Deep Soul Vinyl & CDs

Review: Fans of the Atlanta and Birmingham soul sound of the 70s take note - this one is for you. 'Paper Man' by Sam Dees and Alpaca Phase III comes from that golden time and has only just been earthed by someone digging in the vault of Moonsong and Clintone Recordings. Sam Dees worked with Alpaca Phase III in 1974 on some music for Atlantic and then this ballad a little later. Dees is the vocalist on 'False Alarms' and anyone who heard his Second To None CD in 1995 will know it. These are two golden soul tunes that will swoon their way into your affections.

Review: Deep Soul have uncovered an exquisite gem in Miss Louistine's sultry version of Sam Dees' 'Con Me'. No stranger to Dees' compositional range, having previously excelled in the dancetastic floor filler 'Extra Extra', now soak up this deeply luxurious Southern soul ballad of exploitative and irresistible love. Marvel at the seductive vocal control complimenting the song's ironic sentiment and then, to truly underscore the power of exceptional lyrics, enjoy Dees rendition as the flip side and muse upon the significance of different voices, tempos and registers. Yet, the message remains the same, in this unissued track until Kent accessed the tapes in 1998. Yes, Miss Louistine's version may seem smoother at first but its commanding tone belies a potency that the vulnerability of Dees rawer version can only hope for in this intelligent pairing by Deep Soul Records, now under the umbrella of Ace Records. So, enjoy the gorgeous sleeve and label design, put the record on and delight in the beauty of intensely authentic soul singing but get in there quick as these Kent singles do not stay around for long.