This Is My Record Of The Year.......

I've really enjoyed 2010 from a musical  standpoint .Despite what the naysayers and moaners may have led you to believe there has been some great Muisc For The Soul released this year.
 From the amazing Soul sound of Andreya Triani , through the epic sprawling masterpice of Kanye West's " My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy " album ,John Legend & The Roots BRILLIANT " Hard Times " album ,Nicky Minaj's great " Pink Friday " album ,Janelle Monae's incredible " The Arch Android " opus ,Danny Byrd'a Old-Skool Rave/Drum & Bass cracker " Rave Digger "and a plethora of fantastic electronic/dubstep albums from Phealeh, Darkstar,Ikonika ,anything on Hyperdub ( my label of the year ) and many many more there has has been so much to celebrate and enjoy .
 I am by nature an optimist not a cynic,I'm a music snob blessed with great taste in  and greater passion for music....

 MUSIC IS SO IMPORTANT ,IT IS ART ,IT HAS MEANING AND VALUE AND HAS HAD A PROFOUND EFFECT ON MY LIFE .........I WILL NEVER TIRE OF GREAT NEW MUSIC OR STOP LOVING THE ARTISTS THAT HAVE MADE ME SO HAPPY

RIP Lady T and Gregory Issacs,two artist I have listened to for years and will continue to listen to as long as I live....thank you both for your incredible voices and music............through your music you will live for ever ,God Bless You both

Now comes the time for me to anoint one track THE  First  "Soul Guru's Track of The Year " ....a track that is in my opinion the best of the year
 This is based on a lot of scientific data ...like how it made me feel when I first head it ,the great memories it brings back of The Big Chill ,and just how damn great it is..............Ladies & Gentlemen the winner is ........................Magnetic Man " I Need Air "..watch the video here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2vWQFHP3D0
 Thanks for following me ,next year TSG blog will be better ,more opinionated and funnier than ever
HAPPY NEW YEAR !

Teena Marie will never die

Today's news that Teena was found dead in her bed by her daughter yesterday is genuinely shocking .The tragedy of her death at only 54  and that it should be her daughter who found  her dead on Boxing day gives the situation added poignancy ...........and let nobody doubt that we have lost a genuine Princess of Soul ,a real talent.
 I always find it sad when an  artist whose music has made made a major impact on me dies ,but I find this news particularly hard to bear. It could be because we are the same age but I think it is more that she just had such a huge influence on my life. When her first album - Wild And Peaceful - came out I was working in City Sounds and it was an instant hit with all the Soul Boys and Girls who made up the bulk of my customers.
The album artwork didn't have any photos of Lady T  because Motown didn't want the audience to know she was white ......you would never have guessed it by listening to her as she sang the seminal " I'm Just A Sucker For Your Love " with Rick James ,this track simply IS Funk
 Through albums like Lady T and the astonishing Irons In The Fire and tracks like Behind The Groove ,I Need Your Lovin,Square Biz  and Portugese Love she made Soul music of the highest calibre...a new Teena Marie album was a big event ,and she didn't let us down . Her move from Motown to Epic didn't really work and from then on the quality of her music was variable- but her voice and spirit remained.
 I've been listening to her music this morning and ,whilst listening to " Deja Vu ( I've Been Here Before ) " I heard her singing " When you die you come back again,I thank God I thank God when you die you come back again " . I'm not embarrassed to say I cried my eyes out - not just for Teena but for my Mum and Dad and all the other beautiful friends I've lost
 This is the essence of Soul Music I believe...it makes me FEEL.Sometimes the feelings are good but often Soul music brings me feelings that hurt ,and that's why I love it ,why it will always be a part of my life and why Teena Marie will never die in my mind,I am blessed to have known her through her music. If you're not familiar with Lady T here's an updated wikipedia account of her .http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teena_Marie
God Bless you Teena RIP X

And So This Is This Christmas ....And What Have YOU Done ?

The Soul Guru sits and thinks .....so what has 2010 done to broaden the mind ,body and SOUL ? Actually I think it has been quite a significant year for me ......a year when I started to realize that music is becoming increasingly devalued ,that the dreaded X-Factor lowest common-denominator kareoke competition  was somehow important to 20 million people ..............are you lot ,mentally deranged ?
 The bloke who won that shit was a painter and decorator........guess why ? Coz he has no charisma ,talent or other redeemable feature ....give him a ladder and a brush and tell him to Fuck Off back to decorating !
 I can't stand this trivialization of music ,it makes me so  angry !
 In 2011 The Soul Guru is going to reach out to all of you who actually care about music ...and there are thousands of us ...and we are gonna talk about great music ,get together to listen and dance to great music and do what we can to prove to people that music IS important ,that we WONT be led like sheep ,that Soul music + Fashion + Clubs = being part of a movement of people who know how to have a good time and realize that taste and class are vital ingredients of Club Culture
 I'm just in my 50's now and I'm still interested in great music ,clubs,fashion,style ,class ...........and it will never change for me coz ITS MY LIFE ! I'm going to return to DJing ,playing only the records I like - they will be brilliant ,trust me, coz I've got taste
 So this is Christmas and what have YOU done this year to show that music,clubs,style and fashion are important to you ?
 I've started to write this blog ,now once a week ,and I love expressing my feelings about new music . To those of you who may say " So what " ? I say this .........at least I did something !
 Happy Christmas and let's stand up and be counted next year...starting on January 15th at The Soul Guru's Birthday Party
 The Soul Guru Loves YOU x

I'm Mad As Hell And I'm Not Gonna Take It Anymore

Excuse the delay in posting but over the past two weeks I've been re-assessing why I write and what I'd like to achieve.
 I set out in my own small way to try to bring good music to people's attention....music has been my profession for over 30 years ,from selling records and DJ-ing  in Brighton to signing some of the great British Soul and Dance acts to working in film ,management and A& R as I do  now.
 Quite simply ,from where I am ,the state of the mainstream muisc business has never been so awful - from Simon Cowell and his hideous pub-singer kareoke competitions to the endless mindless Urban records that seem to be everywhere.
What the FUCK happened to quality control ? Where are all the great new artists who actually have something today apart from I've got loads of money a big dick and all women are ho's ? What Goings On is my favourite album and the question I want answered .
 To qoute Peter Lawford in one of THE great movies Network  " I'm Mad As Hell And I'm Not Gonna Take It Any More "
 I set out to write about great new Music with Soul - not just Soul Music . I soon realized that there is only so much great music and rather than have the quality of the artist I write about suffer I'm now going to write this over the weekend and post on a Monday .
 I never write about major label stuff unless it is exceptional like Kanye West ,I buy everything I write about and thus I feel qualified to criticize stuff as and when necessary.
 I love music so much ,I enjoy a lot of new music ,I'm not stuck in a timewarp where everything from the turn of the century is crap.......I promise to bring some amazing new music to your attention
 Music Is SO important ,it is the only art form that makes us instantly recall old friends,lovers, good times and bad as soon as we hear a particular song. It makes us laugh ,cry ,dance and just feel emotions ,even if we would rather not sometimes.
 Who gives a fuck about a variety of talentless fuckwits being mentored by cretins like Louie Walsh  ? apparently millions ! Frankly I couldn't give a shit about all that
 The blog will look and sound much better thanks to a couple of people I'm working with on the style and it will be much more widely read.................quite right too
The Soul Guru Loves YOU X

The Decline Of The Album is Terrible For Creativity

When I got to Brighton I was  quite the Soul Boy snob- I bought Motown , Stax , Hi ,James Brown etc .......I was also quite possibly the worst-dressed Soul Boy ever,my favourite shirt was an orange needlecord shirt I bought from Harry Fenton in Swindon ,but that's another story for another day.
 I cannot place the exact record that made me realize that you didn't have to be Black to make Soul music - it may have been " How Long " by Ace or it may have been " Pick Up The Pieces " by Average White Band or even the realization that R Dean Taylor was indeed white.
 There can be no doubt however as to the two great albums ,that I still listen to today ,that opened my ears to the the fact that " Blue Eyed Soul " was indeed more than worthy of serious consideration........" Abandoned Luncheonette " by Hall & Oates and " Silk Degrees " by Boz Scaggs.
 Both albums are as close to perfection as is possible - if you're reading this and don't know either album then please buy/download them now and just sit back and listen to them ALL THE WAY THROUGH . Nowadays you're lucky if a 15 track album has more than 4 decent cuts .......on these there's not a single note out of place ,the vocals and arrangements are pefection.
 I'm very aware that I am older than the new generation of music buyer and I know you will find it hard to believe me when I say at times I NEARLY ( not quite ! ) feel sorry for today's  A&R's as nowadays hardly anyone  below 20 seems to buy tracks not albums ( at least My boys do ) ...........what's that all about ?
 It used to be " you're as good as your last album " ...now it's " You're as good as your last track " .
 How on earth can anyone be expected to create great art under that kind of pressure.........maybe that's why the best music is to be found on small indies who don't care about chart placings ?
 I got into the Music Biz by chance - I never gave a Fuck about commercial music - I encouraged great artists to express themselves over many albums by letting them know that if people at the label criticized them I would always take their side and defend their right to make the music they wanted to
 And thats's why I'm The Godfather Of British Black Music A&R ...none EVER fucked with me or my artists
The Soul Guru Loves YOU x

Not all American Urban Music is Vacuous Shit

Ever since I became a Soul Boy ...yeah yeah when Dinosaur's ruled the earth I know - at any given moment there have been a particular Paoduction crew who shaped the contemporary sound of their particular era
 From Norman Whitfield ( a genuine GENIUS)  with The Temptations ,Undisputed Truth etc through Willie Mitchell - Al Green ,Ann Peebles,Syl Johnson - through The Philly Sound onto Edwards and Rogers - Chic and Sister Sledge - to the might Jam & Lewis GOD I LOVE THEIR SOUND STILL - through our very own Jazzie B to Teddy Riley ( new jack swing ) Timberland ,Redone and beyond........twas ever thus.
 Once the Soul crowd found a sound they like everyone wanted it until one day a new sound arrived and everyone wanted that........it wasn't that they no longer like the old sound but we Soul boys and Girls LOVE a new beat,don't we ?
 About 15 years ago in the States it came to pass- with the proliferation of media outlets -that more music was required to feed the machine....now logic says that there just ain't that much good music to go around ,hence standards dropped and some real shit started to get played,and the decline has been steady and steep .What was the last decent album you heard from an American Soul artist ? Check the liner notes and you will see that the same writers and Producers at re on every album........what you won't know - coz you're not in the business like me- is that often the Producers assistants do all the work then the Producer takes all the credit....thats how they manage to make 15 records at a time ...Simples !
 An exception to this rule of diminshing returns is The-Dream aka Terius Youngdell Nash whose latest album - Love King - is an excellent modern American Urban album.
 I first heard of him when he and his partner Tricky ( NOT Bristol Tricky ) Produced Umbrellla for Rhianna and Single Ladies for the world's sexiest woman ........Oh My Lord she is HOT ! !
 His first album Love Hate came out in 2007 ,his second ,the excellent Love v Money 2 years later
 Cast your prejudices aside and listen
 This has been a public service announcement
The Soul Guru Loves YOU x

The Album Of The Year ?

Dear disciples if you had told me this time last year that I would be nominating Kanye West for "Album Of The Year " I would have said thee was as much chance of that happening asSpurs qualifying for The Champions League !
 However both events have come to pass ...Spurs courtesy of another gift from the mighty Saints,Gareth Balle. Kanye West through his magnificent,epic " My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy " album.
 After 2 exceptional albums - Graduation and Late Registration his behaviour became increasingly egocentric and bizarre and his last album ,808's and Heartbreak was a piece of shit. Coupled with his pathetic behaviour at The Grammy's I had him definitely listed under " Past Sell-By Date ".
 However over the past 3 months or so via www.kanyewest.com he instigated Good Fridays - and every Friday he would make a track from the album available as a free download. Curious as ever I startede downloading the tracks ...and gradually like an amazing sonic jigsaw this incredible album took shape . It is awesome,arrogant,ambitious and amazing ... a collection of tracks that sit together brilliantly featuring collaborations from long-time friends of Kanye like Jay-Z and Kid Cudi as well as Raekwon and in an inspired collaboration with Bon-Iver.
 A lot of people say they " hate rap " as if it were a type of cheese or something.....how can anyone hate a whole genre of great new Music With Soul ,it's a bit of a generalization I think ,but mind you I hate all Pompey fans !
 Anyway the album comes complete with a 34 minute movie called Runaway starring the unbelievably hot Selita Ebanks as a Phoenix that has fallen to earth ....a lot of journalists have derided this as " pretentious crap " ....and it may be but the sequences with the ballet dancers dancing to his beats is breathtaking,beautiful and deeply moving
 Kanye West...........welcome back
TSG x

It's NEVER Too Late for Talent to Be Recognized

Evening All ....God ,I;'ve turned into Dixon Of Dock Green !
 Any today I'm gonna tell you a strory....now,I've turned into Max Bygraves.....HELP 1
 There are 2 great ,(but sadly virtually unknown outside of the true cognescenti of UK Soul )vocalists who I know well ,and still believe to this day will be successful as a UK-style Ashford & Simpson .
 They are a happily married couple , and both have truly amazing Soul voices....they are Melanie Williams ( Of Sub Sub " Ain't No LOve " fame ) and Joe Roberts - possessor of THE BEST BRITISH SOUL VOICE EVER..check the Morales mix of " Lover " that I'm going to post.
 There is a third member of the team ....my great friend and Facebook- poster Eric Gooden.
 I signed Eric and Melanie to Virgin about 20 years ago as a duet called Temper Temper who recorded a truly special album that was way ahead of its time ( most of my acts were ! ) and the public just weren't ready. I will post a song from it - a ballad called " Like We Used To "that will be a MASSIVE hit one day ...theirs truly was Soul Music .
 At the same time Joe was signed by my mate Pete Tong to London and he released his album around the same time..Joe sings as good as Al Green ,he's just brilliant !
 Eric soon decided he preferred to be in the background rather than p[erforming so he turned to writing/Producing and running his own label.......I keep telling him he was a great performer but won't have it !
 Anyway over the past 20 years Mel and Joe got married ,had 2 lovely children,and continued to record and release material as Black Flower...dark,twisted Soul Music that is well-worth listening to.
 After Black Flower I started working with them again and as Bodhi they recorded one of the GREAT British Soul albums which I have here...........but for various reasons ,too complicated to explain, it has never been released.
 Now known as Butterfly Jam ( are you keeping up with this at the back ? ) Mel and Joe perform around their native Manchester ,they are brilliant - if you get the chance to see them please go .
 They are criminally under-appreciated...these guys embody everything that Soul Music is about ....hear them sing and you will know what I mean.
 They are the band that keeps me awake most at night as I still believe that if I can get the public to hear this real-life Ashford & Simpson they will embrace them....even if its on the bloody X-Factor !
 It's NEVER too late for talent to be recognized and I'm gonna keep on trying to break them coz they are just SO good !
TSG x

Soul Music Saved My Life....literally

Morning all ,and what a beautiful one it is too ......deep and crisp and even !
 I started to write this blog because I am passionate about Music ,believe it is special ,has worth and gives meaning to our lives , and supports us especially when times are hard emotionally.
 Both my parents died in the past 4 years leaving me feeling bereft and completely numb . I went in to deep shock after my Mum died  ,so much so that I had to leave my beloved boys and move to the country to grieve and recuperate for 6 months.
 It was listening to Soul music ,especially Marvin Gaye ,that brought me " back to life " , listening to him sing ,empathizing with the sadness,lonliness and heartache in his songs ,especially the What's Going On album gave me hope that there was a better day ahead and slowly I felt my spirit returning - I still miss my Mum and Dad terribly but I can say without a shadow of a doubt that Soul Music Saved My Life . I am going to have Wholy Holy played at my funeral.....that songs means more to me than any other ,if you don't know it its on the What's Going On album,listen to the way Marvin sings ...it makes me cry .
 I didn't mean to write about this ,its just come out and I feel better for sharing it . It is incredibly painful and  personal for me to think about this but I feel safe here,amongst friends ....people who understand just how important music is to me and the huge part it plays in my life to this day . Not bad for a bloke who can't sing or play anything !
 I started out to write about new music every day so I hope you don't mind me going off message , and I meant to write about my great friends Melanie Williams and Eric Gooden ....but that will have to wait til tomorrow now
 Have A good Day ,do something kind for someone else ....call your Mum or Dad ,or if like me you no longer have them ,take 5 minutes to remember them ,and thank them for all they did for you
TSG X

Reggae Got Soul

this morning I posted  Maxi Priest's " Should I " as the latest in my egotistical series " Great Tracks By Artists That I Signed " ....well if you've got it  flaunt it I reckon ,and I've got great taste !
 It made me think about Reggae Music - how much I love it and what a sad state it seems to be in now.
 As I'm writing this I'm listening to the  recently-departed Cool Ruler - Gregory Isaacs ,oh man can he sing !
 I grew up listening to Soul as you know and I was a skinhead so I bought the old " Tighten Up " compilations - Volume 3 is still a classic compilation - but when I moved to Brighton I was introduced to a wide range of reggae in some of clubs I spent all my time in -I never missed  Brighton Soul Society on The Steen on Wednesday nights or The Crypt at Sussex University on a Thursday ,and never went to a lecture for 2 years.
 ( It may amaze you to know that I have a Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry from Sussex University so I'm not just a handsome face ! )
 Of course one of the first Reggae artist I heard in Brighton  was Bob Marley who I still adore but I particularly loved the Roots Reggae vocal harmony groups like The Gladiators,The Mighty Diamonds and Culture ....then I discovered Dennis Brown's " Wolf & Leopard " album which is probably my favourite Reggae  album of all time.
 I loved Big Youth,Tapper Zukie,U-Roy and I-Roy ....those ear;ly " toasting " albums were seldom off my turntable , even though initially I couldn't understand a word .
 When I was at Virgin we had the Front Line label so I continued to listen to a lot of reggae and when I heard Maxi Priest I knew instantly that this guy was a superstar ...and I was right of course !
 His covers of " Some Guys Have All The Luck " and " Wild World " are two of the best cover versions ever and " Close To You " was a ground-breaking classic
 Maxi has just an amazing voice - I'd like to make an album with him now coz i was the best A&R guy he ever had ..............after all ,as Toots & The Maytals sang " Reggae Got Soul "
 Since Maxi there hasn't been a great new reggae vocalist - Garnett Silk looked like the real deal but he was murdered very young so never got the chance to fulfil his huge potential .
 I still love to listen to reggae but it's usually Gregory,Dennis ,Bob or Maxi or The Mighty Diamonds ,I'm not a fan of dancehall .
 I still believe that it would be possible for a new reggae superstar to emerge......after all ,as Toots sang " Reggae Got Soul "
Til tomorrow then X

People Like Me who Sign Innovators in Music are a Dying Breed

As an A&R man I always tried to sign artists that were completely different to the ones other labels were signing......I never cared about anyone else other than myself ,after all I've got better taste than most !
 I signed a guys like Jazzie B,Kevin Saunderson ,LeftField,Curtis Mantronix and DJ Rap BECAUSE they were Innovators - going where noone else was ,making great original music that ,once the mainstream caught up , spread worldwide coz it was just so bloody good . If you look at my career you wil se that my artists often lead the way - its hard for Innovators but I always encouraged all my artist to go as far left-of-centre as they could ,after all if they went too far they could always come back. as Oscar Wilde ( or was it Bernard Manning ? ) said " a Life lived unchallenged is a life not worth living " .........whatever that means !
 DJ Rap is one of the artist I worked with who I think was just too far ahead of her time ......listen to Bad Girl or Good To Be alive from her Columbia album and sonically it is amazing - a futuristic fusion of Electronic Music/Po/Drum and Bass that is so popular now.....but this was 12 years ago.
 I love Rap ,we are still friends but I don't see her as much as I would like as she lives in LA putting out amazing music on her Propa Talent and Impropa Talent....great modern electronic music of all genres,House,dubstep,drum & bass,.........Google her and the labels and you will find so much great music.
 She is on TV in the States now in a reality TV DJ Battle  show - no surprise as she is so bloody good-looking ! She has a new track called " Party Like A DJ " ready to drop early next year ...it is brilliant !
 Like all the guys I mentioned at the start of this post music is not a " career choice  " to Rap -it's part of her DNA
 Go to youtube now ,search DJ Rap " Good To Be Alive " US video........one of the greatest dance videos ever !
 She will be in the UK for 2 weeks in January DJ-ing,make sure you check her out ,she's brilliant !
 DJ Rap  I Salute You
TSG x

A New Soul Star for 2011 ! Rahma

I started writing this blog coz i felt generally disgruntled with the state of Soul Music in this country...or should I say the LACK of it
 There's never been as much UK  " Urban " music in the charts  but personally if I hear any more Tinchy's,Tinie's or Taio's I will be forced to contemplate a covert operation against HMV ...enough already !!
 However since I started writing lots of good people have been in touch to tell me about music they are making or new music that I might not be aware of and it is clear that the Soul of Soul lives on ...Hallelujah and pass the turntables !
 I said in one of my earliest blogs that I continue to work with music today and that one of the things I do is manage a couple of great new artists ....and that I would write about them as and when I felt it appropriate because ,let's face it ,if a Soul Music A&R Legend manages an act they have to be not just good but GREAT .
 So it is my great pleasure to tell you about Rahma - an incredibly talented female Soul artist whose album " Darkness Into The Light " will drop next spring.There is very little of her music to be found anywhere as we are just finalizing new myspace and facebook but if you go to youtube and search Rahma you will see a brief cameo appearance on the first Naughty Boy single and just a snippet from her beautiful " Be Speak &  Do " .The video to this  has just been finished and once I get the OK I will post in on my Facebook page.
 Rahma represents everything that is vital to me about Soul Music ..she writes her own songs ,great ,strong lyrics and sings amazingly ...comparisons have been made to India Arie and Erykah Badu ,I understand and appreciate them but she is very much a new unique voice for British Soul Music.......I predict great things for her !
 I've been told that it is very hard to sell quality music nowadays....THAT IS JUST BULLSHIT SPREAD BY INCOMPETENTS AT MAJOR LABELS
People don't just want X-Factor/JLS/Cheryl.........music is still important to cool people.....Let me hear you say" Yeah " !!!
Have A Good Day x

A&R is NOT an exact science !

Morning world,heard you missed me........well I'm back 1 I've been on a brief promotional tour of the Deep South...Brighton,Hove ,Shoreham etc etc signing copies of my new self-help book .....How To Be a Musical Genius in 3,678 Simple Steps .....available in  good book stores near you ,or send a blank cheque made out to The Soul Guru,I will do the rest.
 Now I bang on a lot about being The  Godfather of British Black Music A&R and all the great bands I signed and ,like most A&R guys ,I neatly gloss over the many bands I signed that weren't successful....after all noone likes to mention their failures do they ? Especially mine with that great looking girl back in 1978...but thats another story for another day
 The joy of signing a band and seeing them achieve great success is incredible but equally the despair and sadness of signing a band you genuinely believe in and care about  failing is heart-breaking. I was very close to all the bands I signed ,I loved their talent and in most cases they were great people and we became friends too . I can honestly say that in my time in the business I have only ever fallen out badly with one person ......you know who you are and if you're  reading this  you're still an ignorant xxxx !
 One of the best bands  I signed that I still think should have been HUGE are Floy Joy - Mike and Sean Ward with the fantastic Carroll Thompson on vocals made an brilliant album Produced by Don Was ( that's when Don met Gemma who is now Mrs Was so I'm responsible for that too !  ) that contained the awesome " Weak In The Presence of Beauty " that was a big hit for Alison Moyet . I thought ( and still think ) that they were just so good that the world wasn't quite ready for them........
 It was tough for me when a band failed ,but I knew it was far far worse for the artists whose dreams had been shattered ..........to all of you that I worked with and couldn't make it happen for  I'm sorry I really am
 I will be back tomorrow with more wise words
TSG xx

The Sound of Bristol....for Ella !

As a native Swindonian it is strange how Bristol has come to play such an important part in my life....it is the city where my Dad died in hospital and the city where my eldest son Jamie is now enjoying life to the full as a student at Bristol University ......two opposite and contrasting ends of the spectrum .
 Over the past 20 years Bristol has produced some of the finest music this country has ever produced....I would go so far as to say that for me the distinctive " Brizzol Sound "  a blend of dub,reggae ,Soul ,drum and bass and dubstep has made it my number 1 city for music.
 From the great but under-appreciated Smith & Mighty thru Massive Attack ,Tricky ,Portishead,Roni Size,DJ Krust ,Die and Suv ,the Reprasent crew etc there runs a thread of real Soul and originality soundtracking  the bleak Urban decay  of St Pauls in the 1980's. I tried  very hard to sign Rob Smith and Ray Mighty but they decided to sign elsewhere as did Roni Size ......if someone chose to sign to another label I never held  a grudge ,I just enjoyed watching their success if it happened.
 This brings me to today's featured artist ....from Bristol of course .He is called Phaeleh ( pronounced Fella   ) and his new album Fallen Light is ,to my ears ,  just superb...youtube " Afterglow " ( featuring Soundmouse ) to hear something really heartbreakingly beautiful. The rest of this largely instrumental album is classic Brizzol...a heady brew of reggae,dub,dubstep as I write this its blaring out and its is soooooo good !
 So there you have it ...a Swindonian praising Bristol ,probably never happened before, but it makes my heart glad to know that my Dad is keeping an eye on Jamie for me from above , God Bless you both
Have a Good day x

Techno - The House Sound of Detroit

God I'm sick of this bloody Royal Wedding already...the fawning media make me want to vomit ! The Royal Family are parasites and at a time of unprecedented austerity the notion of spending millions on some bullshit toffs wedding makes my blood boil !
 I haven't felt as angry about anything since saints were relegated to League 1 !
 Amongst my many ( legitimate ) claims to fame I can also add that I was responsible for putting out the first Techno album in the Uk. Back in the mid 80's my good friend Neil Rushton persuaded me that I should accompany him to Detroit to check out this amazing new music ...known locally as " techno " . Being naturally curious I went along - I had a great time visiting the Motown Museum actually being in the studio where Marvin recorded What's Going On  - and met Kevin Saunderson,Derrick May and Juan Atkins who all lived together in a weird triangular building that became known as " 1 Techno Boulevard " by us .
 Going round and listening to Inner City ,Strings of Life ,Model 500 etc etc for the first time blew my mind !
 The album " Techno ,The House Sound of Detroit " was released on double vinyl on 10 Records and the rest as they say is history. If you can find a copy anywhere you are very very lucky nowadays...it is a GREAT album !
 I went on to have huge success with Inner City - I particularly remember one New Year's Eve in London going from Wag to Embassy to ROAR and hearing Good Life by Inner City everywhere............another great piece of work by me ,the Godfather of British Black Music A&R ,The Soul Guru !

Wake Up Everybody

Good morning ....sorry for the " no-show " yesterday but even Guru's have Broadband problems occasionally.
 As I've said before when I started listening to Soul music a lot of it contained important social commentary ,representing the disenfranchised poor of Black America.....a role taken mostly by rap nowadays.
 Now as we as a country move into a time unprecendented hardship for many people I think that it is time that Soul music with a conscience made a comeback....what is happening to a section of society that can't look after itself properly is simply unacceptable .
 I volunteer for Crisis At Christmas working with the homeless ,it is humbling and very sad to know that once the centres close these people will be back on the streets.......see how cold it is today and imagine living on the streets.....if you can volunteer please do ,Google Crisis At Christmas
 I was thinking about this as I listened to Mercy Time by today's musical tip the amazing Two Bears.Mercy Time is a basically a house remake of Marvin's Mercy Me (The Ecology) with the lyrics intoned slowly and gruffly over the beat....it may sound odd but it is BRILLIANT. It's off their first EP "Follow The Bear " which includes a great " shout out " House  track called " Be Strong "a potential dance-floor classic
 They have a new EP out called "Curious Nature " which contains the awesome track " Church ".There's no album but youtube any of the songs mentioned and you will feel better ...........thats what I'm here for and why I'm The Soul Guru !
 Have A Good Day......spare a thought for those less fortunate than yourself

Falling In Love with TSOP

Watching David Haye enter the ring last night to McFadden & Whitehaed's Soul Boy and Soul Girl anthem " Ain't No Stopping Us Now " just showed how The Sound of Philadelphia lives on and on .
 The combination of GREAT Songs ,Vocalists , Orchestral Arrangements and Production created a Soul sound that ,in my opinion, has never been bettered and still sounds perfect today.
 The first Philly song that I heard and bought was The O'Jays " For The Love Of Money " that I heard on my first holiday with the lads in Bournemouth .....I was wearing a pale blue bowling shirt and pale blue Levi's sta-press  and I met a girl from Leicester.......Happy Days !
  When I took Loose Ends to Philadelphia to record their first album- the first British Soul band to record and album in America - we recorded at Sigma Sound with Nick Martinelli Producing and I met the engineer Joe Tarsia who engineered ALL the great Philly albums ,the rhythm section called " The Harris Machine " who played on them ,the legendary guitarist Bobby Eli and one of my all-time heroes the brilliant and very eccentric Dexter ( life On Mars ) Wansel.....more of him another day !
 In memory of those heady days when I first fell in love with The Sound of Phildelphia here's a link to a live performance of " For The Love Of Money " by The O'Jays with one of THE finest vocalists ,Eddie Levert,on top form.......http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9O8gTib5rnw.......Enjoy !

This is why I LOVE TSOP
Happy Sunday
The Soul Guru

And God Created House......

Since I started blogging I've thought more and more about music........, my relationship with music,how important it is to me,how it improves my life,how great I feel when I hear a favourite song or a great new album ......I've  grown to realize that I don't just LOVE music ,I NEED music !
 And I've thought a lot about why I'm a Soul Boy not an Indie/rock Kid ( bloke ) and it's because Soul music moves me in a way I can't adequately describe in words........and when I'm out and about nothing moves me more than HOUSE MUSIC !!!!
 I've been to Paradise Garage and danced to the God-like genius of Larry Levan, I've seen Timmy Reggisford work 3 decks like a magician in New York ,I've been to Chicago and danced to Frankie Knuckles ,who I got to know well and still regard as a friend , I've danced to Francois Kevorkian ,Derek May,Kevin Saunderson and at this years Big Chill ( you all must come next year ) I danced to a brilliant set by Tom Middleton on the side of a hill from 1 til 4 and I've never felt closer to God because GOD CREATED HOUSE MUSIC
 Here are some reasons why I know that :
Ten City ...Devotion
Ce Ce Rogers.....Someday
Marshall Jefferson ......Open  Our Eyes
Sounds Of Blackness ....The Pressure ( David Morales Mix )
Inner City....Good Life

I rest my case...... God IS a DJ and  he plays House ,Deep House ..........youtube any of the tracks listed and let yourself go,lets the music take you ....just go with it
 I've done you a real favour today ,I've improved your life........it's why I'm here
Love you all x

Number 4 in the series " Great Tracks By Band I Signed "

Today's treat is the one and only Maxi Priest  " Close To You ".....still sounds awesome !
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-G4zRwcmY9o

Who says Electronic Music can't have Soul ?

Hi and Happy Birthday to my lovely boy Callum ,sweet 17 today !
 This blog is called Music For The Soul and I am the Soul Guru ....I have a facebook page now for The Soul Guru and you can find me on twitter @TheSoulGuru, I'm on my way to be omnipresent as well as omnipotent (look it up ). Please start following me ,its lonely  here in cyber-space ,I need some new friends to play with !
 As well as Soul Music another passion of mine is Electronic Music ,from ambient to dance to drum and bass to dubstep and beyond...as I write this I'm listening to Apparat's great new DJ kicks compilation and as I travel through London I'm usually listening to banging drum and bass to get me in the required  " don't Fuck with me "mood .......it works too .
 A commonly held belief by ignorant people is that because Electronic Muisc is made by computers it can't have SOul....that is so much Bullshit ...... Listen to Leftism and try telling me that hasn't got Soul !
 I'm gonna do you all a favour by directing you to one of the best albums of the year in any genre by the amazing Mount Kimbie - a duo from London whose debut abum " Crooks & Lovers " is simply breathtaking .....I've heard them referred to a post-dubstep ( I must have been in Shoreditch where that kind of bullshit is commonplace  ) but to meet they are pure class ...modern ,Urban soundscapes that you can lose yourself in ,the album is soooooooo good ...and please check their mix of the amazing Andreya Triana's " A Town Called Obsolete " ( featured in this blog two weeks ago and essential listening...youtube it NOW ) .....modern electronica ( I hate that term too ) of the highest class with real Soul !
 I'm off to try to work out how Twitter works ...though I the notion of having a Tweet appalls me
 Ciao x
 FOLLOW ME FOLLOW ME  FOLLOW ME FOLLOW ME PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE

A day of knees and stitches.....

It's Ok everyone ,there's no need to panic ,sound the alarm and call for a search party coz I'm here again ,almost as good as new ........I heard you missed me ,well I'm back !
 The NHS is a venerable institution and I had reason to be doubly grateful to them yesterday ...first of all they confirmed I've completely ruptured my cruciate ligament and medial meniscus in my right knee but secondly ,and far more importantly,when my son Callum was badly cut in the mouth by a stray elbow playing football yesterday after initially being told he could need plastic surgery to avoid scarring eventually he was neatly stitched by a great Doctor in St.George's Hospital Tooting . He has inherited his good looks from me so it was vital they weren't damaged ! !
 Right..... Music For The Soul is the title of this blog NOT Emergency Ward 10 so lets get down to business please,quiet in the  cheap seats and stop picking your nose,it's disgusting !
 2 days ago I launched a scathing attack on major label " A& R " and got a terrific response ,especially about our mate JK ( you must check the album sleeve ) and today's featured artist is a young lady who was fortunate enough to escape major-label Hell after releasing just one single ......a great new Soul singer called Zarif whose debut album " Box Of Secrets " was recently released on Bright Pink records.
 She was originally signed to RCA - whose track record is frankly appalling - but after being given just one chance to impress she was promptly dropped (just like an artist I managed who signed to Mercury a year ago ,recorded an album ,released one single and was dropped at an estimated cost of £ 600,000.00 ! ! How can you run a business like that ? ? ? )
 Anyway back to Zarif ....the album is a collection of vibrant modern Soul/Pop songs that are radio-friendly and fun.I'm told she is great live so I'm looking forward to seeing her....youtube " Box Of Secrets "to hear what I mean .
 This blog is about music with Soul ,it's not an obscure anorak-driven blog about records you've never heard and can't buy,that's why I'm open-minded and believe  that young exciting artist like Zarif are worthy of inclusion.......
 Finally ,you ,my readers are bloody hopeless at clicking on the " follow " button on the top right of the page.............PLEASE CLICK THE FOLLOW BUTTON IT WILL HELP SPREAD THISD BLOG
 You know it's worth it !!!

the blog will be back tomorrow...

Sorry everyone but events have conspired against me today ,but don't fret Msic For The Soul will be back tomorrow.
 Family comes first , " We Are Family " as Sister Sledge sang
x

The quality of major-label A&R today is laughable !

I went to bed early last night ,woke up at 3 and couldn't go back to sleep.....but don't worry it has given me a lot of time to think about " the state of the music business " ...a business I have had the privilege of being a part of all my working life .
 I've sold records from  in a jeans shop in Brighton in the '70's ,driven a van round London delivering imports to Groove,Record Corner,All Ears and all the great specialist Soul shops ,sold records in City Sounds then signed some of the greatest British Soul/Dance and Electronic talent ever . In short I'm more than qualified to pass judgement on the state of A & R in the UK music business .
 A&R ( signing and developing talent ) is the heartbeat of any label.....a label is only as good as the artists you sign ,so in my case the labels were brilliant .
 I will give you 3 reasons why I think the level of A&R is at an all time low now ,3 " artists " who had albums released this week
1) James Blunt ....who on earth thought the world need another album by this arse ? Atlantic Records did
2) I Blame Coco....I don't ,I blame the bloke that signed her to Island
3) Jamiroquai .....the prat in the hat is back with another risible slice of " Soul " .Please take the time to check the album sleeve ,it is truly hilarious . It shows a middle-aged man (" Jay Kay " , as we call him ) onstage pulling a face that makes it look as if he is having a particularly painful dump whilst wearing one of his grandma's lightshades on his head...priceless !
 In all cases fortunes have been spent on projects with absolutely  no redeeming features whatsoever .Utter shit !
 Thats why the record business is in trouble - it's not "illegal downloading - noone wants shit like this ,even for free- its the failure to sign and develop great artists .
 To show I know what I'm talking about today I'm going to start posting youtube clips of great songs that bands I signed released...this will be a great series to follow !
 However there IS great music to be found all over the place ,just not at any major . Today's featured artist is a great British female Soul singer who I have had the pleasure of seeing live at  the last 2 Big Chills.Her live show is astonishing a real Soul revue  ,she has  a full band including 3-piece brass-section as good as the legendary Tower Of Power brass section,backing vocalists , is a true eccentric and a fantastic  live performer .......come on down ALICE RUSSELL !!!!
 She wrtites all her own material and her latest album ,Pot Of Gold is great ! My personal favourite album is " My Favourite Letters " but check her out on youtube ,especially any live footage . She tours quite a lot and I can't recommend her highly enough ,it is  a GREAT night out !
 Right, thats got that off my chest. I feel really good ,ready for the fray and confident that no matter what life throws at me I will survive
 Go in peace X

Where Have All The Soul Men Gone ?

Monday Monday ,so good for me...........
I've been on the phone to our friends in BT's call centre sorting out my Broadband/Phone line problems so forgive the delay ....I realize that already this blog has become essential reading for you .
 Well how was your weekend ? It looks like autumn has well and truly arrived doesn't it ? It's pouring with rain ,blowing a gale.......winter draw(er)s on ,what a thought !
 Still as the weather gets c old and dark and miserable  what better way to spend the evening than falling in love with music all over again !
 Man cannot live on X-Factor,Corrie,Eastenders and countlesss cooking programmes alone....give me something to raise my spirits,something to bring joy and something to dance to !
 This brings me to today's question .....just where have all the Soul men gone ? I don't mean crap like Taio Cruz , Jay Sean etc I mean great artists like Marvin,Teddy ,yesterday's featured artist Billy Paul ,Al Green and so on ?
 I was lucky enough to see Marvin Gaye live twice and I saw Teddy Pendergarss''s last show before the tragic accident that confined him to a wheelchair . The sexual charisma of these guys was incredible....the atmosphere in the auditorium was bordering on hysteria and women as around me were whipped into a frenzy of lust.......it was brilliant and what real Soul is all about !
 Although not in the same class as the  aforementioned greats there is one guy who is still making Sweet Soul  Music and has a terrific album out now ......Dwele .
 He'a been making albums since 2003 when he released " Subject " ,still well worth listening too , and his current album "W.antsW.orldW.omen " ( GREAT title ) is a really good Soul album ,possibly one for the ladeeez more than us fellas but a good listen nonetheless.
 If any of you readers want to bring an artist to my attention please do.........I lover to hear new music so will check out any recommendations
 Take a brolly x

If it's Sunday then it has to be The Sound Of Philadelphia !

Growing up as a young Soul Boy in Brighton I was obsessed with Soul Music ,I spent virtually all my money on records from Sound Unlimited and can still remember the excitement of going home ,opening my bag of new albums and reading all the details on the album covers as I listened .....the disappearance of the traditional album sleeve is so sad , I can't read a CD inlay without my reading glasses now !
 I loved Marvin,The Isleys ,Earth Wind & Fire etc etc but more than anything ,on a Sunday I liked to listen to The Sound of Philadelphia .Every Sunday I'm gonna write about another great artist from one of the greatest Soul Music labels EVER .
 Today artist is one of the greatest Soul singers ever whose covers of " Your Song " and " Let " Em In " are classics and whose original songs " Me & Mrs Jones " ," You're Having My Baby "  etc etc are just beautiful..............Ladies & Gentlemen I give you ,Mr Billy Paul !
 To me he was always seemed to be ( unfairly  in the shadow of Teddy Pendergrass and The O'Jays but this guy can SING ! My particular favourite is his concept album " war Of The Gods " which I urge you all to download today......a classic ,physchedelic Soul album that was largely overlooked on release ,.
 Youtube him and you will see he was an icon of style ,the epitomy of cool ..........a class act !
 The Sound of Phildadelphia will always be a part of my life ,Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff are my favourite song writers and as for that lush orchestrated Philly sound ......well for this Soul boy nothing comes close
 Happy Sunday
x

The Song That Changed My Life..............

 Saturday is the best days of the week no question . Saturday's are all about football for me - watching Callum play and enjoying the banter with the Dad's on the touchline is a lot of fun ,contrary to people's expectations I'm not a " Mad Dad " when I watch ,I just encourage the team....what's the point of criticizing young players ?
 The there is the matter of my ongoing life-long love-affair with Southampton Football Club  - good luck today against mighty Shrewsbury in the FA Cup lads . I must admit it's very doubtful that Super Ricky Lambert et al are regular readers but I live in hope.
 I've been up since 5 listening to Rob Da Bank's show and it has been brilliant ! I was going to write about a particular artist but Rob has been featuring a label from Berlin called Ostgut Ton as it's their 5th Birthday and I've heard some amazing modern electronic dance music by Andre Galluzzi,Ben Klock ,Cassy and more . Listen back on bbc.co.uk/radio1/robdabank .........its a joy
It's such a pleasure for me to be introduced to new music that I was previously unaware of - I LOVE music ,listen to it constantly ,read about it and work with it . Considering I can't sing or play a note I'm fortunate indeed to have worked with so many great artists.
 Neither of my parents  were musical  ,my Dad's favourite artist was Glenn Miller , but every Sunday from a long as I can remember the whole family sat round the radiogram to listen to the Top 40 rundown with Alan " Fluff " Freeman .........." Hello Pop pickers " he used to say
 I grew up in a small village in Gloucestershire ,I used to listen to Tony Prince " The Royal Ruler " on a blue plastic transistor radio when I went to bed and I can still remember the day I fell in love with Soul music - he played Al Green " Tired Of Being Alone " and that song changed my life ,I'd never heard anyone sing like that before .........it still send shivers down my spine when I hear it and I know every word,inflection and adlib off by heart. I sing it note perfect too !
 What song changed your life ? What song can make you laugh or cry as soon as your hear it ? What song makes you thing of a dear departed loved one ?
 I must go ,I've got tears in my eyes thinking of my Mum and Dad X

Thank God It's Friday !

Morning everyone .......Thank God It's Friday ! Do any of you remember the movie ,a great Disco-based film with an original Soundtrack featuring Donna Summer ,Village People and more on Casablanca Records .......sort of the day before Saturday Night Fever ,if that makes sense ( it does to me ) . The movie is a fantastic period-piece ,a Disco documentary as-it-were, well worth tracking down then invite friends round in 70's fancy dress sit back and enjoy.........you will be up and dancing straight away !
 Yesterday I had messages from friends in Australia ( g'day Gye ) , Portugal ( Ola Patrina ) and Chiswick ( Hi Nick ) telling me how much you are enjoying this so thank you ..........you ain't seen nuthin yet !
 Every year me and my boys and a growing number of their friends head off to The Big Chill for 3 days of music,dancing , and general disorderliness..............I urge all of you to come as it is simply brilliant .
 This year we all had " Guest " tickets - worth the extra money unquestionably - and saw the Magic Numbers on a stage 6 feet wide with an audience of no more than 100 as they played a set in the Guest Bar,we were literally close enough to  chat to them ,they were bloody brilliant and we spent ages ( at least Spooner did ! ) talking to them afterwards
 However the highlight for me was watching the majestic Caribou play on the small stage as the sun set over the Malvern Hills...........they have a song called " The Sun " which is an uptempo house/rave  epic with the lead singer just repeating " the sun ,the sun ,the sun " and they played it as the sun set . They are amazing and their album Swim is an essential purchase - as is the Swim Remix album which I downloaded from i-tunes a couple of hours ago
 Check " The Sun " on youtube then do yourself a favour ,buy the album - it will make your life better,increase your libido ,heal all wounds and raise the dead !
Ciao X

What are you listening to ?

It's Thursday morning ,7.30 am and I've run out of coffee..........nightmare as I always have a pot of coffee first thing but today I'm completely de-caffeineated and I think I'm starting to go cold-turkey
 However I know that a lot of you rely on this blog to give your life meaning and purpose so I'm making this sacrifice of going coffee-less for YOU
 I enjoy writing this a lot  and I hope you are enjoying the music I'm recommending . Even if one reader is moved to check out the music ( Hi Dawid in Poland ! ) then it's worth it.
 Today's featured artist is a Soul singer in the truest sense of the word - a classic ,70's style female who reminds me of Chaka Khan ,Millie Jackson etc
 Her name is Leela James and she has released two superb albums - one called " Let's Do It Again " is an album of covers such as " Clean Up Woman " ," It's A Man's Man's World " and " Let's Do It Again " ,all given a new interpretation but sung as if her life depends on it .
 Her other album is an album of original material called " My Soul " and features all original material including 4 self-written songs ...........the album sleeve is great as she looks amazing in an authentic 70's Superfly outfit with the biggest hair I've seen for years ,she looks and sounds fabulous and if Soul is your thing then this lady has masses of it .
 Listen to " Clean Up Woman "  to hear what I mean
By the way yesterdays crass typing error meant that the album I recommended was called"  5 Years of Hyperdub " NOT " % Years of Hyperdub " ...............another brilliant album
 Have a good day , try to do something good for yourself - take 5 minutes to think of all things you have in life to be grateful for ,its amazing what we have
Until tomorrow X

Music Is My Sanctuary

Good morning world ...and what a morning !
My beloved Saints are in the play-off positions for the first time ,there's a tube strike so I'm working from home so I can listen to music all day.....paradise !
 Music For The Soul is not exclusively about Soul Music ,it's about music that moves my Soul ,makes me feel good ,remember a loved one ( or a once-loved one ),remember good and bad times.
 Music is the only art-form that that can instantly take me back to a time or place when I hear a particular song......music has the power to transform our lives ,that's why it is so important to me. Music IS my sanctuary ,I listen to Marvin sing " Wholy Holy " and I cry every time ,it reaches so deep inside my Soul and I very  feel  alone but safe at the same time .
 I love my two boys ,Jamie and Callum , more than anything then it's music ,Saints, cinema ,reading .
 Today I'm going to write about a great label that releases some extraordinary music....but not conventional Soul music
 The label is called Hyperdub and over the past 5 years it has released some of my favourite modern electronic music ....from Kode 9 ( the album with Space Ape is brilliant ) through the dubstep of Ikonika to my personal favourite King Midas Sound .Think of a modern ,dubby Massive Attack with great moody songs and soundscapes and that's King Midas Sound....go to youtube to listen to " Waiting For You " then buy the album ANd their compilation CD " % years of Hyperdub " which is easily one of my favourite compilation albums of the last year
 This is great ,modern Soul music ........take some time to check it out , it is quality !
 Finally please take the time to click on the icon to follow this blog - I know a lot of you are reading coz I'm getting Facebook messages ,texts and emails saying how much you're enjoying it
Enjoy the day ,if you live in London pull a " sickie " and check out the music I've recommended on my blogs ,trust me you will enjoy the day a lot more than queueing for a bus ! x

Moodymann

Following my trip to Bournemouth I'm now back on my usual time schedule - up at 5 am ,pot of coffee then straight to the computer to post the next instalment of my quest to improve the quality of music you listen too in time for you to check out the music before you go off for another day of toil and sweat down the mineshaft of life in 2010 .
It's a massive job and I've barely started but as  Chairman Mao said ( or was it Harry Redknapp ? ) " the longest journey starts with the shortest step "
Today I'm gonna tell you about a guy whose music I first heard about 12 years ago and since then he has released a series of albums which are so good they defy easy categorization but share the same quality ....GENIUS .
 That is an over-used word nowadays but in this case it is true !
 His name is Kenny Dixon Jnr ,he's a DJ from Detroit Michigan and he releases albums under the name Moodymann.
 From 1998 when I first heard the album " Mahogany Brown " through " Forevernevermore " to 2003's " Silence In The Secret Garden "  to 2004's " Black Mahogani " I fell deeply in love with his  brand of sophisticated sample-based ,cinematic Funk....think Marvin Gaye's brilliant " Trouble Man " album or  blacksploitation soundtracks mixed with funk .
Listen to " Shine  " from Silence In The Secret Garden and if it doesn't make you feel euphoric and make you dance then you're dead from the neck up and waist down !
 This guy deserves to be heard and all these albums are available on i-tunes ....he's a very odd guy ( check wikipedia ) but then aren't we all when it comes down to it ?
 Finally I have decided after looking at a series of photos of me from Bournemouth where I either look like Jabba The Hut's brother or a serial-killer that something must be done as,  tho I'm no oil-painting - unless its Edward Munch's " The Scream "- I don't look that bad .........I haven't decided what yet but when I do I will let you know
Listen to Moodymann,you will feel better !

Monday Monday

Good morning ....... seventh day I rested ,mostly due to a very late night in Bournemouth and a nightmare journey home courtesy of British Rail .Apologies for not blogging ,it won't happen again...promise !
 I had a really great night on Saturday seeing so many old friends  Paul ,Dave,Debbie,Aud ,Angie etc and my old Soul Mafia DJ colleagues Chris Brown ,Sean French and Dr.Bob Jones.It's good to know the old weekender spirit lives on.........." Its Seems To Hang On " by Ashford & Simpson and " The Love I Lost " by Harold Melvin and The Blue Notes were my favourites on the night but all the music was excellent and the commitment to enjoyment was outstanding !
 Considering I had an MRI on scan on my badly damaged knee on Saturday afternoon I still managed to dance ....the healing power of great Soul Music demonstrated
 Not all the music I write about will be brand new ,today's Soul tip came out earlier this year but is  great  in an authentic 70's way .....the album is called " Kings Ballad " and is by Georgia Anne Muldrow.If you're a fan of 70's Cosmic Soul ( I  am ) then this is just fantastic....great songs and harmonies ,reminding me of Roy Ayers,Lonnie Liston Smith at their best . I love it ,I hope you take the time and listen and enjoy it too. Most of the artists I feature can be found on youtube if you just want a quick listen ,then they can be downloaded from i-tunes etc.
 If you're enjoying this blog and the music I'm recommending please feel free to post on your facebook page .......the more readers the better !
 I'm advised that I need to start to follow other Soul Music blogs to then get this more widely-circulated so I will look into doing that.
 In the meantime I will continue to write about great Music For The Soul on a daily basis , form is temporary ...CLASS is permanent !

Ill Behaviour

A very ( early ) good morning followers ,disciples and non-believers .It's 5.30 am and no I'm not at the end of one of my once-legendary " all-nighters " I always get up at 5 on a Saturday to listen to Rob Da Bank's brilliant Radio 1 show......a great mix of modern electronica,alternative ,folk etc etc,you can listen back to the latest show for a week at www.radio1.co.uk/robdabank..........a great way to keep abreast of what's happening .
From 1978-1980 I was one of the Soul Mafia DJ's playing the first 4 Caister Weekenders,various all-dayers and running the legendary Papillon club in Brighton ( my spiritual home and still my favourite place to be ). Me and Pete Tong were the bottom of the bill then,obviously one of us went on to achieve greatness.....and the other was Pete Tong.
 Today,after a 30-year absence ,I am going back to a Soul Weekender - The Bournemouth Soul Weekender in fact . I honestly can't wait to see a lot of old friends ( I will be in the bar at The Carrington from 6 with Paul Clark and the crew ) and hear some classic tunes .
 Talking of Bournemouth brings me to today's music tip .....
 Deborah Jordan is a young Soul/Jazz vocalist from Bournemouth , I'm told  ( I'm not wikipedia so if I'm wrong - tough   ) and her album " The Light " on Futuristica Music is a great soul/jazz album reminiscent of the early Mizel Brothers Productions ( Bobbi Humphrey,Donald Byrd ,The Blackbyrds etc ) on Blue Note.Its  the perfect Sunday morning chill-out album......highly recommended
 Also recommended is Danny Byrd's brilliant mental drum and bass tune " Ill Behaviour "THE party record of the year ( agreed  Cal ? )  " Rave Digger " ( GREAT title ) is one of the best dn'b albums you will hear with some proper " Old-skool " rave pianos etc........totally uplifting stuff.
 As I'm typing Rob is playing " Night Nurse " as a tribute to the Gregory Isaacs " The Cool Ruler " who tragically passed away this week.............RIP Gregory ,one of the real all-time greats .
 So Bournemouth and Ill-Behaviour............quite a combination !!!!
As it's a Saturday I have to say a mighty " Come On You Saints " to my beloved Southampton away at Notts County
 Have a great Saturday ,thank you for all the positive messages you've sent me ,I really appreciate them
 Rave On ! x
PS tomorrow's blog will be written on my return from Bournemouth so you're just gonna have to wait

Urban Scmurban

Morning ,I'm enjoying writing this blog a lot ,I hope those of you who read it are finding it informative and entertaining .If not ,tough ,I'm not stopping .
 So Urban -Scmurban....what's it all about ? I'm a massive fan of  good British Urban music and I accept that I am older than the target audience for today's young British Urban artists . Unfortunately although there are so many UK Urban acts being successful now which is a good thing the fact the remains that most of it is CRAP ! Derivative,mindless bragging seems to be the  major requirement for UK Urban/Grime/Pop success....honourable exception is Proffessor Green whose tracks combine a great sense of humour and self-deprecating lyrics.
 I think that the best artists combine great talent with the REAL X-factor ,a certain star-quality that cannot be manufactured and an inherent sense of class.......Marvin,Madonna,David Bowie
 A young lady who I think could go on to achieve real greatness ,and  today's music tip,is the wonderful Andreya Triana whose album " Lost Where I Belong " is simply brilliant. A great new talent and a great album.......youtube her " A Town Called Obsolete " or the amazing " Darker Than Blue " then go BUY it .
 Talking of buying records 30 years ago I sold records in City Sounds - the best job I ever had ! The decline of independent record stores is a real tragedy but I'd like to recommend Carl and Neil at Sounds Of The Universe ,7 Broadwick St ,London W1F 0DA or www.soundsoftheuniverse.com . Virtually everything I recommend will be available from then .They are friendly ,knowledgeable and helpful.....its a great place to buy great Soul Music.
 Listen to at least one great song today ....then see how much better you feel after ,music.......there's nothing like it for lifting the spirit !

Educate,Agitate and Organize

Ok ,day 2 of my mission to " educate ,agitate and organize " ( a quote from one of the GREAT early hip-hop records - Education Rap by Community People ,check it out ).
Educate- increase your knowledge and enjoyment of great "  Music For The Soul " - not just Soul music by the way .I signed LeftField and Grooverider so I'm gonna talk about electronic music ,drum and bass ,rap -it doesn't matter what the genre as long as it is QUALITY
Agitate- by just being me ,thats what I'm like .God blessed me with great taste........fact .If I think something is wrong or just plain crap ( hello Simon,Louie,Cheryl etc ) I'm gonna name and shame
Organize - that's gonna take some time but today 4 followers.......tomorrow 6 ?
 When I was growing up falling in love with Soul music ( Marvin,Curtis Mayfield ,James Brown,Gamble & Huff  ,Norman Whitfield ) Soul music served a vital  purpose....it was THE music of social protest for a large part of society in America who had no voice ,a role now taken mostly by rap. The best Soul music comes from PAIN - the pain of everyday life in today's world - listen to Curtis Mayfield's " There's No Place Like America Today album " to hear what I mean.
 Today as life turns hard we find ourselves seeking solace in music to raise our spirits.....at least I do . There is a debut album just out by a young man called Aloe Blacc .The album is called " Good Things " and one listen to the opening track " I Need A Dollar " tells you all you need to know about him . He was on Jools Holland on Monday nite so go get a coffee ,get your i-player on and watch a great performance by a new contender ....it will make you feel good and grateful ( remember gratitude ? )
 Finally if you're reading this please follow me ,tell your friends etc etc
I buy all the music I talk about  on this blog - I don't think music should be free...we intrinsically don't value stuff that we get for free
 Music is ART ,it has value and worth !
 Finally ,here's a question for you :
What's the greatest album ever made ? To me the answer is easy Marvin Gaye " What's Going On ".......post your choice

My First Post

Hi , I have decided to join the online horde of bloggers to help bring great music to your attention. Why do I think I'm qualified ? Forgive me if it takes me a bit of time to get this as good as I want it to be

 Because in a 20 year A&R career I signed:

Soul II Soul ,LeftField,Maxi Priest,Inner City,Mantronix,Loose Ends,Grooverider,DJ Rap, amongst others ......that's why !

 I have no affiliation with any label,publisher etc but I do manage 3 artists and I will make that clear when I write about then

 I'm doing this because I love music ,it's my profession and in a world of X-Factor crap I still believe it is important and can raise our hearts when times are tough ....like now.

 There is no better album out there than John Legend & The Roots " Wake Up ".....go buy it ,or listen to it,if you like it then I'm glad that I've helped improve the qualiiy of your life

" Wake Up everybody No More Sleeping In Bed " has never been more relevant 

The Soul Guru