BRENDA HOLLOWAY - SPELLBOUND: RARE AND UNRELEASED MOTOWN GEMS
SoulMusic Records is releasing a sumptuous 33-track 2-CD set
of classic recordings by the legendary Brenda Holloway drawn from Motown's
vaults and recorded between 1963 and 19066. Spellbound has been compiled and
produced by longtime Motown expert Paul Nixon, responsible for the successful
"Cellarful Of Motown" series, who has carefully selected the tracks
on this superb compilation by one of Motown's most soulful singers. Included
here are nine previously unreleased tracks along with rare cuts that have only
been available digitally. California-born Brenda Holloway became the
first West Coast-based artist signed to Motown in 1963; within one year, she
achieved US national success with the now-timeless classic, 'Every Little Bit
Hurts'; Brenda's five further charted singles included 'When I'm Gone', 'Just
Look What You've Done' and 'You've Made Me So Very Happy'. . Although Motown
only issued one LP, Brenda recorded prolifically for the label, with literally
dozens of tracks remaining in the vast Motown vaults until producer Nixon began
including tracks on various reissues. Spellbound features two tracks cut in
1963, 23 in 1964 and eight in 1966. Notes by renowned UK Motown historian and
writer Sharon Davis include 2017 quotes from Brenda along with an essay by
producer Nixon.
SAM FLETCHER - SINGS
Though Sam Fletcher (1933-1984) began singing as a child in
the churches of his native Memphis, Tennessee, it was only in 1959 that he made
his recording debut with two singles for M-G-M s subsidiary, Metro. His big
baritone voice found favour with critics and audiences and led to several more
singles, first for Cub another M-G-M brand and then RCA Victor, and Warner
Bros. Signing for Vee-Jay Records in 1964, he made his classic LP Sam Fletcher
Sings, I Believe in You. By then, Sam and his family had moved to Los Angeles,
and in 1967 he recorded his second and last album, The Look of Love The Sound
of Soul, for Vault Records. An eclectic collection of standards and pop tunes
arranged and conducted by Harry Betts, it was dramatic verification of Sam s
versatility which included a new version of I Believe in You his signature song
recorded for RCA in 1961. But in late 1967 he was arrested for heroin possession, and
though he eventually cleaned up his act, his career was effectively over. His
biggest fans included some of history s greatest vocalists, among them Nat King
Cole, Aretha Franklin and Nancy Wilson, and he left behind a legacy of music
and performing that recalls a bygone era of class and sophistication.
SOUL UNDERSTATED FEATURING MAVIS "SWAN" POOLE
Soul Understated featuring Mavis "Swan" Poole is
an exciting new neo,soul and funk group that melds elements of R&B,
Jazz, Funk and Hip-Hop into a unique sound. Led by vocalist extraordinaire
Mavis "Swan" Poole (Lauryn Hill, Prince, HBO's Vinyl), whose
distinctive vocal sound recalls Eryakah Badu and Esther Phillips, and drummer
Jeremy "Bean" Clemons (who has performed with Gregory Porter, Burning
Spear, Jennifer Holliday and more), Soul Understated delivers a beautifully
performed organic sound with stellar musicianship. 'Songs In The Key Of
Grease', an E.P. featuring six original compositions, is Soul Understated's
first nationally-distributed release. The material ranges from the infectious
funk of "Wibble Wobble" to the slinky Badu-esque neo-soul of
"The Way I See" to the beautiful balladry of "Fantasy."
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