A soul/funk group from the Canadian west coast, the Soul Mates is one of a long line of interesting obscure bands to come from the stable of the mysterious, legendary Los Angeles based musician/producer/entrepreneur known as Johnny Kitchen. The Soul Mates album, "Black Strap Molasses," originally released in 1969, has a sound comparable to other Canadian funk outfits such as Frank Motley and King Herbert, and copies of the original LP sell for top dollar in collector's circles. Finally available in the digital domain, all selections have been newly remastered.