The Two Tons, Loleatta Holloway & Reba Rambo

The summer is stacked with new releases from artists we've long championed! Read about them inside!

Hello friends,

At the risk of repeating myself, 2024 is flying by at warp speed. We’ve been in our own swirl of vacillating weather—beautiful, sunny days are suddenly taken over with torrential rain and severe thunderstorms in the blink of an eye—and we’ve also had the cicada plague which has brought out skunks, snakes and all matter of vermin. So, it’s been interesting to say the least!

But in the midst of that, music continues to provide the soundtrack.

Reba Rambo

Last Friday, Reba Rambo’s 1980 release Dreamin’ was digitally re-released by Sony’s Legacy Recordings (Read more about that here) and it was exciting to see the album quickly rise to the #8 spot on the iTunes chart—not bad for a 44 year old album!

As promised, my interview with Reba—recorded just last week—is now available, the latest episode of the God’s Music Is My Life podcast. While we focus on the massive work that Reba did in 1980, the conversation begins with her 1976 album Lady and her connection with The Wizard of Oz (which was also present in 1980’s Dreamin’). I hope you enjoy listening to it as much as I enjoyed having the conversation! (It is embedded below, but if you prefer another method, you can find links to your preferred streaming outlet here.)

Loleatta Holloway—We’re Getting Stronger

COMING JULY 26th! Produced by yours truly for SoulMusic Records (SMR)/@The Second Disc/ Cherry Red Records, this 5 disc retrospective—We’re Getting Stronger: The Gold Mind/Salsoul Recordings (1976-1982)— includes expanded editions of Loleatta Holloway’s 4 classic albums for Gold Mind and an additional disc of remixes, instrumentals, and reincarnations of her classic work from down through the years. The 30+ page booklet includes rare photographs and a 9,000 word essay by yours truly that digs deep into the career of this unsung legend, utilizing her own words from the many interviews that she conducted through the years.

I began working on this project in February of 2023 and I don't think I've ever worked harder on anything in my life. Thank you to David Nathan and Joe Marchese for this opportunity and for their trust and confidence. I am forever grateful!

PRE-ORDER VIA CHERRY RED: cherryred.co/LoleattaHolloway

Martha Wash & Izora Rhodes Armstead (The Two Tons/Weather Girls)

Last year, I had the privilege of writing liner notes for the SoulMusic Records 4-disc box set that collected the Sony recordings of Martha Wash & Izora Rhodes Armstead, known to the world as both the Two Tons and The Weather Girls. (Read more about that and them here).

Well, my friend and comrade Joe Marchese has produced a two-disc collection that gathers their first recordings as a duet for Harvey Fuqua’s Honey Records, which were distributed by the world-famous Fantasy Records. On Get the Feeling: The Complete Fantasy/Honey Recordings, you’ll get their two albums (the self titled Two Tons O’ Fun and Backatcha) as well as rare single and 12” mixes and comprehensive liner notes. You can pre-order here.

In Case You Missed It…