Booklet features features extensive sleeve notes
and artist interviews by leading music historian Francis Gooding,
alongside rare photos and original album sleeve pics.
Strut turns its magnifying glass onto the Caribbean for "Calypsoul 70", a
celebration of the magnificent array of crossover calypso, reggae,
Latin, Afro and soul styles that emerged, often from small studio and
label stables, during the 70s. Taking the listener on a non-stop
island-hop, the album digs deep into Trinidad's steel pan and marching
band archives with a terrific pan cover of Gwen McCrae's "90% Of Me Is
You" alongside tough social commentary by 'rapso' pioneer, Lancelot
Layne. It features a sprinkling of Latin dynamite from Martinique legend
Marius Cultier and Cuban salsa heroes Los Van Van and touches on island
links with Africa courtesy of Eze Rockcliffe's Yoruba Singers (Guyana)
and an Afro-beat-inspired plea for freedom from legendary calypsonian,
Duke. To finish, it adds in a strong helping of fascinating soul and
disco fusions from short-lived island bands like Magic Circle Express
(St Lucia), The Vibrations (Virgin Gorda) and Ophelia (Dominica). As
well as a valuable selection for diggers, the album is designed as an
ultra-handy package for DJs with a host of playable tracks and rare
cover versions. All in all, the perfect funky tropical Summer soundtrack
for the beach, club or BBQ.
A brand-new British record label, 40 years in the making, introducing fans of psychedelic / jazz / folk / funk / avant-garde and whacked-out movie musak to a lost world of undiscovered vinyl artifacts from the annals of alternative pop history.
Volume four is compiled by Gruff Rhys and features an exclusive track by S.P. Balasubramaniyam / K.S. Chitra / Ilaiyaraaja taken from forthcoming K.S. Chitra EP.