Jon Lucien – Search For The Inner Self – Kent ‘X’ UK LP

Jon Lucien’s ‘Search For The Inner Self’ was one of the highlights of Paul Weller’s recently complied Ace album  ‘That Sweet, Sweet Music’. When also issuing it as a single, the track ‘We Got Love’ got included, a tune from Jon’s self-financed CD ‘Precious Is Love’, which proved to be as feted a choice as the top side. Due to this and further encouragement from Soul fans, DJs and the Lucien family, Ace licensed the rest of the Beau Ray Fleming produced 1969 recordings for LP and CD release. Here is the very start of Lucien’s songwriting creativity − ‘Precious Is My Love’, ‘A Heart In Love’, ‘Flower Garden’ and ‘The Season Of Spring’ are accomplished and captivating creations, equal to his later much-admired work.

The choice of cover songs was inspired. ‘Strawberries Don’t Know Cherries’ was an unknown song that had yet to be covered, the reading of Barry and Robin Gibb’s ‘To Love Somebody’ is exemplary and the out-of-left-field ‘Only An Illusion’ is a number perfect for Lucien’s mystical approach to Soul. Producer Fleming contributed ‘It’s Bigger Than I’ the previously undigitised flip to the ‘Search For The Inner Self’ 45, as well as the catchy dancer ‘We Got Love’, that DJ Snowboy has championed for years.

When Jon Lucien released the original CD in 1999, he only made about 100 copies; demand has rocketed for it ever since. It was never on vinyl originally. We have commissioned sleevenotes from acclaimed US scribe Kevin Goins to enhance the packaging of both formats.

tracklist:

A01 Search For The Inner Self
A02 Precious Is Our Love
A03 A Heart In Love
A04 Flower Garden
A05 It’s Bigger Than I
B01 Strawberries Don’t Know Cherries
B02 We Got Love
B03 The Season Of Spring
B04 To Love Somebody
B05 Only An Illusion