Label:Athens Of The North
Cat-No:AOTNLP045
Release-Date:22.10.2021
Genre:Soul/Funk
Configuration:LP
Barcode:5050580764866
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Cat-No:AOTNLP045
Release-Date:22.10.2021
Genre:Soul/Funk
Configuration:LP
Barcode:5050580764866
1
Coast To Coast - Love Is the Same
2
Coast To Coast - I Want You Dear
3
Coast To Coast - Paula Marie
4
Coast To Coast - A Woman Was Made to Be Loved
5
Coast To Coast - Reincarnation of Love
6
Coast To Coast - Love Is the Same (Alternate Instrumental)
7
Coast To Coast - Paula Marie (Alternate Instrumental)
8
Coast To Coast - Move Your Body (Alternate Instrumental)
9
Coast To Coast - Funkin Coast to Coast
10
Coast To Coast - Love Is the Same (Alternate Take)
Our second LP this month is an unreleased magical modern soul LP from the band Coast To Coast, the full story below by band leader Mark Beiner..I met Ben iverson in 1976 when I was 17 years old. I was a junior at Newtown High School in Elmhurst, Queens. At that time, I took a part time job as a Produce Clerk at Walbaum's Supermarket on Northern Boulevard in Jackson Heights, Queens, where I met Ben Iverson who was the "Frozen Food Manager." In between the music, this job was steady income, and he and his Wife, Diane, started a family and raised two Daughters, Tonia and Cytherea, whom I am still in contact with today. Back then, I remember going to work early just to talk to him about his musical background and his time spent in the 50's and 60's with the Ohio Doo Wop Group, "The Hornets", or better known as, "Ben Iverson and The Hornets." However, Ben was somewhat quiet and at a loss for words when I questioned him with regard to "Ben Iverson and the Nue Dey Express", as well as his short career as Manager and Songwriter for Brooklyn's own, "Crown Heights Affair" in the early 70's. Between the 50's and 60's, "Ben Iverson and The Hornets" shared billing at music events with recording artists such as, The Drifter's, Bill Haley and The Comets, Pat Boone, Etta James, Mary Wells, Nancy Wilson, Jackie Wilson, Sam Cooke, Aretha Franklin, Lloyd Price and Al Green. Many of these names got their start in the 50's, which Ben met at music concert events hosted by Radio Disc Jockey, Alan Freed. Alan was truly the first Concert Promoter for Doo Wop, Rhythm & Blues, and early Rock & Roll. In 1978 after Ben and I discussed getting together and composing music, I started writing poetry and expressing in writing my break up with my college girl friend, Paula Vasta. Paula's middle name was Marie, so in kidding around, I would call her "Paula Marie." Ben thought my lyrics were "powerful" and wanted to put them in music. Thus our first recorded 45 rpm record called "Paula Marie", backed with "I Want You Dear." This launched our musical partnership and within a year, the Coast to Coast Band was formed. Ben and I went on to writing two albums worth of material, which in turn gave us a lot of time and presence on stage at our live gigs. The regular Coast to Coast Band members consisted of Ben Iverson on Lead Vocals, Rhythm Guitarist and Co-Executive Producer, Joe Crowley, who is known today as "New York Congressman Joe Crowley." Carl (Woody Wood) Morton on Bass Guitar, Jimmy Johnson on Keyboards. Woody and Jimmy used to hang and play rap in its early days with "Run DMC" in St. Albans, Queens. Lead Guitarist, Lou Jimenez, currently owns his own recording studio, Music Labs in Elmont, Long Island. On Drums, Eddie Byam, on Alto Sax, Jay Cohen, who in the 70's used to record for "Gary U.S. Bonds." Gary Pevols on Trumpet. On Bone, Scott Burrows, Trumpet player, Steve Becker, whom we lost to Testicular Cancer at the age of 25, along side Neil Levine, Stan Stockley, Tom Russo and additional members that came and went that we used for live gigs and studio recordings. In addition, special recognition goes out to our Producer, Recording Engineer and Multi-sound Recording Studio, Owner, Dave Weiner and staff. Dave and I launched Multi-Sound Records under the Multi-Sound label in 1980. Last, of course myself, Mark Beiner, where I served as Executive Producer, Songwriter, Business/Marketing Manager, and background vocals. Unfortunately, Ben Iverson passed away on March 21, 2008, and cannot be here to share this with us, but his music and voice still lives on!
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More records from Coast To Coast
Label:Athens Of The North
Cat-No:ATH182
Release-Date:24.05.2024
Genre:Soul/Funk
Configuration:7"
Barcode:5050580825932
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Label:Athens Of The North
Cat-No:ATH182
Release-Date:24.05.2024
Genre:Soul/Funk
Configuration:7"
Barcode:5050580825932
1
Coast To Coast - Paula Marie
2
Coast To Coast - Crack (Instrumental)
Modern soul / disco royalty, written by the talented Mark Beiner and co-writer Ben Iverson about Marks x girlfriend. It is up there with the best modern floaters in the game. I still remember the first time I Heard this on the dancefloor at Prestatyn soul weekender (I cannot remember who played it), I set out on a mission to get myself a copy which failed miserably at every turn. Many years later I finnaly met Mark, he had done a great job looking after the tapes and all the epherma surrounding the band after Ben has passed away.
On the flip, an early new york rap 45 by the band, previously unreleased on vinyl (we did do it digitally with the LP). More
On the flip, an early new york rap 45 by the band, previously unreleased on vinyl (we did do it digitally with the LP). More
Label:Athens Of The North
Cat-No:ATH176
Release-Date:26.01.2024
Genre:Soul/Funk
Configuration:7"
Barcode:5050580818958
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Label:Athens Of The North
Cat-No:ATH176
Release-Date:26.01.2024
Genre:Soul/Funk
Configuration:7"
Barcode:5050580818958
1
Coast To Coast - Love Is The Same
2
Coast To Coast - Love Is The Same (Instrumental)
Amazing floaty modern soul / disco goodness out of late 70s Queens, NY. 'Love Is The Same' two brilliant and different versions, both dancefloor fire… Mark Beiner met Ben Iverson in 1976 when I was 17 years old, at the time he was a junior at Newtown High School in Elmhurst, Queens. Mark had taken a part time job as a Produce Clerk at Walbaum's Supermarket on Northern Boulevard in Jackson Heights, Queens, where I met Ben Iverson, the "Frozen Food Manager." Back then Mark remembers, 'I was going to work early just to talk to him about his musical background and his time spent in the 50's and 60's with the Ohio Doo Wop Group, "The Hornets", or better known as, "Ben Iverson and The Hornets."' In 1978 after Ben and I discussed getting together and composing music, I started writing poetry and expressing in writing my break-up with my college girlfriend, Paula. Ben and Mark went on to writing two albums worth of material, which in turn gave us a lot of time and presence on stage at our live gigs. The regular Coast to Coast Band members consisted of Ben Iverson on Lead Vocals, Rhythm Guitarist and Co-Executive Producer, Joe Crowley, who is known today as "New York Congressman Joe Crowley." Carl (Woody Wood) Morton on Bass Guitar, Jimmy Johnson on Keyboards. Lead Guitarist, Lou Jimenez, currently owns his own recording studio, Music Labs in Elmont, Long Island. On Drums, Eddie Byam, on Alto Sax, Jay Cohen, who in the 70's used to record for "Gary U.S. Bonds." Gary Pevols on Trumpet. On Bone, Scott Burrows, Trumpet player, Steve Becker, along side Neil Levine, Stan Stockley, Tom Russo.
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Label:Athens Of The North
Cat-No:ATH186
Release-Date:25.10.2024
Genre:Soul/Funk
Configuration:7"
Barcode:5050580835542
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Label:Athens Of The North
Cat-No:ATH186
Release-Date:25.10.2024
Genre:Soul/Funk
Configuration:7"
Barcode:5050580835542
1
Derwin Daniels - Catch Me When I'm Falling (feat. La Donna Wells)
2
Derwin Daniels - In My Mind
Derwin Daniels, Soprano Sax player and composer, made this little R&B 45 in 1989. Recorded with vocals by the unfortunately passed away La Donna Wells who brings a Mary J Level performance 3 years before "What's The 411" hit the streets. Slick, deep R&B that's soulful enough for modern soul and disco sets, what's not to love. Flipped with some Jazz Bizznes from Derwin, utter gold!
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Label:Athens Of The North
Cat-No:ATH187
Release-Date:25.10.2024
Genre:Soul/Funk
Configuration:7"
Barcode:5050580835566
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Label:Athens Of The North
Cat-No:ATH187
Release-Date:25.10.2024
Genre:Soul/Funk
Configuration:7"
Barcode:5050580835566
1
Image - You're My Only Desire ( Original Mix )
2
Image - You're My Only Desire ( Lower Vocal Mix )
Killer wonky modern soul / disco out NYC written by Producer Alan Jones. Rathen than put the instrumental on the flip same as the og, we opted to put a mix with a lower vocal on the B-side, mostly because we wanted a mix to play out ourselves, killer modern 45, do it!
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Label:Athens Of The North
Cat-No:AOTNLP067
Release-Date:25.10.2024
Genre:Soul/Funk
Configuration:LP
Barcode:5050580821125
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Label:Athens Of The North
Cat-No:AOTNLP067
Release-Date:25.10.2024
Genre:Soul/Funk
Configuration:LP
Barcode:5050580821125
1
Roland Haynes Jr. & Phenix - Mind Games
2
Roland Haynes Jr. & Phenix - Pretty Melody
3
Roland Haynes Jr. & Phenix - Titi
4
Roland Haynes Jr. & Phenix - The Essence of Jai
5
Roland Haynes Jr. & Phenix - Ceta Theme Intro
6
Roland Haynes Jr. & Phenix - Ceta Theme
7
Roland Haynes Jr. & Phenix - I'll Always Be There
8
Roland Haynes Jr. & Phenix - Daddy Rob
9
Roland Haynes Jr. & Phenix - Jobman Caravan
10
Roland Haynes Jr. & Phenix - Donna
11
Roland Haynes Jr. & Phenix - Cast Your Fate
Insanely good almost completely unreleased Jazz funk LP from Roland Haynes Jr. (They released just a single 45 included here from the tapes). Think undiscovered James Mason, and you'll be half way there, even by our high standards, this LP is HUGE. Until now, that 1983 single has been the sole material trace of both band and artist. But like many dedicated musicians who follow their own path outside of the music industry, Haynes understood his musical worth, and the quality of his band. He had documented his work at key moments, laying down carefully worked out studio sessions and recording packed-out live gigs. The recordings that we present here are drawn from Haynes' personal archive of studio recordings that were for the most part unreleased.
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Label:Athens Of The North
Cat-No:ATH188
Release-Date:27.09.2024
Genre:Soul/Funk
Configuration:7"
Barcode:5050580827738
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Label:Athens Of The North
Cat-No:ATH188
Release-Date:27.09.2024
Genre:Soul/Funk
Configuration:7"
Barcode:5050580827738
1
James Alexander Bright - Cool Cool
2
James Alexander Bright - Cool Cool (ECLA Beautiful Dub)
Label:Athens Of The North
Cat-No:AOTNLP069
Release-Date:27.09.2024
Configuration:LP
Barcode:5050580829053
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Label:Athens Of The North
Cat-No:AOTNLP069
Release-Date:27.09.2024
Configuration:LP
Barcode:5050580829053
1
East Coast Love Affair - Musica Para Todos (Feat. For Mankind)
2
East Coast Love Affair - Ullal De Da Coloms
3
East Coast Love Affair - Punta Moscarter
4
East Coast Love Affair - Xylocopa Violacea (Feat. For Mankind)
5
East Coast Love Affair - The Morrígan Sings (Feat. For Mankind)
6
East Coast Love Affair - Stay Above With Love (Feat. For Mankind)
7
East Coast Love Affair - I Can't Wait (Feat. Philomenah)
8
East Coast Love Affair - A Gradual Precipitation
Our close friend and fellow Scot, now Ibiza resident, Pikes resident DJ and island favourite, 'For Mankind' (Russ Forman) had talked about doing a studio collaboration for some time. Last winter, we finally managed to get in the studio and make some music.
Drawn upon our mutual loves of house music, dub and weirdo dance music by the likes of African Head Charge, Larry Heard and Sun Ra. We also added sprinkles of influence from other oddball tracks that make up our more interesting sets. We spent hours just pulling and listening to records from all our collections and talking about music before hitting the studio.
What resulted from the session is a beautiful and exciting blend of everyone's taste - dreamy, minimal, almost techno synthscapes, New York oddball house that sounds like some lost Sleeping Bag test press to almost Música Popular Brasileira.
At one point Russ, (For Mankind) grabbed the mic and hit us with his best pidgin Spanish, this snowballed onto a few more tracks, so we felt it only right the LP should also bear his name. Russ' vocal came as a surprise to us all, loose, funky, wild and carefree, (like the man himself), with positivity and a message: This music is for everyone. We should all work together, help and contribute.
Our good friend Hanna (Philomenah) also brings her giant talent on Brazilian influenced 'I Can't wait', expect to hear a lot more from this Shetland-born singer on Athens of the North and elsewhere. More
Drawn upon our mutual loves of house music, dub and weirdo dance music by the likes of African Head Charge, Larry Heard and Sun Ra. We also added sprinkles of influence from other oddball tracks that make up our more interesting sets. We spent hours just pulling and listening to records from all our collections and talking about music before hitting the studio.
What resulted from the session is a beautiful and exciting blend of everyone's taste - dreamy, minimal, almost techno synthscapes, New York oddball house that sounds like some lost Sleeping Bag test press to almost Música Popular Brasileira.
At one point Russ, (For Mankind) grabbed the mic and hit us with his best pidgin Spanish, this snowballed onto a few more tracks, so we felt it only right the LP should also bear his name. Russ' vocal came as a surprise to us all, loose, funky, wild and carefree, (like the man himself), with positivity and a message: This music is for everyone. We should all work together, help and contribute.
Our good friend Hanna (Philomenah) also brings her giant talent on Brazilian influenced 'I Can't wait', expect to hear a lot more from this Shetland-born singer on Athens of the North and elsewhere. More
2LP
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Label:Athens Of The North
Cat-No:AOTNLP070
Release-Date:27.09.2024
Genre:Soul/Funk
Configuration:2LP
Barcode:5050580821095
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Cat-No:AOTNLP070
Release-Date:27.09.2024
Genre:Soul/Funk
Configuration:2LP
Barcode:5050580821095
1
Roland Haynes Jr. & Phenix - What's Going On (Live)
2
Roland Haynes Jr. & Phenix - Interview (Live)
3
Roland Haynes Jr. & Phenix - Cast Your Fate (Live)
4
Roland Haynes Jr. & Phenix - Rain Dance (Live)
5
Roland Haynes Jr. & Phenix - Europa (Live)
6
Roland Haynes Jr. & Phenix - Loving You In Autumn (Live)
7
Roland Haynes Jr. & Phenix - The Baron (Live)
8
Roland Haynes Jr. & Phenix - Titi (Live)
Roland Haynes Jr and his group Phenix released just a single 45 on their eponymous label:the sophisticated modern soul cut 'Mind Games', with a dapper jazz ballad,'The Essence of Jai' as the flipside (coming soon on the studio LP). Until now, that 1983 single has been the sole material trace of both band and artist. But like many dedicated musicians who follow their own path outside of the music industry, Haynes understood his musical worth, and the quality of his band. He had documented his work at key moments, laying down carefully worked out studio sessions and recording packed-out live gigs. The recordings that we present here are drawn from Haynes' personal archive.
This first collection presents a selection of the many live recordings made by Phenix at Quarter Moon club in Orangeburg, South Carolina. This allows us to listen in as Haynes'abundantly talented band stretches out on a tight selection of originals and covers. Together, these sets allow Roland HaynesJrtofinallystakehisclaim to a place alongside the most forward-thinking jazz and soul artists of his era.
Covers of Marvin Gaye, Santana, Hubert Laws & The Jeff Lorber Fusion as well as originals.
500 Copies Only Double Vinyl. More
This first collection presents a selection of the many live recordings made by Phenix at Quarter Moon club in Orangeburg, South Carolina. This allows us to listen in as Haynes'abundantly talented band stretches out on a tight selection of originals and covers. Together, these sets allow Roland HaynesJrtofinallystakehisclaim to a place alongside the most forward-thinking jazz and soul artists of his era.
Covers of Marvin Gaye, Santana, Hubert Laws & The Jeff Lorber Fusion as well as originals.
500 Copies Only Double Vinyl. More
Label:Athens Of The North
Cat-No:AOTN12022
Release-Date:23.08.2024
Genre:House
Configuration:12"
Barcode:5050580831599
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Label:Athens Of The North
Cat-No:AOTN12022
Release-Date:23.08.2024
Genre:House
Configuration:12"
Barcode:5050580831599
1
East Coast Love Affair & BDK - Love Chug
2
East Coast Love Affair & BDK - Pure Sass
On this new ATON 12" we have two very different beast, basement or bigroom, both sampling a rare disco 45 by Sass Band called 'Where Is the Love'. Side A is another East Coast Love Affair outing, a super deep druggy disco burner for the heads, we need to make more of these. To counteract the A side on the flip we have a full on late 90s style party banger that will deffo get some asses moving (and some beard strokers crying). Kevin McCullagh (BDK) sent me this last year (or possibly the year before) and gave me the idea for this 12, it took some time to track down the licence but with some help Julien (Waxist DJ) andPascal. at Pusher distrubtion we were a le to clear the sample which was super appreciated. Get it, pick your side, rock the party.
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Label:Athens Of The North
Cat-No:AOTNLP171
Release-Date:26.07.2024
Genre:Soul/Funk
Configuration:LP
Barcode:5050580825611
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Label:Athens Of The North
Cat-No:AOTNLP171
Release-Date:26.07.2024
Genre:Soul/Funk
Configuration:LP
Barcode:5050580825611
1
James Alexander Bright - Straight Line
2
James Alexander Bright - Your Love
3
James Alexander Bright - Fall For You
4
James Alexander Bright - Cool Cool
5
James Alexander Bright - Catch My Breath
6
James Alexander Bright - Aguas Blancas
7
James Alexander Bright - I Feel Alive (feat. Letherette)
8
James Alexander Bright - YSYSYS
9
James Alexander Bright - Fuzzy Yellow Magic
10
James Alexander Bright - Hear (feat. Daudi Matsiko)
A vibrant kaleidoscope of sound, colour and emotion, British multi-hyphenate James Alexander Bright's new album 'Cool Cool' is set for release on 26th July via Athens Of The North. A dynamic set of urgent funkers, gentle soul ballads, head-nodders, fuzzy folkers and straight-up disco bangers span 10 songs that soundtrack fertile daydreams, esoteric dancefloors, languorous reflection, and wild excursions in nature and beyond. James' voice, pitched somewhere between Eddie Chacon, Beck and Michael McDonald, takes a confident lead on this new record. Whether tenderly caressing on the title track's beautiful soul minimalism or deployed passionately on boogie machine 'Straight Line'; it's an immediately recognisable signature. Impressive multi-instrumentalism sees him perform on guitar, bass, keys, programming, percussion, production and myriad quirky effects; across song subjects that cover searching for truth, imagining the distant future, teen nostalgia, relaxation exploration, aspirations of freedom, and classic tales of love and romance.
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Label:Athens Of The North
Cat-No:ATH183
Release-Date:28.06.2024
Configuration:7"
Barcode:5050580825437
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Label:Athens Of The North
Cat-No:ATH183
Release-Date:28.06.2024
Configuration:7"
Barcode:5050580825437
1
James Alexander Bright - Straight Line
2
James Alexander Bright - Oh My
Electro-boogie-machine 'Straight Line' is taken from 'Cool Cool', the upcoming third album by British multi-hyphenate James Alexander Bright. "'Straight Line' started out as a wonky homage to 80s & 90s radio", says James. "It's based on the memory of meeting someone you want to stay up all night listening to music with". James' passionate voice, pitched somewhere between Eddie Chacon, Beck and Michael McDonald, takes a confident lead over a melange of body-popping LinnDrum beats, a host of swooping, fuzzy synths, and backseat-rocking bass. Initially written and recorded at his home studio in the rolling hills of the Hampshire countryside, 'Straight Line' was completed with regular collaborator Peter Lyons in East London. It's backed on 7" vinyl with the wonky dancefloor wobbler 'Oh My', sounding something like Theo Parrish producing Arthur Russell after a sleepless night.
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7"
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Label:Athens Of The North
Cat-No:ATH151
Release-Date:24.05.2024
Genre:Soul/Funk
Configuration:7"
Barcode:5050580825918
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Label:Athens Of The North
Cat-No:ATH151
Release-Date:24.05.2024
Genre:Soul/Funk
Configuration:7"
Barcode:5050580825918
1
Ike Noble & The Uptights - Money Won't Change You
2
Ike Noble & The Uptights - She's Got To Be Loved
This month we have three beautifully pressed mostly unreleased Ike Noble 45s with o.g style silver Ink overprinted labels, they look just
Side A on this 45 is a killer previously unreleased cover of James Brown's classic "Money Wont Change You" stepping up the pressure with The Uptight's on backing smashing it out the part, it probably outdoes the JB version.
On the flip, it's Big Boy/Girl ballad time. Stunning unreleased deep soul. Sweet Deep soul heads will hoover this up so be quick. More
Side A on this 45 is a killer previously unreleased cover of James Brown's classic "Money Wont Change You" stepping up the pressure with The Uptight's on backing smashing it out the part, it probably outdoes the JB version.
On the flip, it's Big Boy/Girl ballad time. Stunning unreleased deep soul. Sweet Deep soul heads will hoover this up so be quick. More
Label:Athens Of The North
Cat-No:ATH152
Release-Date:24.05.2024
Genre:Soul/Funk
Configuration:7"
Barcode:5050580825895
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Label:Athens Of The North
Cat-No:ATH152
Release-Date:24.05.2024
Genre:Soul/Funk
Configuration:7"
Barcode:5050580825895
1
Ike Noble & The Uptights - It's Bad
2
Ike Noble & The Uptights - Best Of Luck To You
This month we have three beautifully pressed mostly unreleased Ike Noble 45s with o.g style silver Ink overprinted labels, they look just
On side A we have the only previously released (but very rare) track on these three 45s. A brilliant, mid-tempo soul chugger that falls between Syl Johnson and James Brown, undeniable, how this did not blow up at the time is beyond comprehension.
On the flip, it is Deep Soul time again with a version of 'Best of Luck to You', also recorded by Sam baker and Earl Gaines, but easily toping both. More
On side A we have the only previously released (but very rare) track on these three 45s. A brilliant, mid-tempo soul chugger that falls between Syl Johnson and James Brown, undeniable, how this did not blow up at the time is beyond comprehension.
On the flip, it is Deep Soul time again with a version of 'Best of Luck to You', also recorded by Sam baker and Earl Gaines, but easily toping both. More
Label:Athens Of The North
Cat-No:ATH153
Release-Date:24.05.2024
Genre:Soul/Funk
Configuration:7"
Barcode:5050580825871
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Label:Athens Of The North
Cat-No:ATH153
Release-Date:24.05.2024
Genre:Soul/Funk
Configuration:7"
Barcode:5050580825871
1
Ike Noble & The Uptights - Good Thing
2
Ike Noble & The Uptights - Look A Little Higher
This month we have three beautifully pressed mostly unreleased Ike Noble 45s with o.g style silver Ink overprinted labels, they look just
On side-A we have the only previously released (but very rare) track on these three 45s. A brilliant, mid-tempo soul chugger that falls between Syl Johnson and James Brown, undeniable, how this did not blow up at the time is beyond comprehension.
On the flip, HUGE deepsoul anthem 'Look a Little Higher' was release at the time but is mad rare, again a hit that never made it. Solid Gold! More
On side-A we have the only previously released (but very rare) track on these three 45s. A brilliant, mid-tempo soul chugger that falls between Syl Johnson and James Brown, undeniable, how this did not blow up at the time is beyond comprehension.
On the flip, HUGE deepsoul anthem 'Look a Little Higher' was release at the time but is mad rare, again a hit that never made it. Solid Gold! More
Label:Athens Of The North
Cat-No:ATH161
Release-Date:24.05.2024
Genre:Soul/Funk
Configuration:7"
Barcode:5050580825840
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Cat-No:ATH161
Release-Date:24.05.2024
Genre:Soul/Funk
Configuration:7"
Barcode:5050580825840
1
Premonition - Here In The Name Of Love
2
Premonition - Righteous Love
A rare but unknown modern soul dancer from band Premonition or Premonitions depending on what release they put out. The A side is well written proto disco dancer, it's no wonder collectors have been calling begging for the TPs on this , as nobody can find an original (my copy is beat to death).
I actually really dig the sweet soul flip, its almost to cheesy but walks the edge well, and has some great rising moments if that's your bag (which is should be).
500 Only More
I actually really dig the sweet soul flip, its almost to cheesy but walks the edge well, and has some great rising moments if that's your bag (which is should be).
500 Only More
Label:Athens Of The North
Cat-No:ATH182
Release-Date:24.05.2024
Genre:Soul/Funk
Configuration:7"
Barcode:5050580825932
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Cat-No:ATH182
Release-Date:24.05.2024
Genre:Soul/Funk
Configuration:7"
Barcode:5050580825932
1
Coast To Coast - Paula Marie
2
Coast To Coast - Crack (Instrumental)
Modern soul / disco royalty, written by the talented Mark Beiner and co-writer Ben Iverson about Marks x girlfriend. It is up there with the best modern floaters in the game. I still remember the first time I Heard this on the dancefloor at Prestatyn soul weekender (I cannot remember who played it), I set out on a mission to get myself a copy which failed miserably at every turn. Many years later I finnaly met Mark, he had done a great job looking after the tapes and all the epherma surrounding the band after Ben has passed away.
On the flip, an early new york rap 45 by the band, previously unreleased on vinyl (we did do it digitally with the LP). More
On the flip, an early new york rap 45 by the band, previously unreleased on vinyl (we did do it digitally with the LP). More
7"
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Label:Athens Of The North
Cat-No:ATH177
Release-Date:26.04.2024
Genre:Soul/Funk
Configuration:7"
Barcode:5050580818125
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Last in:02.05.2024
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Last in:02.05.2024
Label:Athens Of The North
Cat-No:ATH177
Release-Date:26.04.2024
Genre:Soul/Funk
Configuration:7"
Barcode:5050580818125
1
Lee Tracy & Issac Manning - Is It What You Want?
2
Lee Tracy & Issac Manning - Saving All My Love For You
The rarest and best genuinely outsider soul 45 to come out of America (I know that's a controversial shout), Lee Tracy's super rare single outing from the outskirts of Nashville is a dream of something bigger that never came in time for him. A beautiful, haunting song cut to cassette with help from his friend Isaac Manning (on the Casio). Flipped with an almost unrecognizable version of Whitney Houston's hit "Saving All My Love For You" which stands all tall as what was the original B-Side. Beyond essential cut of outside soul.
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Label:Athens Of The North
Cat-No:ATH181
Release-Date:16.02.2024
Genre:Soul/Funk
Configuration:7"
Barcode:5050580817234
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Last in:20.03.2024
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Last in:20.03.2024
Label:Athens Of The North
Cat-No:ATH181
Release-Date:16.02.2024
Genre:Soul/Funk
Configuration:7"
Barcode:5050580817234
1
James Alexander Bright - Fall for You
2
James Alexander Bright - Viper Flames
Multi-hyphenate artist James Alexander Bright releases soulfully tender paean to romance 'Fall For You', backed with urgent funker 'Viper Flames'. This new music heralds James' third solo album, currently being recorded and mixed, which is planned for release via Athens of the North mid 2024.On 'Fall For You' James says "You know when you've loved, to love is a magical thing. Whether it's an experience, an object, or a person; we've all loved and lost. The senses, vibration and elements have a wondrous strength and power. Love is the most powerful of all." Following the release of !K7 debut album 'Headroom' ("Blissful choruses, sweetly nagging refrains and a lo-fi sensibility. Hard not to love" Mojo), James featured on Groove Armada's album 'Edge Of The Horizon', contributed 'Under The Sun' to the Too Slow To Disco: The Sunset Manifesto compilation and released single 'It's Alright' with Feiertag. His second album, the joyous 'Float' ("Vivid intermingling of buoyant breakbeat drum loops, sunkissed psychedelic folk song, retrofuturist synthesisers and hot buttered British soul" Test Pressing), was released in July 2022 with singles 'Drink This Water', 'Wheels Keep Turning' and 'Sundown' feat Fink paving the way. This was followed in early 2023 by 'Mirage In The Mojave' ("One hundred percent proof dancefloor ready" Louder Than War), an album of collaborations and reworks with cosmic Americana-disco DJ/producer duo Flying Mojito Bros. On radio his tracks have been played across BBC 6 Music (where he's recorded guest mixes for Tom Ravenscroft and Huey Morgan), Amazing Radio, Bandcamp Weekly, Worldwide FM, Soho Radio, KCRW, Triple J and BBC Solent (who chose his track 'Tigers Roar' to soundtrack Portsmouth FC's 2019 journey to Wembley – awkwardly James is a Saints fan). A new project with Groove Armada's Tom Findlay as Bright & Findlay - married around their shared love of machine-led funk, outsider soul, 70s-80s nautica and 21st century basement disco - was released via Athens of the North in summer 2023. Solid tastemaker support included BBC 6 Music's Gilles Peterson, who included 'Slow Dance' amongst his tracks of the year, and Huey Morgan, for whom the duo recorded a Block Party mix.
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Label:Athens Of The North
Cat-No:AOTNLP066
Release-Date:26.01.2024
Genre:Soul/Funk
Configuration:LP
Barcode:5050580815377
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Last in:01.11.2024
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Last in:01.11.2024
Label:Athens Of The North
Cat-No:AOTNLP066
Release-Date:26.01.2024
Genre:Soul/Funk
Configuration:LP
Barcode:5050580815377
1
Bô'vel - Check 4 U (Original)
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Bô'vel - It's Not About Me
3
Bô'vel - Best Thing
4
Bô'vel - Knight In Shining Armour
5
Bô'vel - Daydreamer
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Bô'vel - Coming Back
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Bô'vel - Goodbye Farewell
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Bô'vel - Life Changes You
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Bô'vel - Let Down And Liar
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Bô'vel - My Man
Every now and again, a record carves itself an indelible place in the history of a place, a scene or a genre, all under its own steam – without a big budget, without a press campaign, without mainstream radio, just by hitting all the right notes at the right moment. Maybe you had to have been there to really feel it – locked into the pirate stations, a regular at the right clubs, or leaning on the counter in the right records shops on a Saturday afternoon – but if you were, there are some tunes that will always vibrate with the underground cultural energy of their time. Bô'vel's 1996 Manchester streetsoul anthem 'Check 4 U' is one of those tunes. The kind of song that makes the over-used phrase 'underground classic' mean something again, it effortlessly distills the sounds of its era into one of the most undeniable, genre-spanning cuts of the mid-1990s. The song resonates with the regional flavours of UK sound-system culture: the sweet club sound of Manchester's vibrant streetsoul scene, the dubwise hip-hop throb of the Bristol movement, and the bass-lore of the reggae sound systems whose wisdom stretched from Leeds to South London and beyond. Built around a humid kick drum and a bin-busting bass pulse arranged in head-nodding syncopation, the song is blessed with an instantly memorable harmonised hook, and perfectly set off by Bô'vel's crystalline vocals. Upful, stepping and tinged with melancholy, it remains one of the most well-loved and highly sought-after UK streetsoul sides. The three mixes of 'Check 4 U' appeared as the a-side of a blank-label five-track 12". It was Bô'vel's second release, after a soulful five-track EP issued in 1995 on her own Bô'vel Records had been a surprise success. Produced by Kev Waddington, that initial record had come about almost by accident after a chance encounter in Manchester's HQ Studios, as Bô'vel recalls today: 'We were making these five tracks because we were having bit of an argument with radio not being able to play what they wanted, really, only what the record labels wanted… they never had anybody coming through properly, because everything was pretty much underground. We were making records, like really pop stuff, to take the piss… So in the studio one day, this guy came in – all I know is that his was name was Nigel. And he came in and said, I want to put that five-track EP out with you. We just don't know who the hell he was to this day, really. And he said, you've got to do it 50/50, it's going to be £1000. So I said okay – I just trusted him. I gave him 500 quid. He gave me 1000 records. He just dropped them at the studio. I picked them up and then I went into Manchester city centre and gave it to a couple of DJs on underground radio.' Pirate radio loved it. With play on stalwart Manchester pirates like Buzz FM and Soul Nation, the EP immediately blew up. Bô'vel took the record into Fat City Records, Manchester's premier outlet and distributor for soul, hip-hop and dance, who took a batch, quickly sold out and took several hundred more copies; it eventually transpired that a large quantity were selling to Japan, where the combination of soul smarts and classy production had been caught by discerning ears. Elsewhere, friends distributed the record by hand in London and Birmingham, working them through UK's then burgeoning network of independent dance music shops. The warm reception the record received encouraged Bo'vel to return to the studio for sessions that would become 'Check 4 U'. The EP had been issued under a Bô'vel Records imprint, but she had sold it to Fat City without disclosing that she was the artist – 'I said, "There's this singer, she's great, she's done this cheesy stuff, try it, it's a bit Kylie Minogue". He said "oh, give us 300", and then he had some more.' For the next release, she decided to keep things completely minimal. 'The next one, I said, right, let's just put it out as a white label, and if people like it they like it, they don't have to see who we are or anything.' Though punitive legislation and overexposure had tamed rave culture, and the inflated status of superstar DJs had pushed once underground scenes fully into the mainstream, dance music culture in mid-1990s Britain still retained a certain feral energy. There was still a groundswell of vital local scenes and rapidly changing musical styles, and – combined with local record shops – clubs and pirate radio were still the chief arbiters of influence. 'In the 90s, pirate radio just played the best music. I mean, you couldn't really get music like that anywhere. The same as you couldn't get music like that [being played] in the Reno, which was very different,' remembers Bô'vel, referring to the legendary Moss Side soul club, an underground institution from 1962 until its closure in 1986. 'That's where music really started for me, going to clubs like the Reno at the age 15, 16, 17, and going to places like the Nile [upstairs from the Reno], which was all reggae, you know – that's really where the beats came for me.' The production on the new record would reflect these influences more than the EP had been able too. 'I liked a big bassline,' the singer reflects. 'There's a big bassline there on the five-track EP, 'I Can't Get By', which is a really, really good song, but they just could not get the bass – I was so gutted when that came back…if they'd have shown us the master we'd have said no.' These problems were to be avoided on 'Check 4 U' by the involvement of producer Uriah Gale. 'We already had the tune, and Uriah came on board, and I said, it's just not soulful enough. I was working with Kev Waddington, and he said "I just can't do it." So when Uriah came along, the bass was there, but he tidied it all up and made it really cool, and he was tremendous on the harmony,' she recalls. 'Out of all the mixes, his was the best. He was incredible to work with, and also incredibly talented. With alternate mixes of 'Life Changes You' from the 1995 EP as the b-side, 'Check 4 U' was issued with blank blue labels and sent out with a DJ one-sheet describing Bô'vel as 'Manchester's favourite soul Diva'. 2000 copies were pressed, and the record was distributed by Jetstar. It quickly became another pirate radio hit. 'Soul Nation and Buzz FM did support me from the very start [along with] every single DJ on Manchester radio,' she recalls, 'They're my biggest fans, the DJs here, I've got to big them up!' Manchester's support was mirrored by pirates around the UK. 'We had the support of radios across the country – I just could not believe it. So we went on a tour… We would go to the pirate stations, do an interview, then do a gig – that's how the gigging came about… gigging in Birmingham, Huddersfield, Liverpool, London – I've got so much respect for the pirate radios down there. They were brilliant… We used to take all my stuff straight to London,' she remembers. 'Each radio was doing pretty much the same thing, in their own style, with their own beats. Like, when I went down to Bristol, I showed them the EP and 'I Check 4 U' and they said, hey girl, you've got the Bristol beat!' But her core audience was at home in Manchester. 'London did support me a lot, but not like my home town – they loved me as I love them… Manchester supported me through and through, to this very day,' she remembers. Performing in mid-1990s Manchester was not always straightforward, though: 'In Manchester, it was kind of hard to do gigs, because there was a bit of gang warfare. So, you know, that was a problem. You'd be doing a gig and they'd all be there in their [bulletproof] vests, you know, Cheetham Hill and Moss Side, and it was a bit of a nightmare. And because I was more Manchester side, even though I went to school in Cheetham Hill, I was with a guy from Moss Side. So it was pretty hard gigging in Manchester, I had a bit of a hard time.' Nevertheless, 'my gigs were packed to the rafters…I wasn't scared because I knew I had protection. The gigs were fantastic, here in Manchester and everywhere, and I'm glad and very grateful to be able to say that.' A further single followed – the garage-flavoured 'Earthling', made with producer Ben Stansfield – but this would be her final release. 'My life changed,' she remembers. 'I had a split… I was just bringing my daughter up. I used to live in the countryside, and I was having a bit of a different life… I just spent a lot of time writing when I split up – I couldn't sing, it was like my voice wouldn't work. I was just thinking all the time, and not speaking. So I was just speaking through my music… I just became a writer, and I was more looking for other people to sing the [songs], you know? Because there's a lot of talent here in Manchester.' However, she retained access to a studio, and over time she began to record again, working with various producers and amassing a large amount of material. It is this unreleased material that we collect on Life Changes – nine unheard Bô'vel songs from the period 1997-2008(dates?), selected from her own archive. Until now, none of this unreleased work has been heard. Not an artist to be constrained by genre, the music showcases Bô'vel's exploration of a wide range of styles, from the dubbed-out downtempo of 'My Man' or 'I Wanna Be Free' to the updated streetsoul of 'Let Down And Liar', via the breakbeat hype of 'Do It Your Way' and the straight-ahead reggae vibe of 'Daydreamer'. This unreleased music is presented alongside the unfadeable 'I Check 4 U' and two classic streetsoul cuts from her 1995 EP, 'Life Changes You' and 'Coming Back'. The common denominator across the album is of course Bô'vel herself: a singer of rare timbral clarity whose musical vision has determined the sound of every record she has made, a prolific and personal song-writer in the UK soul tradition, and the artist behind one of the most celebrated underground soul tunes of the pirate radio era. Still most definitely someone to check for.
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Label:Athens Of The North
Cat-No:ATH139
Release-Date:26.01.2024
Genre:Soul/Funk
Configuration:7"
Barcode:5050580818965
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Last in:13.02.2024
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Last in:13.02.2024
Label:Athens Of The North
Cat-No:ATH139
Release-Date:26.01.2024
Genre:Soul/Funk
Configuration:7"
Barcode:5050580818965
1
The Funnybone Express - All the Way Down
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The Funnybone Express - Tonight's the Night
Brilliant rough and funky two sider from Charles Barnwell's band The Funnybone express. A very obscure deepfunk spin with that splash of modern sound that was so appreciated at the time (I can't actually remember whether it was Ian or Keb that first played this). It has remained an extremely rare and sought after slab of wax and this limited run of 500 will serve to sort out the heads that know the score. Big up DJ Mr Big Happy (check out his NTS show) and Daniel Mathis (Check his show Reachin' Out on WYXR) for helping unearth this rare banger.
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Last in:28.11.2023
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Last in:28.11.2023
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Cat-No:DOO767
Release-Date:01.12.2023
Genre:House / Techno
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1
SnP 500 - Purt
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SnP 500 - Splean Addition
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SnP 500 - Cord
"We have a tonne of music we want to share so we stacked it all on top of each other and pushed it into three tracks that made a bit of a portal kinda likea black hole."
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