Billy Valentine and the universal truth

"Five decades into his career, Billy Valentine & the Universal Truth may be the record that finally introduces [Valentine] to a national audience, simply because it's the protest-soul album we need most right now".

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"Five decades into his career, Billy Valentine & the Universal Truth may be the record that finally introduces [Valentine] to a national audience, simply because it's the protest-soul album we need most right now".

Read review

"Veteran soul singer's powerful protest album: This LP is a tale of two resurrections. Firstly, it marks the resurgence of Billy Valentine, best remembered as one-half of the Valentine Brothers, an Ohio duo whose Reaganomics critique "Money's Too Tight (To Mention)" was repurposed for a hit by Simply Red in 1985. Secondly, the album is released on the revived Flying Dutchman imprint, the indie jazz label founded by Coltrane producer Bob Thiele which is now brought back to life by his son, Bob Thiele Jr. Together, Thiele and Valentine serve up an exquisite collection of R&B message songs that have subtly been reframed with a jazz twist to reflect dytopian developments in contemporary American life ... The standout is a bleakly eerie version of Prince's '80s lament, "Sign O' The Times"".

"Arguably best known as one half of The Valentine Brothers, originators of the Simply Red hit "Money's Too Tight To Mention", Billy comes to the fore on this extraordinary collection of well-chosen covers celebrating some of soul's biggest names. Be-bop elements collide with the singer's sweet falsetto on Curtis Mayfield's "We The People", and he imbues Gil Scott Heron's "Home Is Where The Hatred Is" with some choice Marvin Gaye testifying. And that's just the two opening cuts ... A phenomenal album".

"Billy Valentine re-emerges 40 years on with a super-sophisticated set of soul-jazz covers of songs by Curtis Mayfield, Stevie Wonder, Eddie Kendricks, War and Prince, among others. Produced by Bob Thiele Jr, son of the Flying Dutchman founder (...), Valentine's elastic voice ranges from a smooth baritone to a Curtis-like falsetto, accompanied by a stellar cast of top jazz cats who magically recreate the unique Flying Dutchman sound heard on those sainted Gil Scott-Heron and Leon Thomas recordings so long ago".

"Billy Valentine re-emerges 40 years on with a super-sophisticated set of soul-jazz covers of songs by Curtis Mayfield, Stevie Wonder, Eddie Kendricks, War and Prince, among others. Produced by Bob Thiele Jr, son of the Flying Dutchman founder (...), Valentine's elastic voice ranges from a smooth baritone to a Curtis-like falsetto, accompanied by a stellar cast of top jazz cats who magically recreate the unique Flying Dutchman sound heard on those sainted Gil Scott-Heron and Leon Thomas recordings so long ago".

"Arguably best known as one half of The Valentine Brothers, originators of the Simply Red hit "Money's Too Tight To Mention", Billy comes to the fore on this extraordinary collection of well-chosen covers celebrating some of soul's biggest names. Be-bop elements collide with the singer's sweet falsetto on Curtis Mayfield's "We The People", and he imbues Gil Scott Heron's "Home Is Where The Hatred Is" with some choice Marvin Gaye testifying. And that's just the two opening cuts ... A phenomenal album".

"Veteran soul singer's powerful protest album: This LP is a tale of two resurrections. Firstly, it marks the resurgence of Billy Valentine, best remembered as one-half of the Valentine Brothers, an Ohio duo whose Reaganomics critique "Money's Too Tight (To Mention)" was repurposed for a hit by Simply Red in 1985. Secondly, the album is released on the revived Flying Dutchman imprint, the indie jazz label founded by Coltrane producer Bob Thiele which is now brought back to life by his son, Bob Thiele Jr. Together, Thiele and Valentine serve up an exquisite collection of R&B message songs that have subtly been reframed with a jazz twist to reflect dytopian developments in contemporary American life ... The standout is a bleakly eerie version of Prince's '80s lament, "Sign O' The Times"".