Diplomats of Soul reissue Grady Tate’s rare 1974 soul-jazz rendition of Jon Lucien’s ‘Lady Love’
The Diplomats Of Soul, which is a London-based label (distributed by Expansion Records) run by acclaimed DJs and diggers Mike Allin and Ralph Tee, have recently reissued drummer and vocalist Grady Tate’s very obscure and highly sought-after 1974 soul jazz rendition of Jon Lucien’s “Lady Love”.
The original track was only released as a promo on Janus Records, which made the 7inch single hard-to-find right out of the gate. Tate’s brilliant version blends together funky Latin-infused percussion rhythms, with epic orchestral arrangements featuring soaring strings, horn melodies, and Tate’s soulful crooning vocals — all the right ingredients for a jazz dance classic!
The b-side also provide a treat, with Tate’s version of Van Morrison’s “Moondance” being issued on 7inch format for the first time.
This exclusive reissue release is limited to just 500 copies, and with it receiving a lot of airplay over the past several months from the likes of Gilles Peterson, Kev Beadle and others, I would snatch up a copy as soon as possible.
Grady Tate — ‘Lady Love’
(Originally released: 1974 / Janus Records)
(Reissued: 2022 / Diplomats of Soul)
A SIDE: Lady Love
B SIDE: Moondance
