Column

Phil Driver's Unsigned Soul Column (September)

I’ve just spent a long weekend at Butlins in Bognor Regis. We went with Mrs Soul Unsigned’s brother, his wife and their two kids. I’m still not too sure how she managed to talk me into it – she must have sneaked it in under the radar when I wasn’t concentrating. Or, more likely, when I wasn’t listening.

The last time I went there was with my mum and dad when I was about 5 years old. Apparently, I moaned all the time, refused to join in any of the activities, ignored all the other kids and was basically a pain in the backside for the whole holiday. Nothing’s changed there, then.

I might be 40 years older now, but I’m still very anti-social. And I still hate kids too. But I guess in life you sometimes have to do things you don’t always want to do, if only to keep others around you happy. Looking on the plus side, I pretty sure I can milk this “favour” to Mrs Soul Unsigned until at least Christmas!

I have to admit, though, that the Butlins visit was an interesting experience. I hadn’t realised how infiltrated the famous holiday resort company has become by the whole X-Factor and Britain’s Got Talent bandwagon.

I was surprised to see that most of the “artists” on the evening entertainment were rejects from past shows. This is great if you’re a keen follower, but as I refuse to watch any of them, and try to ignore all the rubbish written about the contestants in the press, I only vaguely recognised the names of the “star performers”.

On the positive side, this meant I could judge from what I saw on the night, rather than from any pre-conceived ideas or hyped-up reputation. Bottom line, I’m afraid, is that all the performers struck me as reasonably good karaoke singers. Nothing more, nothing less. Better stuff drops in my in-box every day of the week.

What I found most irritating, though, was the insistence of the Butlins M.C. in interviewing each act after their performance. This involved asking banal questions like “How much has X-Factor/BGT changed your life?” and “Just how grateful are you to Simon Cowell for getting you out of that crappy checkout job at Tesco?”

In the end, I came away with the sad realisation that dear old Butlins, just like the rest of the UK entertainment world, has sold its soul to Mr Cowell.

THE HOT 20

The Unsigned Soul column has teamed up with Starpoint Radio to bring you a monthly chart reflecting some of the movers and shakers on the current soul scene.

The chart is based on Starpoint’s own weekly Top 30 chart.

1 Incognito - Transatlantic RPM
domerecords.co.uk
2 Brian Culbertson - XII
myspace.com/grpbrianculbertson
3 Al Olive - Slow down (single)
myspace.com/alolive
4 Ty Causey - Down II Earth
tycauseymusic.com
5 Zo! - Sunstorm
myspace.com/zo
6 Victor - Transparent
myspace.com/victornelson
7 Catina Rosemond - Nothing missing
catinacrosemond.com
8 Dorian Wright - Mind Full Of Music
dorianwright.com
9 V9 Collective - World to me
v9collective.co.uk
10 Chris Youngblood - In love with you
soulunsigned.com
11 Tomi - Hustlin (single)
soulunsigned.com
12 Lenny Hamilton - Way Out Portfolio Vol 1
myspace.com/lennyhamilton
13 Cel - Deluxxe Organic
myspace.com/celmusiq
14 Joy Dennis - Music is
joydennismusic.com
15 Drizabone Soul Family - All the way
domerecords.co.uk
16 Dionne - Unrealistic
dionnemusic.com
17 Jennifer Bryant - Blue Silhouette
myspace.com/jenniferbryantmusic
18 Carmen Hendricks - Rhythmic Soul Revealed
myspace.com/carmenhendricksmusic
19 Richard Earnshaw - In time
myspace.com/richardearnshaw
20 Daryll Anders - Agape Soul EP
agapesoul.com

PLAYLISTS

Here are the latest playlists from the weekly Soul Unsigned Radio show which can be heard on various FM and Internet stations in the UK, Europe, Japan, Canada and The USA.

Playlist (2010-033)
The Drizabone Soul Family – Hit that spot
Richard Earnshaw – My door is open
Izzy Dunn – Nothing but love
Dorian Wright – Say I do
DJ Aphreme Ft J.S.O.U.L. – Take your heart
Paula Ralph-Birkett – Fearless
Mamayo Ft Mandy Lecointe – Waiting
Basement Freaks – Mission jazz
Claudia Hayden – So claudia
Jannine – Constant evolution
Missipi – The book of life
Carmen Rogers – Its me
Ty Causey – Love ii the bone
Flashbaxx – Voodoo therapy

Playlist (2010-032)
Richard Earnshaw – Waiting
Savista – I’m on my way
Jannine – Let it flow
Seductive Souls – Favela funk
Devier – What you need
Dorian Wright – Perfect world
Philly Fusion Project – Cognitive sexuality
D’Maestro – Everything
Jaafar – Can we make time
Nicci Canada – Selah
Izbeh – In my lonliness
Jason Mitchell – Where do we go
The New Congress – With me
Larry Ellis Jr – Inside the pocket

Playlist (2010-031)
Seductive Souls – Is this love
Wadz Ft Leon Beal – We can make it
Dorian Wright – Feel so high
Josephene – Shivers
Chocolate Butterfly – Perfect paradox
AgapeSoul – Don’t say you love me
Conya Doss – What we gon do
Cross Country Collective – Give it 2 ya
Jumbo Aniebiet – Love change the world
Beverley Trotman – Heaven help us
Bill Ortiz – Ease my mind
Sway Penala – Lovely lady
Steve Russell – Gots ta be
Liz Yancey – Friend
Rik Mol – Gin tonic night

Playlist (2010-030)
Leroy Burgess – It’s the weekend (Patchworks remix)
Tyrone Lee – Taste
Demetrius Price – Love is so hot
Agapesoul – Tell me where it hurts
Walter Christopher – So amazing
Nate White – Cant do without you
TCX – Inspired
Chandlar – Never thought
Joi Marshall – A house divided
Jason Mitchell – Make you mine
Soul Cycle – Prototype
Ebru – No good for me
Lindsay Wynn – November moon
Funkatized – Syndicate

Playlist (2010-029)
JTQ – Same old fool
Chris Youngblood – Without you
Big Daddy Stallings – I wanna dance
Disco Explosion – Gonna love you
Wadz – One step at a time
Gurufish – Soul treaty
Soul Continuum – Gaia
Marshal Badger – He did it all for you
Toussaint – Be you
D’Maestro – Everything
Greg Blackman – Change
Esnavi – Morning dew
Vladimir Cetkar – Soul splendor

Phil Driver

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