Aretha Franklin - Spirit in the Dark (Full Album) [Official Audio]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWq3Il6EFd4

#SouthernSoul #DeepSoul #Soul

Today's #FortnightFridayMusic theme is #green. Here's one of my favorites, by a great but very much underappreciated vocalist:

Ella Washington: The Grass Is Always Greener (On the Opposite Side of the Fence) (1967)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZ-83p5HpIY

There'a a good overview of Washington's career at John Ridley's website: https://www.sirshambling.com/articles/ella_washington/index.php

#EllaWashington #soulmusic #deepsoul #southernsoul #JohnRidley

Today's #AlternateFridayMusic theme is #Fire. Here's Candi Staton and one of the many great deep soul ballads she recorded at Rick Hall's Fame studios:

Candi Staton: How Can I Put Out the Flame (1970)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8rnyRAku7A

This song was issued as the flip side of her version of "Stand By Your Man" (Fame 1472).

#CandiStaton #FameRecords #RickHall #MuscleShoals #deepsoul #soulmusic

This week's #JukeboxFridayNight theme is #AskAQuestion. Somehow, sadly, this question seems just as relevant today as it was back in 1970:

Larry Sanders (The Prophet of Soul): Where Did Peace Go (1970)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKl4T4B0ftA

#larrysanders #larrysaunders #soulmusic #deepsoul #politicalsongs #peace #war

I don't get to hear much of new music these days, but this is just wonderful:

The Womack Sisters: I Just Don't Want You (To Say Goodbye) (2025)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTl68TssjU0

This is easily the best new 1960s style soul record that I've heard in quite a while.

I've been waiting for the Womack Sisters to realize their obvious potential for many years, and it seems that hooking up with Daptone may have been the right choice for them.

#music #musicwomenwednesday #womacksisters #daptone #soulmusic #deepsoul #soulballads

Sol - 01 Feb feat. Broken, Deep Soul, Pucklectic

#SESH #Broken #DeepSoul #Pucklectic

https://sesh.sx/e/1459126

For this week's #MusicWomenWednesday I've chosen an old favorite by Bettye Lavette:

Bettye Lavette: Let Me Down Easy (1965)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7RKRkkoGlU

This fabulous clip is a live performance from the ABC TV show "Shindig!", originally aired on June 9, 1965. She was 19 at the time.

In 2004, I had a chance to see her sing this song (and quite a few others) at a Finnish blues festival. She was very good. I think I may have also had a brief chat with Heikki Suosalo, who did an interview with her, published here:

https://www.soulexpress.net/bettyelavette_story.htm

#music #soulmusic #bettyelavette #shindig #deepsoul

Going through 1960s music journals at worldradiohistory.com, I came across this review by Penny Valentine, published in Disc & Music Echo (January 28, 1967).

I've had the 45 for quite a few years, and still play it every now and then:

Mattie Moultrie: That's How Strong My Love Is (1966)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-aKUx8w-7Ng

One of the very first recordings done for Richard Gottehrer's and Seymour Stein's Sire Productions, this impressive version of a soul classic was issued on the Columbia label, but didn't sell too many copies at the time.

While I do disagree with Valentine's judgement on the quality of Otis Redding's recorded output, I'm still partial to O.V.Wright's original version, which was his first secular recording (on Goldwax), and made it to #109 on Billboard's Bubbling Under chart in the fall of 1964.

Other memorable female versions were later recorded by Candi Staton and Laura Lee - both are excellent. But Mattie Moultrie's over-the-top reading is still something special.

#music #soulmusic #mattiemoultrie #pennyvalentine #otisredding #ovwright #candistaton #lauralee #deepsoul #richardgottehrer #seymourstein

Now

The Queen of Soul releases her fifteenth album on June 14, 1968. Swampers Jimmy Johnson and Spooner Oldham help out on guitar and keyboards. Bobby Womack and King Curtis are there, too, on guitar and sax. Listen to Aretha Now by Aretha Franklin on Amazon Music ... #arethafranklin #thequeenofsoul #60smusic #deepsoul #arethanow #southernsoul #rnb #music #musicsky #musiciansky

http://robinbannks.com/2025/06/14/now/