I'm a SOUL man

Happy New year friends,disciples and music-lovers......may 2015 bring you health and happiness .
 Last Sunday,January 11th,I was 59 years old...that means I've been a SOUL man for 50 years ...and I'm so grateful I am ...SOUL is one of the most important things in my life..

The most important people : my beautiful sons, Jamie 23 and Callum 21..a Dad could not have finer sons.
A lifelong love-affair : Southampton Football Club
A Love Supreme : SOUL music.....words can't express what SOUL music means to me.....

So I'm in my 60th year and tho I despair at a lot of the new " music " I hear I have not given up hope that SOUL will thrive and grow stronger

I worked in major labels for over 20 years signing innovative,influential artists ...Soul II Soul,Inner City,LeftField,Maxi Priest,Loose Ends,Mantronix,Working Week, Pressure Drop,DJ Rap etc......

SOUL is an ATTITUDE..it means creating music from the heart..music that moves,inspires and improves our lives.......
SOUL is not just SOUL music...I'm a big fan of a lot of the new folk/SOUL I'm hearing....NOT that crap from  Mumford & Sons etc but First Aid Kit,Louise Connell, Steve Mason.....if you could introduce me to new artists I'm not aware of please do via twitter @TheSoulGuru or via my Facebook page......

I write thisblog because ever since I started working for SOUL legend Tony Monson in 1975 SOUL has been a constant in my life and I hope that my enthusiasm and passion will inspire you to seek out and enjoy SOUL....not just the music but the attitude

I'm reluctant to come across as sad old guy looking backwards.....I'm not at all...I'm an enthusiastic,passionate,knowledgeable guy looking FORWARD.....I've got lots of silver,gold and platinum discs as I signed so many great artists...they're nice to look at but it was a long time ago.....I live in the present NOT the past....

Next week I'm going to post 6 new artists that you may not have heard that I hope you'll enjoy....meanwhile enjoy Rag "N"Bone Man....he epitomises SOUL

The Soul Guru loves YOU

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The Soul Guru's vision for 2015

Happy New Year friends,followers,disciples and non-believers...I trust by now you can see and in a day or two you may even be able to walk and talk......
 At this time of year The Soul Guru likes to peer into the future and see what is in store for us ...and contrary to most expectations I see great things....but that's enough about Southampton Football Club ;-)

This year I can see a further polarization between major labels and their continuous attempts to persuade people that X-Factor winners are genuinely talented and the cool independent labels whose commitment and belief in music as art grows stronger .

Believe it or not but The Soul Guru has an Honours degree in Biochemistry from the University of Sussex...genuinely TRUE....so when someone famous ( Einstein ? ) said " to every action there is an equal and opposite reaction " I see the future .

In 1976 the music scene was dominated by anodyne bland " pop "....mindless rubbish for the masses.....then PUNK happened...a reaction to the blandness of " pop ".......I truly believe that in 2015 we will start to see a genuine reaction to Cowell,Syco and the shit they think the public are too stupid too ignore.....I can't imagine how fucking awful it must be to work for Syco....

So the reaction is already happening...but instead of Punk it's street music of all genres,,,.rap,indie , Soul,metal...music created BY the people FOR the people

My friend Alan McGee is BACK....a great A&R and a true maverick...just like me

The future is in our hands....it's up to all the great,talented artists out there to keep us excited,engaged,energised......EXCITED

I still remember the feeling when I heard " Anarchy In The UK " for the first time....I didn't understand it but the feelings were visceral, raw , EXCITING.....

Let's do it !

The Soul Guru Loves YOU
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Music For The Soul: 2014 Guru Awards

Music For The Soul: 2014 Guru Awards: Happy New  Year friends......I wish you a happy,healthy and musical 2015 After several days of excessive eating,drinking and shouting for ...

2014 Guru Awards

Happy New  Year friends......I wish you a happy,healthy and musical 2015
After several days of excessive eating,drinking and shouting for my beloved Southampton Football Club I am finally ready to reveal the winners of 2014' " Gurus "...forget the BRITS ,MTV Awards etc...these are the awards that real artists want to win.......
The decisions are taken by an experienced,intelligent panel with impeccable taste......ME
Thre only criterion is that these artists and albums improved my life and made me feel good to be alive and grateful for my love of music
The SOUL Guru loves music with SOUL...not just SOUL Music.....

OK ..here we go with the Top 10 artists whose music has really made my life better...to all the artists I thank you for creating such great music...without you we're nothing

Another thing is that artists don't have to have released full albums...the EP has become an increasingly important part of breaking new artists so I include them too ...

1) Clark " Clark " https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XisOVzJ32_g......

Clark's eponymous album shows that electronic music does have SOUL...the album is beautiful....by the way we're not related !

2 ) Colour The Atlas...one of my great discoveries of 2014 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtwYgjX22jA

Next year's London Grammar ? I think so...beats,songs,production combining to great effect...listen...enjoy their EP " Opaline "...

3) Woman's Hour " conversations "...I LOVE this album so much...hard to describe...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGitM0sAmoU

I urge you to listen....an album that I really love...GREAT songs.....

4) Rokysopp & Robyn " Monument " EP...I LOVE Rokysopp and LOVE Robyn even more so when I heard that they had combined to record the " Monument " EP I was so excited...and it lived up to my highest expectations...I listen to it all the time...Robyn is a GENIUS...one of the greatest female artists in the world...I hope and pray she will release and album this year..I could listen to her all day...and night
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6c-RbGZBnBI

5 ) Beck " Morning Phase ".....Quite simply one of the best albums I've heard in years....just listen...we're in the presence of greatness here...we are lucky to be around to hear music of this quality...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtmKItCEZp4

6) First Aid Kit " Stay Gold "......Country & Western meets modern pop....Swedish sisters Johanna and Klara Soderburg make music that elevates my SOUL..lifts my spirits and brings JOY into my heart....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKL4X0PZz7M
They're playing Brighton on January 24th...I can't wait

7 ) FKATwigs " LP 1 "   truly original and unique....https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3yDP9MKVhZc
Tahliah Debrett Barnett...." FKA "...Formerly Known As...from Gloucestershire where I gre up...incredible....no one I new in Gloucestershire was capable of making such incredible,haunting music...comparisons are horrible...but if you like Kate Bush I think you'll like this....

8) 2 Bears " The Night Is Young " https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BiAPXiplhlw
Just the BEST dance album of the year....no one comes close to 2 Bears in my book


OK...now we come to the famous " Ones to watch in 2015 " category

1) Bloom Twins...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHJwGWv3C8k
Twins Anna and Sonia Kuprienko are from Kiev in the Ukraine but have recorded in London and will be based here from this year.....think Bjork with Pop songs and you'll get the picture....I think they have the potential to be huge......

2) Louise Connell....I must admit a personal interest in this as I'm involved in the project with Producer Stuart McLeod.....Louise is a singer-songwriter from Airdie.....I'm a massive Joni Mitchell fan so when I say Louise reminds me of Joni I don't say it lightly...look out for her debut EP around April


And now the most prestigious award of 2014....The Guru for BEST ARTIST....

There can only be 1 winner in my book.....his album " Wolves " is far and away the best album I heard last year...I saw him live last month and he was absolutly incredible...a giant of a man with a beautiful voice,great songs and true humility...it was one of the best gigs I've ever seen.....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kI1-E6Bm-70

Ladies and Gentlemen.....the winner of The Guru for BEST ARTIST of 2014 is.........

Rag ' N ' Bone Man......he is going to be absolutely massive...signed by my great friend Julian Palmer at Columbia Records...." Wolves " is available as a free download when you watch this video on Youtube or visiut his website.....you'd be INSANE not to...


I hope you enjoy the music I recommend
The Soul Guru loves YOU
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