Always dependable IZIPHO SOUL have two delightful new singles lined up for release at week end. They feature a double A sider with THE KRASH BAND on one side and ONENESS on the flip and then two cuts from VALENTINOS MALTOS.
The Krash Band are something of an unknown quantity and it appears that they made just one record – ‘So I Can Make This Change’. Dating from 1976, it’s a classic Chicago style brassy, harmony ballad so typical of the mid 70s with a stunning soulful falsetto lead from Evelyn Holder. Need we say that original 7s of this one fetch big bucks! The welcome Izipho release of this one features another cult group on the flip, Oneness. The band were once known as Audition but it’s as “Oneness” that they cut ‘Hard To Know’ in 1977 for Cincinnati’s AMG label. It’s another sweet harmony ballad and it was never officially released in its time. Both these songs were “discovered “ by famed collector Bob Abrahamian. You might know that Bob was (he died in 2014) the acknowledged expert on Chicago soul groups (and others associated with that very special sound). His syndicated radio show Sitting in the Park was always a great listen, throwing up countless new gems… like these two new Iziphos. By the way the Izipho team tell us the master tape of ‘Hard To Know’ has some damage and there is a little of that damage apparent on the vinyl – but you wouldn’t really notice!
The second new Izipho 7 features Texan muso and renowned sax man, Valentinos Maltos. Last year he released a debut album ‘Analog Future’ and the two cuts on the new 45 are from that source, The putative A side is ‘Prototype’ with lovely, breathy vocals from Kiikii Starr (her spelling, by the way) which gives plenty of space for Mr M’s sax to work its magic – listen up to his soulful outro. The disc’s flip is ‘Just Look Up’ with a properly old school soul vocal from a gentleman simply known as Marqell. The message in this one is gospel based … keep on pushing and lift you head up high. It’s a lovely piece of contemporary soul music and a perfect foil to the more unusual ‘Prototype’.
As ever, learn more @ https://www.iziphosoul.com/ but be quick. Both of these new discs released in limited editions of just 300!