New releases last eight weeks: Soul

Review: Q.A.S.B. is a Japanese funk and soul ensemble with a.yu.mi. handling lead vocals, a singer celebrated for her funky style reminiscent of James Brown but captured here in a more romantic and subdued mood here. 'Will' is a new single on Soul Garden that offers up soulful and pop-leading sounds with elegant vocals and graceful grooves backed by big band horns. Interestingly, the same tune gets served up again on the flipside, only sung in English. It neither improves nor detracts from the original but proves to be an interesting experiment for that reason.

Review: Willie Tee asked to 'Bring on the Heartaches' back in the 70s on the Gator Records label. It was one of the American keyboardist, vocalist, songwriter and producer's most noted tuns despite putting out some 25 plus singles and three albums across his career. It's one that will now catch you not far off L100 for a decent second hand copy but this welcome reissue makes it available to one and all once more. It's a super sweet blend of the heart melting soul and gentle funk sounds for eh day on the a-side, while things get even more wrought and trent on the flip 'Take Your Time.'

Review: Athens Of The North represent one of Australia's finest soul exponents Renee Geyer. "Be There In The Morning" comes in two forms... The 1977 version will be recognised from her most successful album of the time Moving Along. An upbeat fusion of soul and funk with mild disco nuances, it comes with confident orchestration and an instantly infectious, ultimately emphatic chorus. The real coup here, however, is the softer, dreamier earlier version that's so rare it never left the confines of her native country. It's digging like this that makes the young-but-hugely-potential rare music label Athens Of The North a very exciting prospect for record collectors.

Review: Out as a reissue through the same label that put it out way back in 1971, the aptly named Dig, Friday, Saturday & Sunday appear on our shelves like nothing's happened, and we're still here wandering what the hell happened! "Potato Salad" is a hard nugget to find as an original, but its also such a groovy, light-hearted tune that is a perfect example of why disco was what it was, and why it was so fun - a super recommended tune. "There Must Be Something" is equally good and powerful when played out, and although it doesn't have the same charm as the A-side, it's still a rocking soul classic.

Review: Philadelphia International Records continues to dip into its bulging archives and offer up double-packs containing some of the finest 1970s remixes from remix pioneer Tom Moulton. As you'd expect, there's plenty to get the juices flowing and the heart pounding on this third volume in the series. Record one opens up with Moulton's epic version of the O'Jays' "This Time Baby", a swirling Philly Soul classic that later became a favourite of sample-loving disco-house producers and disco re-editors, and continues with his sugary but floor-friendly version of the Futures' "Party Time Man". Over on record two, Moulton's inspired extension of Jean Carn's seductive "Love Don't Come Easy" is followed by his must-have version of the Jones Girls' "Nights Over Egypt".

Review: For those of a certain age, Gwen McRae's "All This Love That I'm Givin" will always evoke memories of Cassius' French Touch classic "Feeling For You", which sampled it heavily. It remains a killer record in its' own right, though, as this timely reissue proves. Originally released in 1979, it sees McRae at her powerful best, delivering a potent message to an errant lover over a killer, low-slung disco-funk groove. It's one of the tracks that should really be in any discerning funk, soul or disco DJ's collection. Flip for original B-side "Maybe I'll Find Somebody New", a breezier chunk of laidback soul with a slightly Southern lilt. It's good, but pales into insignificance compared to the brilliant 'A' side.