Freddie Scott-The Very Best Of Freddy Scott. Label: Playback Records. Format: CD. Freddie Scott was born on April ’24th,’ 1933, in Providence, Rhode Island. Music was part of his life from an early age. He sang around the house, at school, at church and by the time he was twelve, he was touring England with his grandmother’s gospel group, Sally Jones and The Gospel Keyes.  By the time he was sixteen, Scott had his own television show in Augusta, Georgia, The Sound Of Gospel which was shown. It seemed as if Scott was destined to pursue a musical career. However, that wasn’t the case. Scott ..read more

Johnny Adams-Release Me. Label: Playback Records. Format: CD. Johnny Adams’ recording career lasted exactly forty years. His career began in early 1958, when he released his first single ‘I Won’t Cry’ on Ric. It was a hit single in New Orleans and the Southern states. For the twenty-six year old soul man this was the start of a recording career that would span five decades. Right through to Adams’ death, on ‘14th,’ September, 1998, he was still working. He had just completed his ninth album for Rounder Records, ‘Man Of My Word.’ By then, Adams was a much-loved and popular artist whose career b ..read more

Bob Stanley Presents London A To Z 1962 To 1973. Label: Ace Records. Format: CD. Release Date: ‘29th’ September 2023. During a discussion on the ‘20th’ September, 1777, Samuel Johnson said: “Why, Sir, you find no man, at all intellectual, who is willing to leave London. No, Sir, when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford.” Since then, countless artists, poets, writers and musicians have headed to London in search of fame and fortune. They arrived from all over Britain, and the lucky few went on to become household names. Others despite t ..read more

Cult Classic: The Count Bishops-The Count Bishops. During 1977, a genre that has continued to divide opinion was at the peak of its popularity, punk. This anti music was championed by critics and cultural commentators who were willing to overlook that many of the musical charlatans within punk bands could barely play their instruments and were musically illiterate. Music had changed the critics said, and many thought not for the better. Despite this, DJs championed the latest punk singles on their late-night radio shows and waxed lyrical about the new genre. This was, they said the future of m ..read more

Millie Jackson-Millie Jackson. Growing up, life wasn’t easy for Millie Jackson. She was born in the city of Thomson, in Georgia, on July the ’15th’ 1944. Her father was a sharecropper and worked long hours for little reward. Life was tough for the Jackson family, and got tougher when Millie Jackson’s mother became ill and passed away while her daughter was still a child. The family was devastated and Millie Jackson and her father decided to move to Newark, New Jersey, where they lived with an aunt. This was a new chapter for the Jackson family. By the time Millie Jackson was in her mid teens ..read more

William Bell-The Man In The Street. Label: Kent Soul. Format: CD. Southern Soul man William Bell was born William Yarbrough on July the ’16th’ 1939, in Memphis, Tennessee. Growing up, he sang in church and was inspired by the gospel group The Soul Stirrers, who at the time, were led by Sam Cooke. By the age of ten, the future William Bell had written his first song Alone On A Rainy Nite. Even then, it was almost inevitable that he would embark on a musical career. At Booker T. Washington High School, Memphis William Yarbrough decided to form a vocal group with some friends. That was when ..read more

Loma Northern Soul-Classics and Revelations 1964-1968. Label: Kent Soul. Format: CD. Release Date: ‘27th’ January 2023. The Loma Records’ story began in March 1964. That was when Mike Maitland, the Warner Bros president, announced that the label was launching a new imprint. It was to be managed by former PR man and record producer Bob Krasnow. Mike Maitland said that it was hoped that Loma Records would help expand the “singles coverage.” Up until then, Warner Bros and Reprise were releasing singles. The new label would release soul and R&B singles. Warner Bros had watched on as labels lik ..read more

Where Soul Begins…Kent Modern-For Dancers Forty. Label: Kent Soul. Format: CD. Release Date: 25th November 2022. In 1982, a new label, Kent Records, released its first ever compilation, For Dancers Only to widespread critical acclaim. It was released to critical acclaim and was hailed a commercial success. This landmark compilation was also the start of a musical journey that’s lasted forty years. Since then, the Kent family of labels has grown and released over 400 compilations. They’re regarded by critics, collectors and connoisseurs of soul as some of the finest reissue labels. That’s no su ..read more

A Snapshot In Time. Ace Records. Format: CD. Ever since the birth of rock ’n’ roll,  youth cults have come and gone. Some have proven to be nothing more than passing fads that nowadays, and nowadays, are mere footnotes in cultural history. Some youth cults have endured and played an important part in British culture. However, none of the youth cults of the past sixty years have enjoyed the same longevity as the modernists. The modernists came to prominence in the late fifties, and their name came about because of their love of modern jazz. However, by the early sixties, things were s ..read more

  Look But Don’t Touch! Girl Group Sounds USA 1962-1966. Label: Ace Records. Format: LP. Ever since the eighties, Ace Records has been the go-to label for girl group compilations. Since then, they’ve released ten volumes of their critically acclaimed Where The Girls Are as well as the Girls About Town and Stop, Look and Listen compilation series. Add to this various standalone collections on CD and the most recent addition to the Ace Records’ girl group family, the Girl Group Sounds USA series. Recenly, Look But Don’t Touch! Girl Group Sounds USA 1962-1966 was released. This much-ant ..read more