Time for holidays

I will be away on holidays. Next post on August 25.

For one more time, I wanna thank especially all the visitors of my blog. Thank you very much.

Jeff & Derrick - I can't keep my mind off you

I remember four years ago when I found an album by Jeff & Derrick. However I did not buy it because was an unknown album to me. Also I had never heard samples from this album. I tried to find info about Jeff & Derrick, but nothing.

Jeff & Derrick released this single entitled "I Can't Keep My Mind Off You / Do You Like It" on Americom Records. Also it was released as 12 incher on the same label respectively.
Produced by M.Lewis. Composed by two brothers Melvin and Mervin Steals from the town of Aliquippa. Dr.Melvin Steals and Mervin Steals co-wrote the smash hits "Could It Be I'm Falling in Love" for the Spinners. Also they wrote for First Choice, Gloria Gaynor, the Trammps, Touch of Class, Arthur Prysock and for many other artists.

Note: The above posted single is not played in full

This article is the last before I leave for holidays.

2nd Anniversary

I opened this blog two years ago. Today it's the second anniversary. All the posts on my blog come from my personal collection.

I would like to thank some special people and friends who helped me last year.

First I want to thank my friend Nicolas Drosos who helped me for every single post of my blog.

Also special thanks goes to Harold a great guy and singer from Milwaukee known from the great song "Shortage Of Love", for his love in me.

Special thanks also goes to fantastic guitarist and singer Wali Ali for his interest on my blog.

I would like to thank Karvin Johnson for his help and for his collaboration. Karvin Johnson was the lead singer of the groups Halo The Band and Gemini.

I want to thank Rodney Bell of the gospel group Infinity for his interest on my blog. Also thanks to Mechelle LaChaux female jazz singer and friend of Rodney Bell's.

Finally, I want to thank producer John Florez , singer Jesse Gomez and female singer Barbara Morrison for info about their career.

I wanna thank especially all the visitors of my blog. Thank you very much.

For my second anniversary, I decided to present a special track which is appropriate for such an anniversary.

The song is "Happy Birthday" by an obscure group called Sugar.

This rare 7 incher was released on Da-Wal Records. Executive produced by David Casey and Walt Gollender. Arranged by Gary Culpepper.

Note: The above posted single is not played in full

Something Unique - This Feeling Between Us 1981

Something Unique was an obscure female group which released a single entitled "This Feeling Between Us" on Sheridan House as 7 incher and 12 incher respectively in 1981. 12 incher includes one more song entitled “Catch Action”. I think “Catch Action” is better known than “This Feeling Between Us”.

Composed by Kent Harris and Marshall McQueen. Marshall McQueen had collaborated with several artists such as Leon Haywood, Chuck Strong, J.D.Hall, Ted Taylor, Tony Love and Charles Breckinridge Overton known as C.B.Overton.
Horns arranged by Dave Wells. Produced by Dan McGill and Doug Smith.

Note: The above posted single is not played in full

William Bell - Bad Time To Break Up 1983

Most of Soul music lovers know William Bell quite well as a performer and songwriter, and one of the architects of the Stax-Volt sound.

Bell was born in Memphis, Tennessee. He took the last name "Bell" as a stage name in honor of his grandmother, whose first name was Belle.

Today I want to present one of the best songs of the William Bell career called "Bad Time To Break Up". I must mention that this song deserved much greater recognition.
This 7 incher was released by Kat Family Records. Distributed by CBS Records.

The musicians were Michael Allen Stewart on piano and guitar, Danny Jones on drums and percussion, David Leonard on guitar, Ricky Keller on bass, Michael Wayne on sax and Jerry Brooks, Tom Wallace on trumpet.

Cello by Larry Lemaster, violins by Frances Jeffry, Oscar Pereira, Patricio Salvatierra, Vincent Frittelli and viola by Peter Bertolino.

It was composed by himself, Michael Allen Stewart and Nat George. Horn Arrangements by Michael Wayne. Solo sax by Michael Wayne. Vocal arrangements by William Bell. Produced by William Bell & Michael Allen Stewart.

This single was included on the album entitled "Survivor" on the same label in 1983. However the track from Lp has a longer time than 7 incher.

Note: The above posted tracks are not played in full

Rita Johns - A Little Bit Of Love 1981

Ladies and gentlemen, I'm the first blogger in the world, who present one of the exquisite modern soul songs entitled "A Little Bit Of Love" by Rita Johns. It has never been played on radio.

Rita Johns is an obscure blue eyed soul singer from Canada. She is lesser known for another club song entitled “Haunted by love”. She released an album entitled “One Woman Show” on Jingle Machine Records (JMR) in 1981.

It was recorded at Zaza Sound Productions, Toronto and Manta Sound, Toronto.

Most of the songs on the album were written by David Schindler and Rita Johns. Produced and arranged by David Schindler.

Pat Labarbera with his sax accompanies Rita on vocals.

Pat (Pascel Emmanuel) LaBarbera (Born April 7, 1944 in Mt. Morris, New York, USA) is considered one of the finest saxophone soloists working within the framework of John Coltrane's principals. The connection was most obvious when he worked with Elvin Jones groups which began in 1975.

He moved to Toronto, Ontario, Canada in 1974 and is a member of the faculty at Humber College. A true intellectual of improvisation, he has been among the key members of the Toronto jazz scene for more than 30 years.

Enjoy this exquisite track. All the other songs from the album have different style.



Note: The above posted track is not played in full

BARBARA MORRISON LIVE AT CATALINA JAZZ CLUB

One Show Only! 8:PM

She will be appearing at Catalina Bar & Grill 6725 Sunset Boulevard Hollywood CA 90028, this Saturday Night, July 17, 2010 with the "Bu Crew", Charles Small (guitar), Ronald Bishop (percusion), Peter Buck (drums) and Richard Taylor (bass).

www.catalinajazzclub.com

www.barbaramorrison.com

This will be one of the last chances of the summer for us to get together because she is leaving for Europe on August 5th, 2010 and she will be gone for 6 weeks.

Excursion - Song of my life 1981

Excursion was an obscure jazz group from Detroit which released a single entitled "Song of my life" on Pizzazz Records in 1981. Probably it was recorded at Tantus Studio in Detroit.

Pizzazz Records was especially a jazz label. On the same label was released ultra rare album entitled "Until my love returns" by Sunrise LTD in 1980.

Composed and produced by Harold Taylor. Probably Taylor is the same guy with LeBaron Taylor who was jazz disc jockey and music director at WCHB in the 60s and co-owner on the label Revilot Records. Enjoy this summer track.

Note: The above posted track is not played in full

Cooper & Ross - Bottom Line 1982 Lp

Cooper & Ross are Cathy Cooper and Jimmie Ross. In the late 60s bassist and vocalist Jimmie Ross was a member of the pop/rock group called "The Jaggez". In 1975 the group disbanded and Ross joined in the group "The Skyliners".

Also Cathy Cooper was a member of the group "The Skyliners". In 1982 Cathy & Jimmie released an album entitled "Bottom Line" on MCA Records. In fact the album was released by Sweet City Records, however Sweet City was a part of MCA Records.

Sweet City Records was formed by a veteran promo Carl Maduri and Midwest concert mogul Mike Belkin in December 1975. It was recorded at the Recording Connection, Cleveland, at Hitsville/Motown L.A California.

Most of the musicians were unknown. Jimmy John Sicliano on bass, Jack Graham and Bob Fraser on guitar, Donnie Marsico on drums and Ted Sass, Bill Duncan on keyboards. Also Ricky Bell, Tom First and Dan McCarthy on horns. Produced by Carl Maduri. Also two more tracks produced by Teddy Randazzo and Phil Hurt respectively.

I chose two tracks entitled "You're the one" and "Only the lonely".

Note: The above posted tracks are not played in full

Not to be confused with the artist Jimmy Ross who recorded an album called "First true love affair" in 1981.

Bill Summers & Summers Heat - Your Love 1978

Bill Summers (born 1948) is a New Orleans based Afro-Cuban jazz/Latin jazz percussionist, a multi-instrumentalist who plays primarily the conga drums. Summers has a much longer musical career. He collaborated with more than two hundred artists. Also he has recorded several albums as a leader with the group Summers Heat. One of them was the album called "Straight to the Bank" on Prestige Records in 1978. It was recorded at Fantasy Studios, Berkeley; Wally Heider Studio 3, Hollywood and Sunset Sound, Hollywood.

Great musicians participated on that album such as John Barnes on keyboards, Leon Ndugu Changler on drums, Ray Obiedo on guitars and Fred Washington on bass. Also George Bohanon on trombone, Oscar Brashear and Jerry Hey on trumpets, Ernie Watts on sax and flute. Background vocals by Leo Miller, Virginia Ayers, Maxi Anderson and Josie James. Strings arranged by John Barnes. Horns by Reggie Andrews. Produced by Leon Ndugu Chancler.

I chose the great instrumental entitled "Your love". Solo flute by Ernie Watts.

Note: The above posted track is not played in full

Roger Cruz - Here we are again

I decided to present this scarce, obscure 7 incher for one reason. Where are all those radio-producers and DJs from England who think they know all about black music? Why haven't they discovered it by now? Some months ago I bought it on GEMM for very little money. No comments.

Roger Cruz (born 1947) was an unknown singer. It is worthy to mention that Gene Page helped him as arranger. He released this single entitled "Here we are again / With lover on the side" on Trac Records label from Washington. Date of creation 1982.

I have chosen "Here we are again". Composed by Roger and Linda Cruz. Produced by himself. Enjoy!

Note: The above posted single is not played in full