late 80s/early 90s uk streetsoul (bass and breakbeats and r&b vocals)

through the wonder of Youtube and its recommendations algorithm this is all I seem to ever listen to these days. Everybody knows Soul II Soul and Massive Attack but it was this recent reissue of Bovel's "Check 4 U" that really switched me on to this stuff:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qyi2pqXDp30

there's a whole ocean out there of stuff like this: thick house basslines, slowed-down breakbeat grooves, unpolished soul divas with the sweetness of lovers rock reggae. Some of it is cheap and easy to find through the usual channels, some of it seems rare and prohibitively expensive. It's the story of Smith & Mighty and The Wild Bunch, but also all the anonymous and forgotten 12" singles and overpriced Discogs compilations that were bigger in Manchester than in London. This stuff was being released when I was barely a toddler so I have no sense of it as a "scene" or how it figured in club culture but I know that I like a lot of it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhETbyU8wo0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzsrBaRoiL8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgPkq1780vo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWqp3C0hFg0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppKK42zKRo0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVfenMeCTR0

thinking of it as a reaction to US r&b, not so much an imitation but a distinctly British take on styles, and seemingly undergoing a resurgence if you're reading the same articles and listening to the same radio shows as I am

so, this is a thread to post your own recommendations and so forth

garden of life is GOAT

Hard to find 12"s in this genre have been getting reissued a lot lately, which is likely where the chatter / airplay is coming from. Be With records maybe?

This has a big overlap with what was labeled ‘acid jazz’, no?

Yeah, does Jhelisa count? Friendly Pressure sounds like these songs to me.

https://youtu.be/YAMtlnvJeo4

Deluxe - I've got a feeling
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHBPpDfojg0

I love this sound. Check:

Alison Williams - I Need Your Lovin'

Fresh Four - Wishing on a Star

The Chimes - 1-2-3 (UK Raw Mix) / Heaven / I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For

Beats International - Dub Be Good To Me (Smith & Mighty Remix)

Diana Brown & Barrie K Sharpe – Blind Faith (Brixton Bass Mix)

There's also a lot of stuff that feels like it fits even though it's not from the UK, such as The Family Stand's "Ghetto Heaven" (which also and appropriately got an amazing remix from Soul II Soul).

i like this stuff too

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUpP_a8vAjA

i guess i know more about the acid jazzier end of the spectrum, which tends toward a more polished sound

i'd never heard that bovel track, it is pretty incredible and i'd love to hear more stripped down tracks like that

Innocence - Natural thing?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHSPzry7cH8

Fresh 4 feat. Lizz-E • Wishing On A Star

Smith & Mighty DJ Kicks is U&K

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UCIxA2qpKg

Ah, Tim F already mentioned the Fresh 4 track. (Alyson Williams was/is a US singer, btw)

Love the Bô’vel track, don’t remember ever having heard it before. Is there an actual Dennis Bovell connection or is the name a homage to “Silly Games”/UK lovers rock?

Yeah I should have specified with the Williams that I meant the extended version produced by Soul II Soul.

I manage to seperate this stuff from acid jazz in my mind purely by how this stuff uses minimalism and bottom-end - to me, acid jazz is radio-friendly and home-listening whereas this is much more club-functioning. There is a lot of crossover and I can imagine this stuff was played alongside acid jazz and post-disco 80s boogie but there's a distinct sonic framework to this stuff that excites me more.

I have no idea about who Bovel is or where the name comes from, I'm not sure I even want or need to, really

Loafs of good recs here though! I didnt know S&M had done a DJ Kicks.

In terms of US stuff that fits I have a huge soft spot for Chante Moore's "Love's Taken Over"

https://youtu.be/wH39-zajFtE

A lot of this stuff, other than the obvious, seems to have been written out of history a bit, perhaps because there was so much else going on at the time, so this is a real blind spot for me. Looking forward to digging through this thread.

People quickly realized the instrumentals were better than the vocals and Trip Hop got the fame.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DG8BVCCjTOw

Jill Francis - Make Love To Me (Gangster Mix)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1-GrHZSCbo

Irini ‎– 24/7 Love

Love that Jill Francis!

People quickly realized the instrumentals were better than the vocals and Trip Hop got the fame

This is probably true except for me the vocals are what take a lot of this stuff from enjoyable to excellent.

https://www.discogs.com/Various-Choice-FMs-UK-Pressure-Vol-1/master/359554

This compilation I snagged for cheap recently is good, has both of NickB's selections, but everything on it has been edited down from a full-length mix.

oh i didn't know about that comp, looks like a good launchpad for further investigations

i knew about the bovel cos they've been hammering it on nts

sorry that the sound on that irini YT is so fucked, it's a good one though

maybe a precursor for this sort of thing is mantronix's productions for joyce sims?

that stuff was 1987-ish i think

or Sly & Robbie producing Gwen Guthrie with Seventh Heaven, which came up in a mix I was listening to earlier, would be another good precursor

just an excuse to post that fantastic track really

ok lol turns out the one i posted is american too

I would be remiss in not mentioning Carlton's album 'The Call Is Strong' from 1990, produced by Smith & Mighty, which I consider the overlooked pinnacle of this sound. One of my great music tragedies is losing my copy of this.

Also "Any Love", the early Massive Attack single with Carlton on vocals and S&M on co-production, fits in this thread in a way their subsequent work doesn't.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDZM4xXy17I

Rosaline Joyce - I Will Never Be Your Lover

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YcQTOQIlKHY

Fresh Cut ft Ann Cain - Don't Rush (Remix)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=25&v=yiWghyFnasU

FM Inc. Call Me Anytime .. Dub is good too

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCngWcH0GAg

Joanna Law / Soul 2 Soul connection

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzftzlfi36U

... meant to post another Sarah Winton but the whole LP is top notch

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rh2tFYgiIuU

Dazzle - Dazzle You. (Haul & Pull Up mix) 1989

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPMyV7SOgxk

Fifth Of Heaven - Just A Little More

https://youtu.be/KaA7kt5DLLE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zGXKBRT1gk

Carla Thomas - Things Ya Make Me Do (Summer Remix) (1994)

big tune:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVBTrudXcs8

Rick Clarke - Perfect Lady

don't think the importance of these guys can be overstated...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdKdnCSeJwQ
Loose Ends - Slow Down

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5rqP8QTAbU
Loose Ends - Don't Be A Fool

^ when I saw this thread Loose Ends came to mind immediately but I couldn't remember any of their songs so wasn't sure if I was on the right track

I've got a Fresh Four 12", not mentioned yet it's this one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIF7HFEYYXY

(nearly, the 12" I've got is the Smith & Mighty remix, not the version in the youtube)

Diane Charlemagne should get a mention. Cool Down Zone ‎– Lonely Hearts

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgIZJnMSjqY

when I saw this thread Loose Ends came to mind immediately but I couldn't remember any of their songs so wasn't sure if I was on the right track

Hanging On A String is the obvious one and that exact same drum pattern appears in about half the clips i posted above tbh

thanks for posting these Herb. I started buying UK Soul 12's and comps from 1992 onwards so missed some of the earlier ones. Occaisional trips to Unity and Blackmarket records armed with lists from Blues and Soul magazines and scraps from Kiss FM.

Bygraves - Do the Right Thing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Lwt1qzypBQ

When I first saw this thread the first thing that came to mind was Sweet Harmony by Liquid, but the more I listen to these the more I feel like it marks the end of this subgengre, so not what you're looking for at all. Is that right?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bo4B8uo55nU

Everis - Love Has Arrived

Yeah that Carlton album was a classic...took me years to get a copy! Everis had a big album about that time too

Shades Of Black ‎– Make U Mine (Nemesis Remix)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1hifWVab48

Tracy Jones - Promise Me, Forever
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBuBYTgWh-E

Stirling McLean - Midnight Love
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Zjwavc-P4I

Trichelle - Midnight lover
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enMc6Oqwyxo

Azizi - Midnight Lover
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEiezuJdVM4

https://www.mrbongo.com/blogs/news/digging-deeper-an-interview-with-heels-souls-recordings

this interview with Heels & Souls on the re-issue of Special Touch "Garden Of Life" (!) comes with a really good streetsoul mix too

well, would you just look at that :D

picked up the special touch reissue last week, great stuff - meant to bump the thread!

Numero Group have made a playlist...

Lover’s Walk: The Numero Guide to UK Street Soul

The convergence of reggae basslines, the shuffled drum machine rhythms of New Jack Swing, & a concretely British approach to lyrics centered on love. Walk with us through the intersections of Street Soul.https://t.co/CDuMDwp3MC pic.twitter.com/s8UMx4JWFQ

— numerogroup (@numerogroup) January 12, 2021

In the meantime, Bassline's 'You've Gone' is just about to get reissued by Isle of Jura:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CJShyWNgkGL/

i'm sure it's already been posted on here, but huge tune:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWqp3C0hFg0

^ guy who produced that (Tony Henry) was also one of the brains behind 52nd Street

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUmx-zqoB4U

^ incredible video btw

thanks for the playlist!

just spotted they're reissuing Ashaye's "Dreaming", excellent, BIG UP ALL THE CHAMPAGNE CREW

Holy shit! Jungle mix? Link plz!

http://numerogroup.com/products/ashaye-dreaming

TRACK LIST

AshayDreaming (Jungle Mix)
AshayDreaming (Original Mix)

sweet jesus, yesssssss! :D

I would not be surprised if there's someone lurking here from Numero Group picking up on your enthusiasm for this one!

this thread's still on the first page of results for "uk streetsoul" on google! but that record is also right up there in the "most wanted" street soul releases on discogs:

https://www.discogs.com/search/?sort=want%2Cdesc&style_exact=UK+Street+Soul

lol @ boxedjoy...you know!!

Love the musical journeys...just went from Numero .... https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2H9z1716keB60f8vG031Kw
Lovers Walk: The Numero Guide to Street Soul

and ended up at 24-Carat Black who I'd never heard of but loving the sounds!
https://www.discogs.com/24-Carat-Black-Gone-The-Promises-Of-Yesterday/master/177734

keep dropping those posts

Oh wow...just listening to Ghetto: Misfortune's Wealth, not heard for years, forgot about this band!!! Classic and sampled by Rakim, Jill Scott and the rest...

Oh man '24-Carat Black theme' ..I love when I find music I'd forgotten about and still get the same joy from it! It was 80s Hip hop that introduced me to those samples and got me crate diggin...keep the music alive

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ktMKilWYOA

heard this one a few days ago, I love it

A Joanna Law I don't think I've heard before !!!

Joanna Law - Love is not enough
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCngWcH0GAg

Her big tune was Forever.. First time I heard it was by Broadway and I always thought the intro was saying Animal (Wayne - one of BW's DJ's nickname). I thought it was a special (dubplate).

Here's an undercover 12

Claudia Patrice ‎– Unknown Title
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bf_AHXHQlcQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5MjHpig-Fs

Massive tune from back in the day

Alisha Warren - Discover Me
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSTufxJPTvo

Mica's sister!

Oh hello, V4 Visions double LP comp just announced with sleevenotes by Simon Reynolds:

https://v4visions.bandcamp.com/album/v4-visions-of-love-androids

I love both the Maureen Mason tracks on that

THIS SONG:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2oERW0Hq1E

i love that space ghost has been zoning in on this sound recently - check out eg 'emotional healer (back room mix)' from last year's album. new track on the ON LOOP comp is mega: https://onloop.bandcamp.com/track/space-ghost-used-to-it

i dunno why i briefly went all caps there btw, i don't have a shouty bone in my body tight now

right now not tight now jfc my brane

Just wanted to say thank you to everyone who has contributed to this thread over the years. I know nothing about this stuff, but whenever I see it revived, I end up playing songs posted in here for an hour or more every single time. Solid jams all around, cheers.

:)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdJlJh6zWOs

^ Did this ever get posted here? Probably not, because it really isn't very street at all tbh, but it is an absolute jam. Classic late 80s wine bar vibe, should be on a million comps but i've never even been able to find a decent rip of it. what a song though

I love when NickB bumps this thread <3

this bangs and is only buttons on the cogs:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0_iA97Asps

Angels And Images – Hold Me Tight

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oi10mI0RTqc

Shades of Rhythm going streetsoul in 1988

This is one of my best finds, but the video here seems pitched down a little compared to my 12"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWJZ87gzdVU

Or maybe this more boogie? Too early?

nice find, sounds a bit like 52nd Street

tbh it was the similarity with 52nd st that led me to post that one, but playing much of the other videos here it's a little out of sync

Oddly, the b side is Lovers Rock and it seems from discogs that their earlier single is too

yeah was looking at their discogs, they do seem to be coming from a lovers/reggae background. producer was mark lusardi (linda's brother!) who worked on loads of reggae things and was also in jah wobble's band for a while. you can actually hear kind of a reggae bassline in the tune you posted, wonder if they tried it out as a straight reggae number first and then thought fuck it, lets get the synths in!

If I ever start a cult our mission statement will be "fuck it, let's get the synths in"

not exactly sure where to put this Mr. Ho track I’ve been obsessed with recently. The beat seems really streetsoul-y to me and it’s got reggae vocal samples so idk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rg2repuHhOo

it's such a good track. the beat is of course the soul ii soul beat aka the ashley's roachclip break.

Gold In The Shade reissue coming out on Heels & Souls:

https://heelsandsouls.bandcamp.com/album/over-you-shining-through-hsrec004

cheers for the heels and souls link — lot of other great stuff to look into there!

nothing to add, just another quick thank you for this thread. feel like i owe you guys money or something for all the jams. also lol "simple solution" is tagged with artist name J DILLA on spotify. even with my novice experience, that makes my inner librarian feel physical pain.