Somerville, MA
“Give your turntable a soul”
A celebration of diversity and a throwback to the days of yore, Q Division (Q-Dee) has been hard at work launching the six-month Rock and Soul single series. The 45 RPM 7” singles are premium, direct metal master, colored vinyl with toploading cardboard jackets. Each aesthetically pleasing disc (limited to a run of 500) is individually numbered and highly collectable.
Kicking off the series is the luminous, renowned Sultan of Boston R&B, Barrence Whitfield and (reputably “tighter than Tom Jones’ pants”) The Monkey Hips. A-side “Built Like a Rock” is an entertaining tribute to being a “big, big man,” while “I Love Her So” is an admiration of a significant other’s style, grace, and warm embrace. Each is a high-energy, danceable performance, hearkening back to Whitfield’s days with the Savages, complete with signature vocal inflections that only serve to convey his inimitable enthusiasm for the craft.
The essence of Eli “Paperboy” Reed’s backing band, The True Loves, is highlighted throughout three dynamic, smooth instrumentals that put them in league with the greats. “Crack Symphony” and “Plan B/DTMWIS” are reminiscent of the southern soul of Booker T. and the MGs, along with tight melodies and distinctive, New Orleans-driven rhythms of The Meters.
Once referred to as “1964 Beatles meets 1977 Ramones” by Runaways’ producer Kim Fowley, the free-spirited garage rock of Muck and the Mires is front and center throughout the fist-pumping “Today You Love Me. Tomorrow You’ll Hate Me” and the meditative, power-pop lament of “Saturday Let Me Down Again.”
The fourth disc, by Jenny Dee and the Deelinquents, features a stereo mix of the stunning original, “Big Ol’ Heart” from their full-length debut, Keeping Time. In reply to Eli “Paperboy” Reed’s “(Doin’ the) Boom Boom,” Side B finds the girls modernizing the ’70s Lillian Hale classic, “Don’t Boom Boom.” Jennifer D’Angora’s (The Dents, The Downbeat 5) commanding vocals are spotlighted amid talented players, guests, and solid background singers reminiscent of empowering, early girl groups. This is the music that she was born to sing. [Editor’s note – it’s no wonder, then, that she just won Female Vocalist of the Year at the Boston Music Awards.]
Immerse yourself in the timeless, toe-tapping grooves provided by each of these musicians. Next up: “Disco Knightz” with the John Powhida International Airport! (Q-Dee Records)
Recorded at Q Division Studios, Somerville, MA // Produced by Ed Valauskas and Jon Lupfer // Engineered by Jon Lupfer and Patrick Dicenso // Mastered by Andy Vandette at Buzzz