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

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