Birmingham muso, ROB DERBYSHIRE is one of the UK’s best kept soul secrets. For over ten years his FULL FLAVA collective have been making quality modern soul and their music is revered throughout the modern soul scene.

Derbyshire has a lifelong love of soul and his passion for the music has seen him craft numerous classics. His secret is to write, cover, produce and arrange catchy, infectious, groove-heavy soul tunes and such is his standing in the soul world that he can call on the talents of the UK’s top female soul singers to help him deliver his ideas.

Dome Records –with whom Full Flava has worked for the last ten years – have just released a wonderful 16 track retrospective featuring the very best of the collective’s work. The album features group classics like ‘Stories’ (featuring Carleen Anderson) and ‘Music Is My Way Of Life’ (featuring Kelli Sae) alongside a clutch of new recordings – like a spirited reading of Lisa Stansfield’s ‘Change’ with Joy Rose on lead vocal. Listen up too to a great, slowed down version of EWF’s ‘September’… Chantay Savage on great vocal from here. The set also highlights a great cover of the Brand New Heavies’ ‘You Are The Universe’ with the wonderful Ce Ce Pensiton on lead vocal … easy to hear why this was a huge success in Japan and in such great demand in the UK. Ditto a fab take on Change’s ‘The Glow Of Love’. Those songs along with 14 other quality modern soul cuts (with vocals from people like Hazel Fernandez, Donna Gardier, Beverlei Brown, Ruby Turner and Dee Johnson alongside those already mentioned) is now available for all to enjoy.

THE SWEETEST FLAVA: THE BEST OF FULL FLAVA is out now on Dome Records.