Rob Jones reviews soul records from his vinyl collection (updated 1st July 2026)
"I guess it would be true to say that many old soul singers and songwriters have found validation and appreciation for their work more in the UK than they ever did in the US and there's even an argument that bootlegs have helped them to become more recognised. While probably true, I've never met an artist who hasn't been angered or frustrated by what is essentially a criminal activity from which they have gained nothing financially, which is why I have always avoided bootlegs like the plague and none appear on these pages." - RJ
The following reviews are in artist/band alphabetical order:
Bill Black's Combo - My Girl Josephine (1961)
An early Mod sound and a bit before my time, but I do remember it being played quite regularly when I began to frequent the youth clubs later in the 1960s and it becoming a regularly requested favourite of like-minded kids of the day. The record was originally released in the US on the Memphis Hi label (2042) and London-American Recordings (HLU 9479) here in the UK as the flipside of 'Twist-Her' along with various London releases in other countries. Such was the popularity of the track in the UK, it was re-released on UK London (HLU 10380) in 1972 as the A-Side with the old favourite 'Yogi' on the flip. Demos of the UK re-release are red, whereas the original demo was yellow as featured in the video below.
Bill Black was the bassist in Elvis Presley's original backing band the Blue Moon Boys, later going on to form Bill Black's Combo in 1959, the first line-up of which was Bill Black (bass), Joe Lewis Hall (piano), Reggie Young (guitar), Martin Willis (saxophone) and Jerry Arnold (drums). Bill died in October 1965 leaving behind a musical legacy which I would hope will be continually rediscovered.
Concept Nine - When (1971)
Released on Ray Charles' Tangerine label, 'When' features the distinctive voice of Gladys Horton of the Marvelettes and it's a song which certainly has the feel of an old Motown dancer. Concept Nine was essentially an experimental studio project which included other vocalists/musicians J J Barnes and members of the Flaming Emeralds. This record really should be dug out of obscurity and given a well- deserved new lease of life.
Jerryo - Karate Boo-Ga-Loo (1967)
A record I first heard in a small club where the sound system was so bad I was convinced it was called 'G-rotty Boo-Ga-Loo'. 😄
Originally released on the Sammy Kaplan-founded Detroit Boo-Ga-Loo label and later distributed by Shout, 'Karate Boo-Ga-Loo' reportedly sold in excess of 400,000 copies which goes some way to underscore the popularity of the Boo-Ga-Loo dance craze at the time and probably explains why the Shout label release can still be picked up relatively cheaply. That said, and with the unrivalled musicianship of the Funk Brothers on the tune, it remains one of the standout authentic Detroit classics of the era.
An interesting fact which doesn't seem to have been widely reported is 'Karate-Boo-Ga-Loo' featured teenage backing singers Joyce Vincent and Temla Hopkins who went on to find fame with Tony Orlando and Dawn. Jerry had previously worked with Tommy Dark (Robert Tharp) as Tom & Jerryo whose 1965 hit 'Boo-Ga-Loo' on ABC Paramount was key in popularising the dance and arguably paved the way for everything that followed.
Taking into consideration the aforementioned US sales figures for 'Karate-Boo-Ga-Loo', I guess it would be true to say that the original UK London demo I've featured in the video below would be the prize from a collector's perspective. Most soul fans will already be familiar with Jerry Murray's work, but for anyone who isn't, a bit of research into his music will lead you to some real gems, so do be sure to check him out.
Lovettes – Little Miss Soul (1966)
Hailing from New Jersey, the all-female Lovettes consisted of Lois Joyner, Margie Godbolt, Lily Hammond and Lorraine Robinson. The band originally got together in high school to form the Tiaras, shortly after which they began to compete in local talent shows with friends Phil Terrell and Kool & the Flames - the first incarnation of Kool & the Gang. They later secured a recording deal with MGM and changed their name to the Pets under the supervision of Abner Spector. The relatively brief MGM era resulted in the release of just one single, 'What Kind of Girl (Does He Think I Am)'. Unfortunately, MGM didn't bother to promote the record and the Pets were axed from the label. Phil Terrell later introduced the band to Winnie Lovett of the Manhattans who renamed them the Lovettes (see the connection?) and wrote their songs, in turn introducing them to Joe Evans who signed them to Carnival Records.
There are a couple of different Carnival label designs of 'Little Miss Soul' - one has a clown on the logo and the other has the more simple lettered design as seen on this demo. Come to think of it, I've never seen a demo with the clown logo design. Beware though, the demo was bootlegged in 1972, but you can easily identify the 1966 original from the bootleg, as the original was mastered at Bell Sound Studios in New York and has the Bell Sound stamp in the dead wax.
Mike McDonald - God Knows (1971)
A superb piece of uptempo blue-eyed soul which I have found often bridges the gap between soul fans and the more casual listeners on the radio and live gigs alike, and although it will be familiar to many reading this, the number of people who still hear it for the very first time and get switched on by it never ceases to amaze me. I've often put that down to Mike McDonald's vocal delivery. The record featured in the video is the original US RCA demo, but its UK release coupled with Derek and Ray's 'Interplay' circa 1978 gained quite a bit of traction some years later.
Michael McDonald was born in February 1952 in Ferguson, Missouri and played in local bands as a teenager before joining Steely Dan as a backing vocalist and keyboards player. In 1975 he joined the Doobie Brothers and was credited for the band's transition to a more soulful style, after which he went on to become a global superstar in his own right. Many may disagree, but for me this record was Mike McDonald at his best.
Phenomenons - Without Your Love (1978)
A sometimes overlooked classic on the flip of 'You Gave Me Happiness'. Information on the Phenomenons is pretty sparse to say the least, but it's likely they were an AVI studio group rather than a touring band. AVI was formed in Los Angeles in 1968 by Seymore Heller, Ed Cobb (who composed 'Tainted Love') and Ray Harris, although this release came at a time when the label was later expanding into the gospel/soul/disco genres. Unfortunately AVI seems to have failed to document the band members and apart from a few production notes, that's about all I know - except to say I once had a white demo but I have no idea where that went. 😄
If you were a Phenomenon, do get in touch with this website to set the record straight via the email address at the bottom of this page - which I believe has to be copied and pasted into an email in an effort to thwart the dreaded bots.