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Today we have the press release from the boys at Diggin' Deep regarding the label's latest 45rpm. This time we are presented with a Sam Dees double-sider, including a previously unreleased take of a track from his iconic "Show Must Go On" LP for Atlantic, and on a flip, a stunning deep soul ballad... DD 005A Sam Dees ‘What’s It Gonna Be’ DD 005B Sam Dees ‘Tag Tag’ "....Two tremendous Soul sides, each with a different flavour, though both are classic ‘Southern Soul’ tracks, emanating from the legendary Sound of Birmingham Studios, Alabama, USA. The topside of this latest release...

True enough, in the 1960s several recording acts from the eastern seaboard embraced soul music. For some perhaps it was initially as a happy accident. Travelling African-American R&B singers on the circuit arrived in town without a backing band and needed some local talented musicians to support them. Later, musical repertoire would occur more by design. The uniqueness of The Tempests lay in the fact that this homegrown North Carolina outfit known for soulful lead vocals, an unusually large and loud horn section, tight rhythm and heavy bass lines, could claim some commercial success and much critical acclaim. It seemed...

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...

As regular site visitors will be aware, we don’t only present reviews, biographies and other aspects of a literary nature. A Nickel And A Nail is also keen to support other hardworking independent enterprises in the soul music world who provide worthwhile contributions to the scene through vinyl, CD and digital releases; keeping soul music history alive with previously unissued and quality reissued releases. To that effect, this month sees a great second 7” vinyl release by the Fun & Funk Family, via up and coming MD Records. Label owners Mark Anderson and Des Parker fill us in on the...

The Chashers’ “Without My Girl” is one of the more obscure releases and not that well known even among rare soul collectors, partly due to the record being one of the more recent discoveries on the northern scene. The track may have been first played in the UK at the Middleton all-nighters by DJs Carl Willingham and Phil Shields. By the time “Without My Girl” came out in late 1968, The Chashers had evolved from a merger of earlier bands.  The two writers, Lamar (aka Tom) Collins, lead singer and Roy Thompson, guitar, were members of The Avalons, originally from...