September 24, 2011

soul ~ 1970

Merry Clayton Forget It, I Got It mp3

soul-funk ~ 1977

McKinley Mitchell days got brighter mp3

soul-funk ~ San Francisco Bay Area 1971

Loleatta Holloway ~ bring it on up mp3

Loleatta Holloway 1946 ~ 2011


Loleatta Holloway will probably be remembered as one of the top "disco divas" of 70s soul/disco. Certainly deserved, but like many early soul singers she started out singing gospel.

Outside of a few records she recorded with the gospel group 'The Caravans', this 1971 Galaxy 45 is her first straightforward, secular, "soul" record.

Originally on the Apache label, Galaxy records put it out and distributed it the same year.
The flip "A" side is the Curtis Mayfield penned 'Rainbow 71'

I've always had an interest in San Francisco soul labels, especially the early incarnation of the Galaxy label.
Started by Max & Sol Weiss, the Galaxy record label was started in 1951 as a subsidiary of Fantasy records both of which they founded.

Galaxy records was located on Natoma Street in San Francisco from 1951 to 1967.
In 1967 it relocated across the bay to 30th Street in Oakland, before moving again to 10th street in Berkeley in 1971.

Loleatta really sings it out here, belting out some fast moving singing which begins to sound like shouting towards the end!