Just last month, UK boutique label LRK RECORDS released a sweet and lovely single from veteran blued eyed soul singer, CHARLIE INGUI. The song was ‘Wake Up Old World‘ and we remembered that way back when, Charlie was actually a founder member (with his brother Richie who sadly died in 2017), of the Soul Survivors band . They were active in the 60s (hence our use of “veteran”!). Philly anoraks will tell you that the Soul Survivors worked closely with Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff. Indeed the band’s 1967 cut ‘Expressway To Your Heart’ is generally accepted as the first hit for the G&H pairing!
After the demise of the Soul Survivors, Charlie continued to work in the business and that LRK track, ‘Wake Up Old World‘ first appeared on a Charlie Ingui album, ‘Love’s Direction’ from last year. It was available via Bandcamp and the ever vigilant LRK team picked it up. The gentle and melodic cut won plenty of plays and plaudits.
Now hot on the heels of that one, LRK are issuing another track on Charlie. It’s a tough and gritty ‘Movin’ In Love’s Direction’. We’re told that the song was a staple of the Soul Survivors stage shows but as a band they never got round to recording it. Not so long ago, Charlie rectified that and went into the studio to cut it and it eventually surfaced on the ‘Love’s Direction’ digital album whch we mentioned in the last paragraph.
Of the song (and indeeed of ‘Wake Up Old World‘), Charlie says: “Love and positivty have always been themes in our songs inspired very much by our collaboration with Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff of Philadelphia International Records whose songs like “Love Train” and”Love Is The Message” had a positive and spiritually uplifting message.”
Charlie Ingui’s ‘Movin’ In Love’s Direction’ is released digitally on March 22nd – also the date when it will appear as the official B side to the vinyl release of the splendid ‘Wake Up Old World‘.learn more @ https://lrkrecords.bandcamp.com/album/wake-up-old-world
