Safe vinyl

Since turning their back on hush-hush re-edits in favour of issuing obscure or previously unreleased material, the Super Disco Edits label has barely put a foot wrong. Their latest 7" boasts two previously unissued recordings by former Reflections member John Simmons, who later went on to work as Whitney Houston's "creative director". Both tracks were recorded in 1979, originally as demos for a band Simmons was working with. "Safe", in particular, is superb; a jazz-funk-tinged chunk of modern soul rich in cosmic bass, crunchy Clavinet motifs, twinkling electric piano solos and jazzy guitar flourishes. Simmons' vocal, too, is rather special. Flipside "I Wanna Be Closer" is similarly funk-fuelled whilst retaining the smooth, soulful vibe that marked out Simmons' early productions.