L.A.-based soul singer Leela James started out singing backup vocals on Hip-Hop albumsin the late 90s and early 2000s. In 2004, she recorded the song “No Tears” on Pete Rock’s”Soul Survivor 2″, shortly after she signed a deal with Warner Bros Records and releasedher debut album A Change is Gonna Come, named after her cover of the Sam Cooke song.
A true soul singer, with a voice comparable

to Mavis Staples and Betty Wright, Leela
enlisted Commissioner Gordon to oversee production, which included tracks by Kanye
West, Raphael Saadiq, Wyclef Jean, and Chucky Thompson. The lead single, “Music,” is anode to the soul singers of yesterday, with a Hip-Hop feel. She performs a soulful R&B coverof No Doubt’s “Don’t Speak” and alternates between funky uplifting tracks like “Good Time”and “Soul Food” with downtempo, soulful ballads like “When You Love Somebody” and “MyJoy.” Leela James departed from Warner after the release of her debut and went on torelease seven more studio albums.

It’s been twenty years since A Change is Gonna Come was released in June of 2005, andGet On Down is proud to present this underrated gem for the first time on vinyl. The albumis pressed on “Golden Pearl” colored vinyl and packaged in a gatefold jacket, limited to 1000copies. It’s been a long time coming, but this is a must-have for neo-soul and R&B music
lovers.

Format / LP
Released /01/23/2026
Catalogue / GDWN-52780
Barcode / 664425278019
Artist /Leela James
Label /Get on Down
Genre /Funk / Soul