NEWSLETTER #14 8
Rhythm & Blues,
Soul & Doo-Wop
Various Artists
| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Ace CDCHD 1183 |
The Jerry Rag o voy Story: Time Is On My Side |
● CD $18.98 |
24 tracks, 72 mins, essential
Like the tag line says, this
CD is "a celebration of the musical genius of this superb R&B/Soul
all-rounder", Jerry Ragovoy. If the average person remembers him at all,
it's as the writer of the Stones' hit "Time is On My Side" (the original
version of which, an instrumental by Danish jazz trombonist Kai Winding, is
included), but Ragovoy was so much more than that. As songwriter, arranger,
producer (or a combination thereof), Ragovoy was responsible for many
memorable sides. Crafting classics for Lorraine Ellison (Stay With Me),
Garnet Mimms (Cry Baby), The Olympics (Good Lovin'), The
Majors (A Wonderful Dream) and The Castelles (My Girl Awaits Me),
Ragovoy demonstrated a firm grasp of R&B essence that rivaled Leiber and
Stoller. He could also create great pop records, such as Claudine Clark's
Disappointed, Pat Thomas' I Can't Wait Until I See My Baby's Face,
and Miriam Makeba's Pata Pata. These tracks from the 50's and 60's
are just the tip of the iceberg, and I hope a volume 2 is in the works. In
the meantime, this CD should be in every R&B and Pop lovers library. (GMC)
ESTELLE BROWN: You Got Just What You Asked For/ THE
CASTELLES: My Girl Awaits Me/ CLAUDINE CLARK: Disappointed/ LOU COURTNEY:
What Do You Want Me To Do?/ LORRAINE ELLISON: Stay With Me/ THE ENCHANTERS:
I Wanna Thank You/ THE FABULOUS FOUR: I'm Comin' Home/ CARL HALL: What About
You/ You Don't Know Nothing About Love/ MAJOR HARRIS: Pretty Red Lips (kiss
My Blues Away)/ THE MAJORS: A Wonderful Dream/ MIRIAM MAKEBA: Pata Pata/
GARNET MIMMS: As Long As I Have You/ Thinkin'/ Cry Baby/ THE OLYMPICS: Good
Lovin'/ DUSTY SPRINGFIELD: What's It Gonna Be/ HOWARD TATE: Ain't Got Nobody
To Give It To/ Get It While You Can/ You're Looking Good/ IRMA THOMAS: The
Hurt's All Gone/ PAT THOMAS: I Can't Wait Until I See My Baby's Face/ DIONNE
WARWICK: Move Me No Mountain/ KAI WINDING: Time Is On My Side
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Acrobat ACMCD 4249 |
The Herald Doowop Story |
● CD $15.98 |
24 tracks, highly recommended
First in a series of CDs to
document the vocal group output of Al Silver's Herald and Ember labels based
out of New York. Between 1953 and 1964 his labels issued hundreds of vocal
group sides - many of which have become all time classics and included here
like A Story Untold by The Nutmegs, When You Dance by The
Turbans, Tonite Tonite by The Mello Kings (an alternate take is used
here), Stay by Maurice Williams & The Zodiacs. There are also lots of
fine lesser known titles from The Embers, The Rocketeers (their amazing
Gonna Feed My Baby Poison), The Five Willows, Sunbeams, Cashmeres,
Little Butchie & His Buddies, The Four J's, The Loungers, etc. New York
doo-wop at its finest. Excellent sound and 12 page booklet has notes on all
the groups. (FS)
THE CASHMERES: Do I Upset You/ THE CONCORDS: Marlene/ THE
DESIRES: Cold Lonely Heart/ THE DYNAMICS: Betty My Own/ THE EMBERS: Paradise
Hill/ THE FIVE WILLOWS: Lay Your Head On My Shoulder/ So Help Me I Love You/
THE FOUR J'S: Dreams Are A Dime A Dozen/ THE HERALDS: Eternal Love/ LITTLE
BUTCHIE & HIS BUDDIES: Lindy Lou/ THE LOUNGERS: Dizzy Spell/ THE MELLO
KINGS: Tonite Tonite (alternate)/ THE MELLOKINGS: Chip Chip (alternate)/ THE
MINT JULEPS: Vip A Dip/ THE NUTMEGS: A Story Untold/ Ship Of Love/ THE
PREMIERS: Diary Of Our Love/ THE ROCKETEERS: Gonna Feed My Baby Poison/ THE
SONNETS: Why Should We Break Up/ THE SUNBEAMS: Come Back Baby/ THE
THRILLERS: Please Talk To Me/ THE TURBANS: When You Dance/ THE VOCALAIRES:
Dance Dance/ MAURICE WILLIAMS AND THE ZODIACS: Stay
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Acrobat 7006 |
The Greatest R&B Hits Of 1956 |
● CD $27.98 |
Four CD set with 112 tracks. Unlike similarly themed
compilations all tracks here reached the top 20 in the Billboard R&b charts.
Among the artists are Little Willie John, Big Joe Turner, Fats Domino, The Sensations, LaVern Baker, Little Walter, The
Drifters, The Flamingos, Larry Birdsong, The Magnificents, Bill Doggett, Clarence "Frogman"
H enry and more.
SIL AUSTIN: Slow Walk/ LAVERN BAKER: I Can't Love You
Enough/ Still/ Get Up Get Up (You Sleepy Head)/ Jim Dandy/ My Happiness
Forever/ CHUCK BERRY: Brown Eyed Handsome Man/ No Money Down/ Roll Over
Beethoven/ Too Much Monkey Business/ BIG MAYBELLE: Candy/ LARRY BIRDSONG:
Pleadin' For Love/ JAMES BROWN: Please Please Please/ BUCHANAN & GOODMAN:
The Flying Saucer/ RAY CHARLES: Drown In My Own Tears/ Hallelujah I Love Her
So/ Lonely Avenue/ THE CLEFTONES: This Little Girl Of Mine/ THE CLOVERS:
Devil Or Angel/ Hey Doll Baby/ THE COASTERS: Down In Mexico/ One Kiss Led To
Another/ ANN COLE: Are You Satisfied/ THE COOKIES: In Paradise/ THE DELLS:
Oh What A Nite/ THE DIABLOS: The Way You Dog Me Around/ BO DIDDLEY: Pretty
Thing/ BILL DOGGETT: Honky Tonk (Part 1)/ Honky Tonk (Part 2)/ Slow Walk/
FATS DOMINO: Blue Monday/ Blueberry Hill/ Bo Weevil/ Don't Blame It On Me/
Honey Chile/ I'm In Love Again/ My Blue Heaven/ So Long/ When My Dreamboat
Comes Home/ THE DRIFTERS: I Gotta Get Myself A Woman/ Ruby Baby/ THE
ELDORADOS: At My Front Door/ I'll Be Forever Loving You/ THE FIVE KEYS: Out
Of Sight Out Of Mind/ THE FIVE SATINS: In The Still Of The Night/ THE
FLAMINGOS: A Kiss From Your Lips/ I'll Be Home/ THE G CLEFS: Ka Ding Dong/
THE HEARTBEATS: A Thousand Miles Away/ CLARENCE 'FROGMAN' HENRY: 'Ain't Got
No Home/ HOWLIN' WOLF: I Asked For Water/ Smokestack Lightning/ IVORY JOE
HUNTER: Since I Met You Baby/ A Tear Fell/ LITTLE WILLIE JOHN: Do Something
For Me/ Fever/ Home At Last/ Letter From My Darling/ Need Your Love So Bad/
SONNY KNIGHT: Confidential/ SMILEY LEWIS: One Night/ Please Listen To Me/
LITTLE RICHARD: Heebie Jeebies/ Long Tall Sally/ Ready Teddy/ Rip It Up/
Slippin' & Slidin'(peepin' & Hidin')/ The Girl Can't Help It/ LITTLE WALTER
& HIS JUKES: Who/ FRANKIE LYMON & THE TEENAGERS: I Promise To Remember/ I
Want You To Be My Girl/ The Abcs Of Love/ Who Can Explain/ Why Do Fools Fall
In Love/ THE MAGNIFICENTS: Up On The Mountain/ CLYDE MCPHATTER: Seven Days/
Treasure Of Love/ MICKEY & SYLVIA: Love Is Strange/ BOBBY MITCHELL: Try Rock
And Roll/ THE MOONGLOWS: See Saw/ We Go Together/ When I'm With You/ THE
PLATTERS: (You've Got) The Magic Touch/ Heaven On Earth/ It Isn't Right/ My
Prayer/ On My Word Of Honour/ The Great Pretender/ You'll Never Never Know/
JIMMY REED: Ain't That Loving You Baby/ Can't Stand To See You Go/ I Love
You Baby/ You've Got Me Dizzy/ LITTLE RICHARD: She's Got It/ OTIS RUSH: I
Can't Quit You Baby/ THE SENSATIONS: Please Mr Disc Jockey/ Yes Sir That's
My Baby/ SHIRLEY & LEE: I Feel Good/ Let The Good Times Roll/ BIG JOE
TURNER: Corrinne Corrina/ Lipstick, Powder & Paint/ Rock Awhile/ Morning,
Noon & Night/ The Chicken And The Hawk (Up Up & Away)/ MUDDY WATERS: Don't
Go No Further/ Forty Days & Forty Nights/ OTIS WILLIAMS & HIS CHARMS: Ivory
Tower/ SONNY BOY WILLIAMSON: Keep It To Yourself/ CHUCK WILLIS: It's Too
Late/ Juanita/ Whatcha Gonna Do When Your Baby Leaves You/ THE WILLOWS:
Church Bells May Ring
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
BGP CDBGPD 192 |
Memphis 70 - The City's Funk & Soul After
Otis |
● CD $18.98 |
20 tracks, 61 mins, highly recommended
And the Memphis Soul
compilations just keep on comin'! This one from BGP is good, as it covers
"the city's funk and soul in the decade after Otis Redding's death: 1968 to
1978". Ranging from the creepy moodiness of Smithstonian's Mississippi
Mud (1970) to Stacy Lane's Otis-impersonation on No Ending (1968)
to Gene "Bowlegs" Miller & Friends' It's Bump Time (1972), there's no
lack of obscure singles to keep things interesting. And for the collectors
in the audience, there's plenty of previously unreleased tracks from David
Porter, The Ovations, The Minits, Willie Walker and others. Actually, this
comp is worth it if for nothing else than Blackrock's scorching instrumental
Blackrock Yeah Yeah and a hit-worthy LP track from 1974 by Mel & Tim,
Keep the Faith. Beautifully annotated, this CD is more proof that
Memphis Soul didn't die with Otis. (GMC)
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Blues Town 1052 |
Badass Rockers |
● CD $17.98 |
28 Tracks, 64 mins, recommended
The back cover of this CD
says it all: twenty-eight black rock n roll scorchers by the likes of Bobby
Freeman (lascivious on Big Fat Woman), Jimmy McCracklin, the Isley
Brothers (showing everyone how it's done on Everybody's Gonna Rock & Roll),
Art Neville (giving out that New Orleans swing on Zing Zing), and
James Brown. Who knew that rockabilly figured in R&B (outside of Chuck
Berry); well, check out Rudy Green (Teeny Weeny Baby) and Dewey Guy (Rock
a While) for proof that someone else was paying attention to what was
happening in the South. But many of the tracks are firmly planted in the
jump blues style, of which Phil Flowers' Big Legged Woman is a great
example. While I really like the music here, full disclosure is necessary:
there aren't any liner notes, so the time frame of these tracks is open to
debate; and the sound quality varies from song to song. However, if you can
get past these minor (or not so minor, depending on your point of view)
annoyances, "Badass Rockers" will liven up any party, straight up. (GMC)
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Blue Label 42442 |
The OKeh Rhythm & Blues Story 1949-57,
Volume 1 |
● CD $16.98 |
First of three volumes presenting a great selection of blues
and R&B recorded for the Columbia subsidiary OKeh between 1949 and 1957.
This reissues a three CD set originally issued by Epic in 1993 and long out
of print. The selections are highly diversified with few artists getting
more than two or three cuts. In spite of the high quality of the music OKeh
produced, the label only had a handful of hits and many of the artists here
are fairly obscure. The series is presented in chronological order and this
volume covers 1949 through 1951 with sides by Chris Powell & His Five Blue
Flames, Mr. Google Eyes,Chuck Willis, Irlton French, Pear l Traylor and
others. Superb sound and booklet has new notes by Neil Slaven.
LITTLE BROTHER BROWN: Brother's Blues/ LARRY DARNELL: Work
Baby Work/ BILL DAVIS TRIO: Catch 'Em Young, Treat 'Em Rough, Tell 'Em
Nothin'/ THE FIVE SCAMPS: Chicken Shack Boogie/ Red Hot/ Stuttering Blues/
IRLTON FRENCH: My Run Around Baby/ PINOCCHIO JAMES: Camp Meeting/ LEROY
JOHNSON: She Did Me Wrong/ MAURICE KING AND HIS WOLVERINES: I Feel So Good/
I Want a Lavender Cadillac/ MR. GOOGLE EYES: No Wine, No Women/ Rough and
Rocky Road/ CHRIS POWELL: Rock the Joint/ That's Right/ THE RAVENS: Gotta
Find My Baby/ Honey I Don't Want You/ PEARL TRAYLOR: Come on Daddy (Let's Go
Play Tonight)/ Three Ball Sam (The Pawn Shop Man)/ EARL WILLIAMS: If You
Ever Had the Blues/ JUMPIN' JOE WILLIAMS: Chi (Chicago)/ Lyin' Girl Blues/
Weekday Blues/ CHUCK WILLIS: Let's Jump Tonight
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Blue Label 42482 |
The OKeh Rhythm & Blues Story 1949-57,
Volume 2 |
● CD $16.98 |
The second volume in this superb series features 26 tracks
recorded for OKeh between 1951 and 1953. Includes sides by Jumpin' Joe
Williams, Larry Darnell,The Royals, Big Maybelles, Annie Laurie, Paul Gayten, The Treniers, Titus Turner, Bill Davis
Trio, etc.
BIG MAYBELLE: Gabbin' Blues (Don't Run My Business)/ Jinny
Mule/ HADDA BROOKS: Brook's Boggie/ Jump Back Honey/ LITTLE BROTHER BROWN:
Goof Boogie/ SAMMY COTTON: You the Kind of Women/ LARRY DARNELL: I'll Be
Sittin', I'll Be Rockin'/ BILL DAVIS: Bring the Money In/ PAUL GAYTEN: Cow
Cow Blues/ It Ain't Nothing Happening/ PINOCCHIO JAMES: Pinnochio's Blues/
ANNIE LAURIE: I'm in the Mood for You/ It's Been a Long Time/ Stop Talkin'
and Start Walkin'/ RED RODNEY SEXTET: Dig This Menu Please!/ THE ROYALS: Gas
Happy Mama/ THE TRENIERS: Moon Dog/ Poontang/ TITUS TURNER: Got So Much
Trouble/ Livin' in Misery/ JUMPIN' JOE WILLIAMS: Hey! Bartender, Give That
Man a Drink/ Voodoo Blues/ CHUCK WILLIS: I Rule My House/ Make up Your Mind/
My Story/ You Broke My Heart
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Blue Label 42532 |
The OKeh Rhythm & Blues Story 1949-57,
Volume 3 |
● CD $16.98 |
The third volume in this great series features 26 tracks
recorded between 1953 and 1957 and includes a couple of big hits including
Screamin' Jay Hawkins' masterpiece I Put A Spell On You and Andre
Williams' Bacon Fat licensed from Fortune. Other artists featured
include Cliff "King Solomon,Big John & The Buzzards, Big
Maybelle, The Treniers, The Marquees (Marvin Gaye's first
recording with Bo Diddley on guitar), Billy Stewart (with vocal backup from
the Marquees and guitar by Diddley) and others.
BIG JOHN & THE BUZZARDS: Oop Shoop/ Your Cash Ain't
Nothing But Trash/ BIG MAYBELLE: I'm Gettin' 'Long Alright/ Ocean of Tears/
One Monkey Don't Stop No Show/ SAMMY COTTON: Give Me One More Drink/ LARRY
DARNELL: Give Me Your Love/ LLOYD FATMAN: Miss Mushmouth/ Where You Been/
PAUL GAYTEN: Creole Alley/ SCREAMIN' JAY HAWKINS: I Put a Spell on You/
Little Demon/ Yellow Coat/ HURRICANE HARRY: Last Meal/ ANNIE LAURIE: Leave
It to Me/ LITTLE JOE & THE THRILLERS: Let's Do the Slop/ THE MARQUEES
(FEATURING MARVIN GAYE): Wyatt Earp/ THE SHUFFLERS: Bad, Bad Women/ Jump
Ted!/ CLIFFORD "KING" SOLOMON WITH ERNESTINE ANDERSON: Square Dance Boogie/
BILLY STEWART: Billy's Heartache/ THE TRENIERS: Uh Oh (Get Out of My Car)/
TITUS TURNER: My Lonely Room/ ANDRE WILLIAMS: Bacon Fat/ CHUCK WILLIS: Ring
Ding Doo
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Collectables 0317 |
The Encyclopedia Of Doo Wop, Vol. 2 |
● CD $37.98 |
Another four CD set with 100 great doo-wop songs from the
50s and early 60s. Although the first volume had most of the best known hits
there are lots of classic sides here from groups like The Larks,
Five Discs, Channels, Tokens, Bop Chords, Kodaks, Clickettes, Pyramids, Ladders, Parktowns,
Collegians, Shells, Willows and many more. No notes but excellent sound from
original master tapes wherever possible.
THE AMBASSADORS: Darling I'm Sorry/ LEE ANDREWS & THE
HEARTS: Just Suppose/ Lonely Room/ THE ARCADES: Fine Little Girl/ THE
AVALONS: You Can Count On Me/ THE BALTINEERS: Tears In My Eyes/ THE
BOP-CHORDS: So Why/ THE CAMEOS: Wait Up/ THE CAPRIS (GOTHAM): He Still Loves
Me/ THE CELLOS: Rang Tang Ding Dong/ THE CHANDELIERS: Blueberry Sweet/ THE
CHANNELS: My Love Will Never Die/ Now You Know/ Stars In The Sky/ The Gleam
In Your Eye/ THE CHARMERS: The Beating Of My Heart/ THE CHARTS: Dance Girl/
You're The Reason/ Zoop/ THE CHESTERS: The Fires Burn No More/ THE CHIMES:
Summer Night/ THE CLASSICS COL: So In Love/ THE CLICKETTES: Because Of My
Best Friend/ To Be A Part Of You/ THE COLLEGIANS: Heavenly Night/ THE
CONTINENTALS: Fine Fine Frame/ Picture Of Love/ THE CORDIALS: Dawn Is Almost
Here/ THE CORDOVANS: Come On Baby/ THE CORVAIRES: True True Love/ THE
CRESCENTS: Everybody Knew But Me/ THE CRYSTALS: Come To Me Darling/ THE
DEBONAIRES: Darling/ THE DEL KNIGHTS: Lonesome/ Madly/ THE DELL VIKINGS:
When I Come Home/ THE DELROYS: Bermuda Shorts/ THE FABULONS: Smoke From Your
Cigarette/ THE FI-TONES: I Belong To You/ THE FIVE DISCS: Adios/ My Baby
Loves Me/ THE FIVE SATINS: Oh Happy Day/ Our Anniversary/ Shadows/ THE
HARMONAIRES: Come Back/ THE ILLUSIONS: Hey Boy/ JACKIE & THE STARLITES: I
Found Out Too Late/ THE JESTERS: I Laughed/ I Love No One But You/ So
Strange/ The Plea/ THE JIVE FIVE: Never Never/ These Golden Rings/ THE
KEYNOTES: A Star/ I Don't Know/ Really Wish You Were Here/ THE KODAKS:
Little Boy And Girl/ THE LADDERS: Hey Pretty Baby/ My Love Has Gone/ THE
LARKS: My Reverie/ THE LEGENDS: Eyes Of An Angel/ I'll Never Fall In Love
Again/ THE LYDELLS: There Goes The Boy/ LEWIS LYMON & THE TEENCHORDS: I'm
Not Too Young To Fall In Love/ Lydia/ Please Tell The Angels/ THE MATADORS:
Vengeance/ THE MISTAKES: Chapel Bells/ THE MOONGLOWS: My Imagination/ THE
NUTMEGS: A Love So True/ Key To The Kingdom/ Whispering Sorrows/ THE
PARAGONS: So You Will Know/ The Vows Of Love/ Twilight/ Two Hearts Are
Better Than One/ THE PARKTOWNS: That Day Will Never Come/ THE PERFECTIONS:
Hey Girl/ THE PERFORMERS: I'll Make You Understand/ THE PERSONALITIES: Woe
Woe Baby/ THE PYRAMIDS: Hot Dog Dooly Wah/ THE ROCKETONES: Dee I/ THE
SENIORS: Evening Shadows Falling/ THE SEQUINS: Why Can't You Treat Me Right/
THE SHELLS: Baby Oh Baby/ Deep In My Heart/ THE SHEPPARDS: Feel Like Loving/
THE STARLITES: Missing You/ THE TELLERS: I Wanna Run To You/ THE TIMETONES:
In My Heart/ THE TOKENS: Come Dance With Me/ THE TURBANS: It Was A Night
Like This/ THE UNIQUE TEENS: At The Ball/ Jeannie/ THE VELOURS: Can I Come
Over Tonight/ THE VELVETS: I Cried/ THE VIDEOS: Moonglow You Know/ THE
VISIONS: Teenager's Life/ THE VOCALTONES: Darling/ THE WILLOWS: Little
Darling
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Doo-Wop 038 |
Super Rare Doo-Wops, Vol. 3 |
● CD $17.98 |
30 more fine and rare vocal group titles - about 2/3rd new
to CD
DONALD AMAKER: Pleases, You-Pleases Me/ JIMMY ANCRUM & THE
CAVALIERS: So Young, So Warm, So Wonderful/ BILLY JOE & CONFIDENTIALS:
Feeling Blue/ THE BLUE DOTS: Mary Had a Rock and Roll Lamb/ ARTHUR BROOKS:
Rosalita/ Tell Me Who/ MIKE CAVELL & CLASSMATES: I Didn't Lie/ THE CHANTS: A
Thousand Miles In My Pack/ THE COINS: Loretta/ THE DINOS: Our Love's About
Over/ THE FABULOUS FANATICS: Giving Up On Love/ Sweeter Than Wine/ FERREL &
THE FLAMES: Dreams and Memories/ THE FLAMING HEARTS: Baby/ THE FUTURETONES:
Roll On/ GENE & JEANNE: Baby Baby Baby/ CANDY GIBSON & THE TIFFANYS: A
Lovely Summer Night/ CLARENCE GIBSON & THE FOUR AIRS: Do You Really Care/
THE GLENS: Cherish My Love/ THE INVISIBLES: Dinah/ BILLY KENT & THE
ANDANTES: Take All of Me/ LITTLE FAY: I Don't Care What People Say/ LITTLE
JOHN & SHERWOODS: Marcelle/ JOHNNY MOORE'S BLAZERS: Miss Mosey's/ THE
PERSIANS: Steady Kind/ THE PUPPETS: Gee Whiz/ THE SAUCERS: Hello Darling/
THE SONNETTES: Teardrops/ BEN E. WILLIAMS & THE DEL RAYS: Mamie Wong/ VERNA
WILLIAMS & THE SHARP CATS: Mine All Mine
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Doo-Wop 039 |
Super Rare Doo-Wops, Vol. 4 |
● CD $17.98 |
30 more rarities
THE BACHELORS: Crying Over You/ THE CARIANS: Only a Dream/
THE COINS: Please/ THE COUSINS: Mademoiselle/ THE DESIRES: Need Someone/ THE
DINOS: Darling Oh Darling/ FERREL & THE FLAMES: You'll Be Sorry/ THE FIVE
SHADOWS: Blue Moon/ THE FLAMING HEARTS: I Don't Mind/ RAY FORTUNIA: You Done
Me Wrong/ THE FUTURETONES: I Know/ THE GOLDEN NUGGETS: I Was a Fool/ THE HI
TONES: Didn't We Have a Nice Time/ Open Up Your Heart/ DEE IMPULSE: Till I
Come Home To You/ THE INITIALS: Bells of Joy/ JIMMY JEENS & THE RHYTHM FIVE:
Baby Please Don't Go/ JACKIE KELLAN: Summer Romances/ THE LIONS: No One (But
You)/ THE MELVETTES: Take One Step/ THE PROFILES: Right By Her Side/ THE
SALVADORS: Daddy Said/ THE SPORT TONES: So Sincere/ THE TAMANEERS: Be
Anything But Be Mine/ TONI & THE SHOWMEN: Beware/ THE VALA QUONS: Madelaine/
Taardrops/ THE VISCAYNES: I Guess I'll Be/ Stop What You're Doing/ THE VOICE
MASTERS: Two Lovers
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Doo-Wop 040 |
Super Rare Doo-Wops, Vol. 5 |
● CD $17.98 |
30 more fine rarities from the 50s and early 60s - The
Limelights (their bizarre Sister Sookey's Coming Home), The Saucers,
The Del Rons, Pop & The Fidelitones, Jeri Mar &
The Beltones and more.
THE BISHOPS: You'll Reap What You Sow/ CLIFF BUTLER & THE
LOVERS: I Can't Believe/ THE CARAVELLES: Teardrops/ THE CREATIONS: Wake Up
In the Morning/ THE DEL RONS: Over the Rainbow/ THE DOWN BEATS: Dedicated To
the One I Love/ THE DREAMS: I Love You/ THE EPISODES: Christmas Tree/ THE
EXCLUSIVES: My Girlfriend/ THE FACES: Christmas/ THE FLINTS: Why Did You Go/
THE FOUR UNIQUES: Good Luck Charm/ Island of Love/ FRAN & FLO: You Walked
Out the Door/ WILLIAM HINES: Bring Back Your Heart/ THE LA CHORDS: To Be/
THE LIMELIGHTERS: Sister Sookey's Coming Home/ This Lonely Boy/ JERI MAR &
THE BELLTONES: Moonrise/ POP & THE FIDELTONES: Whispering World of Love/ THE
RAMBLERS: Come On Back/ RICHIE & THE ROYALS: We're Strolling/ THE
RUNAROUNDS: The Nearest Thing to Heaven/ THE SAUCERS: Giggle Goo/ JULES
SAVOY: Would You/ THE SLIDERS: There's A Great Big Moon Out Tonight/ THE
SPORT TONES: In My Dreams/ THE SYMPHONICS: She's My Girl/ THE TAMANEERS:
Searching/ THE VOICE MASTERS: In Love In Vain
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Doo-Wop 041 |
Super Rare Doo-Wops, Vol. 6 |
● CD $17.98 |
30 more
THE ANGELINOS: As Long As I Love You/ Don't Cry Baby/ THE
BELHOPS: Thinking Of You/ THE BELVEDEERS: Walking In the Garden/ THE
CARDINALS: Why Don't You Write Me/ THE CLASSICS: Wheel of Love/ THE
CORDUROYS: Forever Yours/ THE CREATIONS: Strolling Through the Park/ LITTLE
SUNNY DAY & THE CLOUDS: Baby Doll/ THE DEL RONS: This Love Of Ours/ THE
EPISODES: Where Is My Love/ THE FIVE SUPERIORS: There's A Fool Born
Everyday/ THE FOUR SHARPS & A FLAT: Wait For Me/ LEROY FULLYLOVE: Day After
Day/ GEORGEOUS GEORGE: Cross Every Mountain/ THE GOTHICS: Each Night at
Nine/ HAROLD & THE CASUALS: Darling Do You Love Me/ JACKIE LLOYD: Warm Love/
CLEVE MCDONALD: Tell Me That You Love Me/ THE MISFITS: Give Me Your Heart/
THE ORIGINALES: Bandstand Sound/ POP & THE FIDELTONES: For Your Love/ RICHIE
& THE ROYALS: Be My Girl/ RICK & THE MASTERS: Flame of Love/ DOCTOR ROCK:
That's What You Do To Me/ THE ROMAN: You Are My Only Love/ THE ROYAL DEMONS:
Trembling Hand/ THE SUPERIORS: Eternal Dreams/ RONNIE VALE & THE
INSPIRATIONS: Don't Ask Me/ THE VIP'S: Fall Guy
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Dynamite 110B |
Rare Boston Soul, Volume 1 |
● CD $17.98 |
20 tracks, 63 min., highly recommended
Rare is the easy
part; it's good that matters more. Some of these songs would bring in the
high three digits on 45 rpm and some are too obscure to have any basis for
evaluation. But the compilers wisely selected great songs all the way
through, a rarity in itself. The cover sports a promotional black and white
photo of the Energetics donning 70s era tuxedos that, perhaps, would look
even more garish were they in color. Their only cut, Me And My Girl
is suitably up-tempo and not listed in most reference books. The Endeavors
rate 4 tracks here (Shattered Dreams and I Know You Don't Want Me,
originally issued on the Stop label (#372); and I Can't Help Crying
and Beware Of Your Friends, originally issued as both sides of Empire
State 18798, a wildly rare bit of vinyl. Billy Thompson's Kiss Tomorrow
Goodbye is another truly tough to find 45 rpm (both on Columbus 1043 and
on Wand 1108), and one hell of a song to boot. Perhaps the finest cut
belongs to Frank Reeves, whose Young Girl appears here in stereo for
the first time, but it sounds good in mono too. His Mississippi Girl
is the disc's only previously unissued track. Other gems include the
Hypnotics' ultra-smooth ballad Music To Make Love To, the dance floor
burner When The Fuel Runs Out by the Ambitions (originally issued as
Firefly 19), and the Turnpikes (a.k.a. Chubby and the Turnpikes) Nothing
But Promises, originally the A-side of Capitol 1 2234. One hope the even
rarer Turnpikes 45 of I Didn't Try b/w I Know The Inside Story
will find its way to volume 2. Other artists include Exotics, Sinclayrs,,
Lords, Indigos, and Pearl Reaves & The Tracynettes. A winner, with decent
sound but no notes. (JC)
THE AMBITIONS: When the Fuel Runs Out/ Whisper A Love
Chant/ THE ENDEAVORS: Beware Of Your Friends/ I Can't Help Crying/ I Know
You Don't Want Me/ Shattered Dreams/ THE ENERGETICS: Me & My Girl/ THE
EXOTICS: Fortune Hunter/ My Life's Desire Part 1/ My Life's Desire Part 2/
THE HYPNOTICS: Music To Make Love To/ THE INDIGOS: Magic/ Taboo/ THE LORDS:
Since I Fell For You/ FRANK LYNCH: Mississippi Girl/ Young Girl/ PEARL
REAVES & THE TRACYNETTES: Change Me/ THE SINCLAYRS: You Came Along/ BILLY
THOMPSON: Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye/ THE TURNPIKES: Nothing But Promises
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Fishy 1004 |
Rarest Of The Rare Soul Harmony, Vol. 4 |
● CD $17.98 |
25 tracks, 79 mins, recommended
This collection of "rare"
R&B is stylistically all over the map: from vocal group (The Turks You
Turn Me On ) to doo wop (The Nephews This is the Night ) to
gospel (The Positive Gospel Singers When Will it End ) to girl group
(Bette Renee Darling Bless You ). Since there's no liner notes of any
kind, it's hard to tell when these tracks were recorded; they seem to run
the gamut from late '50's to early 70's, judging by the music styles. Pretty
good sound quality considering the age and source material (analog and
vinyl) used for the transfers. If you like the obscure stuff, then this is
for you. (GMC)
21ST CREATION: Girls, Let's Keep Dancing Close/ 4TH
KINGDOM: Gotta Get To You/ THE ADDITIONS: Under the Moon/ BLUE MAGIC: Can I
Say I Love You/ DELORIS CLARK: Praying Time/ THE CONTACTS: Why Little Girl
Can't You Love Me/ THE FANTASTICS: Goodbye To Love/ SOUL FAY: Young Girl/
THELMA HARPER: At Last/ INTO NEW DIRECTIONS: I'm Not Ready/ BERNIE JAY & THE
ROCKIN' RAVENS: Say That You Love Me/ THE JONESETTES: Once I Had a Love/
ROSIE LOPEZ: I'll Never Grow Tired/ MANSION: Stop! Let Your Heart Be Your
Guide/ MVP: Don't Wanna Stop Loving You/ VONCIEL MYERS: It Won't Be Easy/
THE NEPHEWS: This Is the Night/ THE PASSIONS: The Spell is Gone/ THE
POSITIVE GOSPEL SINGERS: When Will It End/ BETTE RENEE: Darling Bless You/
THE SAN FRANCISCO TKOS: Ohh Baby Baby/ SOUL SOUND UNLIMITED: Lost In a
Dream/ THE THRILLERS: Leading Two Lives With Four Women (Alt.)/ TOMORROW'S
MEN: It's Real/ THE TURKS: You Turn Me On
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Fishy 1005 |
Rarest Of The Rare Soul Harmony, Vol. 5 |
● CD $17.98 |
26 tracks, 78 mins, recommended
The newest volume in Fishy's
Rarest of the Rare series spotlights more obscure R&B harmony groups (and
solo performers) from the 50's, 60's and 70's. If there was ever a case
where the "music speaks for itself", this is it. There's some lovely tracks
here from people I've never heard of including: Premieres' I Won't Stand
in Your Way, New Creations' California, Chants' Lovers Story,
and Little Jimmy Gandy's I'm Not Like the Others. There's the usual
slight popping from vinyl transfers, but nothing that should distract from
enjoying these lost nuggets. (GMC)
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Kapp 5001 |
Tip Your Kapp To Doo Wop |
● CD $17.98 |
30 tracks, 72 mins, recommended
The companion to "Tip Your Kapp to Northern Soul," this collection of Doo Wop from the Kapp Records
vaults covers releases from the 50's and early 60's. With songs by the
Squires, the Emotions, the Vidals, the 4J's, the Gleams, and Johnny Cymbal,
this is a fine addition to any Doo Wop library. (GMC)
THE 4 J'S: Dreamin'/ Love My Love/ THE BOYFRIENDS (AKA 5
DISCS): Let's Fall In Love/ Oh Lana/ JOHNNY CYMBAL: Little Miss Lonely/
Marshmallow/ SONNY DEE: Here I Stand/ THE ELGINS: Here In Your Arms/ THE
EMOTIONS: A Million Reasons/ Come Dance Baby/ Echo/ L-o-v-e/ THE GLEAMS: Mr
Magic Moon/ GARY HAINES & THE FIVE SEQUINS: Another Girl Like You/ GREGORY
HOWARD & THE CADILLACS: Sweet Pea/ When In Love/ THE LATIN SOULS: The Way
You Look Tonight/ When I Fall In Love/ MIKE REGAL & THE QUOTATIONS: Is It
True What They Say About Barbara/ Too Young/ AL RENO: Cheryl/
Congratulations/ THE SQUIRES: Can't Believe That You've Grown Up/ Joyce/ THE
TIP TOPS: Rama Lama/ THE VEL-TONES: Playboy/ THE VIDELS: A Letter From Ann/
I'll Keep On Waiting/ Streets Of Love/ This Years Mr New
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Kapp 5004 |
Tip Your Kapp To Northern Soul |
● CD $17.98 |
28 tracks, 67 mins, recommended
Kapp was primarily a 60's
pop label (their big artists were Jack Jones and Roger Williams), but like
everyone else, they attempted to dip into the R&B vein that was being
successfully mined by Motown. This CD is a sampling of the artists with
which Kapp had hoped to compete with the Supremes and the Four Tops: Lenny
Welch, Cissy Houston, Jerry Jackson, Freddie Butler, and James Ray among
others. As the Northern Soul tag in the title would imply, these tracks
should all resemble the up tempo Motown style favored by British Northern
Soul fans, but in truth, some come off more like white pop. And yet, nothing
here is not worth closer examination. Although Kapp mostly failed in the R&B
game (exception: Ruby and the Romantics' Our Day Will Come), there
are some exemplary tracks included here from unknowns Jaibi (What Good Am
I), Rubin (You've Been Away), and Clay Hunt (In the City Square). But the
crown jewel is Tony Middleton's version (the liner notes claim it was
recorded in 1963, which would make it the original) of Bacharach/David's
My Little Red Book, later made famous by both Manfred Mann (on the
What's New Pussycat soundtrack) and Love (in a classic garage rock
re-working). Great stuff. (GMC)
THE 7TH AVENUE AVIATORS: You Should Hold On/ RICHIE ADAMS:
I Can't Escape From You/ BURT BACHARACH WITH TONY MIDDLETON: My Little Red
Book/ FREDDIE BUTLER: Give Me Lots of Loving/ That's When I Need You/ THE
COMPLIMENTS: Time of Her Life/ MIGHTY JOE DRAKE: Try, Try, Try/ THE EXITS:
Another Sundown in Watt's/ THE HESITATIONS: I'm Not Built That Way/ That's
What Love Is/ You Can't Bypass Love/ CISSY HOUSTON: Bring Him Back/ Don't
Come Running Back to Me/ CLAY HUNT: In the City Square/ Since I've Lost You/
JERRY JACKSON: She Lied/ Wide Awake in a Dream/ JAIBI: What Good Am I/
SEPTEMBER JONES: I'm Coming Home/ GEORGE E. LEE: Dance What You Wanna/ J. B.
LOVE: Then Only Then/ JAMES RAY: One By One/ THE REVELS: Downtown/ RUBIN:
You've Been Away/ THE SOUND JUDGEMENT: Happy Without You/ ST. GEORGE & TANA:
Without Your Heart/ HELEN TROY: I Think I Love You/ LENNY WELCH: Run to My
Loving Arms
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Kent CDKEND 291 |
New Breed R&B With Added Popcorn |
● CD $18.98 |
24 tracks, 58 mins, highly recommended
The third volume in
Kent's "New Breed R&B" series, this one focuses on the Belgian Popcorn scene
of the early 70's. Although similar to the U.K. Northern Soul scene, the
type of records that Popcorn fans preferred were the more mid-tempo groove
oriented sides from the early 60's, as opposed to the Motown 4/4 that
predominated Northern Soul. As with all Kent compilations, this one contains
track-by-track annotation, informative liner notes, and previously
unreleased recordings. Of the unreleased stuff, the standouts are from
Luther Ingram, Gladys Bruce, Harold Atkins, and Barbara Perry, but the early
tracks from "name" artists Joe Simon and Marry (Merry) Clayton are quite
good too. The compilers even manage to sneak in a taste of uptown Blues
courtesy of B.B. King, Beautician Blues, because, as they say, "we
thought you might need a break from the Popcorn". All killer, no filler and
Kent Records does it again. (GMC)
HAROLD ATKINS: Big Ben/ BARBARA & THE BROWNS: I'm Gonna
Start A War/ BILLY BLAND: Doing The Mule/ NAPPY BROWN: Coal Miner/ GLADYS
BRUCE: I've Got A Feeling For You Baby/ GENE BURKS: Shirley Jean/ LENA
CALHOUN & THE EMOTIONS: First Love Baby/ THE CHARMAINES: I Idolize You/
EUGENE CHURCH: Jack Of All Trades/ MERRY CLAYTON: I've Got My Eyes On You/
PAUL CLIFTON: She Wobbles When She Walks/ BOYCE CUNNINGHAM: Too Young/
VERNON GREEN & THE MEDALLIONS: Lover's Prayer/ LUTHER INGRAM: Oh Baby Don't
You Weep/ CHET 'POISON' IVEY: Mata Hari/ B.B. KING: Beautician Blues/ KING
JAMES: What'cha Gonna Do/ MR. DYNAMITE: Sh'mon/ BARBARA PERRY: Man Is A Mean
Mean Thing/ BANNY PRICE: You Love Me Pretty Baby/ JOE SIMON: Just Like
Yesterday/ TERRY & JERRY: Mama Julie/ TOM TUMBLEWEED: Tumbling Down/ ALBERT
WASHINGTON: I'm The Man
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Motown (UK) 980 090-1 |
Power To The Motown People |
● CD $41.98 |
2 CDs, 30 tracks, 131 mins, essential
This is such an
outstanding and historically significant collection it deserves an Essential
rating. You get two fantastic disks of great Soul music from a time of great
social upheaval and change. This also represents a time of significant
changes at Motown itself, with the long time hit-making songwriting team of
Holland/ Dozier/ Holland splitting to go out on their own. Although a huge
blow at the time, their departure led to the prominence of songwriters
Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong, who would take things in all kinds of
fresh directions. At the time the writer/ producers had a pretty
controversial method of having multiple artists all do versions of the same
song. At the time they were accused of milking the public, but this practice
ended up making a lot of fantastic music, much of which makes up this
collection. On several tracks you get the songs you know, but versions that
are great--ones you might not have heard before--like The Temptations doing
War, Edwin Starr doing Cloud Nine, and The Undisputed Truth
doing Ball Of Confusion, all of which totally cool and radically
different from the hit versions. The main focus of this collection is the
political soul anthems from the whole crew at Motown. David Ruffin doing
Flower Child, Eddie Kendricks doing My People Hold On, Stevie
Wonder Do Yourself a Favor, etc. and also somewhat surprising cuts
from largely non-political artists like Smokey Robinson doing Just My
Soul Responding and Diana Ross & The Supremes with I'm Living In
Shame, The Young Folks, and Shadows Of Society, and The
Miracles with Ain't Nobody Straight In L.A. It's not all big names
here either; you also get outstanding tracks from Syretta, Reuben Howell,
and Tommy Chong's original claim to fame--Bobby Taylor & The
Vancouvers--with their ode to interracial romance: Does Your Mama Know
About Me? You get all of this, plus deep notes and lots of cool
reproductions of paraphernalia from the time in a fantastic booklet, for the
icing on the cake. (JM)
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Motown (UK) 982 929-7 |
A Cellarful Of Motown, Volume 2 |
● CD $34.98 |
Not a new release but not listed before. Two CD set with 42
previously unissued gems from the vaults of Motown - all recorded in the 60s
and including familiar and obscure artists - Earl Van Dyke, The
Dalton Boys, Kim Weston, Hattie Littles, Debbie Dean, Chris Clark, The Originals,
Rita Wright, Tammi Terrell and many more. Includes 12 page booklet with
notes on all the performances. Unfortunately, volume 1 in this series is not
currently available.
J.J. BARNES: Every Time I See You I Go Wild/ Everybody
Needs Somebody (I Need You)/ BLINKY: Rescue Me/ CHRIS CLARK: Sweet Loving/
THE CONTOURS: Take Him Back If It Makes You Happy/ CAROLYN CRAWFORD: Keep
Stepping (Never Look Back)/ THE CREATIONS: In The Dark/ THE DALTON BOYS:
Take My Hand/ DEBBIE DEAN: Baby Baby I'm In Love Again/ THE ELGINS: My Two
Arms (You = Tears)/ THE FOUR TOPS: It's A Lonely World Without Your Love/
TOMMY GOOD: I've Gotta Get Away/ CONNIE HAINES: Midnight Johnny/ EDDIE
HOLLAND: Take Me In Your Arms (Rock Me A Little While)/ BRENDA HOLLOWAY:
Crying Time/ PATRICE HOLLOWAY: Those DJ Shows/ THE ISLEY BROTHERS: I Can't
Go On Sharing Your Love/ MARV JOHNSON: Let's Talk It Over/ TERRY JOHNSON: My
Spring Time/ GLADYS KNIGHT & THE PIPS: Every Day I'll Love You More Than
Yesterday/ THE LEWIS SISTERS: Breakaway/ LITTLE LISA: Choo Choo Train/
HATTIE LITTLES: Love Trouble Heartache And Misery/ SHORTY LONG: Woman Just
Won't Do Right/ MARTHA & THE VANDELLAS: Lone Lonely Town/ Start With Joy In
The Morning/ THE MARVELETTES: Boy From Crosstown/ I Hope You Have Better
Luck Than I Did/ THE MIRACLES: Hoping The Pause Is Helping The Cause/ THE
MONITORS: I Can't Get Along Without You/ Words/ THE ORIGINALS: Nothing In
This World Like My Baby/ DIANA ROSS & THE SUPREMES: Honey Bee (Keep On
Stinging Me) (out on the floor mix)/ THE SPINNERS: What Am I Gonna Do
Without You/ THE SUPREMES: You've Got To Pay The Price/ THE TEMPTATIONS:
Positively Absolutely Right/ TAMMI TERRELL: My Heart/ EARL VAN DYKE: All Day
All Night/ THE VOWS: Show Girl/ KIM WESTON: After The Rain/ STEVIE WONDER: I
Gave Up Quality For Quantity/ RITA WRIGHT: Where Is The Love
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Music Club Deluxe 021 |
Soul Galore - 60s, 70s & Northern Soul
Classics |
● CD $18.98 |
2 CDs, 40 tracks, 152 mins, highly recommended
Can you stand
just one more Northern Soul compilation? If so, then check out "Soul Galore"
- this 2CD, 40 song collection highlights some juicy nuggets from both
Detroit (Motown artists like a Diana Ross-less Supremes, Edwin Starr, and
Gladys Knight & the Pips performing album cuts and obscure singles) and
Chicago (Aretha's sister Erma Franklin, Jackie Wilson, Tyrone Davis, and
Jerry Butler's brother Billy), while leaving room for the odd track from
elsewhere (Memphis is represented by Willie Mitchell and Al Green; likewise,
Miami by Betty Wright and Gwen McCrae). Although there are some rather
strange (Johnny Jones' note-for-note cover of Hendrix's Purple Haze,
for one) and familiar (Young Holt Unlimited's masterful instrumental
Soulful Strut) things here, there's more than enough cool rarities to
keep R&B fans coming back for more. Most tracks date from the late
60's/early 70's, prime time for this kind of music and the guys in charge
did an excellent job of compiling this CD. And don't let the rash of
well-known artists put you off; no one ever said that Northern Soul consists
solely of obscure performers. On the contrary, the presence of big and
medium names performing lesser-known songs is tantalizing rather than
off-putting. Especially when one is introduced to Erma Franklin belting out
Whispers (Getting Louder) and Betty LaVette's brassy rendition of
What Condition My Condition is In (hit covered by Kenny Rogers and the
First Edition), or re-introduced to a great lost tracks like the Four Tops'
Something About You and Wilson's white-hot Soul Galore. The
packaging is good, and the sound quality is ok; in fact, the only thing that
prevents me from giving this an "essential" rating is that some of the
mixes/mastering are a bit weird (the horns on Soulful Strut are mixed
too low, for example). If you're a purist, then quibbles like this might
make all the difference; if not, then have a ball, toots! (GMC)
BARBARA ACKLIN: Am I the Same Girl/ THE ARTISTICS: Nothing
But Heartaches (Keep Haunting Me)/ BILL BUSH: I'm Waiting/ BILLY BUTLER:
Burning Touch of Love/ GENE CHANDLER: Mr Big Shot/ THE COOPERETTES:
Shing-A-Ling/ THE CROW: Your Autumn of Tomorrow/ TYRONE DAVIS: One Way
Ticket/ Turn Back the Hands of Time/ GLORIA EDWARDS: My Love Keeps Getting
Stronger/ THE FOUR TOPS: Something About You/ ERMA FRANKLIN: Gotta Find Me a
Lover/ Whispers (Getting Louder)/ THE GLORIES: I Worship You, Baby/ AL
GREEN: Keep on Pushing Love/ FREDDIE HUGHES: Baby Boy/ WALTER JACKSON: Let
Me Come Back/ SYL JOHNSON: Back for a Taste of Your Love/ JOHNNY JONES & THE
KING CASUALS: Purple Haze/ GLADYS KNIGHT & THE PIPS: Stranger/ BETTYE
LAVETTE: What Condition My Condition Is In/ OTIS LEAVILL: Love Uprising/
TOBI LEGEND: Time Will Pass You By/ THE LOST GENERATION: Give Me Just a
Little More Time/ BARBARA LYNN: This Is the Thanks I Get/ GWEN MCCRAE: Lead
Me On/ WILLIE MITCHELL: That Driving Beat/ THE MONTCLAIRS: Just Can't Get
Away/ THE PERSUADERS: I'm So Glad I Got You/ MARTHA REEVES & THE VANDELLAS:
Love Guess Who/ DAVID RUFFIN: Rode by the Place (Where We Used to Stay)/
BOBBY SHEEN: Something New to Do/ MARVIN "SMITTY" SMITH: Have More Time/
EDWIN STARR: Running Back & Forth/ STRUTT: Say You Didn't Love Him/ THE
SUPREMES: Where Do I Go from Here/ JACKIE WILSON: Because of You/ Soul
Galore/ BETTY WRIGHT: If You Love Me Like You Say You Love Me/ YOUNG-HOLT
UNLIMITED: Soulful Strut
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Numero 17 |
Eccentric Soul - The Outskirts Of Deep City |
● CD $18.98 |
20 tracks, 56 mins, highly recommended
The latest edition of Numero's Eccentric Soul series is a related follow-up to "Eccentric Soul:
The Deep City Label, concentrating on the smaller independents that were
satellites or rivals of the original Deep City imprint. The story leads us
to into unsung labels Reid, Sun Cut, Lloyd, Concho, Blue Star, and Green
Gold, as well as giving us further insight into the Deep City saga. The
famous Florida grooves are present as ever on songs from Helene Smith, James
Knight & the Butlers, Clarence Reid, and a young Betty Wright. Lush balladry
is to had from Lynn Williams, Smith, The Rising Sun, and The Rollers, and
all offer excellent counterpoint to the Saturday-nite party feel of the up
tempo tracks. Dating from 1963 to 1971, these songs form the backbone of the
Miami soul scene that became more famous later on thanks to KC & the
Sunshine Band and George McCrae. As we've come to expect from the Numero
series, the package is expertly annotated and put together. Bottom line: if
you like the other Numero CD's, you'll need this one too. (GMC)
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Soul World 107 |
Guys Of Golden World |
● CD $17.98 |
25 tracks, 64 mins, recommended
The first CD of tasty treats
from the Golden World label vaults--featuring the ladies--naturally cried
out for a follow-up, this time spotlighting the men. The vocal group sounds
of Chicago and Detroit dominate the proceedings musically, but here's a
chance to hear cool early tracks by the likes of The Parliaments, Carl
Carlton, The Dramatics, and The Manhattans. Noteworthy curiosities come from
Larry Knight & the Upsetters (Everything's Gone Wrong), The Sunliners (who
later morphed into Rare Earth), Sonny Stitt (Concerto For Jazz Lovers, which
is really just a Jazz version of the Toys' A Lovers' Concerto), and
Tony Michaels (who sang with The Reflections, of Just Like Romeo and
Juliet fame). More early to mid 60's soul (blue-eyed and otherwise) that
you shouldn't live without. (GMC)
ELLIOTT BARON: Man To Man/ The Spare Rib/ SAM BOWIE & THE
BLUE FEELINGS: (Think Of) The Times We Had Together/ Swoop Swoop/ CARL
CARLTON: Nothin' No Sweeter Than Love/ THE DRAMATICS: Bingo!/ Inky Dinky
Wang Dang Doo/ Somewhere/ WILLIE KENDRICK: Fine As Wine/ AL KENT: Country
Boy/ LARRY KNIGHT & THE UPSETTERS: Everything's Gone Wrong/ Hurt Me/ THE
MANHATTANS: Just A Little Loving/ TONY MICHAELS: I Love The Live (And I Live
The Life I Love)/ Picture Me And You/ GINO PARKS: My Sophisticated Lady/ THE
PARLIAMENTS: Heart Trouble/ That Was My Girl/ THE ROYAL JOKERS: From A To Z
(Love Game) (Instrumental)/ Love Game (From A To Z)/ RONNIE SAVOY: Loving
You/ SONNY STITT: Concerto For Jazz Lovers/ The Double-O-Soul Of Sonny
Stitt/ THE SUNLINERS: All Alone/ The Swingin' Kind
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Soul World 108 |
Northern Soul Of Revue |
● CD $17.98 |
27 tracks, 68 mins, recommended
Hot on the heels of "Guys of
Golden World", Soul World has plunged into the Northern Soul compilation
game and issued this worthy but questionable (some of these tracks don't
really qualify as "Northern Soul") collection of 60's R&B tracks. Revue was
a black music-focused subsidiary of MCA that started in 1967, and was based
on mostly leased-in (or licensed) product from other sources in cities like
Chicago, Detroit, and Los Angeles. Many of Revue's releases were
singles--with very few of its artists recording entire albums, the most
coveted of which is an album by Garland Green who is represented here by
three tracks. Another Revue album artist was Stu Gardner, a prot‚g‚ of Bill
Cosby's, who acted as well as sang and proves his mettle on Never Gonna
Hurt Again. The Mirettes--aka former Ikettes Robbie Montgomery, Vanetta
Fields and Jessie Smith--also cut singles for Revue and both their near-hits
are included: the oft-covered Take Me For a Little While (by everyone
from Evie Sands to Vanilla Fudge) and In the Midnight Hour. As usual,
Soul World has done a fine job of bringing back rare 60's from the twilight
zone of obscurity for everybody to enjoy. So what are you waiting for? (GMC)
ABRAHAM & HIS SONS: Your Mother Understood/ PARTY
BROTHERS: Do The Groundhog/ LEE CHARLES: If That Ain't Loving You/ Wrong
Number/ THE CHI-LITES: Love Me/ GODOY COLBERT: Baby I Like It/ DARROW
FLETCHER: I Like The Way I Feel/ STU GARDNER: Never Gonna Hurt Again/ JUNE
GATLIN: Baby Cakes/ JIMMY GRAHAM: Love Can't Be Modernized/ GARLAND GREEN:
Ain't That Good Enough/ Girl I Love You/ Rained 40 Days And Nights/ JOYCE
HOPSON: I Surrender To You/ This Time/ THE MIRETTES: In The Midnight Hour/
Take Me For A Little While/ JACK MONTGOMERY: Baby Baby Take A Chance On Me/
Baby Baby Take A Chance On Me/ TWO PEOPLE: Love Dust/ THE SAINTS: Come On
Let's Dance/ MARVIN L. SIMS: Get Off My Back/ TWO PEOPLE: Stop Leave My
Heart Alone/ FRANKIE VANCE: Do You Hear Me Baby/ Somewhere In Your Life/ You
Are My Solution/ LEN WOODS: I'm In Love
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Soul Jazz 185 |
New Orleans Funk, Volume 2 |
● CD $21.98 |
25 tracks, 67 mins, highly recommended
The second volume in
Soul Jazz's New Orleans Funk series picks up where the first one left off by
presenting more tantalizing tidbits from the Crescent City's funk merchants,
hawking wares from the late 60's and early 70's. The usual suspects are
represented: solo tracks from Art and Cyril Neville, the Meters, Lee Dorsey,
and Allen Toussaint all figure prominently on the CD. But there's plenty of
little known local talent to be had as well: Ray J's spin on Dr. John's
Right Place, Wrong Time, sizzling vocalist Betty Harris (Show it/ 12
Red Roses), and Bonnie and Sheila's infectious You Keep Me Hanging On
(not the Supremes song) to name but a few. With nice packaging and liner
notes, this is yet another winner from Soul Jazz Records. (GMC)
EDDIE BO: Hey Bo/ If It's Good To You/ Rubber Band/ BONNIE
& SHEILA: You Keep Me Hnaging On/ HANK CARBO: Hot Pants/ JOE CHOPPER: Soul
Pusher/ G. DAVIS & R. TYLER: Hold On Help Is On It's Way/ LEE DORSEY: Four
Corners/ THE GATURS: Yeah You're Right You Know You're Right/ BETTY HARRIS:
12 Red Roses/ Show It/ JIMMY HICKS: Mr Big Stuff/ RAY J: Right Place Wrong
Time/ PORGY JONES: Dapp/ EARL KING: Street Parade/ WARREN LEE: Funky Belly/
Mama Said We Can't Get Married/ THE METERS: Chicken Strut/ JOHNNY MOORE:
Haven't I Been Good To You/ ART NEVILLE: Bo Diddley/ CYRIL NEVILLE: Gossip/
THE PRIME MATES: Hot Tomales/ BENNY SPELLMAN: Fortune Teller/ ALLEN
TOUSSAINT: Tequila/ DANNY WHITE: Twitch/ INELL YOUNG: What Do You See In Her
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Spectrum (UK) 067 016-2 |
Tamla Motown Connoisseurs, Vol. 2 |
● CD $11.98 |
21 tracks, 60 min., highly recommended
Not all Motown
rarities collections are created equal. The better ones make listeners
wonder why the songs never found a wider audience, contain mythically rare
recordings that vinyl hunters have searched for in vain. And, while not
perfect, this U.K. compilation is among the best of such releases. It
features a healthy selection of sides on the Motown subsidiary V.I.P.,
including Tell Me by The Vows, a first class up-tempo gem released in
1965 as the B-side of their Buttered Popcorn 45 rpm, now a tough
piece of wax to find. The Velvelettes' Let Love Live (A Little Bit
Longer), which was unreleased by the V.I.P. label when it was recorded
in 1965, and eventually showed up the the group's Very Best Of CD--well
worth finding--is included too. Other V.I.P. selections come from Bobby
Taylor (Blackmail (an edgy powerhouse of a song), Hearts Of Stone (If
I Could Give You The World), who actually have an impossible-to-find LP
on the label, and The Lollipops' Look What You've Done Boy. Also of
interest are the cuts from former Ric Tic artists (that Berry Gordy bought
up and then failed to promote), including Freddie Gorman's Take Me Back,
the Fantastic Four's previously unreleased Don't Tell Me I'm Crazy,
and even Edwin Starr's Way Over There, and a typically sharp
performance at that. If that isn't enough to tempt the Hitsville fans, the
legendary but unavailable Tear It On Down as performed by The
Originals is included. Most of the other tracks were unissued sides that
made their world debut on some 1990s box set of other, or else they come
from obscure LPs that never saw reissue. So among the seemingly endless
Motown rarity reissues, this one deserves a little special attention. (JC)
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Still 1172 |
That No Good Poo Pee Doo |
● CD $17.98 |
26 tracks, highly recommended
Our good friends at Still are
back which means a goofy sounding collection full of rare and rocking rhythm
& blues, blues, doo-wop and black rock 'n' roll. Most of it is making it's
first appearance on CD. It's hard to pick favorites as it's all good and
among the artists here are Larry Ellison & The Mark IV, Eddie Clay (the fine
Lorain, Lorain with hot guitar), Hayward Lee, Mike Robinson, The
Capitals (a great sax and guitar instrumental Hangover), The Pleasant
Valley Tune Jammers, John Little John (fine Chicago blues with slide
guitar), Bill Strickland, The V-Eights, Dave "Baby" C o rtez (the fine and
obscure instrumental S w ingin' With Dave), Meyer Kennedy & His Orch
and others. The set ends with a bonus of Boogie Woogie by Charlie
Dowman - a previously unreleased solo boogie woogie piano instrumental
recorded in Canada in the late 40s. As usual sound is excellent and booklet
has artist photos and rare label shots. (FS)
CHOKER CAMPBELL: Walking On My Thin Sole Shoes/ THE
CAPITALS: Hangover,inst/ THE CHROMATICS & E.FREEMAN ORCH.: Who’s Fooling
Who?/ EDDIE CLAY: Lorain,Lorain/ THE COCOAS: Flip Your Daddy/ DAVE 'BABY'
CORTEZ: Swinging With Dave (inst)/ CHARLES DOWMAN: Boogie Woogie/ LARRY
ELLISON & THE MARK 1V: Young Girls/ PEARL GALLOWAY: Get With It/ Think It
Over Baby/ MARK INGRAM & ROBERT MCCOY & HIS FIVE SINS: Goodbye (inst)/ MEYER
KENNEDY & HIS ORCH: Bookie's Blues/ HAYWARD LEE: Better Stop/ My Love/ ARTIE
LEWIS & TERRY TYLER ORCH.: Supposin’/ JOHN LITTLEJOHN: 29 Ways/ ROBERT MCCOY
& HIS FIVE SINS: Goodbye Baby/ THE PARAKEETS: Candy Bar Boogie (alternate)/
THE PLEASANT VALLEY TUNE JAMMERS: Big Foots/ MIKE ROBINSON: Lula/ Red Light/
DUKE STEVENS: I’ve Been Your Fool/ BILL STRICKLAND: The Shape You Left Me
In/ THE THREE-OF-US TRIO & THE DILLARD-KELLEY OR: Telegram/ THE V-EIGHTS:
Hot Water/ AUSTIN WRIGHT & CHUCK TILLMAN: Keep Me On Your Mind In 59
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Titanic 1003 |
Eyes For The Ladies |
● CD $17.98 |
29 tracks, 71 mins, recommended
Another in Titanic's series
of female R&B compilations, "Eye For The Ladies" delves further into the
world of third- and fourth-tier Girl Groups from the early 60's, that was
begun on Titanic's "Fillies of Soul" collection. Holdovers from the first
comp include Dorothy Berry, and the Sweet Things (with Clydie King, star of
her own CD collection, Stateside 509581), but otherwise this is a fresh crop
of talented one-shots and hopefuls that didn't quite go the distance: Marie
& the Deccors, The Donays, Jan Bradley, Little Cheryl Williams, Jo-An Baker,
and Pearline Caesar. This is Girl Group innocence in its purest form, and if
you like that style of music then this is the comp for you. (GMC)
JO-AN BAKER: Think About The Possibilities/ You're
Someone/ DOROTHY BERRY: You Better Watch Out/ JAN BRADLEY: Back In
Circulation/ Tricks Of The Trade/ PEARLINE CAESAR: (be Mine) Tonight/ Go/
THE CHEVELLS: It's Goodbye/ CLYDIE & THE SWEET THINGS: Promises/ THE
CRAMPTON SISTERS: I Cried When I Found You Gone/ My Guy Is Boss/ THE DONAYS:
Bad Boy/ Devil In His Heart/ THE ELITES: Sir Galahad/ THE FASHIONS: I Just
Got A Letter/ Try My Love/ THE FOUR BARS: Waitin' On The Right Guy/ THE
GIRLS FROM SYRACUSE: Love Is Happening To Me Now/ THE IRRESISTABLES: As
Sweet As You Can Be/ Yearning For Love/ MARIE & THE DECCORS: Queen Of Fools/
THE MCKINLEYS: Somebody Cares For Me/ BEVERLY NOBLE: Better Off Without You/
JENNIE RAE: To Love/ THE ROSETTES: You Broke My Heart/ THE THRILLS: No One/
What Can Go Wrong/ THE UTMOSTS: I Need You/ LITTLE CHERYL WILLIAMS:
Pocketful Of Money
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