E. Mark Windle 29 November 2020.
Just received some news via "Man from Soul" Alan Kitchener, regarding an exciting new vinyl release on his Soul-Direction imprint, planned for early 2021:
Eddie Holman – “Ready Willing Able” B/W “Too Young for Love” (Soul-Direction SD002)
"Until recently this unknown Virtue acetate was unearthed from the belongings of legendary Philly producer/musician/songwriter John Stiles, and recorded around the same time as "Stay Mine For Heaven Sake" at Virtue Studios in Philadelphia. Eddie's rendition of "Ready, Willing and Able" was something that was thought to have been written for another singer which was to be determined. He sang on the track as a reference point to whoever this might be, which was not an unusual practice. His piercing vocals added to a pounding "Northern soul" style beat lends itself to a packed and sweaty dancefloor.
The B side "Too Young for Love" a raw mid-tempo and earlier sounding demo track has been unknown until now but we thought a nice contrast to the A side being another unreleased track.
The acetate had been in the possession of the producer John Stiles. It was subsequently unearthed by Funkadelphia, who originally offered an unmastered copy on iTunes to help the wife of Mr. Stiles who was having financial difficulties at the time. I was championing the track at “The Boat Club” in Nottingham for quite a while and after some negotiation Eddie was keen to see a release. The lack of performance work due to COVID-19 made it the perfect time to put it out on vinyl to help the artist and the producer's family. For the first time anywhere, coupled with the track “Too Young For Love” which Eddie provided us, it really seemed like a "win-win” project.
I have fond memories of seeing Eddie perform live back in the 80s at “Top of The World” Stafford amongst others. The opportunity to release tracks from a Northern soul legend is a massive honour for Soul-Direction Records.
Eddie Holman
Born June 3, 1946, Eddie started singing at the age of two, Eddie Holman's venture into show business began after his family relocated to New York City from Norfolk, Virginia in 1954, when he was eight years of age. It was there that his mother exposed her child prodigy to the piano, guitar, singing, and the performing arts in and around the bustling city.
In 1962, Holman made his first record, "What You Don’t Know Won’t Hurt You" on Leopard Records.
Later while attending university, Eddie's ultimate dream materialized with the release of the first of a caravan of charted hit-songs: "This Can't Be True, Girl."
This musical selection heralded the beginning of a collection of prolific love ballads that would provide a rock-solid foundation for the launching of his illustrious career.
Eddie continued to record for Cameo Parkway amongst other labels including Bell and then arguably his biggest hit with ABC in 1970 with "Hey There, Lonely Girl"
Eddie has performed many times to adoring fans on the Northern soul scene and continues to perform all over the UK, Europe and beyond..."
A Nickel And A Nail wishes Soul-Direction all the best with the new release. Promotional copies will be available from www.soul-direction.co.uk and the Man from Soul website from mid-late January 2021, with issues appearing shortly after. Contact Alan at alan@manfromsoul.co.uk for further details.