Boutique label SOUL4REAL is lining up a couple of new 7” singles for imminent release. The discs feature two proper, classic soul legends – PAUL KELLY and LORRAINE ELLISON.
Kelly, who died in 2012, is a real cult hero. Though he only enjoyed one proper hit, 1970’s ‘Stealing In The Name Of The Lord’ his music is revered by the soul cognoscenti. They’ll point to his two Nashville recorded albums, ‘Don’t Burn Me’ and ‘Hooked Hogtied And Collared’ as Southern soul classics. Produced by Buddy Killen, who helmed most of Joe Tex’s major successes, they bear repeated listens and though commercially unsuccessful, like much of Sam Dees’ work with which the two LPs bear comparison, they continue to give.
The new Soul4Real 7” take a track each from both those Nashville/Warner Bros LPs. The A side (taken form ‘Hooked Hogtied And Collared’) is ‘You Make Me Tremble’. This is a gentle, mid-tempo meander and rather jaunty for Southern soul. The putative B side (which first appeared on ‘Don’t Burn Me’) is ‘Come With Me’, a more traditional Southern soul offering. Here Kelly is in fine testifying form and there’s the obvious comparison with the aforementioned Sam Dees and maybe John Edwards. This is the first time these two songs have appeared on vinyl 45.
The new Lorraine Ellison Soul4Real 45 also pairs tracks from the vaults of Warner Bros. The 45’s A side is a dramatic Jerry Ragovoy ballad, ‘Haven’t I Been Good To You’. This dates back to 1967 and lay unreleased till it appeared on a CD retrospective in 2006. My guess is that it was rejected back in the day, not for any lack of soulful quality, but because it was a little too similar to Ms Ellison’s epic, signature song ‘Stay With Me Baby’. The B side of the new 45 is a little different. It’s ‘I’m Gonna Cry Till My Tears Run Dry’. A cover of a 1964 Irma Thomas song, this was written by the team of Shuman/Fagan/Pomus and the drama and tempo changes indicate that those three might have been listening to Burt Bacharach. It goes without saying that Lorraine tears the heart and soul out of both songs! As with the Paul Kelly release this is the first time that these two particular songs have appeared on 7” vinyl. ‘I’m Gonna Cry Till My Tears Run Dry’ first appeared on Lorraine’s 1969 ‘Stay With Me’ album.
Soul4Real haven’t yet announced a release date but all their 45s sell out very quickly. Learn more @ https://www.soul4real.es/soul-4-real-records/
