Format Notes: 2022 re-press, 180g vinyl

Track List:

A1 : Ain’t Gonna Stop (3:06)
A2 : You Can’t Miss Something That You Never Had (2:32)
A3 : A Love That’s Worth Having (2:47)
A4 : Good To The Last Drop (3:00)
A5 : That’s What I Call Lovin’ You (1:54)
A6 : You Gotta Try (2:26)

B1 : Let Me Give You The Love You Need (2:34)
B2 : Lucky To Be Loved By You (2:50)
B3 : Keep On Doin’ What You Do (2:18)
B4 : Your Love Keeps Liftin’ Me Higher (2:32)
B5 : Do What You Wanna Do (3:12)

Release Notes:

A monumental force firmly rooted in the soul canon, Willie Hutch is most notable for recording two of the best Blaxploitation soundtracks, The Mack and Foxy Brown. Yet his legacy is much greater. Outside of Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder and Smokey Robinson, Hutch was arguably Motown’s top male solo artist of the 70s. Prior to his association with Gordy et al, Hutch crafted his opening statements for RCA, two vital LPs that Be With Records is honoured to present today.

His debut, Soul Portrait (1969), is an incredible slice of gritty, Southern-fried soul. Think Stax with a touch of Detroit sparkle. As a whole, the album demonstrates the self-contained act Hutch was; he wrote every tune on the album while also arranging and conducting for it. It features eleven timeless grooves, with a blend of beat ballads and undeniable dancers.

The album’s centrepiece is undoubtedly the iconic, brooding minor-key masterpiece “A Love That’s Worth Having”. The album’s most recognisable track, it's a towering ballad drenched in stylish, sliding horns and elevated by its stunning backing vocalists. It was famously sampled by Madlib to augment his soundtrack for Stones Throw’s Our Vinyl Weighs A Ton as well as 9th Wonder for the Murs classic “Dreamchaser”. Whilst one can understand these iconic beatmakers for leaning on the work of a master, you really need to own the track in its full, unedited glory.

Horn-heavy opener “Ain’t Gonna Stop” is a funk-fuelled monster, Hutch's fatback vocal aided by a vicious drum ‘n’ conga rhythm whilst the bumping uptown soul of “You Can’t Miss Something That You Never Had” anticipates the Motown-vibe that Hutch went on to create. Supple guitar licks propel the loping, head-nod breaks of “Good To The Last Drop” whilst “That’s What I Call Lovin’ You” features gospel piano and plaintive, tender vocal turn. Rounding out Side A, the blazing horns of “You Gotta Try” hints at the Blaxploitation that was to come.

Ushering in the flipside, the thundering proto-70s-Motown rhythm of “Let Me Give You The Love You Need” segues neatly into the bouncing Northern Soul favourite “Lucky To Be Loved By You” whilst Hutch’s gutbucket guitar stylings are all over the smouldering "Keep On Doin’ What You Do". “Your Love Keeps Liftin’ Me Higher” is not a rendition of the Jackie Wilson classic; rather, it’s a powerhouse original that indicates where Hutch would take his sound on The Mack. Closing the album, the anthemic “Do What You Wanna Do” name-checks contemporary dance fads before instructing the listener to just get up and dance.

Brilliantly supported by a heavy roster of studio cats who combined to create a winning combination of horns, strings, and gorgeous female background vocalists, Soul Portrait is as complete a soul album as the decade’s very best. Tricky to find for a number of years, this lovingly produced reissue is certainly welcome. Paired with the soaring follow-up, Season For Love, these recordings shine a new light on the early work of a soul legend. Mastered for vinyl by Simon Francis, it has been pressed on 180g vinyl for the first time and features the original artwork and liner notes.
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Format Notes: 2022 re-press, 180g vinyl

Territories: Worldwide no restrictions

Track List:

A1 : Season For Love (3:06)
A2 : The Twelfth Of Never (2:25)
A3 : Trying To Understand A Woman (2:27)
A4 : When A Boy Falls In Love (2:38)
A5 : The Shortest Distance (0:36)

B1 : Hurt So Bad (3:16)
B2 : Walking On My Love (3:02)
B3 : Wichita Lineman (3:21)
B4 : Let's Try It Over Again (2:09)
B5 : The Magic Of Love (2:47)

Release Notes:

Mr Thing: "I've pretty much given up trying to find Season For Love. I'm glad you're doing these."

A monumental force firmly rooted in the soul canon, Willie Hutch is most notable for recording two of the best Blaxploitation soundtracks, The Mack and Foxy Brown. Yet his legacy is much greater. Outside of Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder and Smokey Robinson, Hutch was arguably Motown's top male solo artist of the 70s. Prior to his association with Gordy et al, Hutch crafted his opening statements for RCA, two vital LPs that Be With Records is honoured to present today.

Often-overlooked, his second album Season For Love (1970) is a must for all deep soul fans and has been sought-after by collectors of different stripes for decades. Whereas his debut featured thundering, gritty numbers, Hutch treats us to a mellower soul here - sumptuous, warm and string-led. He compared his approach to that of Otis Redding and there are definite parallels; from the raspy, rough-hewn vocals that tend to roam between sweet and deeply impassioned to the horn-heavy, emphatic sonic backdrops.

With flawless originals presented alongside a few well-chosen classics (his stunning cover of "Wichita Lineman" arguably bests the original's splendour), it's easy to see why sample-based musicians have been falling over themselves to plunder from this album. Witness the sweeping strings that grace "The Magic Of Love" and the heartbreaking "Walking On My Love"; the mellifluous guitar work on the contemplative instrumental "The Shortest Distance" and gorgeous single "When A Boy Falls In Love".

Whilst the arrangements and playing are subtly jaw-dropping throughout, Hutch's uncontrived voice has a certain warmth to match a Nat “King” Cole and a purity of tone that even recalls the great Sam Cooke. Indeed, a few numbers are almost in a jazz vocal territory reminiscent of artists Lou Rawls. That's not to say that others lack the righteous energy and undeniable groove of Willie's later sound.

Remarkably consistent throughout – a rare commodity for many 70s soul albums – the lack of one signature song likely hindered its progress. Regardless, it deserved to make more of an impact and now, paired with the majestic debut, Soul Portrait, these recordings shine a new light on the early work of a soul legend.

Original vinyl copies of this album are extremely rare – and correspondingly expensive – so we’re thrilled to present the first ever vinyl reissue of a true lost classic. Mastered for vinyl by our esteemed engineer Simon Francis. It has been pressed on 180g vinyl for the first time and features the original, rarely seen artwork.
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Tracklist 12":

A1) Guapita
A2) Keep On
B1) I Like It, I Wanna It (Extended Version)
B2) Loop Story


Toy Tonics comes with the first EP by Paul Older. Italian hero of vinyl diggers and maestro of rare edits. Paul is known for doing some of the sickest versions of rare jazz funk and Italian disco around. Played by every important DJ of the scene. Finally now he did his forst „legal“ record. 4 mad tracks based on recording of real musicians and bands from the Sonoton catalogue that he reworked legally and created smashing tracks for the dancefloors. This is amazing organic dance music. Live bass, drums, guitars and keyboards... played in a Afro-American vibe turned into modern house and indie dance that will put every dancefloor on fire.











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Territories: WORLD minus UK and US


2023 Repress

FORMAT 12", dl card

TRACKLIST
A1 The Tresor Track 06:24
B1 Basement Trax 05:36
B2 The Upstairs Lounge 06:01


Release Info:
Following the club and label’s 20th anniversary back in 2011, Tresor memorialised its two decades of existence with an exclusive
mix from one of its esteemed Detroit connections, Mike Huckaby. On that mix, Mike Huckaby included an exclusive production of
his, the first one to be released on Tresor Records.
Today, Tresor is proud to announce the repress of the ‘The Tresor Track’ on wax, making up for a massive A-side cut at 45 RPM.
This title is on its way to stand along with the label’s most important classics, a genuine anthem for the Berlin techno institute.
On the flip, Mike Huckaby goes for a stroll through the Tresor building, heading downstairs, exploring the room’s darker and more
twisted corners with ‘Basement Trax’, going back towards ‘The Upstairs Lounge’ and surprising his audience with some original
rhythmic patterns. The Tresor EP is a statement, a seal manifesting for a fruitful and long-lasting collaboration between Mike
Huckaby and Tresor.
"I try to create a vibe, feeling or idea that could create a vicarious expression. Often, this is derived from many of my personal
clubbing experiences. I have a permanent snapshot in my mind from the vibe I remember at the Music Institute in Detroit, or the
Shelter in NYC. So I vibe o of that quite often. In terms of house, it's usually based around strong chord progressions, and very
colorful and expressive sounds. For techno, it can be a mixture of both, or purely abrasive and dance floor driven.
Music is reciprocal. I have coined or phrased a term called "the reciprocal relationship" in music. The reciprocal relationship in
music demonstrates that tones excite chords, and chords excite tones. Here's an example to further elaborate on that: A chord
can invoke a specific feeling within the listener. But the strength or degree in which a feeling is invoked within the listener has a
lot to do with the notes or chord progression that is played upon a specific tone or patch.” Mike Huckaby, 2010.
In loving memory of one of the greatest. More