Territories: Worldwide no restrictions

Format Notes:

Part of Bobby Caldwell Reissue Campaign, 2023 first time reissue, 140g vinyl


Track List:

A1 Special To Me 4:00
A2 My Flame 3:30
A3 Love Won't Wait 4:00
A4 Can't Say Goodbye 5:20

B1 Come To Me 2:52
B2 What You Won't Do For Love 4:45
B3 Kalimba Song 2:00
B4 Take Me Back To Then 3:30
B5 Down For The Third Time 3:30

Release Notes:

Known principally as a smooth titan of blue-eyed soul, Bobby Caldwell transcended genre tags with consummate ease; he was a musical icon of real class and versatility, cherished the world over. Tragically passing away in March 2023 at the too young age of 71, it still feels as if Bobby's true artistry is profoundly under-appreciated. His double platinum self-titled album from 1978 is a timeless masterpiece of sophisticated jazzy soul brilliance and is strictly canonical. Yes, it's perfect, yet it's been out of press on vinyl for years. We're deeply honoured to present the long-awaited reissue this summer.

Whilst Ned Doheny is known in Japan as "Mr California", native New Yorker Bobby Caldwell has always been "Mr AOR" to his Far-Eastern friends. His distinct charm is an irresistible blend of soul, jazz, and pop influences. He possessed phenomenal songwriting prowess, smooth vocal performances, was both a great soul guitarist and dextrous keyboard player and known for genius chord progressions. It all added up to a multi-layered brilliance entering the studio, and the singular sound he landed on was laced with soulful, sweeping strings and funky horns, touching lightly on disco, while allowing his supple voice to carry the stunning tracks he'd crafted.

String-swept opener "Special To Me" immediately sets the tone with its lush instrumentation, rich harmonies, and Caldwell's velvety-smooth vocals. Next up, a huge one. The infectious, mid-tempo bounce of "My Flame" showcases Caldwell's ability to effortlessly blend catchy pop hooks with soulful arrangements. It's an exquisite, emotive ballad that, at the same time, absolutely SLAPS. Game recognise game, and all that, so, accordingly, Notorious B.I.G. memorably ran with “My Flame” for his 1997 single “Sky’s The Limit”. The rolling, disco-very "Love Won't Wait" is a slick, uptempo track containing heartfelt lyrics intertwined with elegant strings and a horn section to die for. Aching - and achingly cool - single "Can't Say Goodbye" is a real fan favourite, and it's no surprise. It's a laconic, slow-mo jazz-funk stepper, with fantastic, very deliberate playing that closes out the A Side quite exceptionally. "Come To Me" slows proceedings down elegantly to open Side B before the universally agreed-upon masterpiece enters proceedings.

"What You Won't Do for Love," the standout hit that became a classic in its own right, perfectly captured Bobby's ability to infuse a contagious groove with introspective and relatable lyrics. With its instantly recognisable horn riff and Caldwell's soulful delivery, this timeless, chiller anthem continues to captivate audiences and define his musical legacy. He scored huge with the track, taking over the pop and R&B airways with this mellow soul stepper. It has remained a perennial favourite and has been heavily sampled, such is its unique allure; Aaliyah sang over snatches of it on "Age Ain’t Nothing But A Number" and you can hear Caldwell’s vocal sample used for the hook on Tupac’s posthumously released “Do For Love”.

Upon submitting the finished album to his label, they requested more material in hope of a big single. As Bobby remembered to Wax Poetics a few years ago: “Now at this point, I’m mentally exhausted...and bear in mind that I got so close to all the songs I’d written. I gave each song a profound amount of thought, and maybe too much. So, in haste, I went in and cut this song, "What You Won’t Do For Love". Wrote it in a day, cut the rhythm track, overdubbed the horns, I sang the song, and literally turned it in three days after. And lo and behold, the one song I gave the least thought to,” Bobby laughed, “ended up being a national anthem.”

The mysterious, magical "Kalimba Song" is a cosmic, kalimba-driven melodic-funk instrumental - short but oh, so sweet. It's followed by the supreme tear-jerker "Take Me Back To Then", Bobby's otherworldly voice deeply longing for a simpler time, "when life was mellow". I think we can all get behind this sentiment. The final cut is arguably its deepest, its low-key finest moment. For us, it is, anyway. The glorious, driving, effortlessly funky guitar-soul jam "Down For The Third Time" is a huge melancholic Be With favourite and has been played by discerning genre-hopping DJs with significant glee for years. Hypnotic, melodic, beautiful. Like the album it elegantly rounds out.

Bobby sadly passed away on 23rd March 2023, after a long struggle with mitochondrial damage and oxidative stress, due to an adverse effect from a fluoroquinolone antibiotic. The reissue of his wonderful eponymous album will be available on vinyl across the globe, ensuring that fans of his incomparable talent - and soul music enthusiasts worldwide - can radiate in the deep beauty of this seminal album. Meticulously remastered and cut by both Simon Francis and Cicely Balston respectively, it has been pressed to the highest possibly quality at Record Industry in Holland. More

You may know Aretha Franklin's scintillating "One Step Ahead" from its vital role in the Oscar-winning movie Moonlight. You may also know it as providing the beautifully melancholic backdrop for Mos Def's 1999 hit "Ms Fat Booty". The inaugural Be With 7" is a special one indeed, containing the first ever officially licensed reissue of Aretha's all-time deep soul classic. "One Step Ahead" was not included on any of her Columbia studio albums, and remains one of her rarest releases. On the flip, "I Can't Wait Until I See My Baby's Face" is a thrilling, goosebump-inducing killer and an unfairly slept-on rendition of this eternal track. The single comes housed in a custom printed full-colour company sleeve and is limited to just 1000 copies. More

Nonexclusive Release - Exportrights Only, 2LP in gatefold sleeve with CD included. EAN: 5060525433566

Cut from original masters. Original packaging, beautifully and precisely reproduced to the Original Standards. Original year of release: 1998


Tracklisting:

A1. Ann Peebles – Trouble, Heartaches & Sadness
A2. O.V. Wright – Let’s Straighten It Out
A3. The Charmels – As Long As I Got Yoy
A4. David Porter – I’m Afraid The Masquerade Is Over

B1. Willie Mitchell – Groovin’
B2. Al Green – You Ought To Be With Me
B3. Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell – You’re All I Need To Get By
B4. The Emotions – If You Think It (You May As Well Do It)
B5. Bob James – Nautilus

C1. Al Green – Gotta Find A New World
C2. Syl Johnson – Could I Be Falling In Love
C3. Donny Hathaway – Little Ghetto Boy (Live)
C4. Syl Johnson – Could I Be Falling In Love
C5. Wendy Rene – After Laughter (Come Tears)
C6. Lyn Collins – Ain’t No Sunshine

D1. Syl Johnson – Is It Because I’m Back
D2. The Dramatics – In The Rain
D3. Gladys Knight & The Pips – The Way We Were
D4. O.V. Wright – Motherless Child
D5. Booker T. And The MGs – Children Don’t Get Away
D6. Barry White – Mellow Mood (Part 1)

Short Info:

Legendary Deep Soul French compilation(s) featuring many Soul classics, sometimes forgotten, which have been sampled countless times by some of the biggest Hip-Hop acts.
More

- Releases on NDATL, Worldship Music, Innermoods

GENRE/S: Deep House/House

TRACKLISTS:
A1: “Take Our Time feat Fawziyya Heart Original Vocal” 06:31 118 BPM
B1: “Take Our Time feat Fawziyya Heart Piano Edit” 05:58 118 BPM

SHORT INFO:
Roberta has been hard at work the last few years establishing her style of deep, smokey house music across a number of prominent labels as well as her own Night Moves imprint. On her newest release, however, she gives us a little taste of some of the other sounds that are dear to her. Enlisting singer Fawziyya Heart to help, Roberta whips up an intoxicating mixture of uptempo neo-soul and broken beats that is sure to work the dancefloor as well as your emotions.

Driven by snappy drums and thick Rhodes chords, the beat on “Take Our Time” acts as the perfect bed for Fawziyya’s lyrics, calling for patience to prove that their relationship is right. On the flip Roberta dubs the track out, letting the sultry keyboard chords take the lead while the bass and drums twist into a rhythm that will have everybody winding their waists in the dance. This is another killer single from the Night Moves boss that will be sure to please her fanbase while also spreading her sound to a new audience.






More