Juno Recommends Soul: March 2022

Review: Along with other reissues for The Ultimates, The Topics and Ricardo Marrero, P-VINE has been steadily reissuing the hard-to-find funk and soul gems on the short-lived 70s label TSG, and this latest reissue for Spice's 1976 record Let There Be Spice is of no exception and is packed with seasoned heat. It's a record that complements and blurs the lines of soul, funk and disco, and was once so rare that not even the band knew of its existence. Only in recent times have we been able to put together a picture of a group growing up in The Bronx with the burning desire to perform and light up the stage.

Review: American singer Thelma Houston started her career in the mid 60s and waited until1977 for her biggest hit. That was of course the timeless 'Don't Leave Me This Way', which won the Grammy for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance in that year and catapulted Thelma to global stardom. As recently as 2020, Thelma has been working with artists like British singer Morrissey' on his single Bobby, Don't You Think They Know?' but her older material will always be the best. This 7" from Expansions serves up two such soul fuelled gems.

Review: A decade on from her first LP 'Banshee', New York slow crooner, animator, filmmaker, visual artist and all-round apparent polymath Kendra Morris returns to album-releasing for her next project 'Nine Lives'. The LP is a decalogue of original songs that aims to capture moments from what could be nine lifetimes. Morris' cinematic music influences are put on full display here, from the minimal vox-and-piano ballad 'Penny Pincher' to the sultrier sex-funk of 'This Life'.

Review: Nina Simone has never enjoyed the credit she deserves because of quite how confrontational and anti-establishment she often was. Never was that more true than with her performances at Montreux Jazz Festival over the years. Many of them are collected here on this new new double album and many of them are rare and never-before-released recordings. She first played the historic event in 1968 and turned out an emotional show while her famous 1976 showing was much more fiery and unpredictable. Tracks like her fearless 'Four Women' and hauntingly beautiful performance of 'Ne Me Quitte Pas' are all included.

Review: Most people only know Washington, DC band The Winstons for the thing: the righteous drum break from their single 'Amen, Brother', which over the past four decades has become the backbone of countless hip-hop, breakbeat hardcore amd drum & bass tunes. That killer cut is not only featured on this much-needed first vinyl reissue of the band's long out of print 1969 debut album, Color Him Father - a genuinely brilliant collection of emotive soul songs - but, on this limited-edition version, also included in specially extended form on a bonus, dubplate-style single-sided 12-inch. This fully remastered version of the set also includes four extra tracks, all previously issued as singles, making it the definitive version of a vitally important album.

Review: Sylvia Striplin is NY based Ajazz, soul, and R&B singer who is also well known as a member of Ladies of the Eighties which is led byARoy Ayers. This is her only solo album which was released from Roy's label "Uno Melodic" in 1981 and P-VINE are so proud of releasing this finest rare groove as limited 180g heavyweight double LPs with OBI-strip! all tracks have been newly remastered.

Review: The sole album released in 1974 from this almighty group of nine musicians lead by Chicago native Danny Leake continues to turn up in the hands of the most determined collectors for good reason. Formed in the most unlikely of circumstances as a group of American military workers stationed in Germany, the band made one dazzling leap onto the frontline of soul before promptly disbanding and never looking back.

Review: Essence is or are credited with only one release on Discogs. That release is a 7" from 1983 called I'll Give You The Sunshine which is often described as a a perfect modern soul and boogie tune, It's a cosmic minded rack that comes back from the stars of the future and an original will cost you a few quid, if you can even find one. The original Tac Town Sounds label is now reissuing it with both original tunes taking up one side each. 'Deep In My Eyes' is a real heart melter with buttery vocals and lush strings. It's one of those go-to records that will impress any crowd.

Review: Don Julian & The Larks wrote one of what is considered to be the most seminal soul and funk albums of the 70s. Now, diggers can rest up, because this first ever reissue means it can be added to your shelves without having to remortgage your house. Los Angeles-based doo wopper Julian started out leading The Meadowlarks before the name change to The Larks and then soon had a hit with 1964's 'The Jerk.' After that, they recoded a soundtrack to a blaxploitation film called Shorty the Pimp that was never released, and seven of the songs form that session are included on this album.

Review: Sweet Soul Harmony From the Golden Era is a new album from The Lowriders that amalgamates two previous This Is Lowrider Soul CDs. The Kent Soul label has put together the 14 tunes they think best represent the sounds Los Angelenos, often of Mexican descent, love so much and are famous for having blasting from their low riding motors. This is the sort of music you can hear in East LA or Van Nuys Boulevard in the northwest of the city and is made up of sweet soul sounds that have been carefully dug out and unearthed over the years.

Review: It was only back in 2020 that Holy Hive quietly dropped one of our favourite albums of the year - the stunning debut Float Back To You. Now, one of the many jewels in the Big Crown label returns with another full length of gorgeous falsetto sounds, gentle soul and beachy escapism. Their signature mix of heartbreaking Americana, blue-eyed soul and downbeat pop all colours this superb collection, with airy vocal deliveries believing the meaningful word play. Sounding something like Fleet Foxes on holiday somewhere hot and getting high, this is another classic.

Review: The irrepressible Athens of the North is back with another heart-melting 7", this time from OG Tulsa soul man Billy Bruner. He is known for writing this, a superb ode to his homeland that is steeped in classic 80s soul sounds and is filled with melodies, hooks and rhythms that burrow deep into your brain. On the flipside is a ballad that has never before been released and was found in the archives.'I Want To Hold You' is a slow motion plea with nice rough edges that well deserve to be brought back to life.

Review: Owing to his undeniable skills as a belter, Roland Johnson's honourable title is the 'Elder Statesman of Saint Louis Soul'. Testifying for this comes a new 7" single from the 71-year-old soul legend. The A-side, 'Best Outta You', brings uptempo joy to a duetting ballad of mutual love and limerence, while 'Ain't That Loving You' rides the comedown, being a comparatively relaxed slow jam charting the blissful feeling of settling down with your soulmate. Backing up Johnson comes the instrumental talents of Kevin O'Connor and Paul Niehaus IV.

Review: Soul Junction and Jesse James have been on superb fun of form recently. There were two essential singles last year and now comes the first one of 2022 in the form of 'Father We're Having Trouble Down Here' which is a pertinent gospel tune with a strong social commentary about the help needed by people on the streets all over the world. The tune was written a few years ago but the global pandemic halted the project but were glad it has finally made it out. Both sides are soul drenched, heart aching gems.