DEEP #2/2025 (July)

 In the actual meaning of “deep soul” we’re not dipping very deep this time and in topicality we’re stretching back a few years, but nevertheless I believe that both of these two works of art – a CD and a book - deserve exposure, and moreover in both cases creators themselves tell about their product.

MR. SMOOTH HEADING IN A ROMANTIC DIRECTION

 Abraham Wilson is our acquaintance and good friend from as far as sixteen years ago, and now he has released his 7th solo album titled All…Because You Loved Me! Among those preceding releases there was also one gospel album named The Bible in Song…the Music of Genesis. The official release date of this new CD is September 1, 2025, and - while waiting – please visit Abraham’s website at http://www.abrahamhitsongs.com

Among the fifteen tracks on display there are many that have appeared on Abraham’s previous albums, mostly on the preceding one called Music Is the Key in 2023, but they are all remastered. Abraham: “All songs need revisiting, because there are new lead vocal, background vocal and improved studio qualities on these songs.”

 “This CD is dedicated to my wife Rita for 51 years of love, friendship and support. We were married on June 15th, 1974 in Jersey City, New Jersey.” Indeed, the slow and romantic title song is a beautiful declaration of love, and there are as many as ten similar smooth serenades - Let Me Wake up With You, Rainbow Eyes, Love Will Follow You and Unconditionally, to name only four. Alongside the title song, personal favourite is Abraham’s duet with Veeda Alexander on a beautiful, country-tinged ballad named Why Can’t We Fall in Love. “The male lead vocal is completely different from the original song. This new production showcases my songwriting growth and improved romantic direction. And I still have twelve new songs in progress.”

 I’ve already mentioned earlier that Abraham’s up-tempo tracks – although heavy on basslines - sometimes lack that hard-driving tight rhythm and strong groove, but instead they are more playful. One of those four funk tracks, Let Me Clear My Throat, carries a social message. In terms of upbeat rhythm my favourite is the perky Love Is Cool, spiced by Roger Eddy’s saxophone solo. For the list of other musicians, please read all the credits below:

 A lush, strings-laden instrumental called Love Serenade reminds you of another earlier Barry White inspired track that Abraham has released, Orchestral Seduction, and finally there’s a melodic and pretty ballad called See You in Heaven, which has been available already as a single but now as a plus has background vocals added.

 Abraham’s beautiful and intimate music is brought to us by Hospitality Consultants of America. “It is my privately owned business established in 1986, specializing in food safety education, training and certification. It pays the bills and supports the music endeavours. I am known in the industry as Mr. Food Safety.” I can only add that all you romantics and dreamers out there, do yourself a favour in September and tune to Abraham’s atmospheric music waves.

TRAVELOGUE ON DETROIT MUSIC ODYSSEY

Richard “Gilly” Gilbert published his book I Searched for Soul and Found the Stars (150 pages, hardback, size 20 x 25 cm) already four years ago, but it’s a timeless volume for those, who cherish Detroit-based sounds and who are fans of Dave Hamilton’s music. There’s also a slight possibility for new chapters, or as Gilly himself says “I have more information, documentation and photos not available to me at the time of the first print.”

 Gilly was born in Willington, Derbyshire, in the U.K. in 1957 and he turned into soul music – more precisely northern soul - at the age of 13-14. During a ten-year period starting from 1985, he made five trips to the USA, where he met many of his musical heroes. The book contains a lot of photos of these artists as well as promo pictures, posters, articles, documents and other notes – not to mention interviews, of course.

 Gilly usually travelled with one or two of his music friends and only on one trip he was alone. On the first and the most productive one he spent time with Richard “Popcorn” Wylie, Pat Lewis, Don Davis (at United Sound), Belita Woods, Gino Washington, Ed Wolfrum and Sandra Richardson - better known as Sandra Feva, – among others. In each case you are treated to detailed information on recordings and year-by-year chronological career steps.

Gilly with his girlfriend Nicola Anderson

Further trips brought encounters with such acts and influential music maestros as Dave Hamilton, who has the main role in this book, Barney Browner, Melvin Davis, Bettye LaVette, Little Ann and Johnnie Mae Matthews. Towards the end of the book, Gilly still writes about a couple of incidents with stars visiting the U.K., which all were not nicest ones, and even lists BMI registrations of 13 persons that are featured in the book.

 The book was accompanied with a 21-minute-long, 8-track CD titled Dave Hamilton’s Soul, and it includes music from Little Ann (What Should I Do, Deep Shadows), Tobi Clark (Challenge My Love), Orthea Barnes (Never Ever Leave Me), James Lately (Love, Friends and Money), and the unfinished sounding tracks from Rita Dushay, the Tokays and O.C. Tolbert.  Gilly: “The original intention was the first 1000 books sold would include a free CD. They were produced in an agreement with Ace/Kent.” As you may remember, Ace/Kent put out a few Dave Hamilton compilations with some of these tracks included in them. “On Dave’s passing I didn’t want the masters ending up in the trash can, nor did I want anyone to make illegal money out of Dave and his family. Dave was one of the good guys and he’d been so good to me on my visits. He welcomed me with open arms.”

 “I approached Ady Croasdell to see if he and the company would be interested in this released and un-released material. They were and then the company director Ted Carroll went out and did a deal with Alice Hamilton.” The producer, musician, songwriter and record company owner Dave Hamilton died on August the 9^th in 1994. “In monetary terms I didn’t gain anything except a bit of notoriety, but nonetheless I’m very proud to have been part of it all, starting the whole thing off from day one.”

 Gilly: “The purpose of the book was to honour those whom I met as their names were hardly ever put into print when all was current.” So far Gilly has sold 1360 copies – mainly to the US, Australia and many European countries - and there are still around 130 copies left. If interested, please contact Gilly: by PayPal at gillybook@btinternet.com;  £ 25 pounds, includes p + p UK only; Europe £ 33, includes p + p.

© Heikki Suosalo