The Voice of Soul

Veteran library musician Alan Parker recorded with session vocalist Madeline Bell for his Themes International Music label and the result was 1976’s The Voice of Soul.

The uptempo dancer That’s What Friends Are For is probably the best-known track, but it’s no anomaly. The Voice of Soul is a sophisticated soul album throughout, with swagger and sass from beginning to end. Love Is All and You’ve Got What It Takes both featured on the infamously banned Pretty Peaches the same year.

As with many library records, The Voice of Soul was hard to get even when first released, and is next to impossible now. The backing tracks were also issued as The Sound of Soul, allowing edits between vocal and instrumental versions. This reissue uses the original analogue tapes, remastered for vinyl by Simon Francis, with sleeve reproduction by Richard Robinson.