NEWS - The boys at Diggin' Deep Records are now taking pre-orders their latest release, including an unissued southern soul recording by Sir Ted Ford. Sean Hampsey reveals all:
"....The latest 45 is an astounding double-sider that Diggin’ Deep are extremely proud to be able to bring to you. Two slabs of pure southern soul from Muscle Shoals! Both are classic ‘Muscle Shoals’ tracks, emanating from the legendary FAME studios, Muscle Shoals, Alabama.
This latest release came about via a chance conversation with the world’s leading soul music dealer, John Manship, where we learned that Sir Ted Ford had previously unreleased material from his Muscle Shoals sessions, sitting in the can for some fifty years.
There seemed a strong possibility that these were the legendary ‘lost tapes’ referred to by John Ridley on his much celebrated Sir Shambling website. We felt obliged to explore the matter further.
Sure enough, everything Sir Ted told us backed up the tale. The lost Sir Ted Ford Muscle Shoals recordings were real. This tantalising revelation lead to many late-night telephone conversations with the man himself, listening to his unreleased material down the phone and learning about his days recording with the Swampers in Alabama, Willie Mitchell at Hi in Memphis and with Bobby Womack & Maceo Parker over in Los Angeles, California.
There’s no doubt, Sir Ted is the authentic, real deal, Soul Man who can still croon with the very best of them. For the past few months he has treated us to several renditions of soulful classics in the style of Otis Redding and Sam Cooke. But his own recorded material, when it came through to Diggin Deep in the UK, just blew us away.
The topside of the new 45, entitled quite simply ‘Right Now' is without doubt the best unreleased, unheard, southern soul dancer we’ve encountered in years.
‘Right Now’ by Sir Ted Ford is the type of sound that ticks all the right boxes and will be sought after by collectors of northern, crossover and southern soul alike! It’s really that good. The Diggin’ Deep issue is its first ever release in any format and is out now for a very limited time on one of our special edition vinyl 45’s.
For the flipside we have chosen to release Sir Ted’s killer blue soul opus ‘I Can’t Give You Up’. Long regarded as a deep soul classic, this vocal tour de force was only ever made available on the small Budd label, released some fifty years ago. To many it’s the epitome of Muscle Shoals deep soul and recorded (as with the topside) at Rick Hall’s Fame Studios in 1969. The backing is provided by the famous ‘Swampers’ and we are sure it will leave all true music fans breathless, behind the tortured and ‘heart wrenching’ vocal of Sir Ted Ford. Both sides are written by Sir Ted Ford and are a testament to his wide-ranging talent. Diggin’ Deep are honoured to be able to bring you these recordings and are planning more from Sir Ted Ford, later in the year....."
DD004 collector’s release is a limited pressing at jjust £12 each plus postage and packing. Pre-order ON WEBSITE ONLY now, while stocks last at www.diggin-deep.com
RELEASE DATE FRIDAY 22ND FEBRUARY 2019.
Diggin’ Deep Records - Making available a series of excellent Soul recordings from the 60’s and 70’s, most of which will be released as a limited edition 45 for the very first time, and the occasional, carefully selected, re-issue.
www.Diggin-Deep.com
Thanks Mark!!