LUXURY SOUL 1st MONDAY OF THE MONTH 3 – 6PM
The first of three hours looks at the new releases since the previous show so long they stand up to Ralph’s scrutiny in terms of quality! Thereafter the show digs deep for interesting and quality vintage soul grooves. Some shows carry a specific the
Ralph took to soul music and DJ’ing early, starting out at his Hertfordshire school in the sixth form at 15 years old in 1975. The impact of soul and disco through the success of “Saturday Night Fever” brought interest in the music to the school disco where he and school friend Cliff Rennie played as ‘Ralph & Rennie’. Between 1980 and 1982 Ralph published his own magazine “Groove Weekly” which served the UK soul scene and introduced him to key players in this music world. It landed him a job working at Groove Records shop in Soho. Around the same time he presented his first radio show on Radio Invicta, then LWR, then Jazz FM sitting in for both his heroes Robbie Vincent and Greg Edwards at times between 1996 and 1998. By now he was co-owner of Expansion Records with Richard Searling. They launched the Soul Togetherness series in 2000 and the “Luxury Soul Weekender” event from 2003 to this day. Between 2008 and 2012 Ralph presented the Luxury Soul show on Jazz FM before bringing it to Solar on a monthly basis. It runs the first Monday afternoon of each month to this day (and repeated on Mixcloud).
Ralph continues to write for Blues & Soul magazine, a publication he first worked with 1984 becoming Assistant Editor the following year. He has also been Editor of “The Street Scene” and “Mix Mag”, written two books “Who’s Who In Soul” and “The Story Of Soul” with a third in the pipeline with anecdotes of the artists he has worked with at Expansion over the years. He has become close with many, Keni Burke performing for his 50th Birthday at the event he promoted at London’s Jazz Café. Ralph has a particular love of the Philly sound (he says ‘you can’t beat it’), and has been involved in numerous projects for Philadelphia International Records including the 15th Anniversary vinyl collection in 1986, 40th Anniversary CD collection and now the 50th Anniversary box set series in 2021. He recorded a song for Expansion Records with Jean Carn and Shirley Jones for his 50th Birthday (“Whatever It Takes”) which they have subsequently performed together at shows!
Ralph was the first DJ to play downstairs at Ronnie Scotts in 1984 and still enjoys delivering sets upstairs at the venue as part of the “Funky Nation” DJ team.
