360 Degrees of Billy Paul

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.