Spiritual Mat Hoods
Chur.ch Vol II

Jimmy Smith - Jimmy Smith Rap Drake got into trouble for sampling this. Hopefully I won’t. I just felt the urge to spread the word about how good Grady Tate’s wife’s chicken was.

The Emotions - Music Box A short tune written by Maurice White. Helped get the mix back on track after that chicken sample.

DanniBelle - Footmen/Horsemen So I found this record in a really strange second hand furniture shop. We were meant to be looking for a washing machine but I spotted a pile of records (as you do…) Anyway they were all classical until this one. Which was still sealed. Got a real nice RnB vibe to it, reminded me a bit of early Yam Who production work despite being released in 1983.

Sweet Inspirations - Why (Am I Treated So Bad) A depoliticized cover of The Staple Singer’s protest song. Still Got a message to deliver and some great harmonies too.

Leomia Boyd & The Gospel Music Makers - Testify I first heard of Leomia through the Gospel Nostalgia channel. Her voice blew me away but I couldn’t find anything about this release online. I was convinced this record didn’t exist until I chanced upon a sealed copy. The whole album is divine but I selected this particular song as it’s the one that sent me on a mission to find a copy.

Dorothy Morrison - All Of God's Children Got Soul The first of two Dorothy Morrison tracks on this mix and it’s a proper soul stomper. Both of the tracks were released on the Elektra label after Buddah sold off the remainder of her contract with them. The result of which saw some of her best work.

Merry Clayton - A Song For You A Song For You was written by Leon Russell and has been recorded by many great artists including Donny Hathaway and Mavis Staples. But Merry Clayton totally owns it.

LaBelle - When The Sun Comes Shining through (The Ladder) Taken from their 1971 Warner Brothers release. Uplifting little gospel number with hints of social injustice and promised lands.

Ellen McIlwaine - He The Richmond This is a cover version of the Jack Bruce song from his debut lp. McIlwaine takes it up a level with slide guitar and tape delay. Seems to work for me.

Dorothy Morrison - Rain (Long Version) I only ever new this song as being less than three minutes long. Initially heard it on Mancuso’s Loft compilation and fell in love with it. Then I heard rumours of a full mix of it. Finally tracked down a copy on a compilation lp released in Holland in the late 1980’s. Trust me its incredible and deserves to be heard in all its glory.

The Voices Of East Harlem - Oh Yeah The Voices Of East Harlem were a youth choir assembled in New York in the late 1960’s as part of a inner city action project. They found success through great management and working with some amazing producers like Donny Hathaway, Curtis Mayfield and Leroy Hutson.

The Emotions - Love Vibes A lovely bit of disco soul from The Emotions with Maurice White at the controls. Later given a Todd Terje rework but the original is the best.

Timeless Legend - I Was Born To Love You And finishing with a huge soul track from Timeless Legend. It kinda borrows the riff from The Temptations ‘Why Can’t We Get Together’ and uses it to great effect. I so love this record and I’m sure you will too.