Truth and Soul Records

Last updated

Truth & Soul
Founded2004 (2004)
Founder Leon Michels
Jeff Silverman
Defunct2016 (2016)
Distributor(s) The Orchard (catalog)
Independent (former)
Genre
Country of originUnited States
Location Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York
Official website truthandsoulrecords.com

Truth & Soul was a record label and production team based in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. It was formed in 2004 by Leon Michels and Jeff Silverman with Philippe Lehman. The label was best known for their releases with Lee Fields & The Expressions and other New York retro-soul / funk groups. As a production house and recording studio, Truth & Soul worked with artists like Aloe Blacc ("I Need a Dollar") and Adele ("Right as Rain"). In 2016, Truth & Soul's catalog was acquired by The Orchard, and was succeeded by Big Crown Records and Mighty Eye Records.

Contents

History

Soul Fire Records

Truth & Soul was born out of Soul Fire Records, a label run by musician Phillip Lehman. Lehman had previously run soul revival pioneer Desco Records with Bosco Mann, and founded Soul Fire in 1999 as a funk label; Mann would later open the soulful Daptone Records. Between 1999 and 2003, Soul Fire put out numerous records by artists including Lee Fields and The Whitefield Brothers. In 2003, Lehman retired from the music business, leaving his studio to young musicians Jeff "Dynamite" Silverman and Leon Michels, both former Soul Fire artists. [1] [2]

Formation and releases of Truth & Soul

Silverman and Michels founded Truth & Soul with help from Lehman in 2004. [3] Silverman and Michels ran the label with label manager Danny Akalepse, and were the in-house production team. [4] The label has recorded and released the music of El Michels Affair, Bronx River Parkway, Quincy Bright, The Evil D's, Lee Fields and The Expressions, The Fabulous Three, Cosmic Force, The Olympians, Tyrone Ashley's Funky Music Machine, Ghetto Brothers, The Phenomenal Handclap Band, and Bama & The Family.

In 2008, Truth & Soul produced and released the Lee Fields & The Expressions album My World to critical acclaim. The same year they produced Aloe Blacc's sophomore record, Good Things , which was released on Stones Throw records on September 28, 2010. [5] A new studio, The Diamond Mine, was built in Long Island City 2014 by Michels and his frequent collaborators Thomas Brenneck, Nick Movshon, and Homer Steinweiss. [6]

Truth & Soul has remixed "Love Is a Losing Game" by Amy Winehouse, the Gabriella Cilmi single "Sweet About Me", Dinah Washington's "Cry Me A River" for Verve Remixed 4, and Truth & Soul are credited as writers on Adele's grammy nominated album, 19. Their records have been sampled by Ghostface Killah, Just Blaze, Jay-Z, Young Jeezy. [7] Other venture included curating the in-game radio station of the same name in the 2009 video game GTA: Chinatown Wars .

Legacy: Big Crown Records and Mighty Eye Records

Big Crown Records
Founded2016 (2016)
Founder Leon Michels
Danny Akalepse
Distributor(s)
Genre
[9]
Location Brooklyn, New York
Official website bigcrownrecords.com
Mighty Eye Records
Founded2022 (2022)
Distributor(s)Fat Beats [10]
Genre
Location Brooklyn, New York
Official website mightyeyerecords.com

Michels and Silverman dissolved Truth & Soul in July 2016 with The Orchard acquiring the label and the distribution rights to its catalog. [11] Soon after, Michels co-founded Big Crown Records with Truth & Soul manager Danny Akalepse. [12] [13] [14] Some artists on the Truth & Soul roster moved to Big Crown at this time. In 2022, Mighty Eye Records began in collaboration with Silverman. [15] [16]

Artists

Noted 'featured artists' included: [17]

† denotes artist on Soul Fire Records
‡ denotes artists on Big Crown Records [18]

Discography

ArtistTitleCatalog NumberRelease date
El Michels Affair Sounding Out The CityTSCD-0012004
Various ArtistsFallin Off The ReelTSCD-0022005
Tyrone Ashley & Funky Music MachineLet Me Be Your ManTSCD-0032007 Reissue
Various ArtistsFallin Off The Reel vol.2TSCD-0042008
Bronx River ParkwaySan Sebastian 152TSCD-0062008
Lee Fields & The ExpressionsMy WorldTSCD-0072009
El Michels AffairEnter The 37th Chamberto be released in conjunction with fat beats records2009
Michael Leonhart & Avramina 7Seahorse & The StorytellerTSCD-0092010
Bama & The FamilyFeeling Good b/w Drums of AsikoTS0012004
Bronx River Parkway feat. AnaluDeixa Pra La b/w Mas y MasTS0022004
Timothy McNealyK.C Stomp b/w Easy, Easy, EasyTS0032004
Lee Fields & The ExpressionsDo You Love Me b/w Honey DoveTS0042004
El Michels AffairCreation b/w Behind The Blue CurtainsTS0052005
The ExpressionsMoney Is King b/w These MomentsTS0062005
Quincy BrightMy Ghetto Looks Like ThisTS0072006
El Michels AffairC.R.E.A.M b/w Glaciers of IceTS0082006
Funky Music MachineGotta clean Up The WorldTS0092006 Reissue
Bronx River ParkwayLa Valla b/w Nora Se VaTS0102007
Tyrone Ashley & Funky Music MachineCan't Help Myself b/w Love Me A Little While LongerTS0112007 Reissue
El Michels AffairBring Da Ruckus b/w Duel Of The Iron MicTS0122007
Black VelvetIs It Me You Really Love b/w Earthquake's ComingTS0142007 Reissue
El Michels Affair w/ Raekwon The PJ's...from afarTS0152007
Lee Fields & The ExpressionsMy World b/w Love Comes and GoesTS0162007
Bronx River ParkwayAgua con Sel b/w Me TocaTS0172008
Timothy McNealyWhat's Going On b/w I'm So glad You're MineTS0182008 Reissue
Quincy BrightMy Ghetto Looks Like This Vol. 2TS0202009
The OlympiansHow Can I Love b/w Stand TallTS0252009
LadyLady2013

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Soul Fire". Propermusic.com. Archived from the original on January 26, 2021. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
  2. ↑ "Truth and Soul". Whomagvideovision.com. Archived from the original on January 23, 2025. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
  3. ↑ "About". Truthandsoulrecords.com. Archived from the original on March 1, 2021. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
  4. ↑ "The Truth & Soul Story". Daily.redbullmusicacademy.com. Archived from the original on September 28, 2021. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
  5. ↑ "Truth and Soul: the production team making Texas sound vintage, and helping Lee Fields rewrite history". The Guardian . May 29, 2014. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
  6. ↑ "The Diamond Mine Recording Studio" (PDF). The Diamond Mine. Retrieved March 7, 2021.
  7. ↑ "Amy Winehouse Gets Some Truth & Soul Treatment | Soundslam". Archive.today. Archived from the original on October 20, 2007. Retrieved July 17, 2023.
  8. ↑ "Physical Distribution". Big Crown Records. Archived from the original on April 26, 2022. Retrieved April 26, 2022.
  9. ↑ "Brooklyn's Big Crown Records Isn't Just About Old-School Soul". Bandcamp Daily. May 11, 2017. Retrieved April 26, 2022.
  10. ↑ "Mighty Eye Records". Fat Beats. Retrieved December 4, 2023.
  11. ↑ "The Orchard Acquires Truth & Soul Records". The Daily Rind. July 14, 2016. Archived from the original on February 19, 2021. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
  12. ↑ "Big Ups With Leon Michels". Flea Market Funk. July 30, 2020. Archived from the original on June 21, 2021. Retrieved March 11, 2021. Once Jeff Silverman and I decided to dissolve Truth & Soul, me and Danny Akalepse, who worked at T&S for a number of years started Big Crown.
  13. ↑ "Big Crown Records". www.hhv-mag.com. Archived from the original on October 20, 2020. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
  14. ↑ "How Big Crown Records Is Creating More Than the Retro-Soul Revival". The Observer . November 18, 2016. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
  15. ↑ "Mighty Eye Records". Mighty Eye Records. Archived from the original on December 4, 2023. Retrieved December 4, 2023.
  16. ↑ "10th Street, by 10 Street". Mighty Eye Records. Archived from the original on December 4, 2023. Retrieved December 4, 2023.
  17. ↑ "MUSIC". Truthandsoulrecords.com. Archived from the original on January 25, 2021. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
  18. ↑ "Artists". Big Crown Records. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
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