Spirit Records, based in Charlotte, NC, produces original new
soul and rhythm & blues-influenced pop music. Often drawing
on classic elements from the golden era of soul and R&B, Spirit fuses the traditional with the new, creating it's own brand of music in the process. All of Spirit's music is written, produced, and recorded in-house.
Founded in 1979 by Bill Bradford and original partner Sandy Bell, the label has
over the years found success regional to international in scope.
The year 2008-2009 was one of the
most productive for Spirit and writer-producer Bradford. June, 2009, saw the release of Debby Dobbins' "Cool
and Collected" album to iTunes. Combining her past Spirit singles with new music, the collection quickly received acclaim from Los Angeles'
The Urban Music Scene, and from European soul site Save Our Soul.
Spring of 2009 saw the spring release of the house remix of Maria Howell's "Let You Go" single (from her "Soul" album) by Munich production/remix wizard Fabian Wondrak /aka DJ Circle, and released on iTunes Europe and the US.
In July, 2008, Sonja Grier's "Soul Evolution" collection was released on iTunes, gaining positive reviews from the west coast Urban Music Scene and Save Our Soul. The lead single "Said I'm Sorry" charted on internet soul stations, and the environmental call-out "Reverse Evolution" single from the album also generated play.
This followed the April release of Maria Howell's "Soul" album on iTunes. This collection resulted in her recognition as "Artist of the Month" on Europe's Save Our Soul site, and in an outstanding review in LA's Urban Music Scene. November saw the remixed re-release of her "What Does Christmas Mean To You" single which was previously awarded a Billboard "Holiday Pick".
In 2005, Spirit released the CD Soul Project "Reconnection" / iTunes . The CD featured eight artists on 14 tracks of all original new soul, and rapidly gained attention. Japan's
soul site, Soul Treasures spotlighted the CD on their website with a month-long full feature on production & artists. The Soul Project concept was to connect new soul music with it's classic roots, and Sonja Grier's "Right Here, Right Now" single did just that, becoming an instant club hit in the UK resulting in a vinyl release of the single to the Northern Soul
market. Meanwhile, two additional singles, Pamela North's "Good Girl Gone", and Maria Howell's "Somethin' You Got" were charting on internet soul radio in the US, giving the album and Spirit three singles charting simultaneously -
a first for the label.
Past Spirit highlights include Sonja Grier's national top twenty dance/club hit, "Love
Flight 109" (released internationally by RCA with three club remixes in 1987), and Debby Dobbins' "Can't Help
This Feelin'" which charted on 165 stations and propelled her to Hollywood and a national TV performance on Star
Search. Many of these and additional early Spirit releases are all available on the CD that chronicles
Spirit's first decade, "Carolina Soul: The Spirit Records Anthology" (1979-2000) also on iTunes. This CD contains all fifteen of Spirit's original vinyl 45 single releases dating back to "ground-zero"
with the 1979 release of Bradford & Bell's 45 "(They Call It) Mr. Dollar's" which was distributed
over the region from the trunk of Bradford's 1971 Triumph TR6.
All music for Spirit is written and produced by Bill Bradford.
Additional information is available on Bill Bradford and Spirit Artists.
Contact: bbradford@carolina.rr.com
