Paul Johnson - No More Tomorrows (Promo) - (1989)

CBS ‎– PJOHN C7, CBS ‎– 654596 2 Promo

Paul Johnson is something of an unheralded UK Soul legend. He began singing in school and church while living in New York during the 1970's and later worked with one of the UK’s pioneering contemporary Gospel bands, Paradise and also sang with the London Community Gospel Choir. 

He sang backing vocals with Junior Giscombe on the Red Wedge Tour where he met Billy Bragg, Paul Weller, The Smiths, Blow Monkeys, Communards and many other pop artists. Soon after that tour, he signed an album deal as singer and songwriter to CBS Records in the late 1980's in which he recorded two albums, Paul Johnson and Personal. His first singles were When Love Comes Calling, written and produced Junior Giscombe and Half a World Away. 

Paul has also worked with Bryan Ferry, Stevie Wonder, Bros, Mica Paris, Juliet Roberts, Loose Ends, Al Green, Tom Robinson, Cliff Richard, George Michael, Soul II Soul (Represent is already on here), Glen Goldsmith, Steven Dante, Bluey Maunick of Incognito and many others. In addition, he has toured Europe and the UK, doing numerous television shows and has performed at Ronnie Scots and Sadlers Wells and has been a featured artist on various records, performing on numerous re-mixes through producer Danny D. Through an introduction by Juliet Roberts, he began touring and recording with M People and has sung with Lynieve Austin and Sarah Brown on tours around the world. 

His other work has been as a production co-ordinator providing session singers for the industry in the UK and abroad which include managing and signing Shaun Escoffery to his own production company. After working with DJ Dodge, he was introduced to a new audience through the release in 1994 of If We Lose Our Way (a release I'm desperate to get on Soul Vendor) written and produced with IG Culture, Sayin’ Something and To Be Wanted. He began working on an album with DJ Dodge that has never been released. 

He stopped singing some time ago and is currently "somewhat removed from the music industry". Currently, he is the head of a department in an inner city college where he works with young people and adults who despite very difficult circumstances are attempting to improve their lives through accessing education.

Awesome stuff!

Tracklist

1. No More Tomorrows
2. I Don't Care
3. Hold On! I'm Comin'
4. That Was Yesterday

Download: PJ-NMT.7z | Filesize: 34.3MB

Ini Kamoze - Here Comes The Hotstepper - (1994)

Columbia ‎– COL 661047 2, Columbia ‎– 661047 2

I thought long and hard about posting this one on here, it's not soul by any definition (apart from maybe where the sample the tune is built upon comes from (Taana Gardner's 1981 classic Heartbeat)).

I thought I'd post it anyway - it was massive in the clubs at the same time as the other music I post on here was. Screw it, huh?

Ini Kamoze was born Cecil Campbell on 9 October 1957 in Jamaica, and began his career in the early 1980s with serious tracks such as World a Music (Out In The Streets They Call It Murther), as sampled by Damian "Junior Gong" Marley ((son of Bob) on his 2005 anthem Welcome To Jamrock), as well as tracks such as England Be Nice.

This track, specifically the remix, blew up world wide in 1994, scoring him number ones all over the place. The original mix is really interesting, but it's all about that Heartical Mix, fusion reggae masterpiece that it is. 

Big up all crew inna de area!

Tracklist

1. Here Comes The Hotstepper (Heartical Mix)
2. Here Comes The Hotstepper (Heartipella)
3. Here Comes The Hotstepper (Heartimental)
4. Here Comes The Hotstepper (Allaam Mix)
5. Here Comes The Hotstepper (Allaamental)
6. Here Comes The Hotstepper (LP Version)

Download: IK-HCTH.7z | Filesize: 56.6MB

Loose Ends - Don't Be A Fool - (1990)

Ten Records TENX312

Kym says: 320Reup. This is another post from Mickey P circa 2009. I forgot I had requested it - not being able to find my CDS at the time. I've since recovered it and am re-upping here in 320. 

Mick gives us a great write up as always and I'd like to add how much I love the breakbeat - sampled from The Demon Boyz legendary track Recognition (that break itself is a heavily modified Synthetic Substitution by Melvin Bliss which I have bigged up here and here and probably other places, too!). 

..Wait a minute, I'm coming off sounding like a real nerd, aren't I? 

"Sort ya life aaaht!" 🤣

Well, this one's for 'Our Kymba' and I certainly don't need to tell you about this, do I. What, I do? Oh..... OK then?

Loose Ends formed in London in 1980, initially comprising vocalist and guitarist Carl McIntosh, vocalist Jane Eugene, and keyboard player, writer and founder Steve Nichol. The latter two left the group in 1989, bringing an end to a legend.

In 1990 McIntosh wanted to move forward, leading the way for the 90's. Eugene and Nichol decided to leave, and were replaced by Linda Carriere and Sunay Suleyman. Look How Long was the only studio album released by this line up, and featured this, their final hit single, Don't Be A Fool.

While the rest of the music world was sticking Whoo and Yeah samples into everything from Bananarama to Timmy Mallet, Carl McIntosh utilised the technology in a far more classy and soulful way. The awesome bubbly bass line works it's magic on the feet while Carriere voice weaves into your consciousness. Five minutes and fifty seconds of highly infectious groove, Resistance is futile, dance mutha!

On the flip the Instrumental is worth checking out. There's more to this than just a plain backing track. It has a life of it's own. Let's Wax A Fatty, on the other hand, is a strange affair.

"Buy this record! You heard me..."

It's an advert? Fair enough, it's an advert with a bitchin' groove but I think it's a shame that such a good backing track gone to waste.

McIntosh himself went on to work behind the recording desk following the group's peak popularity, he has produced and remixed for many artists, most notably Caron Wheeler.

Tracklist

1. Don't Be A Fool
2. Don't Be A Fool (12" Extended Version)
3. Don't Be A Fool (Instrumental)
4. Let's Wax A Fatty

Download: LE-DBAF.7z | Filesize: 39.2MB

Harriet - Temple Of Love - (1991)

EastWest ‎– YZ 505 CD, EastWest ‎– 9031-71815-2

As requested by Tim.

Harriet (born Harriet Roberts, 1966, Sheffield, England), is a pop-soul singer who had a couple of minor hits in the early 90s, alongside an album called Woman To Man.

Temple of Love is a very cool song that has aged particularly well. I perhaps didn't give this enough attention first time round but I'm enjoying it a lot more in later years. I'm not quite sure it's because so much modern music sounds so awful, or that it just got lost amongst some other amazing music in the early 90s? Anyway, there are some nice Sade Smooth Operator vibes on display here, and she sings tell hell out of the song in a smoky, seductive manner.

I don't really know much about Harriet or this release so if anyone has any info I can add here I would greatly appreciate it. For now I'll simply have to nick a bunch of stuff from Wikipedia...

In 1991, Harriet took part in the Italian Song Festival in San Remo with the English version of the song "In questa città" (written by Pino Daniele and performed in Italian by Loredana Bertè). The English version was titled, "All That We Are".

She co-wrote the song "Whatever You Need" with Russ Courtenay for Tina Turner's 1999 album, Twenty Four Seven.


In 2014, she released the digital album Reality containing ten tracks, under the name Harriet Roberts.

The CD is one of those annoying ones that can't be scanned very well. Damn.

Tracklist

1. Temple Of Love
2. Animal
3. Temple Of Love (Tuff Stuff)

Download: H-TOL.7z | Filesize: 32.3MB

Lewis Taylor - Whoever (1996)

Island Records ‎– CID 647, Island Records ‎– 854 747-2

Note: Oops! Just realised I've duplicated an existing post! Oh well, never-mind. Original linked here. - Kym

Andrew Lewis Taylor (born 20 January 1966), better known as Lewis Taylor, is a British multi-instrumentalist musician, born and raised in Barnet, North London. Quite close to me!

He is perhaps the personification on the word underrated.

Prior to making some damn fine Neo Soul music, Lewis was involved in psychedelic rock, something that he brought elements from to his soul recordings. Lewis was such a true artist that it's heartbreaking knowing how little sales success he had outside of those discerning heads like us (I hear his live shows were another level of excellent but I never got to experience one myself). 

He had so much talent and could/should really have been huge. He did some really interesting shit that you didn't find on your typical soul album:  experimental and always innovative, willing to push the envelope in new and interesting ways. It leaves you marvelling at the musicianship involved.

He retired from music as Lewis Taylor in 2006 after 7(?) albums and mild success that belies the dopeness of his musical output, but has been involved with others since such as Finlay Quaye and Gnarles Barkley as musical director, which is pretty damn impressive in and of itself.

Whoever is a slinky Neo Soul track, perfect in every way - the slick production, the vocals and tight harmonising, everything. It screams quality and hooks you from the get-go with a killer, laidback groove that's sounds equally good in a club or in the car. 

It's an excellent track.

Special note needs to be made of the gorgeously schizophrenic track Pie In Electric Sky/If I Lay Down With You which starts as psychedelia (Pie In Electric Sky) and mutates into something almost Marvin Gaye-esque (If I Lay Down With You). I remember having a moment with this tune on headphones many years ago. Eargasmic - but then every track on this CD is a winner, despite Whoever being the stand-out. 

Tracklist

1. Whoever
2. Pie In Electric Sky / If I Lay Down With You
3. Waves
4. Trip So Heavy

Download: LT-W.7z | Filesize: ???MB

1 World ‎– Down On Love (1990)

FFRR ‎– FCD 129, FFRR ‎– 886 901-2

This is a lovely little forgotten gem of a track that I first encountered on a Deep Heat album. I heard it played out a couple of times in clubs but it had pretty poor exposure, if my memory serves me correctly.

It has a sad, mournful vibe, despite the hopeful lyrics.

Produced and written by Mike Percy and Tim Lever, who, as One World Productions, went on to produce for the likes of Kenny Thomas, Pauline Henry, Diana Brown And Barrie K. Sharpe, After 7 and others. 

Sadly, I don't know the vocalists name.

Only the one mix which is backed up with a radio edit and an instrumental. Regardless, it's a nice release of a great song and really does deserve some love, even if it is almost thirty years too late!

Tracklist

1. Down On Love (Assertive Edit)
2. Down On Love (Assertive Mix)
3. Down On Love (Assertive Instrumental)

Download: 1W-DOL.7z | Filesize: 37.7MB

Martine Girault ‎– Revival - (1992)

FFRR ‎– FCD 195

As requested by Tim on the Chico Debarge Iggin' Me post.

We've already had the 12" posted on here by Mickey back in 2009 (we really could do with a 320 re-rip now I come to think of it) and I've only made you guys wait ten bloody years for this CDS! 

Go peep the original post for more info.

For my two cents worth, ignore the radio mix as usual and dive straight into the Original Mix - four and a half minutes of nineties UK soul perfection. The Funky Vibes mix is a nice curio, it's good to hear a different spin on the classic, and I am feeling the extra hip hop (almost trip hop?) vibes this one packs, but ultimately it falls short of the original.

Nothin's Gonna Change, the final track here, is another really cool track, and well worth your time. Another one with her signature style of sparse, repeated  vocals and hip hop production sensibilities.

Revival is a wicked cut and another timeless track from this era.

Tracklist

1. Revival (Radio Mix)
2. Revival (Original Mix)
3. Revival (Funky Vibes Mix)
4. Nothin's Gonna Change

Download: MG-R.7z | Filesize: 38.3MB

The Chimes - Heaven - (1989)

CBS ‎– 655432 2

There can be few breakbeats as wicked as Bobby Byrd's awesome Hot Pants (Bonus Beats) break. It's up there with the all-time great breaks that have transcended genre such as the Winston's Amen Brother, James Brown's Funky Drummer and Skull Snaps' It's A New Day to name a few.

You can find it as the rhythmic backbone to widely varied tracks like Fresh 4's Wishing On A Star, Congress' 40 Miles, True Faith/Pin-up Girls' Take Me Away, The Prodigy's Warriors Dance, Stone Roses' Fools Gold, Run DMC's What's It All About, Blurr's There's No Other Way, Big Daddy Kane's Raw and soooo many others.

And then there's this little beauty. Released in 1989 producer Mike Peden (later one half of The Lighthouse Family) put together a solid groove of a bassline, laced it with the Hot Pants break, and employed the killer diva-like voice of Miss Pauline Henry to absolutely murk up the track.

This is a fantastic slice of classic UK soul & dance, as HMV like to categorise it and remains a total banger thirty years on (seriously, can you believe it's really thirty damn years??).

Frankie Foncett is on the remix for the Attack Vocal Club Mix and provides an interesting take but it not really my thing. Go straight in with the original version (track one) or maybe even the Heavy Club.

Incidentally, apologies for the state of the CD sleeve - that faux gold colour doesn't take ageing very well!

Tracklist

1. Heaven
2. Heaven (Heavy Club)
3. Heaven (Attack Vocal Club Mix)
4. So Much In Love (Extended Demo Version)

Download: TC-H.7z | Filesize: 42.8MB

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?

Kym says: Great track! And don't you just love that cover artwork - how cool is that? 

This brings back a lot of memories for me. You're spot on with the Milli Vanilli sample, Mick - It was from the intro of the 12" version of Girl You Know It's True. 

I've replaced the dead, vinyl rip link with a fresh 320kbps CD version for your listening pleasure. I've also included the remixes as well as a bonus  (but these are at a slightly lower bit rate).

Tracklist

1. Moments In Soul
2. Moments In Soul ('AA' Mix)
3. Eden 90

Download: JT&ATBF-MIS.7z  Filesize: 47.5MB

Lina - It's Alright (Promo Single) - (2001)

Atlantic ‎– PRCD 300557

I posted the Gang Starr remix of It's Alright a few weeks back but didn't have the original to hand at the time, so I'm fixing that now.

This is a brilliant, funky ol' track with great production from Lina, Travis House and Jeeve with Craig Kallman & Wakeane Caffey as executive producers. I can't tell you anything about them as I really don't know!

This a step away from Lina's usual jazzy R&B territory towards a more lazy ass funk sound that is so sweet on the ear. As mentioned previously, I like this and the remix equally and both deserve to be on your playlists having a completely different vibe.

Check out the Gang Starr Remix write-up for more info else I'm just repeating myself!

If you want my thoughts, I'm not really feeling Boo-Bonic's verse so I just jump straight into the album version.

Tracklist

1. It's Alright (Radio Edit Clean)
2. It's Alright (Remix) Featuring Boo-Bonic
3. It's Alright (Album Version)
4. It's Alright (Instrumental)
5. It's Alright (Callout Hook)

Download: L-IA.7z | Filesize: 36.2MB