Impossibly rare and extremely obscure 45 that almost never turns up. A monstrous modern soul dancer with a funky edge on the a-side and a great boogie banger on the flip side now available to soul and funk fans around the globe at the price of a pizza for one. This version comes out of a fortunate demo on a 1/4” reel tape which is the only recording that survived a car crash Mr. Horton was involved in many years back. Johnny kindly allowed us to license this beautiful piece of music and we are very proud to bring to your decks such a testament to the Alabama sound of the seventies.
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- A1: Intro
- A2: I Know That You've Been Wounded (Church Hurt) (Church Hurt)
- A3: He'll Make A Way (Trust In The Lord) (Trust In The Lord)
- A4: Talk To God
- A5: In The Name Of Jesus (Everytime) (Everytime)
- B1: To Be Used By You (I Want To Be A Good Man) (I Want To Be A Good Man)
- B2: Who Do Men Say I Am?
- B3: Storm Of Life (Stand By Me) (Stand By Me)
- B4: In The Service Of The Lord
- B5: I Just Want To Be A Good Man (To Be Used By You) (To Be Used By You)
This album is a tribute to Pastor Wylie Champion, who died while we were in the process of releasing this, his first record, and his wife, Mother Champion, who died a few months earlier. We met Pastor Champion a few years ago while we were putting together another release, The Time for Peace Is Now: Gospel Music About Us. We found him in a collection of YouTube videos from the 37th Street Baptist Church in Oakland, California, put together by the pastor there, Bishop Dr. W.C. McClinton. There was quite a lot of talent in those videos, and among them was Pastor Champion whom we liked so much that we decided to make a record with him. Pastor Champion wasn’t like any other pastor you’ve ever met. As an itinerant preacher, a carpenter, and a father of five, he made a name for himself traveling up and down the California coast with his electric guitar. He traveled alone and he played alone, well into his seventies. The easiest way to describe him would be as an outsider gospel artist. Other than these bare facts, we never learned much about him—except that he was also the brother of the well-known soul singer Bettye Swann. In fact, most of what we knew about him we got from his sister’s Wikipedia page. We decided that because we met Champion through the 37th Street Baptist Church, we would record him there too. We recorded him live on a two-track Nagra reel to reel, as we wanted the album to be analog in the style of traditional gospel recordings. Over the course of two evenings (when the workday was done), Champion taught his band—musicians who had never played together before—a handful of songs, a small selection of the nearly 2,000 fragments of songs and sermons that he regularly performed. We listened in as they all got more familiar with the material and each other over time. At some point, we mentioned to Champion that he would have to be interviewed by someone to write notes for the album. He wasn’t too pleased with this idea, saying he’d had a hard life and he didn’t want to talk about it. Over the next few months, we kept asking Champion to talk to someone about his life. He told us that he didn’t want to talk about growing up in Louisiana, his mother being accosted by the Klan, or that his father was a gambler. He didn’t want to talk about being jailed for 90 days for using a whites only bathroom, being in gangs or having a street name. We told him that was fine—he could talk about what he wanted to talk about. And he told us that he didn’t want to talk about anything. You know, there are times when you make a record where it’s already made in your mind before you start. But then in the end, the record you thought you were making is not the record you made. We spent years puzzling over this one, trying to figure out what it was saying, who it was for, and how to get people to pay attention to it. But Champion knew that this record wasn’t going to be for everyone. He didn’t really care. The important part for him was just getting the message out there in the same way that he always had, travelling alone with his electric guitar. “I want to say what I mean,” he said, “be practical, precise, to the point, and, at the same time, diplomatic.” In other words, he just wanted to be a good man. God bless Pastor Champion and Mother Champion, peace be with them and their family. Love to all.
For the past 20 years, Jason Boland & the Stragglers have dazzled audiences all over as one of the leading ambassadors of the Oklahoma and Texas music movement. Millions of fans cheering him on, over 500,000 records sold independently and 10 albums later, Boland is a career musician whose legacy continues to grow. From his early days touring in cramped vans and playing in front of tiny bar crowds to the packed venues he performs in today, Boland’s uncompromising approach has grown his profile dramatically, especially in the past handful of years. Add to that the legions of musicians who are influenced by Boland, and his impact on the scene is undeniable.
This is a limited edition, golden vinyl of "Deep Shadows".
You are holding in your hands an album, which was never heard at the time it was recorded. For over 30 years it was stored in the archive of record producer and musician Dave Hamilton, one of the unsung heroes of the Detroit soul scene. The box of reels was marked simply "The Possible Little Ann Album".
Little Ann's songs, are timeless masterpieces of soul music. That is why we here at Timmion Records thought that they belong together on an album like they were originally intended to be heard. Sometimes possibility takes time to be fulfilled.
This album comes with authentic 60's style tip-on sleeve.
- A1: Woman You Made Me (Instrumental)
- A2: Love Our Love Affair (Instrumental)
- A3: Remember Me (Instrumental)
- A4: Help Me (Save Me From Myself)
- A5: Ain&Apos;T That Love (Instrumental)
- B1: This Is What Love Looks Like! (Instrumental)
- B2: You Gonna Need Me (Instrumental)
- B3: I&Apos;D Better (Instrumental)
- B4: We&Apos;Re All We Got (Instrumental)
- B5: I Can&Apos;T Love You Anymore (Instrumental)
Around the year, the sturdy red brick walls of an old Cable Factory stand there like a mountain, facing weathers of all kinds rising from the Gulf of Finland. It might be freezing winter winds whipping the whole shore line into submission, fog heavy as concrete, or the relentless sun of the summer months, softening the asphalt to a boiling point. Whatever the weather may be, the narrow courtyard of the old factory embraces those musicians, who are looking to get down. They gather from all directions, making their way towards a pair of doors that lead towards a flight of stairs, again through a few doors all the way to the last portal, where an open padlock and a loosely hangin crossbar signal that Cold Diamond & Mink are inside, locked in a groove.
Who could it be with them this time, perhaps the jazz prophet Jimi Tenor beaming out of his space ship, maybe it's the golden voiced knight of soul Tuomo "Pratt" Prättälä, the number one trumpet wielding dandy Jukka Eskola or the saxman Pope Puolitaival, who loses nothing in coolness compared to the former? The reel to reel is always there in the monitoring room, catching each analog layer of sound, even the silences and banter between takes. Seppo lays down the guitar and tries to catch the riff on organ instead, Jukka throws a rare tune on the turntable, hoping to guide their unit through that wobbly chorus, Sami waits there bass in hand, maybe already thinking about the next production.
After a whole lot of playing instruments, arranging and taking care of business, after the moon has travelled around the old industrial building for some rotations, Carlton Jumel Smith comes waltzing through those same doors. There's a handful of unnamed tracks waiting for him. He sits there listening and then starts writing, maybe echoes of soul classics from his own record collection in New York projecting inside his mind. Then the tape is rolling again. Starting with a short intro rap Carlton lets it out, singing on the edge of shouting "Woman you made me...". After the vocals are in the can, Carlton ascends out of the basement and heads out to entertain an audience somewhere. Some months later, after the mix is said and done, there's the question of the instrumentals. It seems they're pretty good as they are. And here they are.
d 04: Help Me (Save Me From Myself) Instrumental
As a prominent R&B/Soul singer, songwriter, and producer In the realms of House Music, Angela has established a well-respected career collaborating and penning songs for some of the most notable DJs and producers in the industry: Roger Sanchez, Reel People, Dave Lee & the Sunburst Band, Josh Milan, DJ Spinna, Micky More & Andy Tee to name a few. In 2020, Johnson placed fourth on Traxsource’s “Top Vocalists of 2020,” an honor that Angela does not take lightly. Her successful collaboration with OPOLOPO on the remake of The Brand New Heavies classic, “Stay This Way” has opened more doors for Ms. Johnson. With this boost, she’s ready to take things to the next level whether it’s another vocal feature or a self-produced release. The title song Inclusion, which was also written, produced, and performed by Angela Johnson; caught the attention of prolific producer, Grammy wining-one and only Brian Bacchus. Brian brought the song to Joaquin Joe Claussell and the rest is history… There are many great things that we would love to share about what became of this the powerful collaboration, but we will let the music speak on it for itself. Music Always! Purpose Music Group Soul feast Productions Sacred Rhythm Music & Cosmic Arts
Released for the very first time in the format it was recorded for. The Holy grail of Bolan's unreleased soul recordings as producer for SISTER PAT HALL, includes completely unheard version of Do Your Thing taken from newly acquired original reels features completely reworked version of classic T. Rex Tracks 'Jitterbug Love', 'Get it On', 'Sunken Rags', and the never released in Marc's lifetime 'Sailors of the highway'. Besides some self-released gospel recordings, Pat Hall was a much sought after vocalist in the late 60's early 70's, having worked with Joe Cocker as one of the `Sanctified Sisters' along with Gloria Jones. In 1972 Pat (& Hloria) became backing singers on the u.s T.Rex concerts and in mid to late 1973 Marc Bolan decided he was going to produce an album by Pat, being well ahead of the then interest in black american soul by fellow pop stars David Bowie John Lennon and Elton John. The album was recorded but never released (on vinyl), until now! Pat Hall never released anything again, this album remains the sole released recordings of this extraordinary singer.
Part. 2[22,65 €]
After featuring on the label with a contribution to Erell Ranson’s “Hand In Hand” Remix EP in 2018, SUED co-operator SW. punches back in on KOC with a hectic six-track sonic journey by way of inaugural transmission.
Crest-surfing the margins betwixt abstract beat-making, hardware experimentation and further explosive club-ready wares, the German producer breaks the trip in with the tropical hot "ariaJA" - reeling out a savvy mashup of animalian field recording, spaced-out FXs and loopy elastic bounce.
Cranking up the heat, a notch further, "moonNEWsoon" pulls out a hot mix of muscle-aching breaks, jackin' n’ smackin' toms and iridescent synth stabs, all coated with a thick sauce of mind-boggling machine stunts. Trading its gridlocked intro for an aqueously luxuriant design throughout, gOiOsee has us deep-diving in an all-blue scenario where each element finds itself draped in richly-hued envelopes.
Flip sides and here comes the further shape-shifting, non-formulaic "mASsLESS", which invites us to see straight through glassy cascades of skittish snares, gummy synth arpeggios and futuristic chimes as an Eden of AI-rendered birdsongs and forgotten melodies come to life before our eyes.
Back to a more dynamic mindset, “justMUST4y brings lush flights of altered piano chords and pop-informed harmonics face to face with a gritty, metronomic drum work to weave another singularly off-kilter epic SW. holds the secret of, right before "VFXpeaksTWIN" wraps it all up in a soul-invigorating, Twin Peaks-scented and horizon-broadening ambient finale.
After the release of the charts hitter “Don’t Need Your Love” earlier this year it’s now time to follow up with the last two songs out of the reel to reel tape
recorded by The Words at Talun & Trc Studios in Indianapolis in 1982. I feel I really need to explain what went on with the original recordings though. Please be
patient and ber with me. A magnetic tape recorder is made basically by two parts, one electronic and one mechanical. I’ll leave the electronics out of this as it
has no relevance here, to talk about what occurred with the mechanical, specifically with the “heads”, which are the most important part of the recording
action. They are components to be treated with great care, especially when they need to be cleaned; their good condition strictly depends on the functioning
of the entire recorder and - in part - also on the life of the tape. In this case the tape was found god knows where and played again exactly 40 years after the
recording session, on a reeltape player which had good part the “heads” very damaged. The artists themselves transferred it on digital doing it with what they
had on hand, that is basically nothing. It resulted in a stereo soundfile which had the right channel completely flat. Basically the music could be heard on the
left ear only, full of that noise only a cheap and malfunctioning Akai could provide. It took a hell of a restoration to make this second release possible and we
hope you will appreciate the undertaking well beyond the music, that is awesome on its own. Thanks to the first release we think you already know a lot about
Herman Slaughter and The Words of Wisdom. For those who are new to these artists, this awesome band started earning some good popularity at the
crossing of the seventies and eighties. Stable artists at the legendary Lamp - the so called “Naptown’s Motown” - these guys were part of the sparkling funk
soul scene of Indianapolis alongside the likes of The Vanguards and The Fabulous Souls. Support The Words of Wisdom and bring home one of the last slices
of original soul from Napptown’s legacy
For more than five decades, John McLaughlin has deployed his peerless guitar technique, compositional gifts, and imagination in service of a deeply personal higher calling, forging a vast legacy unmatched in improvised music. Now as the world reels from the toll of the ongoing viral-induced global lockdown, McLaughlin reflects on both the perils and potential of this challenging moment with ‘Liberation Time’. Characterised by both joy and reflection, ‘Liberation Time’ finds McLaughlin harnessing his frustrations and redirecting that energy. “The result,” he explains in a candid liner note, “was an explosion of music in my mind.”. Unusual for McLaughlin’s recent projects, ‘Liberation Time’ is not the work of one fixed ensemble. With physical proximity no longer a prerequisite, McLaughlin drew upon decades of experience as a bandleader to select musicians best suited to each composition. “That is a choice that can only be made correctly if you know how the musicians play,” he explains. “Not just how well they play technically, but how they play intuitively. Only then can you make the right decisions.” “As the Spirit Sings” introduces the album by contrasting churning rhythmic tension (stoked by drummer Vinnie Colaiuta and bassist Sam Burgess) with McLaughlin’s soaring guitar figure - all underpinned by Gary Husband’s subtle,expansive piano. Knotty post-bop figures form the basis of “Right Here, Right Now, Right On,” one of the most jazz-inflected performances McLaughlin has laid down in some time, featuring Nicolas Viccaro (drums), Jerome Regard (bass), Julian Siegel (tenor saxophone), and Oz Ezzeldin (piano). It is impossible to ignore the profound brotherhood that exists between the members of 4th Dimension - McLaughlin’s current ensemble, which includes Husband along with Etienne Mbappe (bass) and Ranjit Barot (drums). They are featured on the soulful “Lockdown Blues,” a playful refraction examination of blues tropes first released last summer to benefit the Jazz Foundation of America.
Clear Vinyl
Eugene Synegal's early career as a teenager was the guitarist of Sam & The Soul Machine before moving to Los Angeles to join the group Sage and later in the 1970s recording on Lee Dorsey's Night People and The Neville Brothers records.
These previously unreleased recordings were birthed in the early 1970s, sometime during Eugene's trips back and forth between Los Angeles and New Orleans. A couple years after these recordings were immortalized onto 1/4" reel-to-reel tape an unusual crime scene involving Eugene and his girlfriend reads as if it was a chapter taken directly out of a pulp fiction novel. An Australian socialite named Patrica Galea, remained unsolved for 30 years. The robbers took $400, two diamond rings, a $1,400 cigarette lighter and two mink coats. They failed to collect Galea's $6,402 which was hidden in her freezer. This money was sent from Australia and was being used to fund Eugene's album as well as starting a new music publishing company in Hollywood. This was the life of Eugene. Playboy extraordinaire, jet-setter and guitar chops that would turn the head of Hendrix!! Around 2006 the owner of the West Hollywood apartment expressed a desire to learn more about its history and met with detectives who were unable to locate the file since it was buried in the cold cases section. The files were found, the case was reopened, solved and two men were arrested in 2007.
These recently unearthed 1970s recordings by Eugene are a reflection of his pure soul as well as a blend of psychedelia and funk that the band Sage was experimenting with in Los Angeles during that time period.
From a historical sense, these two recordings are significant because it bridges the historical and influential New Orleans music scene during the early 70's with the psychedelic rock and folk scene that was emerging just walking distance from the West Hollywood apartment that Eugene was living in with Galea during that time.
Eugene's unique guitar style paired with a deep-rooted gospel sensibility is a window into the artistry and songwriting capability of this incredibly talented man.
A meeting of minds under the guise of Reaction let loose this stunning version of The Fatback Band’s seminal soul-funk classic for Hysteria Records produced by Richie Jones, Eric Kupper and Chris "The Greek" Panaghi and features lead vocals by Keith Thompson (Raze "Break 4 Love") and backing vocals by Chanelle ("One Man") and Leslie Carter.
On this 12", Eric Kupper provides a spectacular remix filled with a funky, punchy, uplifting energy for today’s dancefloors, while still maintaining full respect for the Fatback original. An honest feel-good record that is sure to delight soulful-house music lovers the world over and have them lost in its magic, eyes closed, singing along. Includes the exclusive vinyl-only B-Side; Eric Kupper's Old School Wet Dub.
Supported by: Reelsoul, Rocco, DJ Spen, Ridney, David Morales, Maurice Joshua, Dave Mayer, among many others.
“The Vale” is in immersive electronic album of dark soundtrack work. It’s the first of several Everyday Dust releases scheduled for Castles in Space in 2021.
Everyday Dust is RJ McConnell. Based in Scotland, RJ ditched piano lessons when he realised I had no interest in being an instrumentalist. Instead he wanted to create his own musical works from the ground up. He goes on, “I was much happier working my way through music theory books on my own and applying my learning to my own music. We had a little home studio when I was a child. My Dad was also a musician and was involved in local amateur theatre where he prepared and operated all the sound cues on reel to reel tape. So from an early age I was messing around with tape machines, making tape loops and recording music. For years I tried to make the most interesting tones I could from a Yamaha home keyboard by passing it through my Dad’s guitar pedals, or recording to tape and playing it back at different speeds etc. My first proper synth was the Roland SH101.” He went on to study music and sound for theatre and worked for many years as a theatre composer before branching into larger events and eventually film and documentary work.
The Vale story starts in 2018. RJ again, “I was brought in as composer for an independent horror short that was being filmed in Istanbul. The film was a vampire movie, very atmospheric and beautifully shot. I was aware of being a Scottish composer on a Turkish film and therefore didn’t want to attempt in any way to make anything that sounded traditionally Turkish. I wanted to represent the idea of these ancient beings who had existed in one of the oldest cities in the world for centuries. I wondered how I could imply this “ancient” world with the instruments I had to hand. I recorded various old metal whistles, which were slowed right down to become eerie arcane horn blasts that sounded like they had come from another time. I also recorded lots of melodica, which was again slowed down to sound like wheezing old harmonium drones. I spent another day recording inside an old piano, plucking individual strings and also hammering them percussively with wooden beaters. Using synthesizers and effects as the “glue” to bring these sounds together I started to work on the cues for the film. I had scored most of the film by the time I heard it was being cancelled. The concept and story had been taken over by a streaming site who wanted to make it into a series - with a drastically different tone and style.
“Later that same year I had worked on a project that incorporated the folklore of a celtic water sprite who kept the waterfalls and streams running smoothly so they could turn the mills of the local village. In return the villagers would bring the water sprite bannocks (Scottish flatbreads) each day. I started to daydream about a darker, Lovecraftian twist on this story. Some Ancient One dwelling in the forests and controlling the water - the very life essence of the village - in return for offerings of the soul. The concept was filed away in the back of my mind for some months.
“The following year I was on a flight to visit my friend in Bodrum. He had been the producer and editor on the original disbanded Vampire film, and I found myself thinking about the project again. I wondered if the sound cue files were still on my laptop, which they were. It had been a year since I’d even heard them. Hearing the eldritch folk-tinged sounds of the whistles and plucked strings my mind instantly returned to the idea of the Lovecraftian folk horror story. I started jotting down notes and musical ideas and by the time I landed in Bodrum I already had the album title - The Vale. Having the album concept and prototype ideas to work with was a huge head start in making the album. Although all of the original cues were so dramatically developed and transformed that they really just served as the initial clay on the wheel.
“I used a Doepfer A100 modular synth to create the animalistic yelps, conches and horns that were improvised over the original cues as a response to the arcane “folk” world of the acoustic instruments. This half-acoustic half-modular landscape was the sonic scene-setter I needed to move onto the composition and musical journey of the album. I composed and developed most of the musical parts on an Oberheim Matrix 6 synthesizer. However all the percussion, rhythmic sequences and ornamental synth sounds were created from improvised modular sessions multitrack recorded. A lot of editing later, the soundtrack to the movie in my mind was finally there.
New Jersey music man Rex Hush, privately pressed ‘Pull Over’ in 1983, it’s an outstanding slab of funky soul, great vocals, cosmic synths and a strong message.
Internet history reveals only a handful of copies of the 45 have ever been sold; along with this proven rarity there’s another treat on the flip!
Recorded at the same session, but never seeing the light of day, we present ‘Summer Breeze’, a beautiful ballad with original, thought-provoking lyrics and masterful musicianship.
Mastered from the original studio reels, these contrasting sides sound absolutely amazing.
Previously Unreleased material recorded in 1979 at Allen Toussaint's legendary Sea-Saint Recording Studio in New Orleans, LA.
Freaky With You is a Six-and-a-half minute Psychedelic Disco Funk excursion taking you on a wild mojo trip with a four on the floor backbeat and extended conga breakdown peppered with some New Orleans Voodoo that reaches for the Bondye Celestial Heavens.
On the B-Side, Welcome To My World is a Modern Soul Steppers masterpiece. A version was also recorded by Joe Chopper for the Lanor Records label.
James Dumaine remembers the studio session well. After having oral surgery that morning, a grotesque, theatre of the absurd incident followed causing him to bleed onto the microphone as he was singing. That combined with the miscommunication with the audio engineer to watch the volume levels on his new synthesizer: The Engineer decided not to take heed to the warning… Half way into the recording all the band could see from the other side of the glass were heads frantically rushing to the mixing board. The synthesizer levels had caused the monitors in the control room to blow up. Superior Elevation wasn't invited back to record at Sea-Saint. 40 years later, with all that chaos, hoodoo and gris-gris enveloped into the magnetic tape, it magically survived the catastrophic 2005 floods during Hurricane Katrina and ended up in the hands of Mike Nishita along with many other Reel to Reel Tapes of Allen Toussaints' masters of The Meters albums he produced and recorded. It's available now, preserved with Family Groove Records.
Amsterdam-based keyboardist, composer and owner of the Flowriders studio Vincent Helbers released his debut album ‘Hear To See’ as Seravince in 2013. A blend of broken beat, future soul and multiple adjective-jazz styles, compiled in a masterfully mixed 45-minute album. Now, 7 years later, the album is released on vinyl for the first time in a limited quantity of 150 copies.
Seravince’s 'Hear To See' sees Vincent cultivating his extensive experience inside the studio. The album is deeply rooted in broken beat drum grooves, provided by longtime collaborator and UK drummer extraordinaire Richard Spaven. These are accompanied by the jazz-inspired harmonies and solos from Seravince himself. All musical elements are one takes, recorded on analogue tape. “I want the sound to maintain the rawness and organic vibe”, Seravince explains. The sensual vocals on the album are courtesy of RH Factor singer Renee Neufville (US) and Sharlene Hector (UK), who’s worked together with Reel People and Basement Jaxx.
JAM CITY (Chicago, USA) & IZIPHO SOUL RECORDS (Surrey, UK) collaborate to bring you one of the finest discoveries of the year, tracked down and first played on Starpoint Radio’s Soul Sermon Show. Blown away on first listen, we knew what we had to do and quickly got to work with producer and writer Al Wordlaw. Back in the late 80s, the singer simply known as ‘RUSHING’ was a local sensation, performing to sold out crowds whenever he was booked for Chicagoland performances; no surprise when you hear these incredible vocals!
Both songs were recorded in 1987, but never released. Thankfully the original reels were kept and have been restored, transferred and mastered for a vinyl release thirty three years later!
Back in stock!
Previously Unreleased Soul tracks from 1971 recorded at Scepter Studios, New York, and penned by Clark/Williams/Bailey. "Fallin' For The Same Ole Lie" is a Deep-Soulful Downtempo Crossover stepper. The B-Side, "If You Can't Undo The Wrong" is another beautiful Crossover Soul tune. Both songs were found on a demo reel-to-reel tape by Front Page Scandal. No other information about the band or members is known. Limited Edition Hand-Stamped pressing of 300 copies.
Lascelle 'Lascelles' Gordon - the driving force behind Vibration Black Finger – astonishes us yet again with a magnificent second album. Once more his inspiration is drawn from the obscure spiritual jazz collectives of the 1970s where he employs a vast array of like-minded collaborators to create a listening experience infused with an ever-present undercurrent of personal expression and cultural empowerment that's as enriched with ideas as it is progressive in its form.
Having earned his chops as founding member of the Brand New Heavies, Campag Velocet and Heliocentric World, Lascelle's latest album Can You See What I'm Trying to Say bursts with energy and vivid contrasts, flowing effortlessly between beat-laden grooves, oscillating improvisations, soulful recitations, audio verité and moody atmospherics. The album drops like a post-hip-hop reimagining of foundational genres, with a prayer to the future.
''Can You See What I'm Trying to Say' is a quote from Marion Brown, the great alto saxophonist' explains Gordon. 'The album was put together over the last three years, not in the conventional way of going into the recording studio with musicians, but starting from ideas I had on various formats (cassettes, mini disc, DATs & reel to reel). I also used field recordings. I did a lot of home recording with long time musical friends Ben Cowen & Diana Gutkind, some of them going back 20 years. The voices of my nieces (heard on Law of the Universe) were recorded 25 years ago. 'Only in a Dream' and 'Empty Streets' are the only songs that were recorded live in the studio.'
'I was blown away by the New Life Trio 'Empty Streets' (from 1978) and was fascinated by the vocals' continues Lascelles. 'I always thought it would be great to cover this tune'. Such is the power of this song, it's used to open the album, with vocalist Ebony Rose turning in a thoroughly haunting vocal performance. While not a concept album as such, Lascelles has nonetheless conceived and presented Can You See What I'm Trying to Say to be heard as a complete listening experience, with each track blending into the next, resulting in a seamless expression of music.
Following 'Empty Streets', some instrumental interludes segue into a dimensional drift of beats, space synths, horns and electronics; there's a vocal reprise of 'Acting For Liberation', sung with gusto by Maggie Nichols, and then there's the album's momentous finale, 'Only In A Dream', which takes off as an ominous drone before a delicious bassline from the late Ken Kambayashi transforms it into an intense, soaring epic which finally descends onto another world.
In a career spanning several decades, Lascelle Gordon remains an omnivorous musical force, whether as DJ, collaborator or radio broadcaster. As amply demonstrated on Can You See What I'm Trying to Say, he refuses to rest on his laurels and continues to impress with music that is as rich, vital and contemporary as anything he's done before, covering an incredible amount of musical ground in the process.
The Detroit Reels Project, est. 2019.
We are proud to welcome to the world of Unissued Soul something we have been working on since almost a year. When Brad Hales from Peoples Records out of Gratiot, Detroit, invited us over to discuss the project I had no idea of what was going on.
Turns out a posse was coming together to handle a very relevant archive of reel tapes, mainly containing demo takes from a handful of recording Studios based in the area. After the discovery and the subsequent physical restoration of the reels (baking and transferring to a workable format), we at would play the role of complete/arrange and release those original recordings rolled up on a spindle since 50 years.
We have set up a little sister label called Cannonball Detroit with the not-so-easy task to handle the “artistic” side of this delicate plan. All releases within this program bear an arranged/finished version on Side A and original reel demo on Side B.




















