Kalita Records are proud and honoured to announce the first ever official reissue of the Sophisticated Ladies' sought-after 1980 New York disco single 'This Ain't Really Love', backed by a Mighty Zaf extended edit of their 1977 release 'Check It Out'. Accompanied by interview-based liner notes, here the single is available in its true 12" format, saving collectors and DJs alike from spending triple-digit figures on an original copy.

First formed in 1955, the Sophisticated Ladies started out as the R&B girl group The Bobbettes. The group were signed to Atlantic and were best known for their 1957 hit single 'Mr. Lee', which peaked at #6 on the Billboard Pop singles chart and remained #1 on the R&B chart for four weeks. They hold the claim to be the first girl group to score both a #1 R&B song and a top ten in the national singles chart.

By the mid-1970s and with the emergence of disco, the Bobbettes created an alter ego, the Sophisticated Ladies. Singer Emma Patron remembers that The Bobbettes' success with 'Mr. Lee' had been both a blessing and a curse - on the one hand it had provided them with international fame, yet by the 1970s it had become a constant weight and drag upon the group, typecasting their sound and inhibiting their development as artists. As the group's co-manager and co-producer Joe Webb recalls, "when we changed the name and gave the band a more soulful, disco sound, it made a huge difference".

The Sophisticated Ladies released two singles between 1977 and 1980, they toured the southern states of America (whilst also touring internationally as the Bobbettes) and received radio airtime throughout the country. Here we present their scarce, choice cut 'This Ain't Really Love' with Love Vinyl's The Mighty Zaf re-working their version of Bobby Womack's 'Check It Out' on the flip, two essential slices of high class disco.

The Sophisticated Ladies (by this time consisting of Emma, Laura and Reather) released two singles between 1977 and 1980. They toured the southern states of America (whilst also touring internationally as the Bobbettes) and received radio airtime throughout the country. Here we have chosen to highlight their scarce, choice cut 'This Ain't Really Love' and have invited The Mighty Zaf to re-work their version of Bobby Womack's 'Check It Out', making it perfect for modern disco dancing.