Long overdue sampler of Charles Stepney's dazzling productions issued by Ace/BGP

The boffo 20-track Charles Stepney comp Eternal Journey – put together by Dean Rudland – has been in the works since 2017. 

Here's the scoop...

"Eternal Journey – The Arrangements And Productions Of Charles Stepney" a compilation we started work on back in 2017 will finally be released tomorrow (Friday, March 5). One not to miss, particularly for fans of Terry Callier, Rotary Connection, The Dells, Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters, Ramsey Lewis, Phil Upchurch, Marlena Shaw and Buddy Guy!

Charles Stepney gained worldwide success as the producer for Earth Wind & Fire and Deniece Williams but the producer and arranger’s earlier work at Chess is now regarded as some of the most original ever laid to tape, and in the past 20 years has become a primary influence on scores of producers and arrangers, with his records being sought after by DJs and collectors. Despite a couple of attempts, his most important work has never been compiled on one volume until now. This compilation gathers up his most famous productions for the likes of Rotary Connection - and their singer Minnie Riperton, Ramsey Lewis, Terry Callier, Marlena Shaw and the Dells.

An influence on everyone from Masters At Work to Radiohead, Charles Stepney’s production for the Chess labels captured the spirit of the era by mixing soul, jazz, electronics, composed music and a touch of psychedelia, all arranged brilliantly and produced to an incredibly high standard. Shockingly there has never been a compilation dedicated to this area of his work, something that we are rectifying with “Eternal Journey.”

Stepney was a jobbing arranger when Marshall Chess recruited him to co-produce his new project Rotary Connection, which allowed him to realise his symphonic productions. With the success of their debut album, Stepney was recruited to work on many of the labels most important artists including Ramsey Lewis, Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf and The Dells. He also took on his own projects working with Phil Upchurch, Terry Callier and others.

Beautifully remastered and housed in a sleeve based on a 1960s Rotary Connection Billboard Magazine advert, this is 16 tracks of Chicago brilliance. Compilation producer Dean Rudland has told the story of Stepney's emergence through his most dazzling work and also their building blocks in the day to day arrangements from R&B and soul stars such as Little Milton and Buddy Guy. His in depth sleeve note includes interview with many of those who worked with Stepney including the author's conversations with both Terry Callier and Marshall Chess. 

Get a copy of "Eternal Journey" directly from Ace/BGP UK right here. Check out the tracklisting followed by a few audio clips below. 

Eternal Journey – The Arrangements and Productions of Charles Stepney

1. DEAR PRUDENCE - RAMSEY LEWIS

2. LES FLEUR - MINNIE RIPERTON

3. IT'S ALL UP TO YOU - THE DELLS

4. BY THE TIME I GET TO PHOENIX - BILLY STEWART

5. STAND UP AND BE COUNTED - MEDITATION SINGERS

6. LOVE HAS FALLEN ON ME - THE NEW ROTARY CONNECTION

7. WHAT COLOR IS LOVE - TERRY CALLIER

8. BROTHER WHERE ARE YOU - MARLENA SHAW

9. MORE AND MORE - LITTLE MILTON

10. ETERNAL JOURNEY - RAMSEY LEWIS

11. CALIFORNIA SOUL - MARLENA SHAW

12. CAN'T CATCH THE TRANE - TERRY CALLIER

13. THE LOVE WE HAD (STAYS ON MY MIND) - THE DELLS

14. TEACH ME HOW TO FLY - ROTARY CONNECTION

15. MORE AND MORE - PHIL UPCHURCH

16. I'M HIGH AGAIN - BO DIDDLEY

17. LET'S SPEND THE NIGHT TOGETHER - MUDDY WATERS

18. SMOKESTACK LIGHTNING (1969 version) - HOWLIN' WOLF

19. GIRL YOU LIT MY FIRE - JUNIOR WELLS

20. I'M GONNA KEEP IT TO MYSELF - BUDDY GUY

Ace celebrates 50 years of Lonnie Liston Smith's "Expansions" with deluxe AAA reissue

Dean Rudland holds the upgraded 50th anniversary reissue of Lonnie Liston Smith's expansions and Eddie Piller has the tape. 

Writes Ace Records' Dean Rudland...

It's taken nearly a year from tapes in hand to the realization of this very special 50th Anniversary Edition of one of the most influential jazz albums of the 1970s: Lonnie Liston Smith's "Expansions."

Recorded in late 1974 and released in March the following year, this album was the full realisation of Lonnie's cosmic spiritual music - and in its title track combined all Lonnie's knowledge til that date, picked up during tenures with Roland Kirk, Gato Barbieri, Miles Davis and as a founder member of the groundbreaking Pharaoh Sanders group of the late 60s.

The title track obviously became a foundation tune in UK clubland, and influenced producers around the world - which is carefully examined in the sleeve notes that Frank Tope has written for the inner sleeve.

Of course the whole album is astounding, and it may never have sounded better than with this Frank Merritt all analogue cut edition, which is housed in a glorious gatefold tip on sleeve, which we like to think reflects its importance.

This continues my work with Ace Records on the Flying Dutchman catalogue and this will be released through their BGP label on Friday (March 28). 

The pics show Eddie Piller guarding the master tapes for me at The Nellie Dean Pub in Dean Street and then me with the finished article.

Get a copy of the 50th anniversary AAA edition of Lonnie Liston Smith's jazz funk classic Expansions album directly from Ace Records right here. Listen to a digital version of the title track below. 

One For The Weekend: The Night Trains

The Night Trains' "Lovesick" – a fave track of Acid Jazz chiefs Dean Rudland & Eddie Piller – gets an overdue 7" release.

Here's the scoop...

‘This could be my favourite record that Acid Jazz have ever released’ 

- Dean Rudland, Acid Jazz Records 

When Acid Jazz was in its mid-1990s pomp, it released a lot of great records. Sometimes they flew past at such a pace, we had moved on to something else before we realised how good they truly were. ‘Lovesick’ by the Night Trains is one such record. 

A phenomenal mixture of a distinctive sample turned into a un-ignorable groove, an unforgettable melody (and the soulful vocal from Marcia Johnson), weaved around a Miles-like trumpet. It should have been a hit. But it wasn’t. Instead, it is a cult classic, which we are being fully indulgent in releasing on a 7-inch single. 

Night Trains were the brain child of DJ/bassist Hugh Brooker, and they released the first ever acid jazz single in 'Open Channel D’, appearing on early groundbreaking Acid Jazz compilations. It resurfaced on the label in 1993 with the ‘Sleazeball’ album, from which Lovesick was the lead single. Hugh has in many forms kept the group going until the present day. A testament to persistence and good taste, in the face of industry indifference. Hugh is one of the originals and we are proud to still work with him to this day. 

This is the first time that ‘Lovesick’ has appeared on a 7", and it is flipped with the previously-unreleased on vinyl ‘Only Know About Love' on the B-side. 

Limited to 500 copies and presented in a new colour version of the new Acid Jazz geometric housebag, with the classic label. The Night Trains' "Lovesick" single is out November 29th but you can pre-order a copy via Bandcamp right here. Watch a Night Trains performance of "Lovesick" below. 

One For The Weekend: Hank Jacobs & Don Malone

Then new BGP comp The World Needs Changing gets it's name from a 1970 funk gem Hank Jacobs & Don Malone for Call Me. 

Various Artists – The World Needs Changing (BGP)

The world needs changing? Well, we’re pretty sure it already has, and one of those changes is that we’re not quite as likely to release a various artists compilation on BGP as we used to. In-depth looks at some of our favourite artists are more the order of the day. Fortunately for those of you who like multi-artist collections, we’re sending a couple your way in the next two months, starting off with this wonderful look at black American music from the late 60s to the mid-1970s – basically from the start of funk to the rise of disco.

The music within brings together a cross section of great sounds that would grace – and in many cases already have – any DJ’s record box. Take Little Eva, whose medley of ‘Get Ready / Uptight’ was championed by Eddie Piller at Snowboy’s Goodfoot Night at Madam Jo Jo’s and is now a clubland staple. Willard Posey’s medley was a big Keb Darge spin at the same venue a decade earlier, whilst Esther Marrow’s wondrous vocal version of ‘Walk Tall’ has for a long time been one of my DJ secret weapons.

Some of our tunes haven’t really made it onto club playlists as they are too rare or simply unreleased. Hank Jacobs and Don Malone provide our title track (listen below), for many years an unheard release on the Call Me label. Huck Daniels’ creations are rarer than hen’s teeth, while Tina Bryant and George Jackson give us two previously unreleased cuts recorded at Fame’s short-lived Memphis-based studio. Elaine Armstrong, with the forceful ‘That’s The Way It Goes’, and Melvin Sparks conclude the tunes you will never have heard before.

There is some great funky soul from Cesar 830, Gil Scott-Heron and Darrow Fletcher with ‘Now Is The Time For Love’, one of his most underrated numbers. Lonnie Liston Smith’s ‘Expansions’ is well-known, but how often do you get to hear the crisp and succinct 7-inch version? Lonnie’s label Flying Dutchman tried to repeat his success with others and one of the best attempts, Brenda Jones and Groove Holmes’ ‘This Is The Me Me (Not The You You)’, is included here.

We’ve also got some fantastic instrumentals – or almost instrumentals – from jazz saxophonist Harold Alexander, Joe Savage and the Soul People and Funk Brother Johnny Griffith. Alexander’s break-beat heavy ‘Mama Soul’ is an explosive groove topped by some vibrant flute playing. Producer Bob Thiele’s group Emergency open things up with the filmic ‘Head Start’.

I’d like to say it’s all housed in the best sleeve we’ve done for a while, but that would be to do a disservice to our other recent releases, so let’s just say that this is just as good. I think you’ll be glad to have a new BGP comp in your home. – Dean Rudland

Get the BGP comp The World Needs Changing: Street Funk & Jazz Grooves 1967-1976 right here here. Listen to the title track below. 

 

More rare Stax grooves uncovered for Can I Be A Witness comp

Can I Be A Witness boasts previously unreleased tracks by The Soul Children, Little Milton, Nightingales & Sweet Inspirations. 

Here's the scoop...

A brand-new collection gathered from the Stax catalogue of southern-flavoured dancers, from soul to funk and in between, Can I Be A Witness: Stax Southern Groove (due September 24) features 11 previously unreleased tracks from such illustrious names as The Soul Children, Little Milton, The Emotions, The Sweet Inspirations, The Nightingales and Frederick Knight, amongst others. The other nine tracks from artists such as Eddie Floyd, R.B. Hudmon, Rance Allen Group and Eric Mercury delve deep into the archive, bringing you B-sides, obscure album cuts, dancefloor favourites and originally unissued tracks. The booklet is well illustrated and comes with an in-depth essay from compiler Dean Rudland.

Check out a few of the tunes following the track listing below.

Various Artists – Can I Be A Witness: Stax Southern Groove (Kent/Ace) 

1. BAD WATER - LITTLE MILTON Previously unissued (2021) 3.02 

2. CAN WE TALK THIS OVER - EDDIE FLOYD Originally unissued. Stax CDSXD 116 (1998) 3.02 

3. HOW CAN I BE A WITNESS - RB HUDMON Truth 3230 (1975) 3.03 

4. LOVE IS TAKING OVER - ERIC MERCURY Enterprise 9080 (1973) 3.48 

5. BURNING ON BOTH ENDS - THE NIGHTINGALES Previously unissued (2021) 3.13 

6. FOREVER AND A DAY - MEL & TIM Stax 0224 / Stax LP STS 5501 (1973) 4.39 

7. I WANNA MAKE UP (BEFORE WE BREAK UP) - MAJOR LANCE Volt 4079 (1972) 3.59* 

8. YOU AIN’T PLAYING WITH NO TOY - THE SOUL CHILDREN Previously unissued (2021) 3.24 

9. I GOT TO BE MYSELF - THE RANCE ALLEN GROUP Gospel Truth 1208 / Gospel Truth LP GTS-3502 (1973) 2.50 

10. PASSING THRU/WORLD KEEPS TURNING - FREDERICK KNIGHT Previously unissued extended version of Truth 3202 (2021) 10.54 

11. AIN’T ENOUGH HOURS - THE EMOTIONS Previously unissued (2021) 3.02 

12. CHANGES - JEANNE & THE DARLINGS Originally unissued. Stax CDSXD 116 (1998) 3.20 

13. SLOW DOWN - THE NIGHTINGALES Previously unissued (2021) 3.42 

14. SOUL GROOVE - ART JERRY MILLER Previously unissued (2021) 2.15* 

15. DON’T FIGHT THE FEELING - THE SWEET INSPIRATIONS Previously unissued (2021) 3.53 

16. THREE’S A CROWD - THE TEMPREES Previously unissued (2021) 3.08 

17. HELPING MAN - JEAN KNIGHT Stax 0136 (1972) 2.52* 

18. TRUE LOVE DON’T GROW ON TREES (Demo) - VEDA BROWN Originally unissued. Kent CDKEND 302 (2008) 2.28 

19. THE NATURAL YOU - OLLIE & THE NIGHTINGALES Previously unissued (2021) 2.47* 

20. LEANING ON YOUR UNDYING LOVE - SHACK Previously unissued (2021) 2.52* 

Stereo except * Mono

Midweek Mixdown: Dean Rudland's Atmospheres

Check out Dean Rudland's new Atmospheres set with gems from Kenny Carter, Byrdie Green, Kahil El'Zabar & more right here.

Get a copy of Kenny Carter's Showdown: The Complete 1966 RCA Recordings from Ace/Kent right here. 

Midweek Mixdown: Dean Rudland's Atmospheres mix

Check out Dean Rudland's great new Atmospheres mix featuring Joe Henderson & Alice Coltrane, Angel Bat Dawid,  Billy Brooks and Greg Foat. 

Dean Rudland's Atmospheres mix track listing:
1/ Mother’s Love – Tsegue Maryam Guebrou (BudaMusique) CD Ethiopia Song
2/ No Space For Us – Angel Bat Dawid (International Anthems) D/L
3/ Blackbird – Lady Blackbird (Foundation Music) D/L
4/ Fire – Joe Henderson & Alice Coltrane (Milestone) LP Elements
5/ Acting For Liberation Vol 1 – Vibration Black Finger (Jazzman) LP Can’t You See What I’m Trying To Say
6/ One & One – Miles Davis (Columbia) LP On The Corner
7/ Forty Days – Billy Brooks (Crossover) LP
8/ Malcolm X – Miriam Makeba (Marier) LP Appel L’Afrique
9/ Looking For Your Love – Adriana Evans (BMG) CD Adriana Evans
10/ It’s A Man’s World – James Brown/ Oliver Nelson (King) LP Soul On Top
11/ Wonderful World – Grand Union (People Tree) LP Through The Green Fuse
12/ Autumn Walk – Gene Shaw (Argo) LP Break Through
13/ Croquet Ballet (Blue Note) LP Lee Morgan
14/ Symphonie Pacifique - Greg Foat (Strut) D/L Symphonie Pacifique
15/ Colours – Sultan’s Swing (Tom Funk) D/L Ignite
16/ Shadows – Lonnie Liston Smith (Flying Dutchman/ BGP) LP Expansions
17/ Equinox – Misha Mullov- Abbado (Editions) CD Dream Circus
18/ Glass Eye – Radiohead (Parlophone) LP A Moon Shaped Pool
19/ Approach / Dream – Hilmar Orn Hilmarsson (Fat Cat) CD Angels Of The Universe
20/ Glacier Hiking – Daniel Heskedal (Editions) CD Call For Winter
21/ Passing – Jan Garbarak (ECM) LP Places

One For The Weekend: The Prophet & His Disciples

Detroit Funk Vaults – Funk & Soul From Dave Hamilton 1968 to 1979

1. A DROP IN THE BUCKET - The Deacons
2. YOU FOOL YOU FOOL - Prophet & The Disciples
3. A THING CALLED THE JONES (ALT) - Chico & Buddy
4. NATIVE RHYTHM - Bolton Brothers
5. BAD THINGS (YOU SAID TO ME) - The Barrino Brothers
6. BRAND NEW GIRL (INST) - Billy Garner Band
7. CLAP YOUR HANDS - Tokays
8. (MARRIAGE IS ONLY) A STATE OF MIND - James Carpenter
9. GHETTO STRIDE - Dave Hamilton
10. POSSESSION - Little Ann
11. MISTER SUPERSTAR - Charmaine
12. WHO - Jackie Dee
13. LOVE BANDIT - O.C. Tolbert
14. SIMON SAYS - The Future Kind
15. LET'S HAVE A BALL - Chico and Buddy
16. HARD TIMES - O.C. Tolbert
17. YOU FOOL YOU FOOL (PT 2) - Prophet & The Disciples
18. PARTY TIME (INST) - Dave Hamilton
19. I'LL TAKE MY FLOWERS - Barrino Brothers
20. I'M SENDING VIBRATIONS - The Webb People
21. YOU WON'T MISS YOUR WATER - Chico and Buddy
22. WHAT'S GOING ON - Dave Hamilton

When Ace's Ady Croasdell released the first Kent Records compilation of Dave Hamilton's holdings in the late 90s it was thought the archive might throw up just two CDs but between the Kent and BGP labels we have found sufficient material for several more, including a whole CD featuring Dave’s own instrumentals. He wasn’t the most methodical of archivists and he recorded constantly, so as we’ve gone through the tapes more and more gems have been found, along with a ton of stuff that was very ordinary. Since we issued “Dave Hamilton’s Detroit Funk” I felt a need to revisit Dave’s funk archive and my research was worth the effort. Some of these recordings collected on “The Detroit Funk Vaults” are previously unreleased, others have turned up in various forms on Kent albums – sometimes in different takes – whilst others are incredibly rare funk records whose reissue is long overdue.

One example is ‘You Fool, You Fool’ by Prophet & The Disciples. A masterpiece of ghetto funk, it is a cautionary tale against drug addiction, it is so rare that we haven’t been able to turn up a copy in good enough condition to release it at an earlier date. (Note: Back in January, a VG- copy of the Pressco label single sold on eBay for an astonishing $510 US and on May 24, an EX copy went for $630 US which means two people won't be thrilled by the appearance of both sides of the pricey seven-inch on this relatively inexpensive new BGP comp. D'oh!)

At heart a jazz musician, Dave made great instrumental records and we’ve unearthed several more for this CD, including a new cut by The Deacons ‘A Drop In The Bucket’ and Dave’s own Quincy Jones-sounding ‘Ghetto Stride’, and we’ve included a wonderful version of ‘What’s Going On’. As promised in our earlier volume we have included Dave’s instrumental of ‘Party Time’ and the instrumental of Billy Garner’s ‘Brand New Girl’.

Of the unreleased masters the most exciting is probably the proto-funk frenzy of ‘Clap Your Hands’ which we are pretty sure is an unreleased cut by the Tokays. But we also have some compelling stuff from Chico & Buddy and the Future Kind whose ‘Simon Says’ sounds very influenced by Funkadelic. I’m also fond of the delicate – to the point of falling apart really – ‘Mister Superstar’ by Dave’s daughter Charmaine.

Overall another excellent overview of work from the Dave Hamilton archive. The last one? You’d think so, but as someone once told Sean Connery ‘Never say never’. By Dean Rudland

More FAME rarities for Record Store Day

Perhaps stung by the criticism of the ho-hum Stars Of Fame EP released for Record Store Day last year, the folks at Ace Records' Kent subsidiary have dug a little deeper through the FAME Studios archive to come up with more tantalizing RSD treats aimed at collectors scrounging for lost treasures on April 21.

First up is Goldwax Presents The Singin' Swingin' Yo Yos – a seven-inch double-pack from the Memphis gararge-soul band The Yo Yos who released two sought-after singles for the label in the mid-60s. This is essentially the Bluff City roots of the Oblivians sound.

Of course, Dean Rudland and his Kent crew aren't the sort to just give you a straight repress. Instead, what you get is the Yo Yos nicely harmonized cover of the Joe South fave Leaning On You accompanied by three unissued tracks recorded at FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals in October 1966: Tommy Tucker's Hi-Heel Sneakers, the Allen Toussaint-penned Irma Thomas evergreen Wish Someone Would Care along with what is perhaps the main attraction for soul fans, Destroyed – an obscure Dan Penn & Spooner Oldham composition.

Check the Yo Yos sweet version of Leaning On You:




Next, there's a similarly styled 2x7" Clarence Carter package I Found What I Wanted: Unissued and Rare Fame Masters which features four tracks from the deep soul great's 1971 sessions at FAME cut after Patches somehow became a massive global chart hit.

Clearly Carter was looking to capitalize on his unlikely success by quickly knocking out Johnny Poverty which they wisely decided to shelve at the time. Also saved from a dust-collecting fate by Kent is Say A Little Prayer while I'm The One was the mid-tempo flip of Carter's Scratch My Back (and Mumble In My Ear) single.

The big draw here – well, apart from the snazzy unpublished sleeve photo – is the title track. Already a top spin on the UK crossover soul scene, I Found What I Wanted should be well known to collectors through alternate versions by Mary Wells and the tune's composer, the great George Jackson but it's hard to top Carter's crack at it.

Have a listen to Clarence Carter's I'm The One:



By far the most blathered about of the Kent bunch is the five-record Fame Singles Box bringing together faithful repros of the four rarest Fame sevens of the 60s by Jimmy Hughes (You Might As Well Forget Him b/w Everybody Let's Dance), Art Freeman (Slippin' Around With You b/w I Can't Get You Out Of My Mind), James Barnett (Keep On Talking b/w Take A Good Look) and the label's debut from Jimmy Ray Hunter & The Del Rays (The Girl That Radiates The Charm b/w Hot Toddy).

So what's the other single you're probably wondering, it's a test pressing of two recordings of the same tune I Hope They Get Their Eyes Full with the top side voiced by the incomparable Arthur Alexander (also available on the Fame Studios Story 3CD anthology) and the flip comes courtesy of an uncredited female stylist. If the Kent boys know who it is, they're not saying.

The limited edition collection comes wrapped in a sleeve marked "Educational material" that's a nod to Fame's original mail-out envelopes. Nice yes, but is it essential? Not really but then, the same goes for the vast majority of RSD releases.  Have a listen to Art Freeman's northern classic Slippin' Around With You: