ISSUE 1044 INTERVIEWS INC: Cover soul star Cornell. C.C. Carter, Incognito's 40th anniversary, Roger Sanchez (Defected Records 20th Anniversary interview), Calvin Richardson, Melvo Baptiste and B&S one to watch, Kizzy Crawford and Neil Pounds (SixNine Records)
LIVE REVIEWS: Joe, Dru Hill and 112 (Eventim Apollo, Hammersmith, London), Southport Weekender (Crystal Palace, London), South West Four (Clapham Common, London), Gliterbox (Playa D'en Bossa, Ibiza), Soul Town Festival (Beckenham, Kent), Femi Kuti Presents Africa Shrine Alive (Africa Utopia at Royal Festival Hall, London), Tony Lindsay (PizzaExpress Live, Holhorn, London), Frank Elson check's out the Railway Club in Farnworth, Bolton.
REGULAR FEATURE: Duncan Payne looks back at 1969 in his enthrawling series the Blues & Soul Years, with best of charts and B&S Poll winners. 1969 subjects include a triple whammy of set backs for Stax Records, what was going on at Motown, the rise of Jerry Butler, the torch was about to be lit on a new genre called 'Northen Soul', Essex and Surrey found their soul mojo and they all had one thing in common...their love for US artists and their fantastic soul music! What a year!
20th ANNIVERSAY FEATURE: B&S' Ben Lovett talks to house royal Roger Sanchez and new kid on the block Melvo Baptiste about DJ'ing and producing for one the UK's finest dance labels, Defected Records, as we celibrate Defected's 20th anniversary. Congrats guys!
CHARTS: ***THE HIP LIST***, Smoove Grooves R&B chart, Grooveyard Essentials Dance Chart plus Richard Searling lists his 'Motown Loves Northern Soul' tracks.
*NEW REGULAR FEATURE: Soulful Social... B&S invites readers and artists to post and mention B&S in social platforms - the best of these are featured in each print issue.
B&S COLUMNISTS THIS ISSUE: Richard Searling (Northern Soul), Ralph Tee (Modern Soul), Ben Lovett (Dance), Frank Elson (Northern Soul) and Bigger (R&B)