Rocafort Records make it a new year double whammy by following up news of the forthcoming Andy Cooper LP with news of another dope seven inch soul repress – in this case Bobby Jones’ Welcome Back A Foolish Man. Originally released back in 1970 on the Kack label (no, I can’t it would be like shooting fish in a barrel), this finds slept-on Chicago soul man Jones pleading with his missus to take him ‘back’ over a mid-tempo, strings-backed soul burner. Oh dear – what’s he been up to? The answer my friends, can be found on the arguably even better flip, Lovin’ Hard, Livin’ Good. Here, wah-wah guitar is backed once more with strings while Jones informs us of “more and more hot love,” he’s been giving his ‘baby’ (possibly the same woman as the first song but this was the seventies…), and spends the subsequent two minutes literally singing his own praises as a ‘Mr Loverman’ – or as he puts it, “I turn her on/ with just a smile/ I’m never lonely/ Not by a mile.” That’s both soul music themes right there on one 45, ladies and gentleman. Don’t sleep.
(Out 12 January on Rocafort Records)