Phylliss vinyl

Originally released in 1978 on the small US label Americom, this long-lost modern soul gem from Philadelphia singer Phylliss Bailey finally gets the official reissue treatment via Celestial Echo. An underground favourite among deep diggers and dancers alike, the record has circulated quietly for decades—bootlegged, whispered about, and cherished by those lucky enough to own a copy. Bailey’s voice is velvet-smooth but commanding, gliding effortlessly across funked-up grooves and lush, string-soaked arrangements. There’s a graceful tension between the uptempo burners and the downbeat slow jams: ‘Focus’ and ‘Dance, Dance’ are straight-up disco bombs, while ‘Feeling Of Love’ and ‘Stranger On My Mind’ show a more smouldering, introspective side. Every track has that ineffable studio magic, warm and rich with analogue fidelity. Fully remastered and presented with new artwork to distinguish it from the shady bootlegs, this pressing brings a true collector’s item back into circulation. A reminder that modern soul was a feeling more than a genre, and few captured it quite like Bailey.