Happy Birthday We Are Two!

Happy Birthday Disco, Soul, Gold  ... 
The page started two years ago today on Facebook & has risen with your thanks to over 55,000 followers. The page is now one of the UK most visited, Soul, Disco, pages for not only good memories, but for new releases that fall into our musical format, Birthday's tributes to some of the artists that we miss & still love. The Disco, Soul, Gold idea came from years of myself collecting records, remembering the pleasure of reading the vinyl sleeve notes. At the young age of around 9 I started collecting records, even at school my love of Soul music was obvious, as others would listen to Pop music & think what strange taste you have. It was always my dream to run a record shop, well at only 17 I managed Baker Street records in London's west end, with regular clients such as, Edwin Starr,  Paul Weller, Randy Crawford, Neil Francis, Leo Sayer, Peter Sellers & Fitz Brown.

 Fitz Brown gave me the chance & an a opening to DJ at one of the worlds most respected celebrate clubs, Tramp Nightclub in Jermyn Street. The Pay was poor, but I got to DJ & do private parties for the likes of, Tony Curtis, The Stones, Rod Stewart, Joan Collins, Georgie Best, Royalty, Tony Hall, Mel Brooks, in fact everybody who was anybody. You could earn thousand in tips to play a record, see the likes of, Mick Jagger, Sheila Ferguson, Bruce Forseyth dance to your music. The Record shop closed down as its main concern was the book shop upstairs & the rents were very high. I moved on to plugging records & received a #1 with Phyllis Nelson, Move Closer, Amii Stewart, Knock on Wood & many others. It was a job in which I had to give record shops free stock in exchange for sales. I was working in the day doing this, DJ-Ing at night, with my now ex wife as the chauffeur. Tony Monson gave me a spot on Solar Radio which I was so pleased with, I normally did this after spinning at Tramp. James Hamilton  (Record Mirror) gave me great reviews for my first three Solar Radio shows. At the time Solar was a pirate and in the meetings, which were great fun, we heard stories of rats, insects in some of the station's locations. Tony is a great character even came to one meeting with odd shoes or was it socks. The Message was if the DTI come leave your records & run!!! one evening the alarms rung, but myself and the records left, but i got lost in this massive industrial estate with my ex wife pregnant waiting in the getaway car.

After a few years I left tramp to open my own clubs after working in various other venues around 

the south. Club Musique Croydon, Sunset Maidstone, Samantha's Regent Street, Piccadilly theatre y supporting, The Foundations for three weeks. I worked in Maidstone's club The Sunset, we had special gusts like, Jimmy Ruffin ,Cool Notes, Direct Drive, Precious Wilson at the weekends & i was approached to spin at at their Under 18's night, my first thoughts were no I can't do this, but I did & we were turning away 100's of teenagers every week. Inside the club it was so full they were passing out, the manager of the club, told the owner that we were empty. So i got fired! Two weeks later I opened my own club across the road & built it up to over 500 teens per night, Yogi Houghton, Gary Hoxton Whores, were weekly regulars. From this success we opened every night at venue's around the South, Orpington, Gravesend, Ashford, Cheam, Weybridge, Town & Country London, plus many others. The owner of the Sunset club offered me any pay to come back, but I refused. We had regular guest such as, Tim Westwood, BB&Q band, Take That, David Grant, Silver Bullet, in fact most who had hit records released. Hard times came as peoples pockets became empty due to the recession & the first effected were the teenagers.

I met Noah Johnson through the teen nights & he introduced me to the recording studio, plus taught me how to write & produce songs. My first record release was, Young Free & Single under Dee Gee( Disco Gary), it reached #1 on John Leeches show & i had offers poring in for a record deal, first label closed down before pressings started, then Upfront Records signed it promoted it & closed down.

So I dusted myself off & started Wizz Records, the first three releases were done with Dave Morgan of Fresh Records (Love Station, Strike fame), we were on the way, 5 dancing men, cool cuts, radio one plays, club hits in fact around 30 with various releases. At the same time we had our own Distribution company, which started with me in a car, being given records by Nigel Reveller & Barnard fanning. I was driving around the south creating the Buzz with these & my own white labels. Soon other labels gave us theirs to sell, then we expanded to further vans & telesales,the problem was record shops were not paying, so we used a factor which gave us the money & as the cheques bounced, so they took the money back & soon we had no choice but to close.

So what do I do now, I  got a mortgage to buy a Public House which was a Free House, from this we sold & started with a small Restaurant chain, which we built up to 6 restaurants, I was the chef, created the Menus, looked after the staff & the day to day running, one night I had diner with 

The Three Degrees ex lead vocalist Sheila Ferguson in the restaurant. The restaurants won many

awards such as, ''Best Restaurant in the South'', OK Magazine feature, 2nd best by Les Routier, plus

many reviews by others including the Daily Telegraph.    

   My now ex wife did the books & looked after the children. We were doing well I thought, until my ex wife met a young man on our family holiday, from that point the bank accounts were empty as she showered him with gifts, including a flat in Brighton, restaurant in Brighton, plus everything a playboy would need, leather sofa's,designer suites, TV's, Computers and more. We divorced and then after 29 years the trust of my long term girl had gone, as I found out she had opened a joint account with this playboy with all our money, that was supposed to go to paying bills for goods we received , but instead went to their new joint account. We had accountants, but she threw them of the scent & it was not until we asked the bank for the cheques, we realized the stubs differed to the cheques themselves. Yes at the same time I was heartbroken, no family home, lost my pets, soon no business & no money.

 So i am told, she now owns a tea shop by the sea, after a long stay in France.    

 I am grateful for your support & for the love of music. Those that know me, know I love promoting, music has always been my life. This year i was given the opportunity to develop a unheard duo from Newcastle,  DSG Music the label has started again with SouLutions being the few releases, with the remixes I got arranged for the duo going to #1 in the Soul chart. 

We now have an in house UK Radio promotions service with recent promotions reaching the top 20 in various charts. Our current new release is by Neo featuring Drizabone called, ''Your Smile'' to be released on the 1st December. The Disco, Soul, Gold pages have risen to over, 3,600 on Twitter & 56,500 on Facebook  

Thank you to everybody for your support .
We are now looking for exciting new Soulful acts and songs to promote.

Gary Van den Bussche

Marvin Gaye gets a Brazilian Connection

12 classic vocal recordings are being re-experienced through new samba and bossa nova arrangements created by iconic Brazilian musicians and The Berman Brothers. "Lovely Day (Studio Rio Version)" by Bill Withers with Studio Rio is the first single release, but the album also features iconic artists such as Aretha Franklin (Walk On By), Billie Holiday (You've Changed) , Sly & The Family Stone (Family Affair), The Isley Brothers (It's Your Thing), Nina Simone (I Wish I Knew What It Means To Be Free), Johnny Nash (I Can See Clearly Now), Dave Brubeck with Carmen McRae (Take 5). The Brazil Connection is the latest innovative musical project from the award-winning production duo the Berman Brothers (Frank and Christian). The project saw the Berman Brothers seeking out the original multi-track masters to extract exquisitely pristine and detailed vocals, to give them a new edge for 2014.

The album has a nice summer feel to it & makes you feel like you are in Brazil. During the past 20 years, the Berman Brothers have received more than 90 gold and platinum awards, two BMI Awards, and a GRAMMY nomination. It might not be to everybody's taste, but it is extremely well produced, ideally suited to lazy days in the sun. We have chosen the Marvin Gaye classic, "Sexual Healing," to be our newest SoulTracks First Listen with a twist. check it out & tell us what you think ? Time for a cocktail i feel....

Gary Van den Bussche  Disco, Soul, Gold

Read more here: http://www.soultracks.com/

Fame gave us Bobby Womack's Daylight

                         

Written and first recorded by Bobby Womack in 1975, "Daylight" was also recorded by UK Blue eyed Soul artist Georgie Fame in 1977 as a 7 inch single or very rare limited 12 inch single. Fame is the only British recording artist to have achieved three UK number one hits with his only Top 10 chart entries: "Yeh Yeh" in 1964, "Getaway" in 1966 and "The Ballad of Bonnie and Clyde" in 1967. Georgie Fame has given us some tasty tracks in his long career such as, "Sitting In The Park" and ''New York Afternoon'' with Mondo Kane.

Fame has released several albums on his own Three Line Whip label since the late 1990s. He still gigs at jazz venues & festivals. This is a very rare collectable single. Read more here: http://www.soultracks.com/lost-gem-georgie-fame-daylight
Gary Van Den Bussche

R.I.P Bobby Womack

R.I.P Bobby Womack

Well i was not expecting to wake up to such sad news, The last Soul Man has died.
This time last year he was on the Glastonbury Festival line up, he could have sung all night.

                                   R.I.P Bobby Womack (March 4, 1944 − June 27, 2014)

Chris writes - Legendary singer and songwriter Bobby Womack has died after a lengthy series of illnesses.  There had been false rumors of his death for a week on the internet but Mr. Womack died this morning.

One of the most enigmatic and talented Soul men of all time,  Womack was a sort of Soul Forrest Gump, serving as a link from 50s Gospel to 60s Soul to 70s Rock and to some of the greatest musicians in each genre. Born in an extremely devout religious family, he was singing Gospel with his brothers Cecil, Friendly, Harry and Curtis as the Womack Brothers while he was still a child. The talented group was discovered by Gospel/Soul legend Sam Cooke, who redubbed them the Valentinos and transformed them into a teenage secular vocal group.

By the early 60s the Valentino's were touring with James Brown and scoring on the R&B charts with their first hit, "Lookin' For A Love." Cooke's death in 1964 sent the group on a spiral from which it would never recover. Also, Womack encountered some public fallout when married Cooke's widow less than a year later (even more ironic was that brother Cecil ultimately married Cooke's daughter, Linda, who became his partner in the popular writing/singing group Womack & Womack).

Without their mentor, the Valentinos faded, and Womack became principally a writer and guitarist for an A-list of 60s Soul and Rock stars, including Wilson Pickett, the Rolling Stones, Sly Stone, Aretha Franklin and others. Interestingly, while he had established himself as a top notch songwriter, it took a 1968 cover of the pop standard "Fly Me to the Moon" to jump start his solo career, hitting the Soul Top 20. Over the next 4 years, he alternated original compositions ("What Is This," "More Than I Can Stand") and pop covers ("I Left My Heart In San Francisco," "Sweet Caroline") to stay a middling Soul charter. However, from 1972-76, a series of his own excellent compositions propelled him to the top of the Soul charts. Songs like "That's the Way I Feel About Cha," "Woman's Gotta Have It," "Harry Hippie," "Check It Out" and "Daylight" provided a Southern soulfulness that more resembled the gritty Memphis and Alabama sounds of Aretha and Sam and Dave than the silky sounds emanating from Detroit and Philadelphia. During this period Womack also hit the Pop Top 10 for the first and only time with a cover of the old Valentino's song, "Lookin For A Love." He also issued some of the great Soul albums of this period, a few of which (Communication and Understanding) are revered by a generation of Soul music lovers.

Personal problems and his inability to adjust to the changing music scene (particularly the rise of disco) left Womack virtually irrelevant in the late 70s, and by 1980 it appeared he was headed for the oldies circuit. However, he signed with the fledgling Beverly Glen label and released 1982's The Poet, a surprise #1 album and Womack's best LP in years. By that time, disco had alienated Soul Music lovers, and they found solace in Womack's seven minute masterpiece, "If You Think You're Lonely Now" and the follow-up single, "Where Do We Go From Here." Unfortunately, a fallout with Beverly Glen led to a two year delay before he released The Poet II on MCA. While not as strong as the predecessor album, Poet II included a great duet with Patti LaBelle, "Love Has Finally Come At Last," which hit Soul #3. Womack scored again the next year with the excellent So Many Rivers and its haunting hit single, "I Wish He Didn't Trust Me So Much."

Womack continued to record sporadically over the next decade, releasing fairly good material through the mid-90s. Then, after nearly a half decade break, in 1999 Womack cut two discs, a Christmas CD called Traditions and  his first Gospel CD, the critically acclaimed Back to My Roots. 

Womack's career was immortalized in a 2012 edition of TV One's Unsung.  However, he also suffered health setbacks in 2012, first being diagnosed with colon cancer and, devastatingly, later in the year was diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease. But in the midst of these tragedies, he released the critically acclaimed, very modern, The Bravest Man In the Universe, an album that reached a new generation and was on many "best of" lists for the year.

It is a shame that Bobby Womack never achieved the across-the-board acclaim that his talent deserved. While revered by both Rock and Soul musicians, his popular appeal was generally limited to Soul audiences and to two periods (1972-76 and 1982-85). However the quality of his songwriting and the singularity of his emotive, soulful voice make him one of the most important Soul performers of all time. Younger music fans should seek out his extensive recorded work as representative of the best Soul music has to offer.

It would be an understatement to say that Bobby Womack will be missed. But his unquestioned influence on the development of both rock and R&B music will continue well on into the future. Rest in peace, Bobby

Written by & posted with thanks to Chris Rizik -: Read more by clicking on this

Three Degrees Fayette-Gone Too Soon

                                     

In Loving Memory of Fayette Regina Pinkney

(January 10, 1948 – June 27, 2009). She is best known as a member of the all girl group, The Three Degrees along with, Sheila Ferguson & Valerie Holiday in the classic line up.When Fayette Pinkney met Richard Barrett in the mid-1960s, she had no idea of the journey she would be taken on. Mr Barrett, on the other hand, knew exactly what he was looking for. A solo singer and member of the Valentines in the 1950s, he had himself enjoyed chart success. Moving on from that, he had managed and produced such acts as Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers, Little Antony and The Imperials and also the Chantels, who he had discovered in 1957 and worked with well into the 1960s. The Girl Group explosion was only just starting then. By the mid-60s, it had taken over - three, sexy black girls being the usual formula - one singing lead while the other two shimmied away in the background providing a few oohs and aahs. But Barrett wanted more - and knew he could get it. He wanted three soloists -each with their own talent and individuality, who together could harmonise and sing any tune he threw at them. This was his vision - this was The Three Degrees. With Fayette as the mainstay for couple of years and after a few other ladies came and went, by 1967 the Group was settled. To Faye's sweet soprano, Sheila Ferguson added her sexy velvet tones which were both complimented by Valerie Holiday's soulful earthiness. Three amazing singers who could hold their own as soloists, but whose amazing blend and harmony would eventually rock the World.

This line-up would remain together for 9 years, until Fayette decided to leave the Group, both for her own personal reasons and also to pursue her education. During that time and especially with the added help of legendary Philly Producers Gamble and Huff, Mr Barrett and the Ladies became a musical tour-de-force. From minor soul hits on the Roulette Label, notably their remake of the Chantels' "Maybe", to huge Worldwide smashes for Philadelphia International Records; Dirty Ol' Man, Year Of Decision, When Will I See You Again - the list goes on - more in England, Europe and Japan than in their native USA, they quickly became the most popular Girl Group of the era. Live Shows - with Barrett conducting and acting as Musical Director - sold out in minutes. Worldwide travel was the norm. But for Faye, enough was enough.

 

Fayette Pinkey Billie Holiday  solo  from Three Degrees - Live In Japan album

She left the group in the Summer of 1976, for her own reasons which right now, are really irrelevant. She missed her family, that was for sure. Her brother, Nathaniel has said that she had a much longer career once out of the spotlight .After leaving the group, Fayette was a project coordinator for Opportunities Industrialization Center in North Philadelphia from 1979 to 1983. Also, in early 1979, she recorded her only solo album, "One Degree" in London for Chopper Records. It is a collection of up-tempo numbers and ballads which perfectly showcased all her talents, from lead to harmony singing. It was produced by Keith Mansfield and Geoff Morrow and was a project that she and her many friends and fans were immensely proud of. In 1984, he said, she earned a master's degree in human services, which required no undergraduate degree, from Lincoln University. After working as a personnel coordinator, she was at the Women's Medical College of Pennsylvania from 1989 to 1994, first as an administrative assistant, then an education coordinator.Most recently, her brother said, she was an intake counselor for United Healthcare Services in Philadelphia, from 2001 to last month. She also continued to sing with her Church's Inspirational Choir and also with a unique Group called the Intermezzo Choir Ministry which gave her great joy and in her spare time worked as a Vocal Coach. She gave birth to a daughter, Ayana Alexandria in January 1994, but tragically lost her a few days later due to the mystery of SIDS. Fayette passed away on Saturday 27th June 2009 in Lansdale PA of acute respiratory failure. She was surrounded by family and friends. Fayette was all about PEOPLE. She loved them - and people adored her. Her warmth and genuine nature endeared her to everyone, fans, friends and family alike. Her eyes shone, her smile sparkled and anyone who knew her was blessed to have her in their lives.I know I was. She was my friend for 35 years - and I miss her dreadfully and always will. This quote from the lovely Lady sums it up completely - may she rest in everlasting peace. Heaven now has another Angel. God rest her Sweet Soul. "Yes, I do still love people and I love to make them smile. So many have been a blessing to me and I try hard to b a blessing to others. I've enjoyed being home and wouldn't trade my family for the world. This is quality of life. I have been through a lot but I know I am blessed." - Fayette Pinkney By Jeremy Levinson Posted with thanks to  . Precious Moments of Fayette, Sheila and Valerie - The Three Degrees Group!
Gary

Prince Phillip Mitchell returns after 23 years!

It's been 23 years since we last heard from Prince Phillip Mitchell, but the talented singer returns with a new 7 inch release called "Just The Beginning," backed with the B-side (great to say that again), "something new to do," released on the Soul 4 Real label. Mitchell is a veteran composer, vocalist, guitarist, and pianist who was not only in both The Premiers and The Checkmates in the late '50s and early '60s, but was also a great solo artist in his own right. He has written countless gems for other artists as well including, "It Hurts So Good," a hit for Millie Jackson and also Susan Cadogan; "Starting All Over Again," originally written for Sam and Dave but recorded instead by Mel and Tim, whose version was a 1972 hit on the Stax's record label; "A Star In the Ghetto," recorded by the Average White Band with Ben E. King, plus other songs by the likes of Millie Jackson, Norman Connors, Joe Simon, and Candi Staton.

As a solo artist, Mitchell's released the single, "One On One," on Atlantic records in 1978 and reached the  R&B top 40 (it was part of the 1978 album, Make It Last, that featured background vocals by The Jones Girls). Top Of The Line followed in 1979, featuring the underground soul masterpieces, "I'm So Happy," and "If It Ain't Love It'll Go Away." He released two albums on the, Ichiban Records, with the last one being in 1991.

Mitchell's music, whether recorded by him or another artist, has always been on the classier side of Soul.

Read more here!

Listen here : > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hY_nRKfRqng 

New Single order line

http://princephillipmitchell.com/photos/

DSG music label start with a #1 Radio Hit!

Always great to start with a bang!
DSG Music's first release by Duo, SouLutions goes to #1 in the Radio Promo chart with Kings Of Spin.
The promotion for the record is handle by Gary Van den Bussche, who also manages the duo.
The record is out now! through  i Tunes,  http://bit.ly/1kiP3V2.,plus further distribution by, Google Play,Spotify,Rdio, Amazon http://amzn.to/1noYoyn , 7Digital, Sony Qriocity, Nokia, Muve, Music by Cricket, Slacker, WiMP,Zvooq, AT&T, Deezer, Rhapsody, eMusic
We7, Basepoint Media, Juno, Stompy, Track It Down, BEATS MUSIC, 24/7 Entertainment, Hard 2 Find & others..

SUMMERS HERE AND SUMMER HOUSE MUSIC IS THE BEST. Check out the SouLutions breezy "Listen" with 5 gloriously sunny house mixes for the sunset bars, the early set on the beach and right on the dance floor at night.

Its a 6 track EP, while ''Listen'' covers the musical spectrum in the mix department with  it's hot remixes by, DJ  Mike Maurro, with added percussion by Pied Piper, Grant Sullivan, (12 Shades,) Ken Walker (Ken @ Work) &  Paul Hemmingway (Blazing Encore). Soul fans will Love, Mr Sun Don't You Hide with Louise's mighty voice. 

Peter Young Good tune - very uplifting. Deserves to do well! Jazz FM

Jay Negron - Disco 935 New York WOW....that's GREAT distribution...nice....will feature on my show that airs on 5/24 thanks for the wavs...sounds GREAT!

Deejay Renay- Beach Mix - Love the soulful quality of the original...so glad you have a dance mix so that my "house" listeners can enjoy it as well!

Brenda Jones Girl -Listen - I love this! Very Upbeat, Positive and danceable! :-)

DJ Scroggs

Marks out of 10: 10
Your favourite mix?: 12 Shades Beach Mix
Your comments?: I need a Beach and a Beer now!!! 

 Myra Howse

Radio stations: Deep Vibes Radio UK 
Marks out of 10: 10
Your favourite mix?: Maurro Extended Mix
Your comments?: Love this track, will play it on my show.

Herbie James
Radio stations: Gay Internet Radio Live USA 

marks out of 10: 10
Your favourite mix?: 12 Shades Beach Mix
Your comments?: WOW.....Can\'t picka fave mix.....Love them ALL. Could be the beach anthem of the summer......Very Nice. Love the vocal. / groove.

DJ Lolly 
Radio stations: Freek FM London

Marks out of 10: 10
Your favourite mix?: 12 Shades Beach Mix
Your comments?: Yes I will definitely play and support this release on my shows.

The new Modern Soul Anthem - Mr Sun Don't You Hide ...

Jerry Hipkiss

Radio stations: Gloucester FM

Marks out of 10: 7
Your favourite mix?: Blazing Encore Mix
Your comments?: Straight onto the show tomorrow...will be dropping \"Mr Sun\" as well!

June Furlong Solar Radio - Love it Gary

DrizaboneSoulFamily - Sounds like a Drizabone record

Brenda Jones Girl Mr Sun Crazy, Sexy, Sensual! Great One, Y'all!!! <3 :-)

Kevin Mcgoff - lovin it already, watch out Stansfield!!

Paul Redfern Wow Loving that 'G' yes I'd an MP3 I'm playing the opening set at INFINITI Modern Soul Night in Newark on Saturday! What a great gig to drop a brand New Killer Modern Track!

Pete Scoey Schofield   .LATEST from Disco, Soul, Gold new label,,,G O O D LUCK too membersSteve Lee and Louise SouLutions on their debut single,,,lets have it

Gary Cannavo (masspool djs record pool USA)

❂ idmw ѕιngle oғ тнe weeĸ ❂ #SoulfulHouse - SouLutions - Listen (12Shades Beach Mix) (DSG Music) Newcastle new comers SouLutions appearing as the next Brit-Soul sensation, with Louise somehow reminding of Lisa Stansfield and Steve sounding like a cousin of Driza Bone productionwise. Meanwhile, this Housey 12Shades Beach Mix has all the ingredients to get ideally warming up the floors this Summer...

Marks out of 10: 10
Your favourite mix?: Maurro Extended Mix
Your comments?: All fun!! Will Support..

Robert Shorthouse (Rhouse)
Radio stations: Preparty Radio Holland, Cyberjamz USA
Marks out of 10: 10
Your favourite mix?: Ken at Work Mix
Your comments?: Love this track, will play it on my show

Midniteman Twitter

Marks out of 10: 10
Your favourite mix?: Maurro Extended Mix

With big thanks to Eddie Gordon at Kings Of Spin,  MFSB at Buzz,  Brenda Jones Girl, Lindsay Miller Reddall at Pictures Forever, plus everybody on our Facebook  Disco, Soul, Gold Page , plus in our , Disco, Soul group of stars , Gary Spence Solar Radio, Richard Marzetti (Solar Radio), Jester Groove (Stomp Fm), no i'm not going to say to everyone that knows me, but to all of you for your great support. 

Louise & Steve are SouLutions read all about them here : http://bit.ly/R0KkvN