B hit, “Make Me Yours.” Following a couple of years of recording for Capitol Records, the Louisiana-born songstress was signed to Atlantic Records where she recorded for close to five years (1972-1976). Now, for the first time ever, “Bettye Swann:  The Complete Atlantic Recordings” – compiled by noted soul music historian David Nathan for Real Gone Music and SoulMusic Records - documents her tenure with Atlantic with a 23-track collection containing everything she recorded for the label, featuring the seven singles released by Atlantic, two of which - “Victim Of A Foolish Heart” and “Today I Started Loving You Again” - became R&B charted hits. The set also features two tracks only released on UK compilations; five previously unissued cuts; and both sides of Bettye’s one-off duet with noted R&B songwriter/recording artist Sam Dees.  Liner notes by renowned UK music journalist Charles Waring include quotes from Bettye, who resurfaced from retirement in 2013 to perform a one-time show in Britain. Tracks: Victim of a Foolish Heart; Cold Day (in Hell); I’d Rather Go Blind; Today I Started Loving You Again; Your Until Tomorrow; I’m Not That Easy to Lose; ‘Til I Get It Right; The Boy Next Door; Kiss My Love Goodbye; Time to Say Goodbye; When the Game Is Played on You; All the Way In or All the Way Out; Doin’t for the One I Love; I Feel the Feeling (unreleased); Either You Love Me or You Leave Me (unreleased); This Old Heart of Mine (unreleased);  Suspicious Minds (unreleased); I Want Sunday Back Again; The Jealous Kind (unreleased); Heading in the Wrong Direction; Be Strong Enough to Hold On
Storybook Children (w/ Sam Dees); and Just As Sure (w/ Sam Dees).


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