Thursday 20 January 2011

Joyce Jones - Help Me Make Up My Mind

Hey Soul Children!
I hope all is well and good at your end? Thankfully I have some extended leave from ‘The Coal Face’ which is allowing me to catch up on some long over due time with my records. After finally ridding Hook and Sling HQ of the builders my collection is in need of some serious organization. The problem with this is that when it comes to records I’m like a hyperactive child in a sweet shop, and remaining focussed on the job in hand becomes increasingly more difficult as I get side tracked playing almost every single 45 I come across!!! The upside of this is I’ve turned out some long forgotten treats for you, which will be appearing on these very pages in various guises.

I have also been working on another ‘Soul Exchange’ with my good friend Vincent The Soul Chef over at Fufu Stew, touch wood this should be ready in the very near future so stay posted! I also have something very special in the pipeline for you, which hopefully should fall onto these pages within the next week or so.



Today’s choice is a 45 that’s been getting some serious revolutions on my turntables at the moment. This must annoy the living hell out of my neighbours, as I’m pretty sure they aren’t as enthusiastic about funk and soul 45s as I am, and hearing the same 45 over and over again can only serve to annoy!!
‘Help Me Make Up My Mind‘ by Joyce Jones was released on the New York based Atco Label in 1969. It was an answer record to ‘Can I Change My Mind’, a #5 hit by Tyrone Davis.

The track is driven along by the chugging organ, bouncing guitar lick and horn section, her powerful vocals round off the track for me, making it a fantastic soulful funk crossover. I find it difficult to understand why this version didn’t get the recognition it deserved, but as there was several different versions and covers doing the rounds at the same time, it may have just got lost amongst them.

I hope you get as many plays out of this one as I have! Enjoy and I’ll catch you back here later with another dose of the ‘Good stuff’.




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