Wednesday, May 25, 2016

NEW MUSIC: THE DELFONICS – 40 CLASSIC SOUL SIDES; BROOKE BENTON - RAINY NIGHT IN GEORGIA: THE COMPLETE REPRISE & COTILLION SINGLES A's & B's ; THE TIBBS – TAKIN’ OVER

THE DELFONICS – 40 CLASSIC SOUL SIDES (2-CD SET)

Real Gone Records is release (by far) the biggest anthology ever afforded the trio that pioneered the Philadelphia Sound, The Delfonics, featuring 40 sweetly soulful tracks, most of ‘em recorded under the watchful eye of the great Thom Bell and featuring the potent songwriting team of Bell and lead singer William Hart. In fact, this collection is so comprehensive that it’s missing only six tracks from the group’s four classic Philly Groove studio albums, and has thrown on three non-LP sides to boot! Every key track is here, including “La-La Means I Love You,” “You Got Yours and I’ll Get Mine,” “(Didn’t I) Blow Your Mind This Time,” “Trying to Make a Fool of Me,” “I’m Sorry,” “Break Your Promise,” “Ready or Not Here I Come (Can’t Hide from Love), and more, all beautifully remastered by Vic Anesini at Battery Studios in New York. And for an extra special treat, Joe Marchese’s notes include exclusive quotes from Thom Bell, William Hart, and legendary Philly Soul sideman Bobby Eli. Undeniably definitive Delfonics!

BROOKE BENTON - RAINY NIGHT IN GEORGIA: THE COMPLETE REPRISE & COTILLION SINGLES A's & B's (2-CD SET)

He’s one of the all-time great soul balladeers, with 58 pop and 38 R&B hits to his credit, and his beautiful baritone is one of the most recognizable voices in all of pop and soul music, but Brook Benton has never had any kind of collection devoted to his last great body of work, the Jimmy Bowen-produced sides he recorded for Reprise and the Arif Mardin-produced material he recorded for Cotillion during the late ‘60s and early ‘70s. Now, in true Real Gone fashion, we’ve put together a two-CD package that includes the A and B-side of every single side Benton recorded for the two labels, all but one (see below) in their original mono single mixes and, after an exhaustive vault search, all but three from original tape sources. These 31 sides display a staggering stylistic versatility ranging from R&B takes on pop standards like “My Way” (yes, that song can be funky, and it’s here in a rare stereo single mix!), “I Gotta Be Me,” and “The Glory of Love,” to gospel songs like “If You Think God Is Dead,” topical tunes like “Heaven Help Us All” and “A Black Child Can’t Smile,” and, of course, some Southern-dipped soul like the #1 R&B hit “Rainy Night in Georgia” and the seven single sides he recorded with the Dixie Flyers, including the hits “Shoes” and “Don’t It Make You Want to Go Home.” Remastered by Mike Milchner at SonicVision and annotated by Gene Sculatti, Rainy Night in Georgia—The Complete Reprise & Cotillion Singles A’s & B’s is a major soul find and deserves a place on the shelf right next to Brook’s classic Mercury material.

THE TIBBS – TAKIN’ OVER

From floor-shaking soul tunes like 'Dog Days', 'Get Back Tuesday' and 'Next Time', to the deep soul of 'Wild Way' and funk stormer 'Suffocated', singer Elsa Bekman - supported by a super tight big band - will impress everybody with her unique, raw, gritty vocals that do not fear comparison with big names such as Janis Joplin, Amy Winehouse and Duffy. Based around Amsterdam and founded by a bunch of northern-soul and funk disciples, The Tibbs started in 2012 taking inspiration from the golden age of Soul Music. In 2014 they self-released a demo EP and they also released a 45 vinyl on German funk label Tramp Records. Now, after a few exciting years turning heads and spreading soul tunes all around the country - including appearances at the legendary North Sea Jazz Club and a live performances at national Radio 6 and Radio 2 - The Tibbs are finally ready to make their official debut on Record Kicks.Take notice, The Tibbs are the new name to watch!


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