Melodies International レコード& CD

Review: Cinnamon Soulettes' 'I'll Show You How' is a veritable swooner, demonstrating how just a few short songs can spark an undying love in its listeners - despite the project being rooted in tragedy. It's a cursed record, to say the least: the original tapes were found in a mixture of the University Of Washington State's archive and the estate of their late producer Kearney Barton, both of whom say all the original information about the record was lost in a flood. For that reason, all that is known about The Cinnamon Soulettes is that they are a female vocal trio from Seattle who recorded their only record in the 1970s with Barton. Nobody knows their names. 'I'll Show You How', though, is a stunning love song, melancholic in its trilling piano solos and vocal segues between each member of the trio. The B-side, 'Wishing On A Wishing Well', lifts us out of the prior mood of heartbreak, although its vocal recordings lend an equally haunting mood to its uptempo jump.

Review: Floating Point and co's Melodies International label makes its first outing of 2022, and what a fine one it is too. It is a much needed reissue of two massive soul and disco gems by singer Al Johnson and Tom Fauntleroy, backed by a cover of the same tune by New York singer Tat Vega who had been active since the 60s and was big in musicals as well as singing to Berry Gordy's Motown. Her vision, a duet with George Curtis Camero, was actually released on her fourth solo album but now comes in handy 7" format for DJs.