The Staple Singers – Trippin’ On Your Love Vance And Suzzanne – I Can’t Get Along Without You Lou Rawls – You’ll Never Find Another Love Like Mine Curtis Anderson – The Hardest Part The Jackson Sisters – I Believe In Miracles Lamont Dozier – Breaking Out All Over Beverly And Duane – Take A Ride Tony Troutman – What’s The Use Switch – Keeping Secrets Arnie’s Love – I’m Out Of Your Life Michael Wycoff – Looking Up To You Howard Johnson – Keepin’ Love New Goldie Alexander – Go Back Johnny King And The Fatback Band – Peace, Love Not War Love Unlimited – Under The Influence Of Love Sister Sledge – Thinking Of You Damaris – What About My Love? Gene Chandler – Make The Loving Worthwhile Bobby Womack – Daylight Flowers – For Real The Fabulous Play Mates – Ain’t Gonna Be No Fool (For You) The Miracles – Do It Baby Creative Source – You Can’t Hide Love Bobby Reed – The Time Is Right For Love Keni Burke – Risin’ To The Top Lamont Dozier – Take Off Your Make Up Jackie Wilson – Beautiful Day Main Ingredient – Work To Do Taj Armstrong – You’ve Got So Much Feeling (In Your Love) Carol Williams – You’re So Much A Part Of Me The Detroit Spinners – One Of A Kind (Love Affair) Johnny Bristol – Do It To My Mind Delegation – 12th House Five Stairsteps – Ooh Child Tom Brock – If We Don’t Make It Nobody Can
True Example – As Long As You Love Me The O’Jays – This Time Baby Carol Douglas – My Simple Heart Family Of Eve – I Wanna Be Loved You Timeless Legend – I Was Born To Love You The Montclairs – Unwanted Love Bill Harris – Am I Cold, Am I Hot Melvin Moore – All Of A Sudden Ernest Baker – Alone Again Bobby Sheen – Something New To Do Coke Escovedo – I Wouldn’t Change A Thing Winfield Parker – I Wanna Be With You James D. Hall – I Wanna Get Into You Tom Brock – Naked As The Day I Was Born Norman Connors – Once I’ve Been There Tony Fox – Love, Let Love And Be Loved Jean Carn – Time Waits For No One The Independents – I Love You, Yes I Do Candi Staton – I Know Blaze – Get Up Bay Brothers – What Does It Take Jesse Henderson – I Did It Again Delegation – One More Step To Take The Four Tops – Am I My Brother’s Keeper The Detroit Spinners – Ghetto Child The New Birth – Don’t Blame The Young Folks (For The Drug Society) The Inner-Section – I’m In Debt To You Ashford & Simpson – Stay Free
True Example – Love Is Finally Coming My Way Leon Debouse – Every Fella’s Girl Jackie Wilson – Don’t You Know I Love You Caress – Opportunity Delegation – The Promise Of Love Blue Magic – Stringin’ Me Along Universal Robot Band – Love And Understanding Moment Of Truth – Helplessly David Rhodes – Hung Up In Mid-Air The Main Ingredient – Rollin’ Down A Mountainside Solid Gold Revue feat. Ray Crumley – She’s So Good Nolan Porter – If I Could Only Be Sure Detroit Emeralds – Feel The Need Four Below Zero – My Baby’s Got E.S.P. Gloria Scott – (A Case Of) Too Much Love Makin’ Jackie Wilson – Because Of You Charles Johnson – Never Had A Love So Good Veda – What It’s All About Delegation –Stand Up (Reach For The Sky) Storm – Can’t Nobody Love Me Like You Do Sister Sledge – Love Don’t You Go Through No Changes On Me Margie Joseph – Taking All The Love I Can Ace Spectrum – Beautiful Love The Philly Devotions – Hurt So Bad Melba Moore – This Is It Carol Douglas – Let Me Come Into Your Life Jewel – Paradise Ultra High Frequency – We’re On The Right Track
Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons – The Night Labi Siffre – It Must Be Love The Drifters – You Gotta Pay Your Dues The Montclairs – Hung Up On Your Love Leslie Uggams – Love Is A Good Foundation Jeanie Tracy – Making New Friends Target – Give Me One More Chance Getto Kitty – Stand Up & Be Counted The Dells – It’s All Up To You Bobby Taylor – There Are Roses Somewhere In This World King Tutt – You’ve Got Me Hung Up Moment Of Truth – So Much For Love Moments – Nine Times The Carstairs – It Really Hurts Me Girl Tavares – Don’t Take Away The Music Collins & Collins – Top Of The Stairs Otis Clay – The Only Way Is Up Benny Troy – I Wanna Give You Tomorrow Rhonda Davis – Can You Remember Best Friend Around – It’s So Good To Know Patterson – Gonna Find A True Love GD & The Big J – Movin’ On Touch Of Glass – I Just Can’t Say Goodbye Spinners – Are You Ready For Love Dennis Mobley & Fresh Taste – I’d Do Anything For Your Love Family Of Eve – Please Be Truthful Nina Simone – Touching And Caring The Main Ingredient – Happiness Is Just Around The Bend
This month, the D*ruffalo Hit Squad pays their dues to Northern Soul, the most stubborn of all underground dance music scenes. And in contrast to nearly all compilations documenting decades of ridiculously dedicated digging, this two hour set consists entirely of supreme anthems. Or “oldies”, as the veteran rare soul jocks and dancers call them (meaning neglected guilty pleasures that opened sesame all those years ago, more or less). Which is the same twisted logic applied that led to the term “Modern Soul”, the majority of which is not that modern at all. But that is another story that shall be told even more indulgently on you know where, but you don’t know when, but it could be soon.
In the meantime, lay out the towel, spread the talc, put on appropriate gear, turn it up some, and get seriously going. And keep the faith, of course!
Barrett Strong – Gonna Take A Journey Tommy Sears – Get Out Fred Hughes – I Keep Tryin’ Jackie Lee – Would You Believe Clifford Curry –I Can’t Get A Hold Of Myself The Valentines – Breakaway Dobie Gray – Out On The Floor Darrell Banks – Our Love Is In The Pocket Dave & Ruben – (I Love Her So Much) It Hurts Me Maurice Williams – Being Without You Gloria Jones – Finders Keepers The Olympics – The Same Old Thing Shirley Lawson – One More Chance Chuck Wood – Seven Days Too Long Edward Hamilton & The Arabians – Baby Don’t You Weep Ed Crook – That’s Alright The Inspirations – Touch Me Hold Me Kiss Me The Ballads – I Can’t See Your Love The Parliaments – Don’t Be Sore At Me Sid Barnes – I Hurt On The Other Side Trade Martin – She Put The Hurt On Me The Ad Libs – Nothing Worse Than Being Alone Duke Baxter – I Ain’t No Schoolboy Maurice Williams – The Night The Angels Cried Ronnie & Robyn – As Long As You Love Me Roscoe Robinson – That’s Enough Vivian Carroll – Oh Yeah Yeah Yeah Larry Santos – You Got Me Where You Want Me Ann Sexton – You’ve Been Gone Too Long Bobby Treetop – Wait Till Get To Know Ya The Inspirations – No One Can Take Your Place The Adventurers – Easy Baby Mill Evans – I’ve Got Have Your Love Sam Dees – Lonely For You Baby Don Thomas – Come On Train Barbara Lewis – I Remember The Feeling Fred Hughes – Don’t Let Me Down Joanie Sommers – Don’t Pity Me Rhetta Hughes – I Cry Myself To Sleep Steve Flanagan – I’ve Arrived The Barons – Walking In The City Willie Parker – I Live The Life I Love Sam Fletcher – I’d Think It Over Kenny Wells – Isn’t It Just The Same The Winstons – Color Him Father Clarence Hill – A Lot Of Love Goin’Round Little Esther Phillips – Just Say Goodbye The Exits – Under The Street Lamp
Pere Ubu – Non-Alignment Pact Richard Hell & The Voidods – Blank Generation The Members – Sound Of The Suburbs The Exploited – Attack The Ruts – Babylon’s Burning The Cockney Rejects – War On The Terraces The Undertones – Teenage Kicks The Damned – Disco Man The Business – Smash The Discos The Buzzcocks – Oh Shit! Mission Of Burma – Dumbells The Wipers – Romeo Joy Division – Failures Age Of Chance – Be Fast Be Clean Be Cheap The Fall – Prole Art Threat Dead Kennedys – Take This Job And Shove It Bad Brains – Sailin’ On Patrik Fitzgerald – All Sewn Up
Should anybody starting up a label in these crisis-shaken times even consider commissioning a proper graphic designer for label artwork, or is it better to spend the money elsewhere first? Have priorities changed?
Running a boutique label is a very good way to spend a lot of money with no real certainties of seeing that money again… A label’s or artists’ art direction can be an amazing strength, if well done. But, the initial attitude and concept of the release, the sequencing, its originality, the quality of the mastering – all these factors are important. I would suggest that unless you view every aspect of the release, including the cover art, as essential, then don’t bother. It’s all part of a beautiful whole.
Could you observe some sort of increasing DIY approach from the labels’ side in reaction to shrinking production budgets?
More, an increasing desire from labels to ask designers to work on tiny budgets. DIY: whereas at one point one would have a budget for a full campaign, these days the money goes less far – sometimes the finest details are skipped…
As someone who designed for bigger labels and smaller ones, are there differences in the assignments and necessities besides financial aspects?
In my experience, the success of any project, regardless of size of the label, depends entirely on a client/artist/someone in the process, having an eye for such details. Simple as that. I have worked for both large and small labels where a key individual has had personal interests in the whole and has allowed more time, money or “play” to occur. I’ve also known indie labels, full of cred, simply not be bothered by their design output. I’ve known major artists and marketing teams get very excited about artless details – “make the logo bigger” etc… But, so long as someone cares, or someone trusts enough, something good is usually allowed to happen…
Do you think that the flooding with releases even requires a bigger effort in the design stakes, to already stand out visibly?
The flood is a digital one, mostly, and there artwork is somewhat lost – and few artists have begun to think, or had budgets to realise, what an album could be in these iPadded times… An effort, a point of difference, always is a good thing. However, there are so many people broadcasting on so many blogged-out channels, broadcasting to an ever-distracted audience, that one wonders if much what one sees sticks in the memory… Famous for 15 people…
How do you best make a point if you opt for artwork as a label owner?
I prefer direct – one message, simple, clear, yet with attention to detail, something other…
Are there rules for what a good artwork for a record release should display?
That’s a very difficult question to answer, as each release/artist/label has different requirements. Each project should be approached on its own terms.
Is there some kind of solidarity between designers and label owners to keep both fields going?
There are definitely teams – links between musicians, labels, archivists, curators, designers – who work well together, who have a shared agenda to keep on keeping on.
What do you think of alternative ways for artworks, like stamps, stickers, inserts etc. Do they limit the possibilities, or the opposite?
Again, each project should have its own voice, its own language – sometimes such things could work.
Would you say that the days of stamped white label releases to generate some mystery are soon over?
A mystery lasts a lot less long these days; “I have a mystery to share with you all” screamed from many social networks… One can still try to work in hiding, and this to me seems increasingly appealing, when there’s simply so much noise out there, so much broadcasting of average product. But then, to generate mystery in itself, the release must be perfect.
Is corporate identity still important for a label, or should every release test new ground?
I think that depends on whether the label wants to be an artist itself, to have a curatorial role. Certainly a house-style can amplify an imprint’s voice.
What will the near future be for graphic designers in the music business? Is a designed physical release something that will still matter?
I hope that as long as there are people making music and releasing music who have a passion for the sheer beauty of what an object can be, and as long as there are designers who simply want to do something out of love, not money, there will be. …but, if I knew the answer to that… I’d be learning Android app programming.
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