360 Degrees of Billy Paul cover

360 Degrees of Billy Paul

Released

The fourth album on Philadelphia International Records for Billy Paul, containing one of the soul music pantheon’s most yearning ballads — ‘Me and Mrs Jones’ — also contains a strong, underrated set of songs. Paul’s distinctive, easy-swinging, breezy vocals bring new life to the three cover versions on here, his light, sunny take on Elton John’s ‘Your Song’ a particular joy. Paul was a socially conscious artist and his follow up to ‘Mrs Jones’ was the hard-hitting Stevie Wonder-esque funk opus ‘Am I Black Enough For You’ also included here.

Harold Heath

Recommended by

Suggestions
Roots cover

Roots

Curtis Mayfield
Across 110th Street cover

Across 110th Street

J. J. Johnson, Bobby Womack
Tropidélico cover

Tropidélico

The Quantic Soul Orchestra
1980 cover

1980

Brian Jackson, Gil Scott-Heron
Relief 72 Hours cover

Relief 72 Hours

Yurie Kokubu
Sassy Soul Strut cover

Sassy Soul Strut

Lou Donaldson