Royalle Delite - (I'll Be A) Freak For You 1984

Streetwave Records MKHAN 51

Something of a boogie rare groove on Lonnie Johnson’s tiny Skyview label in 1984, over in the good ol' US of A, before, Morgan Khan, the man behind the UK’s seminal Streetsounds compilation series picked it up for wider release on his Streetwave label. A good thing too – this is a fantastic piece of lo-tech freakery that has had soulboys in a lather ever since.

Doe's anybody have any info on Royalle Delite, group members, etc. I know they followed this up with Spend A Little Time With Me buy I can't seem to find any information on them?

Lonnie Johnson also wrote and produced (I'll Be A) Freak For You but check The Good Groove Mix for a great echo of 80's London Pirate Radio. Remixed by Derek Boland for Froggy Productions, better known as Derek B, on the, LWR 92.5, airwaves and on the microphone as a rap artist. Boland's show's on LWR invariably feautured one of his 'Good Groove' mixes and they were always interesting at the least. He created remixes of a couple of Eric B & Rakim's releases, one of which I've posted. I'll find the, Stevie Wonder-based, Urban Respray of I Know You Got Soul later. Enjoy!

• (I’ll Be A) Freak For You
• Radio Edit
• The Good Groove Mix

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: Royalle Delite.rar Filesize: 46.1 MB

Paris - I Choose You 1987

Bluebird Records BRT 38

For my next post, I'd like to return to the classics!

Truly, they don't come much better than this. I Choose You is the ultimate in mellow, silky soul this one stands the test of time with its head held high. I don't know much about this release, it was big around the Rare Groove scene but I don't think it's particularly rare. It came out on Chicago's Kelli Arts Records and got a UK release on the Bluebird Records label in 1984 and I bought it from the Bluebird Records shop in Paddington, London in 1987. I considered it, at the time, to be a Bluebird re-issue of an old rarity?

Written by Paris L. Holley, whom I assume is the vocalist, and produced by Otis Leavill & Carl Davis. Yes, that's the legendary producer Carl Davis of Windy City fame. Leavill & Davis are included as writers on the original release.

The flip side is a funky thing, very reminiscent of Prince and should not be ignored, nor compared with the A side. I never listened to Punkin' Funkin' after the first play, because it was a world away from I Choose You. I mentally filed it as 'lame' only to discover at a much later date that it ain't a bad Funk tune?

• I Choose You
• Punkin' Funkin'

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: Paris.rar Filesize: 23.4 MB

Lynden David Hall - Do I Qualify? CD2 1998

Cooltempo Records CDCOOLS 331

Another piece from the 'LDH collection', this is CD2 (EMI Records 7243 8 85245 2) from the UK release of Do I Qualify? supplied once again by Alifunk. Top Man!

The prize on this particular release is the exclusive Untouchables Remix of Sexy Cinderella featuring Rha Goddess. We also get the DARC Extended Remix of Do I Qualify? in glorious digital and, as if that wasn't enough, this includes The Jimmy Lee Story which includes girl-on-girl action. OK, sorry, I'm a sad bugger?

• Do I Qualify? (Album Mix)
• Do I Qualify? (DARC Extended Mix)
• Sexy Cinderella (Untouchables Remix)
• The Jimmy Lee Story

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: Lynden David Hall.rar Filesize: 50.56 MB

Blacksmith - Fight For The Right 1998

Records

Blacksmith are a very important part of the UK 90's Soul scene. As a prominent production team they also created quality product as an artist. I shall get around to posting, probably, their most well known release, Get Back To Love in the very near future but in the meantime, Alifunk has provided this excellent promo 12", of a track that I have never heard of until now. José Manuel, I leave a space for some words from you, where did you find this release?

Thank you Mickey for posting this 12". I'm not really sure where I bought this one, I think it was in London, but maybe 2nd hand here in Spain. I was very into US New Jack Swing in the late 80's but my taste changed to UK Soul when the 90's started. I discovered the infectious and elegant beats and smooth voices. For me personally, it was the incredible work of remixers like Ruffland, 2B3, Dodge, Full Crew, C&J, Ignorants, Lynsley and of course Blacksmith.

Thanks José for sharing this great tune, it makes me wonder what the full release may have included. At five and a half minutes, that is one hell of a Radio Edit?

• Radio Edit
• Instrumental

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: Blacksmith.rar Filesize: 26.81 MB

Chantay Savage - I Will Survive 1996

RCA Records 74321 37768 2

In 1996 Chantay Savage released her version of Gloria Gaynor's I Will Survive, which was a #12 in the UK Top 20, #5 hit on the US Billboard R&B chart and was also a radio hit in Japan, reaching #6 on the Tokio Hot 100.

Savage grew up in Chicago raised on the sounds of jazz and Soul legends like Sarah Vaughn, Chaka Khan, and Marvin Gaye. Before she signed a record deal, she worked as a session musician, singer, and songwriter with artists such as CeCe Peniston and Tanya Blount.

Chicago of course, is world reknown as the birthplace of House Music and one of it's pioneers was Steve 'Silk' Hurley. In January 1987 Hurley was one of the earliest artists to have a successful house music hit with Jack Your Body. He then moved into production scoring success as a prominent remixer and record producer. Hurley was nominated for a Grammy Award for Remixer of the Year in 1998 and 1999 but I digress.

Chantay Savage first appeared on Maurice Joshua's I Gotta Hold On U in 1992. I was unaware of her prior to that release but Maurice Joshua was part of the Trax team, along with Steve 'Silk' Hurley and Eric 'E Smoove' Miller. In January of that same year CeCe Peniston's We Got A Love Thang spent 8 weeks in the UK chart reaching #6. Co-written by Chantay Savage and produced by Steve 'Silk' Hurley. Quite an incestuous circle going on then.

In 1993 she released her first single If You Believe from her debut album ...Here We Go, following it with Betcha'll Never Find which scored #2 on the US Billboard R&B chart. In 1995 she teamed up with Aaliyah, En Vogue, BlackGirl, Mary J. Blige, Vanessa Williams, SWV, and others for the single "Freedom" from the movie Panther. The single hit #18 on Billboard.

She returned in 1996 with I Will Survive from her second album I Will Survive (Doin' It My Way). It reached #5 on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart, #6 in Japan and #12 in the UK. The single was also certified Gold by the RIAA for US single sales of over 500,000 units. RCA records didn't release a follow up single

Executive production by Steve 'Silk' Hurley and Chantay Savage with the track being produced, arranged and remixed by Hurley on four of the seven mixes, one of which features a rap by Common.

Puff Daddy gets to work a Bad Boy Mix, while Nate Tinsley & Michael Stewart turn in the Liquid Soul Remix and Marvin Thompson handles the Marvellous Light Remix.

• Original LP Edit
• Silk's Old Skool Extended Remix
• Puff Daddy Bad Boy Mix
• Liquid Soul Remix
• Marvellous Light Remix
• Silk's Classic House Mix
• Original Acappella

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: Chantay Savage.rar Filesize: 57.92 MB

Arthur Miles - Helping Hand 1990

ffrr Records FX 148

Produced by Pippo Landro and coming out of New Music, Milan, Helping Hand was a breath of fresh air at a time of experimental music. This is a good, old fashioned, soul belter. A fat, walking bass line and a vocal that's 'ruffer than the arse end of a pineapple'. Tracks like this don't come along often enough.

The interesting thing about this release was the flip side, Trippin' On Your Love. Holy Moly, it's that track again. I'm unable to tell you which came first because I don't have the release dates. I do know that I heard this version first because John Leech played it on the Essex FM Soul Show and mentioned A Way Of Life at the time.

Born in Indianapolis, Arthur Miles started his musical career in Los Angeles where the influence of his uncle, Wes Montgomery, and the most important jazz, soul and blues musicians of the time appearing at his father’s club 'Arthur’s', inspired him let music become his art.

Edwin Starr, Josè Feliciano, Big Joe Turner and Johnny Otis are but a few of the artists he has worked with. After touring USA, Canada, Japan and Europe he settled in Italy where his special voice quickly becomes one of the most requested in both recording studios and live shows. He worked with Zucchero and he appears on tv often. His hit single Helping Hand is still a favorite on radio playlists and Arthur Miles himself can be considered one of Italy's great pioneers of Gospel music.

• Helping Hand (Incisive Remix)
• Trippin' On Your Love (Club Remix)

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: Arthur Miles.rar Filesize: 20.08 MB

Trivia:

There is some confusion over the writing credits of this tune. It was originally presented to The Staple Singers back in 1974 by Philip Mitchell. Smith & Rice were said to be Carl Smith & Mack Rice. The track was shelved when the Staples left Stax in 1975 but got a release in 1980 after the company had folded.

The Staple Singers 1980 album This Time Around on which the track was issued, was made up of various cancelled singles and un-issued or unfinished masters that were recorded between 1972 and 1974, and issued by Fantasy, who had bought the 'yellow' Stax catalogue in 1976 after the company went bankrupt.

To further confound the mystery both this release and the previous by A Way Of Life, credit Smith & Rice, as does I believe, the Kenny Thomas recording, but in all these instances, the writers were said to be Mike Smith & Linda Rice.

It turns out that the track is in fact written by Philip Mitchell himself and it was an unreleased 70's Muscle Shoals Sound recording and can be found on his own album Just The Beginning. Mitchell, of course, has been responsible for writing some outstanding songs for some equally outstanding artists over the years. He claims he wrote it specifically with Mavis in mind although she apparently hates it?
Tony Rounce & Garry Cape, Soul Source

A Way Of Life - Trippin' On Your Love 1990

Eternal Records YZ464T

OK, moving on with Kenny Thomas in mind, this platter turns up out of nowhere. When the whole country had moved from 808's and Smiley Faces to Breaks and Bleeps, somebody decided that acoustic guitars were cool. I think Italy done it first but I digress.

From a plethora of excellent grooves came this excellent number. It stood out from the crowd for several reasons. First it was a proper song with a melody and lyrics, etc. Secondly, it had a great vocalist on it and I do mean great. This voice, soaked in emotion, absolutely soars.

So there's a buzz around the track but no information. The track, credited to Smith & Rice is Trippin' On Your Love, and it's produced by Chris Brown (No, he was still in nappies) and A Way Of Life and it's an up-tempo version of an obscure Staple Singers number.

Now the bonus track Distant Thunder is written by Brown, Beckett & Best which I suspect is Chris Brown and A Way Of Life but this track has no vocals. Neither does the Subliminal Club Mix (which is basically an instrumental of Trippin') so... who is the voice on this track. Anybody?

• Full Length Version
• Subliminal Club Mix
• Distant Thunder

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: A Way Of Life.rar Filesize: 38.78 MB

Kenny Thomas - Best Of You 1991

Cooltempo Records COOLCD 243

Kenny Thomas, born in Islington, North London, declares himself a Londoner through and through, although he is actually half Spanish. Word of mouth on the UK soul underground brought Kenny to prominence in the first half of the 1990s. He made a huge impact with 2 Top 10 albums, the Top 10 smash Thinking About Your Love, 3 Top 20 singles, Outstanding, Best of You and Trippin On Your Love. Another four Top 40 UK singles include the superb Tender Love and Piece By Piece.

Best Of You was written by Booker T. Jones, the renowned organist and leader of the unparalleled Stax house band Booker T. & the MG's, who became a solo artist after the breakup of the legendary quartet.

Jones was the first to leave the group in 1968, relocating to Los Angeles and producing Bill Withers 1971 gold record Ain't No Sunshine. This was the title track from his Best Of You album released in 1980.

An inspired choice by an unamed person led to Kenny Thomas recording the track with producer-extraodinaire Ian Green and releasing it as his third single in 1991 and in a masterstroke of unparalelled genius, Simon Dunmore got called in to provide a remix.

Simon Dunmore started as a DJ in 1982 and got involved with A&R in 1989. His soul-boy background in West London led inevitably to his working in a record shop (Soul & Disco Centre, Rayners Lane), promoting his gigs and also getting involved in journalism with Blues & Soul, magazine.

His views were very fresh and modern for the day and his suggestion that Ce Ce Rogers - Someday was a soul record that should get played on the Northern Soul scene earned him a death threat! He laughs about it now,

"Whenever I dip into the modern soul scene these days those guys are still playing exactly the same records. I couldnt ever imagine not being interested in new music."

His first A&R job came at Cooltempo, where he signed Juliet Roberts, working with a varied roster that included the likes of Arrested Development, Gangstarr, Adeva and Shara Nelson. During that time he also remixed tracks for the label, some under the pseudonym of Touchdown.

For Simon, house music was a natural progression from jazz, soul and funk and he embraced the new era with open arms. Its an attitude he retains, looking forward, not back, taking Defected Records from strength to stregth though never forgetting his musical roots.

A good song is a good song and with Booker T writing it, you can't really go wrong. Kenny Thomas is a fair vocalist and his work is of a good standard, even if it is very Pop flavoured. The Touchdown Mix fixes that and more, Dunmore has served up a slice of highly refined, top quality soul. For me personally, Kenny Thomas does not get any better than this!

• 7" A
• 12" A
• Touchdown Mix

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: Kenny Thomas.rar Filesize: 22.79 MB



Extra Trivia:

Kenny's first album Voices went double platinum in 1991 and led to Brit Award Nominations as Best British Male Vocalist and Best British Newcomer. His second 1993 set entitled Wait for Me hit the Top 10 and gave us 4 chart singles.

Kenny still performs, by public demand, in venues, theatres, clubs and soul weekenders throughout the UK and Europe.

Kenny Thomas - Thinking About Your Love 1991

Cooltempo Records COOLX 235

A bit of Blue Eyed Soul for the 'Boys From Brazil'. Poor old Kenny Thomas never got taken seriously in the UK. A North London lad with a good pair of tonsils and pretty good taste in music, He hooked up with Cooltempo Records. They had him singing a whole heap of cover songs and shipped him out to the clubs for PA's at every opportunity. He became an adopted 'Son of Essex' in 1990 because he appeared so regularly in the Essex Clubs we thought he was one of ours.

Despite his cracking voice he was always seen as a 'White boy' singing 'Black music'. He was further hampered by the fact that his marketing tried to cash in on his 'pretty boy' looks. As has generally been the case with that scenario, Kenny ended up too Pop for Soul and yet too good for Pop.

"I wrote Thinking About Your Love when I was an in-house writer for Cooltempo Records. The song was about my then girlfriend who was American. I had a great feeling about it when I wrote it and I think Kenny made the song his own."
Mike Ward

OK, when all's said and done, he was quite successful. This, his second release, was written for him and was also his most successful, recording reaching #4 in the summer of 1991.

Fair enough, at the time I, personally, was not overly impressed with Thinking About Your Love. I done my 'soul apprenticeship' in South London and we gave no quarter to anything less than original quality product. Tim Percy & Mike Lever with their One World production still hadn't proved themselves worthy. I still have trouble getting my head around the Dead Or Alive connection. How can anything connected to Pete Burns be considered soulful. They provided all the mixes on this 12" unlike Best Of You, which came equipped with a Simon Dunmore 'Touchdown Mix' to die for.

Having said that, many of you guys out there love this track and hey, it ain't a bad track at all. In fact, its really catchy and has a nice groove to it. OK, I admit it, I'm just a music snob? Enjoy!

• One World Mix
• Lonsdale Mix
• 7" Edit

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: Kenny Thomas.rar Filesize: 27.06 MB

JT and the Big Family - Moments In Soul 1990

Champion Records CHAMP12 237

As I recall, they were an Italian studio production team, Christian Hornbostel & Paul Bisiach, who put together this smooth little number. They were better known as Don Pablos Animals but not to me. That stuff was cheesey Pop house in 88-89, I think?

The beats are from Back To Life by Soul II Soul with the break from Funky President by James Brown. The refrain samples Moments In Love (hence, the title) by Art of Noise and For The Love Of Money by The O'Jays supplying that big bass line leader. Also in there you have the obligatory 1990 "Ah Yeah!" and a bit of dialogue which, it has been claimed, comes from a Milli Vanilli song but hey, they didn't perform anything themselves so its probably from somewhere else anyway?

• Moments In Soul
• Moments In Soul ('AA' Mix)
• Eden 90

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: Moments In Soul 12.rar Filesize: 31.24 MB

Jodeci - Let's Go Through The Motions - (1993)

Uptown/MCA Records, UPTDM-54636

Jodeci were the heirs apparent to the New Jack throne vacated by the disbanding of Guy. A little tougher, perhaps. A little more street, definitely. A little more gospel tinged, too. They'd already enjoyed good success with their 1991 debut album, Forever My Lady, which more or less passed me by thanks to the awesomeness of Guy's The Future, released the same year, which stole all the limelight, as far as I was concerned... but that's another story (and another selection of posts).

However, forward on two years to '93 and Guy had gone their separate ways. Good timing then for Jodeci to drop their much harder, more "gangsta" 2nd album Diary Of A Mad Band, which (deservedly) blew up in a huge way. There were no filler tracks, save for Jodecidal Hotline, which was a skit anyway, and only three ballads, and then, a gradual slide into dirtier, and funkier territory with each track after that. It was a real tour de force.

The album served as a launching platform for such greats as Timbaland (who was an understudy of Devante), Missy Elliott (heard rapping on two of the tracks) and Ginuwine - they were all members of DeVante's Swing Mob team at this point.

And what do you know? Before the year was out, from H-Town to Kreuz, every R&B band and their dog were sounding like Jodeci.

That same year, Jodeci contributed an upbeat party jam to the excellent Who's The Man soundtrack album (I've still never seen that film, but I always loved Ed Lover and Dr Dre on "Yo! MTV Raps") called Let's Go Through the Motions. It wasn't one of their bigger hits, but remains a club smasher. It was a new track, not culled from Diary..., although later editions of that album would include Let's Go Through The Motions, and their cover of the Stevie Wonder classic Lately as extra tracks.

I love this track, hope you do too.

Enjoy!

- Kymba :)

• Let's Go Through the Motions (radio)
• Let's Go Through the Motions (instrumental)
• Let's Go Through the Motions (intro radio)

• Bonus - Let's Go Through the Motions (album version)

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: Let's Go Through The Motions.zip File size: 22.5 MB

PS - I've also included the original full-length track from the Who's The Man album, in addition to the three tracks on this CD single.

Maxwell - Ascension (Don't Ever Wonder) - (1996)

Columbia Records, LCD162

Another track taken from the excellent Urban Hang Suite LP, Ascension was one of my fave tracks on that particular album, however, the Tribute remix (presumably in "tribute" to the SOS Band's brilliant "No One's Gonna Love You", which was plundered to provide a brand new backing track for Ascension) really pushed it up a notch, and is much one of my favourite remixes.

(Mickey - we don't have any SOS Band on here, do we?)

There's also an extended "Uncut" take of the album version of Ascension, as well as a track called Reunion, which is a sexy ballad as only Maxwell can do them, but it is just the album version, so nothing special or new there.

Really though, you'll be wanting the Tribute mix. It's brilliant. There's also a nice instrumental version included as well in the form of the Tribute Unsung mix.

- Kymba :)

• Ascension (Uncut)
• Ascension (No One's Gonna Love You, So Don't Ever Wonder
  The Tribute Uncut)
• Ascension (No One's Gonna Love You, So Don't Ever Wonder
  The Tribute Unsung)
• Reunion

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: Ascension.zip File size: 22 MB

Ava Cherry - Gimme, Gimme 1993

Pulse 8 Records CDLOSE 46

Ava Cherry grew up in Chicago, loving Motown, Aretha Franklin, and Gladys Knight, but a four-year stint with rock star David Bowie would forever confuse her musical direction. From 1974 to 1978, as part of a backing trio comprising Robin Clark and Luther Vandross, ex model Ava was Bowie’s lover in the early to mid ’70s, as well as one of his backup singers in The Astronettes during the Diamond Dogs/Young Americans Tour. Bowie had plans for Ava Cherry and The Astronettes, producing an album for the trio that was New Wave before the term existed. It also ended up being shelved for twenty years when things with their mutual management Main Man went sour.

That setback didn’t stop Cherry from pursuing a music career, though it was tough for her to break away from being 'David Bowie’s lover'. Cherry returned home to Chicago where a friend introduced her to Curtis Mayfield. Curtom/RSO Records released her first album, Spend The Night?, but didn't use any of the rock songs she'd written. A 1980 album for RSO, Ripe!!!, caused a minor ripple on the Billboard Black Albums Chart, but when RSO bit the dust, Ava found herself with a new deal on Capitol Records. The resulting album, Streetcar Named Desire followed in 1983 on Capitol Records. It was a bit of a throwback, a funk/disco affair, just when New Wave and the music industry had finally caught up to Cherry.

When Vandross started blowing up, she joined him in 1986 and was heard on the Any Love album onward. In 1987, her second Capitol LP, Picture Me, dropped with little sales. However, along with Lisa Fischer and Kevin Owens, Cherry contributed to making Luther Vandross a top draw in urban music. The group didn't just sing behind Vandross; they executed some classy stepping and dance routines that always wowed the punters.

In 1993 Pulse 8 Records picked this track up from Radikal Records. Produced and arranged by Mauro Malavasi, the man behind Change (another Luther connection) and The B.B.& Q. Band, this snappy R'n'B number gets the remix treatment and works well for it. Written by Cherry & Malavasi, the Original Mix does a fine job in a nice 'n schmoove shuffling manner. The No Face Remix by Mark Sexx at My Place, has a great loping bass line punctuated by stabs and works wonders on the feet but my personal favourite is the Radio Boot Mix by Jay 'Mixin' Dixon at Studio J. No, me neither but it's good, a shame then that there's no 12" Boot Mix on the CD?

In 1997, J-Bird (behind the current Sherrick releases) made her Spend the Night album available on CD.

• No Face Edit
• Radio Boot Mix
• Original Mix
• West End Remix
• West End House Dub
• No Face Remix

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: Ava Cherry.rar Filesize: 46.24 MB

Dread Flimstone- From The Ghetto 1991

Urban Records URBX 87

"Y'know, I think we should play a lil' music for the nice people listening... FROM THE GHETTO!"

"Dread Flimstone" was a monicker adopted by white California resident Rex Morgan, formerly a punk, who gave it up to become a Rastafarian(!) and then started making hiphop/funk tinged reggae based dance music. He toured with such luminaries as Burning Spear, Yellowman, Ziggy Marley, Third World, and Big Audio Dynamite.

The "Modern Tone Age Family" consisted of Dread Flimstone, vocalist Jah T and Papa Yaie, alongside producer Freddy Bastone.

This little gem burst onto the music scene back in 1991, and was really massive. Although never followed up with another hit single, Dread Flimstone still recorded three albums and had modest success with them. I haven't got any of his albums, so can't really vouch for quality, but I'm willing to bet calling yourself something like Dread Flimstone instantly pigeonholes you as a novelty act.

So, "From The Ghetto", then. It's a great, catchy song, and this 12" comes with no less than six(!) mixes. In honesty, there's not THAT much variation between them. My pick is the Modern Tone Family Album Mix, which is nice and funky - the others all veer a bit too close to four-to-the-floor house music for my liking, and get a bit samey, but are all worth a listen.

Enjoy!

- Kymba :)

• From The Ghetto (Radio Mix)
• From The Ghetto (Modern Tone Family Album Mix)
• From The Ghetto (Freddy's Bronx Mix)
• From The Ghetto (Fully Radical Mix)
• From The Ghetto (Bastone's Mix)
• From The Ghetto (Carpeteria Mix)

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: From The Ghetto (Mixes).zip File size: 35.6 MB

PS - I've placed both the resized artwork for the Soul Vendor site, as well as the full-size scans, in the .ZIP file.

Also, as this is a vinyl rip, there may be a few crackles and a bit of "hum" - as usual, I've kept the original .WAV files of the vinyl rip, so if anyone wants them to remove the vinyl noises, just holler and I can arrange to send them.

"Not wishing to rain on Kymba's impressive parade...."

For the CD download, click here

Filename: Dread Flimstone.rar File size: 28.6 MB

Be aware that the CD has only four mixes and does not include the Album Version.