Record Store Day 2023 5 Items

A match made in heaven as critically acclaimed star and Jazz FM’s Best International Artist Lady Blackbird, joins forces with pioneering producer, Richard Barratt under his Athletes of God moniker to offer up two mesmerising and magnetic cuts that have never before been on vinyl. They now find a welcome home on a limited-edition, Orange Crush colour 7 inch via Foundation Music.

Up first the duo join forces with legendary Sheffield songwriter/musician Michael Somerset Ward aka MSW - the man behind countless chart hits for the likes of Alison Moyet and Take That. ‘Fontella’ is an ode and recounting of the trials and tribulations of being a female singer, in this case the legend that is, Fontella Bass. A soaring funk fuelled party jam that has major radio support already lined up and was previewed last year on 6Music by the man that broke Lady Blackbird as well as so many other acts, Gilles Peterson.

On the flip, a track that has been getting serious attention across the airwaves including 6Music playlisting, the ethereal, Balearic and instantly captivating cover of Randy Crawford’s mid-‘80s number ‘Don’t Wanna Be Normal’. A track that harnesses all of Barratt’s experience behind the production controls letting Lady Blackbird’s incredible voice sing to its full potential, over the top of a chest-rumbling chugger of a backbone. Epic to the Nth degree.

Memory Lane Lying in Pain is the debut Ep by Evil Saint Francis, the latest incarnation of Francesco Mele, a known figure in the Italian indie/darkwave scene. Penned at the height of lockdown to exorcise his demons, these songs were produced by Jacopo Bigagli. The Memory Lane Ep is a darkwave / synthpop / shoegaze’s threesome with a very dark bystander who resemble rowland s howard. Lvca aka Luca Cazal steps up on remix duties, drawing from his synth pop and new wave influences of his former years as a musician, delivering an acid tinged rendition of the main track.

One of Fake Blood’s most seminal hits, the 2009 nu-disco / electro powerhouse ‘I Think I Like It’, gets a much-deserved reissue for RSD 2023. This instantly recognizable, high energy dancefloor destroyer comes backed with Fake Blood’s debut single ‘Mars’, also reissued here for the first time since initial 2008 release. With copies of the original Fix Your Accent EP that ‘I Think I Like It’ was first housed on, having sold for over £100 on Discogs, it will be a welcome sight for many to see this available for the first time on red 7” vinyl nestled in a fresh picture sleeve.

Mr. K goes Gospel on the latest seven from Most Excellent Unlimited’s series of collaborations with the master editor. As is often the case, both of these edits are appearing on vinyl, and on 45, for the first time, with all the hallmarks of MEU’s commitment to quality.

A massive favorite with audiences who’ve attended Danny Krivit’s sets around the world, his “Churchapella” edit of Madonna's “Like A Prayer" is finally on wax. One of the singer’s greatest tracks, it has always fascinated with its combination of the sacred and the profane, leaving it up to the listener whether she is referring to a secular or holy love. In Krivit’s hands, focused largely on the undeniably massive sound of the Andre Crouch Choir, the divine nature of the lyrics shine through. Uplifting, moving, even transcendent when presented at the right moments, it’s both an inspiring piece of music and a seriously powerful DJ tool.

“Like A Prayer” is paired on the flip side with a fantastic edit of the Clark Sisters funky, slinky rare groove classic “Ha-Ya (Eternal Life).” Never officially released on 7-inch before, Krivit has taken the loose original recording and given it a steady pulse not by adding post-production elements, but via his experienced hand at building a musical movement that audiences will respond to. A slight tempo change, a bit of careful repetition, and at last connoisseurs of the smaller format vinyl have a definitive version of this powerful song.

Never before on 7" format, a special version of the title track from The Sunburst Bands critically acclaimed 4th album backed with a special 7" exclusive version of 'Look At The Stars' from Dave Lee's Produced With love II Album. Black vinyl with Z Records house sleeve.