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

Soul II Soul ‎– Represent (1997)

Island Records, CID668/572087-2

Wow, this CD has an awful cover! No offence, skin-head man... you could be a lovely guy in real life I guess. Luckily the contents are all that and a fat bag o' chips!

So this is another great track from UK heavyweights Soul II Soul, this time featuring the excellent Paul Johnson, who had already made waves on the UK soul scene with the Dodge produced If We Lose Our Way, a track I never managed to get hold of outside of a compilation CD, but would dearly love. *hint hint*

Represent was a fine tune on a very good album. It's chilled and cool, typifying the sound of Soul II Soul, and this version gets two airings here with the Album and Radio Mix.

I actually err on the side of the remixes here though, preferring the more hiphop tinged Full Crew Mix  which turns it into a true banga which I love, and, for the dancefloors, the breakbeat-tastic and oh-so-funky Katt Mix which is in a UK Garage styley.

Having said that, the album/radio versions are really nice, plus there's a Soul Inside mix from our boy Dodge, and you know that man never disappoints.

This is a very rare instance though where I prefer another remix over a Dodge one. That might be the sign of the end times.

Big up Full Crew!

- Kym x

Tracklist

1. Represent (Album mix)
2. Represent (Radio Edit)
3. Represent (Katt Mix)
4. Represent (Soul Inside Reworked Rep Mix)
5. Represent (Full Crew Mix)

Download: SIIS-R.7z | Filesize: 58MB