Soul II Soul seemed to appear from nowhere in 1989 and stormed to the top of the UK chart with Back To Life (However Do You Want Me).

A string of hits followed and their album Club Classics Vol.One was aptly named.

This was the sound of British Blackness.

Soul II Soul showcased a host of talented vocalists.

To me, their music is soundtrack of long, hot summer days.

I saw them live a couple of years ago and they still sounded amazing.

For the full story behind their first album, read this profile at Classic Pop.