Soul On The Real Side - Big Time Lover

The architects of soul are back with a stunning 16-track 2023 collection, once again uncovering the building blocks of modern soul with a play list of mid-tempo Northern and Crossover Soul – classics and rarities.

This fifteenth anniversary edition is brought to you from the West Midlands – the stomping ground of Real Side Records founder member Mr Tee – and we salute the regions varied architecture courtesy of Tom Podmore’s stunning photograph of The Library of Birmingham sited in Centenary Square (opposite).

Volume 15 is packed with modern soul gems all culled from the incredible Captiol Reords soul legacy. They need little introduction to the UK rare soul scene, but here is a snapshot of a few highlights. Our show opens care of the million-selling group Cornelious Brothers & Sister Rose from Dania Beach, Florida. They shot to fame in 1971 with their hit “Treat Her Like A Lady” and the follow-up “Too Late To Turn Back Now”, both certified gold discs. Here we feature the title track of their 1973 album Big Time Lover. Trk. 2, “The Game Is Over”, is by the short lived California girl group Brown Sugar featuring the one-hit-wonder Phyllis Nelson. The legendary Tavares Brothers perform trk. 3 while George Soule leads the way on trk. 4 with his #35 R&B hit “Get Involved”. Bettye Swann from Shreveport, Louisiana, delivers a heartrending performance on “My Heart Is Closed...” (trk. 5), her debut recording for Capitol in 1968. Corey Blake (trk. 6) and Freddie Terrell (trk. 9) are perhaps the most in demand three-figure 45s but no less brilliant are the more accessible Marian Love (trk. 14) and the fabulous C. M. Lord (trk. 15).