Jai Alai is different from sister label Soul4Real in that this imprint focuses on 21st century releases that were either CD only, or totally missed, and there is a very exciting programme of future releases already lined up. But before we get into my favourite release so far, the correct pronunciation of the label is “hi-uh-lie” which is a Basque version of the court ballgame pelota - no more mis-pronunciations please!

It would be fair to say that we could have done with a few more releases from this immensely talented “Songbird Of Love” over the years, but maybe your purchase might help that. I fell in love with her voice on the wonderful stepper “I’ll Always Be A Part Of You”, released on the short-lived New York label 1800 Records in 1986, so I was surprised to learn that Elaine was Los Angeles born and bred, particularly as her 1990 follow up dancer “The Sweetness Of Your Love” was on Miami label Never Stop Productions, which further enhanced her underground following in the UK & European soul scenes.

In 1993 her “Good Love” was included on the Meteor Man film soundtrack (starring amongst others, Luther Vandross), but it would be a while before she returned to the studios having toured as background then lead singer in Rose Royce from 1997-2007.

She finally released her own CD album “The Woman I Am” on Eee Project in 2007, from which these two killer cuts have been released for the first time on vinyl: “Come See About Me” is an infectious floor-filler pitched just below mid-pace, but “What Am I To Do” is the most sublime kneetrembler, taking you straight to a late night smoky jazz room with Ella or Billie on stage. Worth it for this side alone.

Steve Hobbs 

Stay With Me has remained in high demand on the modern soul scene and is now available on 7” vinyl for the first time and is a fitting first release for Soul4Real’s new subsidiary label Jai Alai (pronounced Hi-Uh-Li) so don’t miss out on owning this limited edition collector’s piece.

(Steve Hobbs)

Collectors of Black American music have long revered maverick genius Jerry Williams Jr. a.k.a. Swamp Dogg. His brilliant songwriting and unique voice have left indelible imprints on soul for decades, and Soul 4 Real Records are proud to add a Swamp 45 to their ever-growing catalogue.

Both these tracks make their vinyl debut here. If you saw Swamp perform “Oh Lord” at 2019’s Soul 4 Real weekender, it’s a memory you’ll treasure forever. Swamp’s exquisite studio version of the soul standard was recorded in 1967 as a follow-up to “Baby You’re My Everything”, but inexplicably stayed unissued for 40 years.

Almost 40 years have also passed since Swamp recorded his demo of “If You’re Leaving”, a song from his “lost” country album on Mercury. Never issued anywhere before, it’s a rare chance to hear work-in-progress from one of soul’s most beloved artists.

As he enters his seventh decade of recording, Swamp continues to be active and musically provocative. A man of many names and many talents, here’s Swamp Dogg at his vintage best!

(Tony Rounce)

The celebrated history of the Masqueraders has given us two of soul music’s most memorable recordings with “I Ain’t Got To Love Nobody Else” and “I’m Just An Average Guy”. Through the years they have left us many classic gems that are heavily sought after by collectors and some that have yet to be mined.

However, if there was ever any doubt about the Masqueraders´ greatness, the previously unreleased “Make Me Think You Love Me” from 1972 puts that doubt to rest. After a stunning intro the group eases into those harmonies that captured our hearts back in day and remind us once again about the magic of that period of soul music.

“When Trouble Calls” is a Jerry Butler and Curtis Mayfield composition from 1961 and the group´s version appeared originally on an impossible-to-find cassette published in 1993. Unlike the Ice Man’s version, the Masqueraders upgrade the song with their patented silky-smooth vocals. Thanks to the team at Soul4Real for digging up and presenting us with these two recordings.

(Ruben Molina)

Malaco has long been a favourite label of mine and I always felt that Jewel Bass was a huge talent that never realised her potential there. She was somehow was overtaken by the likes of Dorothy Moore, Denise Lasalle and Fern Kinney in the “pecking order“ down in Jackson, MS. Jewel sang countless backing vocals for such luminaries as Johnnie Taylor, Tommy Tate, Jean Knight, Eddie Floyd, Bobby Bland and many others, and was featured in bands like the Carbon Copies, Natural High and Centaura.

Both of these tracks which have lain undiscovered until now were recorded in 1981 in International Recording Studio, Pearl, Mississippi, and are two contrasting delights for soul fans.

“I Wanna know“ is a mid-tempo shuffler with hints of a “Joy & Pain” riff in there and definitely one for the most discerning dancefloors. ”Sweet High” is a so soulful string laden ballad on which Jewel´s vocals are launched effortlessly into the heights on the back of an impressive production.

Enjoy these two fine examples of real soul music exhumed from the vaults for your pleasure.

(Bob Cosby)

Calvin Richardson is a bit of a chameleon, smoothly able to transition between the most heartfelt gritty soul ballads to the latest cutting edge urban R&B that now dominates the more mainstream sound of today´s “Black America”.

His revered solo debut “Country Boy” came back in 1999 when signed to major label powerhouse Universal Records and went on to sell 100,000 units but, in those halcyon days, still not enough to get him a second bite of the cherry at the time. He then went on to strike deals with Hollywood Records, Jordan House (owned by Eric Benet) and Shanachie Records where he still resides.

With comparisons drawn to a young Bobby Womack, it’s easy to see why he chose to record long player “Facts Of Life: The Soul Of Bobby Womack” back in 2009.

For their ninth release those sterling Soul 4 Real guys have chosen to resurrect two fantastic sides from that debut recording, with the soulful as hell “I’ll Take Her” backed with the melodic gem of a beat ballad “Looks Like (You’ve Been Crying)”…make sure you don’t miss it!

(Mark Coddington / Fish)

HONESTY, RESPECT & TRUST have helped the Soul 4 Real team secure wonderful gems for its record label which showcases the acts at its events.

Following the release of “Garden Of Love”, please let me introduce to you this latest unreleased song and its flip side´s first outing on vinyl.

Recorded in the mid-seventies at Florida’s Playground Studios, "Shadow Of A Doubt" is a great composition penned by Motown’s Reuben Howell. This down home southern soul masterpiece, to which extra horns and strings have been added to beef up the production, is a winner, make no mistake! Jimmy is in great voice on this mid-tempo outing, which is pure class! Expect a sell out.

The Finley Duncan produced "Chasin’ A Rainbow" is an up-tempo dancer which will be filling the dance floor, but I have a feeling "Shadow" will be tugging at our heartstrings for years to come.

(TJ - Terry Jones)

Wallace Daniel Pennington. More familiarly known as Dan Penn. Considered by many to be the greatest songwriter of his era, a key component in the evolution of Southern Soul, and a man whose lyrics and melodies completely define that genre.  

Dan’s song list is much bigger than his discography, and opportunities to own any “new” Dan Penn 45 are rare. Fans everywhere will therefore celebrate this coupling of two exquisite tracks from Dan’s recent CDs for his Dandy label.  You may know “Blue In The Heart” via Irma Thomas’ version on her Penn tribute album “My Heart’s In Memphis”. “Time To Get Over You” (co-written with Cajun legend Jo-El Sonnier) may be less familiar. Spin it frequently, and it will become no less loved. 

Collectively these recordings show that, even after seven decades of peerless writing and singing, Dan’s music is still of a quality that today’s other tunesmiths can barely aspire to… …This IS Soul. For Real.

(Tony Rounce)

Welcome to release #6 from Soul4Real containing two previously unreleased tracks from Jimmy Gresham recorded in the early 1970s at Playground Studios in Florida and produced by Finley Duncan.

Jimmy Gresham and his killer vocals have graced many releases that have excited deep, southern & northern soul collectors the world over. His solo 45s on labels such as Decca or Teri-De plus his 45s as part of the groups The New Yorkers & The Groovers and his collaborations with Len Jewell or Rosey Grier have yielded many great moments in soul music history. Along with his siblings Mary Gresham, Willie Gresham & Ben Gresham they make a soulful dynasty going back to the early 1960s. A full appraisal of their careers is not possible here but certainly worth further investigation. 

Of the two lost recordings, the top side “Garden Of Love” is a lovely mid-tempo southern soul/crossover love song with Jimmy’s gritty vocals really doing the business. Flip it over for more mid-tempo southern soul but this time with an edge of funk to a song of lost love. Served up in Soul4Real’s signature packaging - what’s not to like?

(Steve Plumb)

It’s somewhere between late ’67 and early ’68 and The Masqueraders are in American Sound Studio in Uptown, Memphis. On the agenda for today’s session are some self-composed songs; a mix of pleading, deep and electrifying, up-tempo soul songs including “I Don’t Want Nobody To Lead Me On”, “Let’s Face Facts”, “Do You Love Me Baby” and “Sweet Lovin’ Woman”. They have two other songs for the session: “Prophet Of Love” and “You’re The One”.
 
Chips Moman and Tommy Cogbill are taking care of business on production while Bobby Womack is up front with his guitar, working with the studio band “The Memphis Boys”. It’s a busy time and output has been prolific; in just one week, 25% of Billboard’s Top 100 have come from the studio. Time is precious, choices will be made and sadly some cuts from the session may not make it to vinyl release…not just yet.
 
Time is a healer, and here, rescued from a dusty and forgotten tape box, are the lost tracks; two of the coolest, sweetest cuts with the tightest group harmonies gliding over those Memphis mid-tempo rhythms.
 
(Cliff Steele)

At the start of the 70s Jerry “Swamp Dogg” Williams was at the height of his creative powers, writing and producing hits in Muscle Shoals on artists like Freddie North and Doris Duke. Although these two tracks voiced by his childhood friend Wilson Williams at Widget Studios remained unissued, their quality is sky high. “Ghost Of Myself” was also cut by Duke but the excellent deep soul of “Don’t Let My Foolish Words Keep Us Apart” may just be the pick.
 
Wilson Williams had worked for his home town Norfolk, Virginia music man Noah Biggs’ How Big and Shiptown labels. He played guitar on several Biggs releases, and voiced two name discs. These rare 45s were followed by his album on ABC “Up The Downstairs” in 1978  and a further collaboration with Jerry on the “Eating Ain’t Cheating” CD in 2001.
 
By then Wilson had been a member of the Platters for several years already, touring the world on the various oldies circuit where he still works.
 
(John Ridley)

Soul4Real’s third release brings us two previously unreleased gems from Norfolk Va. group The Anglos. Both sides were produced by the legendary Jerry “Swamp Dogg” Williams and where recorded at 919 Sound Studios in Philadelphia.

The Anglos are regarded as one of Norfolk’s best singing groups of the era. They are featured on Francois & The Anglos 1963 recording for Romulus, but more significantly are remembered for “Incense“, a record which became an early mod favourite in the UK. In 1967 The Anglos recorded the northern soul classic “Since You’ve Been Gone” for Shiptown (nationally issued on Scepter). 

The two recordings featured here were recorded in the late 60s and were destined for the short lived Botanic label. “Broke Down Piece Of Man” it´s an earthy rendition of the Sam & Dave song (from their “Soul Men” LP) taken at a slightly faster tempo than the original, whilst “Four Walls Of Gloom” takes the groove down to a more relaxed midtempo pace on another very soulful song. 

Two excellent sides, that have languished in the vaults for far too long, I am sure you will agree!

(Steve Guarnori)

Success can be measured in so many ways, but over the years this man has created some of the most compelling, inspiring and distinctive music ever committed to wax.

“Prince” Phillip Mitchell is a genius, a man able to craft a song from emotions dragged from the deepest depths and finely hone them to perfection. His list of writing credits graces the good and great of our music , while his own recordings and poignant lyrics are steeped in the very essence of Soul. Impassioned ballads or funky grooves, Muscle Shoals, Memphis or L.A. …it made no difference as the “Prince” simply took the word majestic to another level.

We are very proud to present to you the comeback recordings of a true legend of Soul music and really do hope that this is “just the beginning”…but we can assure you that it´s most definitely “Soul 4 Real”!

(Paul Thrower)