Soulstream
Studio album by Holly Johnson
Released	11 October 1999 [1]
Genre	Dance
Length	52:46
Label	Pleasuredome
Producer	Holly Johnson, Steve Lovell
Holly Johnson chronology
Dreams That Money Can't Buy (1991) Soulstream (1999) Europa (2014)

Soulstream is the third studio album by British singer-songwriter Holly Johnson, which was released in 1999 on Johnson's own label, Pleasuredome. The album, which was recorded at Johnson's own home studio, contains a re-working of his hit song with Frankie Goes to Hollywood, " The Power of Love", as well as a re-working of his 1994 single " Legendary Children (All of Them Queer)".

In 2010, Johnson picked "Soulstream" as his favourite track from the album. The album's title came from a quote from Stevie, a film about the poet, played by Glenda Jackson. ^[2]

Three singles were released from the album. " Disco Heaven" reached No. 85 on the UK Singles Chart and "The Power of Love" reached No. 56. The previous year, in 1998, "Hallelujah!" was also released as a promotional only single. ^[3]

Speaking to the Liverpool Echo in 1999, Johnson said of the album: "I definitely had a creative urge to fulfil. I had written a book and was producing art, but I was still writing songs as well. Now, though, it's harder because I run my own record label as well as the music. I really hope people like this record but, if they don't, tough." ^[1]

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[4]
The Guardian	[5]

On its release, Caroline Sullivan of The Guardian noted the album's "decidedly spiritual bent", with some of the songs containing a "rather pat optimism". She added: "The message would resound more profoundly if it were accompanied by some decent tunes, rather than colourless beats-by-the-yard that do nothing for Johnson's reedy voice." Sullivan picked "Disco Heaven" and "Legendary Children" as the album's two best tracks. ^[5]

In a retrospective review, Jon O'Brien of AllMusic wrote: "Soulstream isn't without its charms, but after such a lengthy absence, Johnson needed to recapture the glorious pop spirit of his previous outfit if he was to make any impression on a chart scene vastly different from when he left it, something its clichéd and disappointingly bland sound resolutely failed to do." He noted the "infectious camp Euro-disco" of both "Hallelujah" and "Disco Heaven" but felt most of the songs sounded "at least five years out of date". ^[4]

Track listing

Original release

All songs written by Holly Johnson except where noted.

1. "Lady Luck" – 4:20
2. "Soulstream" – 5:05
3. " Disco Heaven" (Sicario Club Mix Radio Edit) – 4:15
4. "Don't Give Up" – 4:15
5. "Hope" – 4:52
6. "The Best Invention" – 4:31
7. " Hallelujah!" (Eric Kupper Radio Mix) (Holly Johnson, Nick Bagnall) – 3:58
8. "All U Need Is Love" – 5:32
9. " Legendary Children (2000)" (Holly Johnson, Nick Bagnall) – 3:38
10. " The Power of Love" (Brian Nash, Holly Johnson, Mark O'Toole, Peter Gill) – 5:03 (UK #56)
11. "Urban Jungle/ In The House of the Rising Sun" (Album Edit) (Traditional) – 7:08

Soulstream (Expanded Edition) (2011)

Disc 1 – Original Album

1. "Lady Luck" – 4:19
2. "Soulstream" – 5:04
3. "Disco Heaven" (Sicario Club Mix Radio Edit) – 4:15
4. "Don't Give Up" – 4:14
5. "Hope" – 4:52
6. "The Best Invention" – 4:30
7. "Hallelujah!" (Eric Kupper Radio Mix) – 3:58
8. "All U Need Is Love" – 5:32
9. "Legendary Children (2000)" – 3:37
10. "The Power of Love" – 5:03
11. "Urban Jungle/In The House of the Rising Sun" (Album Edit)" – 7:08

Disc 1 continued – Bonus Tracks

1. "Legendary Children" (1994 Radio Mix) – 4:13
2. "The Power of Love" (Millennium Mix) – 5:33
3. "All U Need Is Love" (Demo) – 4:54
4. "In The House of the Rising Sun" (DNA Instrumental Mix) – 5:31
5. "Legendary Children" (Percapella) – 1:25

Disc 2 – The Dance Remixes

1. "In the House of the Rising Sun" (12" Definitive Mix) – 5:35
2. "In the House of the Rising Sun" (Doog's House Mix) – 5:03
3. "Disco Heaven" (Wayne G's Heaven Mix) – 7:03
4. "Disco Heaven" (Frankie Says... 12" Edit) – 6:22
5. "Disco Heaven" (Daz and Andy's Heavenly Remix) – 6:57
6. "Disco Heaven" (Sicario Club Mix) – 7:10
7. "Hallelujah!" (Frankie Says 12" Disco Mix) – 6:07
8. "Hallelujah!" (Eric Kupper 12" Pump Mix) – 7:54
9. "Legendary Children" (Dances With Handbags Mix) – 7:06
10. "Legendary Children" (Saturday Night in Heaven Mix) – 7:58
11. "Legendary Children" (London 12" Dub) – 6:49

Personnel

• Holly Johnson – vocals, backing vocals, guitar, keyboard programming, art direction
• Yoad Nevo – guitar, programming
• Guy Chambers – guitar
• Mike Brittain, Paul Cullington, Paul Morgan – bass
• Don Richardson – double bass
• Black II Black – drum programming
• Luís Jardim – percussion
• Peter Oxendale – piano
• Claudia Fontaine, Angie Brown, Debbie Frame, Lizzie Charles, Sandra Charles, Stevie Vann-Lange, Beverley Skeete, Derek Green, Helen Terry – backing vocals
• Alan Munroe, Clare Johnson, Jack Jones, Jayne Casey, Joel Jones, Wolfgang Kuhle – "I love you" vocals on "All U Need is Love"
• Jimmy Gallagher, Tony Barlow – saxophone
• Dave Bishop – alto saxophone, flute
• Richard Henry – trombone, baritone horn
• Paul Spong, Steve Waterman – trumpet, flugelhorn
• Simon Gardiner – flugelhorn
• Boguslaw Kostecki, Gavyn Wright, Roger Garland, David Woodcock, Dermot Crehan, Eddie Wilson, Elizabeth Edwards, Jackie Shave, Jonathan Evans-Jones, Mark Berrow, Patrick Kiernan, Peter Oxer, Rebecca Hirsch, Rita Manning, Rolf Wilson, Simon Fischer, Vaughn Armon, Wilf Gibson, David Nolan, John Bradbury – violin
• Peter Lale, Bill Hawkes, Garfield Jackson, Kate Musker, Katie Wilkinson, Philip Dukes – viola
• Anthony Pleeth, David Daniels, Jonathan Tunnell, Martin Loveday, Paul Kegg, Tony Lewis, Jane Fenton – cello
• Nick Ingman – string quartet and flugelhorn arrangements
• Chris Toole, Andy Grey, Laurence Cedar, Tony O'Neil, Nick Bagnall – programming

References