2022 - The Best Cuts

[Guest]

2022 was a difficult year but in my opinion it was a great year for new soul and related genres. I bought more new releases than in the past twenty years so, as no-one else appears to have done so, I thought I would nominate a few tunes. Just the five so as not to hog the thread. Three British based records and two from the USA including one from an old timer.

Carmy Love - Thinking About It (Big AC records 7 '') . The former New Street Adventure backing vocalist stepped out front in 2021 and this fab 45 was one of the results. She has a a great voice. Prelude to an album?

Phono 48 - So Pure - (Big AC records  12 '' ) - Possibly a one-off by a group of young London musicians that included Nick Corbin and Laville on vocals this outstanding piece of music was a regular on my turntable. My daughter saw them at the 100 Club in Oxford Street and sent me a sample. Wish I had been there.

Jalen N'Gonda - What a Difference She Made - (Daptone 7") - The Liverpool based American came to my attention a few years ago. This seven inch from the Daptone organisation is beautifully produced with that distinctive Daptone drumbeat. Flip over for more laid back vibes with 'Just Like You Used To'

Thee Sacred Souls - Weak For Your Love from Thee Sacred souls (Daptone-Penrose Cd) - It's almost invidious to select one track from the twelve on this Chicano soul album from Thee Sacred Souls. This one got a 45 release as did 'Can I call You Rose?' . Dreamy, ethereal stuff. I loved the album.

Johnny Rawls - Straight From The Bottle from Going Back To Mississippi  (Third Street Cigar Cd) - All the best new releases come from the young blades these days (as it should be) but the veteran Johnny Rawls bucked the trend in 2022. He produced at the age of seventy a memorably good southern blues soul album. There's not a duff track with the ballad 'If You Ever Get Lonely' and this swampy, bluesy outing about a down home dive of a place my personal favourites.

 

 

 

Edited January 16, 2023 by Dukeofburgundy
Clarification

[Johndelve]

Good choices, Greg.. I would agree that the quality of new releases in last couple of years or so has been very high.

My favourite new LPs from last year were :

Gloria Scott - So wonderful. Probably as strong as What am I gonna do. A very nice surprise indeed. 

Kim Tibbs - The science of completion. Her voice has taken a while to grow on me, but it now has, and the songs and music are first class.  

Thee Sacred Souls - same.  As you say, hard to choose one track over another. 

 

 

 

[Benji]

as already said before, the self-titled Thee Sacred Souls is marvelous. Some of the tracks had been released on 45 before. But my album-only top tip is "love comes easy". Fantastic.

another 2022 album release which I wholeheartly recommend is Lady Wray "Queen alone". Not that much material dancefloor-wise. But many quality slower, mid-tempo, ballad-ish tunes. Check it out.

 

[Modern Man]

Not necessarily the top 4 tunes I purchased during 2022 but these sprang to mind as being worth a mention and were all to hand. Great follow up album from Dwayne Scivally and 3 very decent 7” singles:

[Stateside]

On 16/01/2023 at 17:16, Johndelve said:

Good choices, Greg.. I would agree that the quality of new releases in last couple of years or so has been very high.

My favourite new LPs from last year were :

Gloria Scott - So wonderful. Probably as strong as What am I gonna do. A very nice surprise indeed. 

Kim Tibbs - The science of completion. Her voice has taken a while to grow on me, but it now has, and the songs and music are first class.  

Thee Sacred Souls - same.  As you say, hard to choose one track over another. 

 

 

 

Missed both Gloria Scott and Kim Tibbs........both excellent, thanks for the intro

[Daved]

 

This is a list of my favourites from 2022:

1. The Star of A Story (feat. Lisa Fischer) [Extended Version] – Louie Vega
2. Where Would I Be Without You? – Kim Tibbs
3. Now's The Time For Us – Julian Jonah feat. Tamika
4. Grateful (feat. Robert Gee) – Luman Child
5. So Pure (feat. Laville, Kitty Liv & Nick Corbin) – Phono 48
6. If You Ever Need Somebody - Mistura and Dave Lee featuring Tiffany T’zelle
7. Love And Fire – Hil St. Soul
8. Seen (feat. Cory Henry) – Eric Roberson
9. Family Time (feat. Y'Anna Crawley) – Glenn Jones
10. Somebody's Watching You – The Jack Moves
11. All Talk (OPOLOPO Extended Remix) – Brian Jackson
12. Baby Let's Dance Tonight (Soulpersona Remix) – Jay King
13. I Got My Happy Back – Dee Dee Davis
14. In the Presence (feat. Derick Hughes) - The Leonard Lothlen Project
15. Life Is a Song (Ol' Skool Extended Mix) - David Morales & Michelle Perera
16. This Is of the Most High – Royalty Duo
17. Your Love Keeps Me Groovin' (feat. Kenneth Bailey) - The Soultrend Orchestra & Papik
18. Erykah U Bad – Maxine Scott
19. Skydive - Alicia Keys
20. Eye To Eye – Output / Input
21. This Hotel Is Closed – Gavin Holligan
22. Fly Away – Em-Cee
23. Tough Love – Mary J. Blige
24. I'm OK (feat. Nicholas Payton) – Lindsey Webster
25. Get it Got it- Adi Oasis
26. I Touch Myself - Princess Freesia
27. Find Your Heaven (Featuring Valerie Etienne) – STR4TA
28. Wanna Love You (feat. Tony Lindsay) [Radio Edit] - Binkley DeLeon
29. Never Give You Up – Marcy Brown
30. Her Heart's In His Hand - Frank McComb