Soul 2020 - A lookback in... ?

[Mike]

Maybe a hard topic this, but if we try and keep things positive slanted then it may be a bit of fun during this post -xmas pre-new year period...?

Highlights of 2020 soul wise..

Anyone up for sharing their take on the 2020 year soul wise?

Say such pass ons as...

Best new 45s release heard/bought, their top online event/dj/set, the 45 that got away, the long sought resolved want, the top bargain, the soul source post that made them laugh or cry and so on...

Anyone up for sharing...

 

 

 

 

[Tomangoes]

Well I will kick it off with something simple...

This tune really sums up a great feel good sound these last few months.

Brings a smile to my face everytime I watch it.

Ed

 

[Mike]

not sure where that fit's in with the looking back on the last year Ed

but no worries, thanks for getting things going 

any  takers for any more?

how about the best new 45 release?

if there was an award for the most 'genuine' retro single maybe this would take it?

 

[Winsford Soul]

For me apart from kicking off the new year at a oldies venue Monaco ballroom.  Hindley which I really enjoyed. The Springfield nighter at the end of January ( birthday  weekend  ) has become a must not miss, then there was the Wrong Crowd, soul night in Feb and my first visit to Stafford  rangers which was fantastic  i was so looking forward to returning . Plus the nighters at Rugby, Bury then the lockdown kicked in and along came BVAN to save my sanity and offer me my weekly fix of virtual soul. Which until we get out of this shit hole of a pandemic is as close as we are going to see.  That's my little bit added 

Edited December 29, 2020 by Winsford Soul

[Mike]

pulling teeth?

ok, how about some contenders for the best was unissued now issued track on 45  in 2020?

 

[Mike]

1 hour ago, Mike said:

pulling teeth?

ok, how about some contenders for the best was unissued now issued track on 45  in 2020?

 

 

 

 

one contender imo

any more ?

 

[Chalky]

Best Cd for me was Kent and Ady Croasdell's labour of love "Kenny Carter - Showdown"

https://acerecords.co.uk/showdown-the-complete-1966-rca-recordings

[Leicester Boy]

Missed so many events but reading the posts of some of the members on here has just about kept me sane, the knowledge on this site is second to none.

[Kenb]

Stephen Stevlor's book Dave Godin a northern Soul was both a highlight and a revelation

Edited December 30, 2020 by Kenb

[Chalky]

Contender for the second best CD...

https://acerecords.co.uk/soul-voices-60s-big-ballads

[Midnight Drifter]

Unissued release: Alpaca Phase III by diggin deep was certainly one of the best for me this year..

Also the Kenny Carter mentioned above was a highlight. 

But the biggest gain for me this year was the decision to finally getting started with buying Soul records at a bigger scale in January after  more or less forcing myself to stay away for more than 20 years as my other field of interest is expensive enough.. not the wisest decision my bank accountant (and wife) would say but I have to admit it feels great!! 

[Mike]

new years eve tomorrow

2020 lookback

any more for any more.....

 

[Chalky]

https://lightintheattic.net/releases/7235-the-legendary-beyons

The Legendary Beyon's, seems to have sold out most places, Glyn Thornhill did have copies?

[Chalky]

It's been a good year for the specialist reissue labels be it new music or new old music.

Kent are still setting the standards others follow.  The revival of Hit & Run and Shotgun, along with One World Records are much welcomed releasing some superb sides.  New labels such as witch's Soul Direction kicked off with promising releases selling out very quickly as did Colin Law and John Buckley's North Broad Street Records.  

Cannonball are still doing the business, Diggin' Deep go form strength to strength and Dave Welding's Soul Junction is still one of the leading lights with an excellent release coming up in early 2021 (you can hear it on my latest mix I put up yesterday). Super Disco Edits just brIlliant. Izipho Soul, have put out some outstanding modern and earlier soul music and Cordial also putting out some quality music.  This is just a brief snap shot of the labels, there are many more doing great things for soul music.

There is still some outstanding music being released, I don't by any means collect it all, not by a long shot, it takes a lot of keeping up with but there are several decent radio shows out there to help try and keep you up to date, two of the best for me are Mick O'Donnells Soul Discovery and Mark Merry's Soul Sermon.  Roger Williams, Mark Randle and many others doing there best to keep us all informed as well.

There is a stack of good music out there with much more to come in 2021.

Edited December 30, 2020 by Chalky

[Rhino]

Great start to the year out and about promoting wrong crowd then covid. Got to say a MASSIVE THANK YOU to all the production team and djs who appeared at the BURY VIRTUAL ALLNIGHTER. Its been a main stay of what's got me personally through this year. Good crack on chatroom even with Nigel . New years eve should be a blast I'm for sure. Simon idea was amasing and still as good as the 1st show cheers to all involved all the best for the new year all, hopefully we will dance again in 2021

[Micksmix]

Yeah Bury VAN has been the mainstay for a lot of people,never staying the same,different themed shows every month keeping it fresh.Looking forward to NYE for the "best of Bury" Some great output on the vinyl front,Russell Paine at Super Disco Edits has also unearthed some top drawer unnissued 70's soul,long may it continue!! and agree Pete,hopefully not too much longer before we get to go back out again! 

[Soulandy]

Highlights for me this year, Swinton Niter in January, BVAN, and finding out I' have a proper copy of Don Thomas - Come on Train after thinking it was a pressing all these years and nearly sold it for a fiver a couple of years back

[Blackpoolsoul]

High point for me was managing to get to one of our local car boot sales in-between the lockdowns and buying 3 LP's for a £1 in nice knick

 

[Geeselad]

On 29/12/2020 at 19:01, Mike said:

 

one contender imo

any more ?

 

Onyx-Brilliant ' you never fail to amaze me'

[Guest]

Favourite house revival - there were many but for the first time in awhile from the record store I listened to and enjoyed:

Sam Fletcher 'More Today Than Yesterday' (Vault)

Blues Bros # 1 'Letter of Regret'  (eclipse)

Betty Everett 'In Your Arms' (ABC)

Bobby Long 'Station Hurt' (Cub)

I went to town (well not literally) on new stuff and reissues. Praise be to labels like Izipho and Colemine. If I had to pick one 45  it would be Trish Toledo 'The Only One' (Mango Hill). It's been in my current section for months.

Album wise I've been playing The Pockets three LPs this past month which I had neglected despite owning them at least twenty years plus. Excellent Earth, Wind & Fire inspired soul from back in the day.

New stuff albums - it's been a vintage year with top releases from Mama's Gun, Durand Jones and the Indicators, Roland Johnson, Don Varner and Nick Corbin. Corbin's album 'Sweet Escape' is full of wonderful songs. The guy is a songsmith of the very highest order.

 

Edited January 3, 2021 by DukeBurgundy
Grammar

[Greedy]

Highlights for me were having time and money to look for records as I don't always have a lot of spare money to spend but with not going out I've probably bought more this year than since the early 80s. And I  finally got one of these 

And the other thing that I found that I enjoyed was growing vegetables etc. In my garden, On the  first day of lockdown the area on the right was just lawn and by mid summer I had a  great selection .  Looking forward to growing some more in the spring. 

[Blackpoolsoul]

1 hour ago, Greedy Mick said:

Highlights for me were having time and money to look for records as I don't always have a lot of spare money to spend but with not going out I've probably bought more this year than since the early 80s. And I  finally got one of these 

And the other thing that I found that I enjoyed was growing vegetables etc. In my garden, On the  first day of lockdown the area on the right was just lawn and by mid summer I had a  great selection .  Looking forward to growing some more in the spring. 

And you will be saddened to know (unless you already did) of the passing in early December of Deborah Christine Newton Cathey, half of The Chantells........RIP

https://www.cumbyfuneral.com/tributes/Deborah-Cathey

[Greedy]

1 hour ago, Blackpoolsoul said:

And you will be saddened to know (unless you already did) of the passing in early December of Deborah Christine Newton Cathey, half of The Chantells........RIP

https://www.cumbyfuneral.com/tributes/Deborah-Cathey

Thank you for letting me know.  Although I knew the 2 singers names I didn't know much about them.   Very sad news for Her family and friends.. 

 

[Daved]

Album of the year imo is Ledisi's - The Wild Card featuring this dancer. A real solid album with lots of great tracks. She's been pretty consistent for 20 years now.

 

 

 

 

Edited January 4, 2021 by Daved

[Mickey Finn]

1 hour ago, Daved said:

Album of the year imo is Ledisi's - The Wild Card featuring this dancer. A real solid album with lots of great tracks. She's been pretty consistent for 20 years now.

I've still to make up my mind on that after having spent most of the year's holiday budget on music of all eras. I filled a lot of holes in my Kent cd collection and was very pleased to keep up with various reissues and never-before-issued stuff, but of the newies so far I'd also nominate Light of the World's comeback album Jazz Funk Power as a strong contender. Of the latest reissues the Kenny Carter and Little Ann collections are top notch, and a lot of earlier reissues from Numero, Light in the Attic, Jazzman and others have turned up suddenly heavily discounted, so once again filling in various gaps there.

One thing 2020 underlined was the importance of good radio, along with the growing accumulation of podcasts and streams - Mixcloud is incredible for the sheer range of good quality output, new and old. BVAN has shown how the spirit of a proper rare soul gig can be preserved and enjoyed in real time with spinners and punters interacting and appreciating the music selections. I didn't do much of the FB home deejay stuff, but I made an exception for the Boomerang soul sessions with Maria O and Arthur Fenn - highly enjoyable and good to see and hear the music being played.

Steve Stevlor's book on Dave Godin is a fine tribute in every way.

And thanks to everyone involved in keeping this forum so active and informative.