'Paul Weller Presents That Sweet, Sweet Music' will be released on Blue Yolk Vinyl (400 numbered copies), Gatefold Vinyl and CD on 28.03.2025

 

Paul Weller Presents That Sweet, Sweet Music will be released on Blue Yolk Vinyl (400 numbered copies), Gatefold Vinyl and CD on 28.03.2025 

Soul music has always been in Paul Weller’s blood from early Jam covers of Martha & the Vandellas 1963 classic ‘Heatwave’. Along with other forms of music, soul found its way into Paul’s record collection, nourishing his ears and informing his own songwriting.

We don’t need to recap a questing musical career from the Jam to the Style Council which then blossomed into one of the most productive and revered careers of any UK solo artist. Paul has written anthems, standards and a songbook that have always developed from his own feelings.

Whilst Paul has talked about his love of soul music he has, before now, simply been too busy to sit down and curate a collection of his favourite tracks and get it into the record racks.

Ace Records are honoured and delighted to finally release that Paul Weller curated collection which he has aptly titled, “That Sweet Sweet Music”.

This 2-LP set and CD open the curtains on 26 tracks that are some of Paul’s favourite soul records most of which nestle on vinyl in his own collection. He can still recall paying £70 for his copy of Jon Lucien’s 1971 ‘Search For The Inner Self’ 7” at a record shop in Leicester in the 90s. Some of these tracks are soul classics like James Carr’s 1966 ‘Pouring Water On A Drowning Man’ and Brother to Brother's brilliant take on Gil Scott Heron and Brian Jackson’s ‘In The Bottle’ from 1975. Others are deliciously obscure wonderous gems like the A-side of Blackrock’s sole 1971 single ‘Blackrock “Yeah, Yeah”’, ‘Life Walked Out’ from the same year by The Mist or Syl Johnson’s ‘Black Balloons’ taken from his 1970 album “Is It Because I’m Black?”.

There are plenty of big vocal hitters such as Darrell Banks, Spinners, Joe Simon, O.C. Smith, the Dells and Betty Davis. Whilst the core is vocal soul the music does branch out with Paul selecting a wicked instrumental from the flipside of the Isley Brothers’ ‘Twist & Shout’ from 1962 and the funky jazz of the Headhunters ‘God Made Me Funky’, the A-side of their first 1975 seven-inch.

Paul has not only written an introduction but the way he has curated the music allows each side of the vinyl and the CD to flow like a river taking the listener on a journey through some of his favourite music.

It’s a Sweet Sweet collection indeed.

1. GOD MADE ME FUNKY - The Headhunters

2. SPANISH TWIST - The I. B. Special

3. BREAKAWAY - The Valentines

4. TOP OF THE STAIRS - Collins & Collins

5. DONT LET THE GREEN GRASS FOOL YOU – The Spinners

6. BLACK BALLOONS - Syl Johnson "

7. SOULSHAKE - Peggy Scott & Jo Jo Benson

8. I CAN'T MAKE IT ANYMORE - Richie Havens

9. YOU GOT TO HAVE MONEY - The Exits

10. PULL MY STRING (TURN ME ON) - The Joneses

11. RUN FOR COVER - The Dells

12. ON EASY STREET - O.C. Smith

13. IT AIN'T NO BIG THING - The Radiants

14. SUMMERTIME - Billy Stewart

15. IN THE BOTTLE - Brother To Brother

16. HARD TIMES - Baby Huey

17. MAGGIE - Johnny Williams

18. WHEN - Joe Simon

19. POURING WATER ON A DROWNING MAN - James Carr

20. THAT'S ENOUGH - Roscoe Robinson

21. BLACKROCK “YEAH, YEAH” - Blackrock

22. GOLDEN RING - American Gypsy

23. SEARCH FOR THE INNER SELF - Jon Lucien

24. LIFE WALKED OUT - The Mist

25. IN THE MEANTIME - Betty Davis

26. BEAUTIFUL FEELING - Darrell Banks