Soul Prescription

Soul Prescription

Whatever condition your condition is in, Soul4Real have assembled a team of the finest soul physicians to make you feel good.

Raiding the shelves of the soul pharmacy, we discovered a selection of potions still in their trial stage - raw, potent, and dangerously effective. One listen to the brilliance of Aretha Franklin, Gladys Knight & The Pips, Walter Jackson, and the James & Bobby Purify was enough to convince us not to wait for FDA approval. We took the plunge and issued them on vinyl for the very first time.

Recorded in 1968, Arthur Alexander’s magnificent I Need You Baby reached near-mythical status during the tape-swapping epidemic of the late ’70s and early ’80s. The first traces of “Alexanderitus” were linked to a cassette circulated by a north London mod known as Randy Cozens. It spread fast - so fast that even today, simply mentioning it to certain C60-swap survivors can trigger severe heart palpitations.

Down in Memphis, they’ve always preferred a more holistic approach to heartache. Southern practitioners understand it’s all in the voice - and its natural healing powers - especially when administered by the likes of the Soul Children and Shirley Brown, who instinctively inject just the right dosage of ache, warmth, and emotional precision to hit the soul’s pressure points. We recommend at least two listens a day, taken with or without food.

For ongoing recovery, we’ve included carefully selected treatments from our extended care team: Maxine Brown, Gil Scott-Heron, and the The Isley Brothers - all providing gentle grooves designed to nurse you safely back onto the dancefloor in record time.

And finally, a personal favourite: Dr. Johnnie Taylor. Frankly, it’s still unclear how someone delivering lines like “she don’t break no records when it comes to good looks” and “she burns up the food when she cooks” manages to avoid an A&E admission - but we decided such fearless dedication to the craft deserved honours. His portrait, accordingly, is displayed proudly on the album cover.

Tracklist:

A1. James & Bobby Purify – My Adorable One
A2. Arthur Alexander – I Need You Baby
A3. Walter Jackson – It’s Hard to Believe
A4. Maxine Brown – Don’t Leave Me Baby
A5. Shirley Brown – When You Really Love Somebody
A6. Dream Machine – All My Love
A7. Soul Children – Midnight Sunshine

B1. The Isley Brothers – Here We Go Again
B2. Johnnie Taylor – You’re the Best in the World
B3. Gladys Knight & The Pips – More, More, More
B4. Gil Scott-Heron – Your Daddy Loves You (For Gia Louise)
B5. Aretha Franklin – The Wind