The newly founded Soul Renaissance Records is preparing for the release of their debut CD – “A Soulful Tale of Two Cities.” This first project is an unprecedented showcase for the R&B sound and talent made famous in the 1960s and 70s by musicians in Detroit and Philadelphia. “A Soulful Tale of Two Cities” will be released online at www.soulfultale.com and www.cdbaby.com on January 16, 2007 and will be available at select retailers.

The first singles, “Love Train” and “Got Tot Give It Up” have been available for purchase and download on www.soulfultale.com. The new single, “When The World Is At Peace”, will be released on January 15th, to coincide with Martin Luther King Day in the U.S. exclusively on My Space: www.myspace.com/soulfultale. The single will be available later at other outlets.

“A Soulful Tale of Two Cities” brings together artists and musicians from Detroit and Philadelphia, two of America’s most legendary and prolific music Meccas. The album features two distinctive sounds: The Motown Sound, which emerged in the 1950s as a combination of church, pop, and blues performed with Jazz musicians, and The Philly Sound, which combined the already established Motown Sound with strings and horns, putting “a bow tie on soul.” The combination of Motown and the new Philly sound brought freshness to the industry, and both Detroit and Philly continued to thrive as main hubs for the production of great R&B music.

Headlining artists featured on the album include such legends as George Clinton, Kathy Sledge, Major Harris, Freda Payne, Lamont Dozier, Bobby Taylor, Barbara Mason, Bunny Sigler, Jean Carne, Jimmy Ellis, Kim Weston and Ali “Ollie” Woodson.

“A Soulful Tale of Two Cities” is the brainchild of executive producer Phil Hurtt, who is also president and CEO of Philadelphia-based Soul Renaissance Records. Hurtt, an award-winning songwriter, producer, and arranger, began his career in the 1950s as a performer and soon became one of the most sought-after vocalists in the industry. Hurtt was also an integral part of a group of highly regarded writers, producers, musicians and singers whose work is currently acknowledged by many in the music industry as “The Sound of Philadelphia.” In addition to releasing two albums of his own, Hurtt wrote and produced for some of the time’s top artists including The O’Jays, Sister Sledge, and many more. In recent years his music and voice have been sampled by hip-hop and R&B artists including Jay-Z, LL Cool J, and DMX.

With the combination of Hurtt’s experience and leadership, an extraordinary team of producers, arrangers, and writers, and an impressive assortment of legendary musicians, “A Soulful Tale of Two Cities” promises to be a truly remarkable album. In Hurtt’s words, “these artists are masters; they already have a fan base, they already have a following, they already have the knowledge, the know how, the experience, to do whatever they need to do musically… these are the people that can do it, and have done it, these are the ones you hear every day and don’t always remember who they are. But you can’t forget the way they sound.” For more information, visit www.soulfultale.com.

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