New Releases: July
2010 -> March 2011
Rhythm & Blues, Soul & Doo-Wop
Johnny Maestro
-> Maurice Williams
|
JOHNNY MAESTRO &
THE CREST & BROOKLYN BRIDGE |
Black Tulip 2635408 |
The Best Of Johnny Maestro |
● CD $17.98 |
29 tracks, 76 min., highly recommended
Excellent
one-disc overview of the late-Maestro's career, offering 24 Crests cuts
and closing with five of his better 1960s outings with The Brooklyn
Bridge. Two of the Joyce Records sides are collected here (Sweetest
One and My Juanita, Joyce 103), but missing are No One To
Love and Wish She Was Mine, Joyce 105, from 1957, but then
again most collections don't have any of those early sides. The generous
helping of the more popular and generally superior Coed material
includes The Angels Listened In, Six Nights A Week,
Step By Step, I Thank The Moon, Trouble In Paradise,
I Do, and of course Sixteen Candle, to name a few. The
Brooklyn Bridge sides (The Worst That Could Happen, Blessed Is
The Rain, Welcome Me Love, Your Husband, My Wife,
You'll Never Walk Alone) confirm that Maestro was indeed a huge
talent, as if that needed confirming. No notes but a generous running
time. (JC)
|
| NATHANIEL MAYER |
Vampi Soul 072 |
(I Want) Love And Affection (Not The
House Of Correctio |
● CD $19.98 |
23 tracks, 59 mins, highly recommended
A most welcome
release featuring the complete 60s recordings made for Fortune by this
superb Detroit singer and songwriter along with a rare 45 from 1980.
Mayer was a superb gospel tinged vocalist who wrote most of his own
material and was backed by The Fabulous Twilights, a group, that at
times included moonlighting members of Motown's Funk Brothers. Nathaniel
recorded for Jack & Devora Brown's Fortune label from 1961 through 1966
starting with the intense doo-wop ballad My Last Dance With You
though to the proto soul of his only hit - the great Village Of Love
and ending with the proto-funk of the title tune. Fortune's primitive
recording facilities accentuates the raw and primitive feel of
Nathaniel's music. In addition to the great originals Nathaniel does a
superb cover of Clyde McPhatter's Lover Please and a ferocious
rendition of the standard Summertime. The two 1980 tracks
complete the 20th century recording career of Mayer but are not very
good. After these recordings Nathaniel disappeared into the ghetto and a
world of poverty, drugs and alcohol until his return to recording in
2002. This set sounds as good as it possibly could considering the
primitive recording quality and comes with a great 24 page booklet
telling Nathaniel's story as well as delving into the story of Fortune
Records. (FS)
|
| BIG JAY MCNEELY |
JSP JSPCD 4225 |
King OF The Honkin' Sax, 1948-1954 |
● CD $24.98 |
Two CDs, 58 tracks, highly recommended
The late 40s and
early 50s were the heyday of the sax honkers and at the top was of the
heap was the great Cecil "Big Jay" McNeely thanks to his rich and
expressive tone on tenor and baritone sax, his great sense of
improvisation rooted in bebop, his hard driving bands and his flamboyant
stage act. Big Jay (who was still performing a couple of years ago at
the age of 83!) is featured here on almost all his recordings made
between 1948 and 1954 including several alternate takes. Most of the
sides here find him in the company of his brother Bob on baritone sax as
well as other top musicians like trumpeter John Anderson, trombonist
John "Streamline" Ewing, Leonard "Tight" Hardiman on drums and other
with the personnel changing over the years. It includes his 1949 chart
topper Deacon's Hop and his other 1949 hit Wild Wig along
with other great stormers like Deacon's Groove/ Willie The Cool Cat/
Gingercake/ Let's Split/ Jay Walk/ Deacon's Express and more. Most
of the tracks are instrumental but there are also a couple of bluesy
vocals from Clifford Blivens and Ted SHirley, some doo-wop flavored
titles from Jesse Belvin with Three Dots & A Dash and The Platters shout
out the title on Nervous Man Nervous (not Rock Candy as
listed in the discography). Great music with superb sound, informative
notes by Neil Slaven and full discographical info. (FS)
BIG JAY MCNEELY: All Brown Woman/ All That Wine Is
Gone/ Artie's Jump/ Beach Comber/ Big Jay Shuffle/ Blow Big Jay/ Blow
Blow Blow/ Boogie In Front/ California Hop/ Cherry Smash/ Deacon Blows
For Ray/ Deacon Rides Again/ Deacon's Blowout/ Deacon's Express/
Deacon's Groove (Cool Blood)/ Deacon's Hop, The/ Don't Cry Baby/ Ginger
Cake/ Goof, The/ Hard Tack/ Hoppin' With Hunter/ Hot Cinders/ I'll Never
Love Again/ Ice Water/ Insect Ball/ Jay Walk/ Jay's Frantic/ Jet Fury/
Junie Flip/ Just Crazy/ K And H Boogie/ Let's Do It (Deacon's Hop)/
Let's Split/ Let's Work/ Love From The Heart (True Love)/ Man Eater/
Midnight Dreams/ Mule Milk/ Nervous Man Nervous/ Night Ride/ Old Black
Mule/ Penthouse Serenade/ Real Crazy Cool/ Roadhouse Boogie/ Rock Candy
(take 1)/ Rock Candy (take 2)/ Sad Story/ She Don't Work/ Strip Tease
Swing/ Sunday Dinner/ Texas Turkey (take 1)/ Texas Turkey (take 2)/
Third Dimension (3D) (take 2)/ Third Dimension (3D) (take 3)/ Tondelayo/
Whipped Cream/ Wild Wig/ Willie The Cool Cat
|
| CLYDE MCPHATTER |
Hip-O Select 14233-02 |
Lover Please - The Complete MGM &
Mercury Singles |
● CD $29.98 |
Clyde McPhatter was one of the most popular and
influential R&B singers of the 50s and early 60s. Not only did he have a
string of hits, starting as a lead singer for The Dominoes and Drifters,
before going solo his style was to influence artists from Frankie Lymon
to Smokey Robinson to Garry "U.S." Bonds to Aaron Neville and many
others. This limited edition (5,000 copies) two CD set is the first in
depth CD representation of his recording career between 1959 and 1965
featuring all the singles issued on MGM and Mercury. It includes his
biggest pop hit (Lover Please), his top 25 take on Little
Bitty Pretty Ones, his final top ten hits (Ta Ta and Deep
In The Heart Of Harlem), his versions of classics like (I'm
Afraid) The Masquerade Is Over and The Glory Of Love, plus
songs penned by Brook Benton, Otis Blackwell, Charles Singleton, Neil
Sedaka and Clyde himself. Handsomely packaged in a gatefold digipack it
includes extensive notes by Bill Dahl, song by song credits, and period
photos and memorabilia.
|
| THE MINITS |
Kent CDKENM 343 |
Follow Your Heart - The Sound Of Memphis
Recordings |
● CD $13.98 |
12 tracks, 39 mins, highly recommended
For some time
now, Kent has been releasing tracks from Southern record label Sounds of
Memphis in a three volume series ("Can't Be Satisfied"- Kent 283; "Play
the Game" - Kent 298; "Steppin' Stone" - Kent 339, all $18.98), as well
as individual CDs from the label's first tier artists, The Ovations and
Barbara & the Browns. Now someone at Kent has decided that female trio
the Minits rates their own compilation, which wasn't a terrible idea.
Comprised of Mary Anderson and sisters Mary Ann and Carolyn Watkins, the
Minits only had three singles released, but what singles they were:
Follow Your Heart/ Lover Boy (with the dance floor cult classic
Still a Part of Me on the flip), and Take a Look at Yourself.
The early 70's weren't exactly lacking in female R&B performers or
groups-and it didn't help that the Minits had a more than passing
resemblance to another R&B female trio, the Honey Cone-which probably
explains why these singles didn't find an audience in their time. But
Lover Boy and Follow Your Heart are as good as sweet soul got
in 1971/72, and should have been massive on the R&B charts. Even the
B-Sides were of extremely high quality: witness the gospel inflected
Last Mile of the Way. These singles are highly prized on the R&B
collector's market, and to have them here and not have to pay
collector's prices is a plus indeed. This CD includes four tracks that
previously appeared on the Sounds of Memphis label collections, the best
of which are Natural Reaction and Stepping Stone, as well
as the provocatively titled If You Don't Like My Apples (Don't Shake
My Tree) and a fine previously unissued alternate take of Love
Letters. Although the girls had a brief shelf life, this collection
bears witness to what could have been if the whims of fortune had smiled
on them. And although this is shorter than most Kent collections, it
doesn't make it any less worth your time and the lower price helps too.
(GMC)
|
| WILLIE MITCHELL |
Stomper Time 26 |
The Memphis Rhythm 'n' Blues Sound,
1958-1961 |
● CD $18.98 |
29 tracks, highly recommended
Terrific collection of R&B
featuring the talents of Memphis musical giant Willie Mitchell before he
became a major contributor to soul with his work at Hi where he was
producer, arranger and songwriter and his masterminding of many of Al
Green's greatest recordings. By the time of the recordings here
trumpeter Mitchell had been working on the Memphis musical scene for
almost 15 years and had gathered around him a superb band which included
saxophonist J.P. Louper who later went on to work with B.B. King and a
rhythm section of Lewis Steinberg and Al Jackson, Jr. who became part of
the Stax rhythm section. Vocals were provided by The Four Kings - a
quartet featuring future soul artist Don Bryant. This CD features all
the issued recordings by Willie and The Four Kings for Stomper Time and
Home Of The Blues along with originally unissued tracks and as a
delightful bonus there are seven unissued acapella demos of the Four
Kings when they were known as The Canes which are superb examples of
acapella doo-wop. The rest of material is a mix of solid R&B
instrumentals and vocals - most of them written by Willie. Sound is
excellent and 12 page booklet has extensive notes by Tony Wilkinson,
photos, label shots and full discographical data. (FS)
|
| THE MOONGLOWS |
Jasmine 591 |
Most Of All - The Singles As & Bs |
● CD $15.98 |
Two CDs, 57 tracks, very highly recommended
Another
fabulous collection of doo-wop from Jasmine, this time devoted to the
superb Chicago group, The Moonglows. Initially formed in 1952 as The
Crazy Sounds they featured the gorgeous lead vocals of Bobby Lester with
Pete Graves (tenor), Harvey Fuqua (baritone) and Prentiss Barnes (bass).
Alan Freed took over managing them and changed their name to The
Moonglows and they made their first recording for Freed's Champagne
label in 1952 and this great set features both sides of all their
singles from this first 1952 release through their magnificent rendition
of Blue Velvet, issued in 1960 but from a 1956 session. Their
early sides all feature the rich expressive lead of Lester who is
featured on such classic performances as Sincerely/ Most Of All/ We
Go Together/ See Saw and When I'm With You. By 1957 Lester's
personal problems were hurting the group and Fuqua (who has also written
many of the group's songs) took over the lead and was features on their
last two 50s hits - a sublime rendition of Percy Mayfield's Please
Send Me Someone To Love and their all time favorite Ten
Commandments Of Love. After this the group split up and Fuqua formed
a new version of the Moonglows which included a young Marvin Gaye who is
featured on his first ever lead vocal on the catchy Mama Loocie.
In 1960 they recorded a couple of songs that was more in the novelty
vein of the Coasters and Cadillacs that was good enough but not in the
same league as their earlier recordings or the groups they were trying
to emulate. Although they didn't have as many hits as some of their
contemporaries, The Moonglows are revered because of the quality of
their recordings, be it a ballad or R&B rocker. Excellent sound and
informative notes by Bob Fisher. (FS)
|
| THE PERSUASIONS |
Zoho Music 201011 |
Knockin' On Bob's Door |
● CD $15.98 |
14 tracks, 54 min., recommended
Since the Persuasions
have already paid a cappella tribute (with varying degrees of artistic
success) to The Beatles, U2, and Frank Zappa, their decision to release
an album of Dylan songs is hardly surprising. And if every track were as
stunning as Just Like A Woman, this would be the best album of
2010. But that is not the case. The oft-covered Mr. Tamourine Man
kicks off the album, but without its jingle-jangle it does little to
convince its listeners to follow it. And the track that does, All
Along The Watchtower, is similarly disappointing. Their upbeat
treatment of Like A Rolling Stone is so counter to the song's DNA
that it falls flat. Still, there are enough bright moments (e.g.,
Blowing In The Wind, Quinn The Eskimo, Forever Young,
which is excellent), to make this worth it. In fact, just about
everything The Persuasions put their voices to is at least worth
hearing. (JC)
|
| ESTHER PHILLIPS |
Soulmusic.com 5007 |
Here's Esther, Are You Ready/ Good Black
Is Hard To Cra |
● CD $19.98 |
17 tracks, 77 min., highly recommended
Imagine the the
classic sound of 1970s Philly soul behind Lula Reed, but not really.
Phillips doesn't sound like anyone but herself, and yet no one was more
versatile than she. After leaving Kudu Records in 1977, Phillips signed
with Mercury. This twofer CD of her third and fourth Mercury LPs "Here's Esther.Are You Ready" (1979) and "Good Black Is Hard To Crack" (1981) -
is much better than either of the titles or their album covers would
lead one to believe. (For a singer with such a lengthy career, Phillips'
records rarely disappointed.) Both are a little funky and a touch
disco-fied from time to time, but mostly this is solid soul with few of
the excesses that often drown soul of that era. The song selection is
all over the map, from Loleatta Holloway's Cry To Me to Willie
Nelson's classic Crazy, both of which Phillips does justice to.
Can't say her version of Elton John's Philadelphia Freedom gets
the blood moving, but then neither does his. But Love Makes A Woman/
Bedtime Stories, and We've Got A Good Thing Going are
required listening for soul fans. Informative booklet notes, with
original LP art and such. Not likely to be available forever. (JC)
|
| WILSON PICKETT |
Rhino Handmade 7753 |
Funky Midnight Mover - The Atlantic
Studio Recordings |
● CD $104.98 |
The first comprehensive compilation of Pickett's
Atlantic material, "Funky Midnight Mover" includes all his originally
issued recordings for the label, as well as early pre-Atlantic sides
with the Falcons and his recordings for Verve and Double L, his 1978
album for the Atlantic-distributed Big Tree imprint, and a full CD's
worth of rare or previously unreleased recordings. The six CD set's 154
tracks encompass all 35 of the singer's R&B smashes - including five #1
hits - from In The Midnight Hour, his first hit for Atlantic
Records, to 1973's International Playboy, his last chart entry
for the label. The sixth CD features 18 tracks - all but three
previously unreleased songs or alternate takes. The earliest unreleased
track, an undubbed alternate of Hello Sunshine, dates from the
1967 American sessions for the album "I'm In Love" and prominently
features Bobby Womack's lead guitar. The collection concludes with
Superstar, a full-blown disco track from 1978 unearthed in the
vaults during research for this set. The set, presented in an elaborate
92-page, linen-wrapped book with many rare and unseen photos, also
features comprehensive liner notes, including intros by Jerry Wexler and
Steve Cropper, an essay by Chris Morris, and an extensive track-by-track
by Bill Dahl. Since the Rhino Handmade series are limited editions that
often sell out quickly grab it while you can.
|
| OTIS REDDING |
Legends 18 |
100 Hits |
● CD $19.98 |
Five CDs, 100 tracks, very highly recommended
Here's
your chance to get an extensive collection of one of, if not the,
greatest of all deep soul singers, for a very low price. All the
classics are here - These Arms Of Mine/ Pain In My Heart/ That's How
Strong My Love Is/ Mr. Pitiful/ Respect/ Satisfaction/ My Lover's
Prayer/ Try A Little Tenderness/ Shake/ (Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay
and his other hits along with B-sides, album cuts, duets with Carla
Thomas and tracks released posthumously. The tracks are arranged
approximately chronologically with the posthumous releases on the last
disc. If you don't have much or any Otis this is the perfect collection
for you. (FS)
OTIS REDDING: (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction/ (Sittin'
On) The Dock Of The Bay)/ (Your Love Has Lifted Me) Higher And Higher/
634-5789 (Soulsville U.S.A)/ A Fool For You/ A Lover's Question/ A
Woman, A Lover, A Friend/ Amen/ Any Ole Way/ Are You Lonely For Me,
Baby?/ Bring It On Home To Me/ Chain Gang/ Chained And Bound/ Champagne
And Wine/ Change Gonna Come/ Cigarettes And Coffee/ Come To Me/ Day
Tripper/ Direct Me/ Don't Mess With Cupid/ Down In The Valley/ Everybody
Makes A Mistake/ Fa Fa Fa Fa Fa (Sad Song)/ For Your Precious Love/ Free
Me/ Glory Of Love/ Good To Me/ Got To Get Myself Together/ Groovin'
Time/ Hard To Handle/ Hawg For You/ Home In Your Heart/ I Can't Turn You
Loose/ I Love You More Than Words Can Say/ I Need Your Lovin'/ I Want To
Thank You/ I'll Let Nothing Separate Us/ I'm A Changed Man/ I'm Coming
Home To See About You/ I'm Sick Y'all/ I've Been Loving You Too Long/
I've Got Dreams To Remember/ It Takes Two/ It's Growing/ It's Too Late/
Just One More Day/ Keep Your Arms Around Me/ Knock On Wood/ Let Me Be
Good To You/ Let Me Come Home/ Look At That Girl/ Louie Louie/ Love Have
Mercy/ Love Man/ Lovey Dovey/ Lucille/ Mr. Pitful/ My Girl/ My Lover's
Prayer/ New Years Resolution/ Nobody Knows You/ Nobody's Fault But Mine/
Nothing Can Change This Love/ Ole Man Trouble/ Ooh Carla, Ooh Otis/ Open
The Door/ Pain In My Heart/ Respect/ Rock Me Baby/ Scratch My Back/
Security/ Shake/ She Put The Hurt On Me/ Something Is Worrying Me/ Stand
By Me/ Sweet Lorene/ Tell It Like It Is/ Tell The Truth/ Tennessee
Waltz/ That's A Good Idea/ That's How Strong My Love Is/ That's What My
Heart Needs/ The Dog/ The Happy Song (Dum-Dum-De-De-De-Dum-Dum)/ The
Hucklebuck/ The Match Game/ These Arms Of Mine/ Ton Of Joy/ Tramp/ Treat
Her Right/ Trick Or Treat/ Try A Little Tenderness/ When Something Is
Wrong With My Baby/ Wonderful World/ You Don't Miss Your Water/ You Left
The Water Running/ You Send Me/ You're Still My Baby/ Your Feeling Is
Mine/ Your One And Only Man
|
| THE ROYALETTES |
RPM 879 |
It's Gonna Take A Miracle - The Complete
MGM Recordings |
● CD $18.98 |
30 tracks, 78 mins, highly recommended
This Baltimore,
Maryland quartet may only have been a two-hit wonder (the title track,
later covered by Laura Nyro in the Seventies and Deniece Williams in the
Eighties, and I Want to Meet Him) in 1965, but they-along with Little
Anthony & the Imperials-were the vehicle through which producer Teddy
Randazzo pioneered a brand of sophisticated soul that was equal parts
Sam Cooke and Bacharach/David, which in turn foreshadowed the later
productions of Gamble & Huff and Thom Bell. This CD contains the two
albums the group cut with Randazzo for MGM Records-"It's Gonna Take a
Miracle" and "The Elegant Sound of the Royalettes"-and the two songs
(single) that the girls cut in 1969 with Bill Medley of the Righteous
Brothers producing. This material has been out before (on Celeste,
Ichiban, and Black Tulip) and this CD doesn't include their earlier
singles for Chancellor and Warner Brothers, but this package gives the
songs the showcase they deserve with excellent liner notes and
annotation. "The Complete MGM Recordings" may not be as thorough a
Royalettes collection as Black Tulip 39219, but it sure looks and sounds
better. (GMC)
|
|
HUEY "PIANO"
SMITH & THE CLOWNS |
Great American Music 228 |
Just Clownin' (More Of The Best) |
● CD $15.98 |
20 tracks, 50 mins, highly recommended
This collection
is, no surprise, full of all kinds of rhythm & Blues classics, done by,
or featuring, one of the all time greats: Huey "Piano" Smith. Many
classic versions like Huey's own Rockin' Pneumonia and the Boogie
Woogie Flu, The Bobbetts' Fortune Teller, Frankie Ford's
Sea Cruise, etc, mixed with lesser known and previously unreleased
gems. One of the tracks (I Don't Want A Broken Heart) is so
obscure that the vocalist is still unknown, I guess all we know is that
it was a Huey Smith session; doesn't matter, it's great. As a matter of
fact, the whole CD is fantastic, essential for fans of New Orleans
Rhythm & Blues for sure. The Clowns with Barbara/ Mississippi,
and Don't You Just Know It, Junior Gordon with Blow Wind Blow,
Jesse Thomas with That Will Get It, Curley Moore, Gerri Hall &
Benny Spellman doing I Tried, and so on, just one great track
after another. Some discographal information, especially on all the
rarer tracks would be nice; there are some good liner notes, but all
biographical stuff, no nuts and bolts on the sessions etc. Oh well, that
don't stop the party. (JM)
|
| SWAMP DOGG |
Kent CDKEND 346 |
It's All Good - A Singles Collection,
1963-1989 |
● CD $18.98 |
24 tracks, 73 mins, highly recommended
For the last
couple of years, Jerry "Swamp Dogg" Williams has been re-issuing his old
(and long out of print) albums on CD through his S.D.E.G. imprint, but
this is the first time that anyone has compiled his a definitive
collection of his singles, including those he recorded as Little Jerry
Williams (although Westside did issue a collection of his Calla
recordings in 2000). Singer/Songwriter/Producer and all around
eccentric, the Dogg has need a retrospective like this from a less
biased perspective (ie other than his own) and Kent, as usual, delivers.
Although the sides he cut as "Swamp Dogg" feature the kind of brilliant
R&B/Funk wizened craziness we've come to expect from Williams (the
compilers have thoughtfully included such gems as Mama's Baby-Daddy's
Maybe/ Synthetic World/ Buzzard Luck and Wife Sitter) it's
the tracks under his own name that are revelatory: straightforward R&B
love songs that rank with anything Chubby Checker or the Contours did
during the same era. Don't believe me, try She's So Divine/ I'm the
Lover Man/ The 1965 King Size Nicotine Blues (how's that for a
title!), and It's Still Good - corkers all. As cool as it's been
to hear the Dogg's 70's opuses on the S.D.E.G. CDs, hearing where it all
began for Jerry-and finding out that he had the goods from early
on-makes this collection worth its weight in gold. (GMC)
SWAMP DOGG: Baby Bunny (Sugar Honey)/ Baby You're My
Everything/ Buzzard Luck/ Choking To Death (From The Ties That Bind)
(Single Edit)/ Creeping Away/ Did I Come Back Too Soon (Or Did I Stay
Away Too Long) (Single Edit)/ Happy Dog Day (Version II)/ Hum Baby/ I'm
In The Danger Zone/ I'm The Lover Man/ If You Ask Me (Because I Love
You)/ It's Still Good/ Kiss Me/ Knowing I'm Pleasing Me And You/ Let's
Do The Wobble (Before Chubby Gets It)/ Mama's Baby - Daddy's Maybe/ Oh
Lord, What Are You Doing To Me/ Right Arm For Your Love (Single Edit)/
She's So Divine/ Silly Silly Silly Silly Me/ Synthetic World/ The 1965
King Size Nicotine Blues/ The Other Man/ Wife Sitter - (Feat. Steve
Alaimo)
|
| TED TAYLOR |
Kent CDKEND 348 |
Keep What You Got - The Rare & Unissued
Ronn REcordings |
● CD $18.98 |
24 tracks, 79 mins, recommended
After tasting chart
success with dual identity vocal quartet the Cadets/Jacks in the 50's
and label hopping as a solo artist during the early 60's (including a
noteworthy stint on Okeh), Ted Taylor landed at Stan Lewis' Ronn Records
in 1967. While at Ronn, Taylor cut some memorable singles including
Miss You So/ Without a Woman/ Long Ago/ Strangest Feeling, and a
cover of Chuck Willis' It's Too Late at FAME studios in Muscle
Shoals. However, the tracks on this CD were cut later (probably in the
early 70's) in Los Angeles, his home turf, in a style that's a mixture
of funk and blues/soul-a far cry from the deep southern soul from his
FAME sides. Many of the songs here have remained in the vault until now,
and there are quite a few gems-notably, Why Do I Have to Suffer
and Got to Have a Woman. Taylor has a slightly unusual voice-a
cross between Z.Z. Hill and Curtis Mayfield-which can be a bit of an
acquired taste, but if you're so inclined this collection of buried
treasures, including four duets with Little Johnny Taylor, is worth
checking out. (GMC)
TED TAYLOR: (Long As I Got You) I Got Love/ A Lick And
A Promise/ Anytime, Anyplace, Anywhere/ Call The House Doctor/ Cry It
Out Baby/ Cummins Prison Farm (Take 1)/ Don't Be Slappin' My Hand/ Fair
Warning/ Farewell/ Funky Ghetto/ Got To Have A Woman/ How's Your Love
Life Baby/ I'll Be Here/ Keep What You Get And Like It/ Let Me Fix Up
Your Feelings/ Make Up For Lost Time/ Papa's Gonna Make Love/ Pretending
Love/ She's Got A Munchy Tunchy/ Sweet Lovin' Pair/ Walking The Floor/
What A Fool/ Who's Doing It To Who/ Why Do I Have To Suffer
|
| ALLEN TOUSSAINT |
Charly SNAX 624 |
Everything I Do Gonh Be Funky |
● CD $17.98 |
2 CDs, 50 tracks, very highly recommended
At last, a
fairly comprehensive and well put together compilation of Allen
Toussaint's work during his most fruitful period. Disc one focuses on
his session work with the likes of Fat Domino and Lee Allen, and on his
solo recordings under various aliases (Al Tousan, Allen and Allen, The
Stokes, The Rubyiats, Willie and Allen). These sides are interesting
because they show his talents as a pianist and give us glimpse into his
early work as a young performer. The Stokes tracks include the original
recording of Whipped Cream which was later a big hit for The
Tiajuana Brass. The duets with Allen Orange are cute, and the ones with
Willie Harper are more down 'n' dirty soulful. Most of these tracks were
cut in the late 50's/early 60's and are great deal more sophisticated
than much of what was coming out of New York at the same time. Disc two
spotlights the hits Toussaint wrote and/or produced and all the biggies
are here: Jesse Hill's Ooh Poo Pah Doo; Ernie K Doe's Mother
In Law and A Certain Girl; Chris Kenner's I Like it Like
That" Parts 1 & 2; Lee Dorsey's Working in a Coal Mine/ Holy Cow,
and the original version of Yes We Can (later made more famous by
the Pointer Sisters, again with Toussaint at the board); and best of all
The Showmen's immortal It Will Stand. There are also tasty
helpings of Toussaint's work with Irma Thomas, Aaron and Art Neville,
Benny Spellman, and The Meters. The set is not quite as definitive as it
could be (that would probably need four or five discs), but as a window
into the career of a giant of New Orleans R&B it will do nicely. (GMC)
LEE ALLEN: Tic Toc/ Walkin' With Mr. Lee/ ALLEN AND
ALLEN: Beverly Baby/ Heavenly Baby/ Tiddle Winks/ ERNIE K DOE: A Certain
Girl/ Mother In Law/ FATS DOMINO: I Want You To Know/ I'm Gonna Be A
Wheel Someday/ Young Schoolgirl/ LEE DORSEY: Everything I Do Gohn Be
Funky (From Now On)/ Holy Cow/ Night People/ Working In A Coal Mine/ Yes
We Can/ BETTY HARRIS: I'm Evil Tonight/ Nearer To You/ JESSIE HILL:
Oogsey Moo/ Ooh Poo Pah Doo Pts 1 & 2/ CHRIS KENNER: I Like It Like That
Pt 1/ I Like It Like That Pt 2/ THE METERS: Look A Py Py/ Sophisticated
Cissy/ AARON NEVILLE: Over You/ Wrong Number/ ART NEVILLE: All These
Things/ THE PRIMEMATES: Hot Tamales Pt 1/ Hot Tamales Pt 2/ THE
RUBYIATS: Omar Khayyam/ Tomorrow/ THE SHOWMEN: It Will Stand/ BENNY
SPELLMAN: Fortune Teller/ Lipstick Traces/ THE STOKES: Banana Split/ Fat
Cat/ Pie Crust/ Whipped Cream/ Young Man Old Man/ IRMA THOMAS: Its
Raining/ Ruler Of My Heart/ AL TOUSAN: Happy Times/ Java/ Moo Moo/
Naomi/ Wham Tousan/ Whirlaway/ ALLEN TOUSSAINT & THE STOKES: Go Back
Home/ Poor Boy Got To Move/ WILLIE AND ALLEN: Baby Do Liddle/ I Don't
Need One
|
| DORIS TROY |
Kent CDKEND 344 |
I'll Do Anything - The Doris Troy
Anthology |
● CD $18.98 |
26 tracks, 72 mins, highly recommended
To one
generation, the name Doris Troy conjures memories of a glorious 1963 pop
hit called Just One Look; to another, she was one of the back-up
singers on Pink Floyd's landmark 1973 album "Dark Side of the Moon."
Whichever way one chooses to remember her, Troy's career as a singer of
the first rank cannot be disputed, and this collection has come along as
irrefutable proof to support that assumption. This career-spanning
compilation features singles and LP cuts from the Calla, Atlantic,
Capitol, Shirley, Arliss, Everest, Cameo-Parkway, Wand, and Apple
labels. Just to show how comprehensive this collection is, Doris'
session work is also represented; for example, the Wand cuts are Doris
backing up Chuck Jackson. And we get generous doses of Doris'
songwriting, something she did quite successfully for herself (she
co-wrote Just One Look) and others. All of her classics are here:
Just One Look/ What'cha Gonna Do About It/ Heartaches, two tracks
from her first Apple LP, the George Harrison co-written and produced
Ain't That Cute and You Tore Me Up Inside, and I'll Do
Anything. From gospel singer to R&B singer to pop singer, to
world-class session/back-up singer, and back to gospel singer, Doris
Troy has done it all, and "I'll Do Anything" is a towering testament to
her immense talent. (GMC)
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| IKE & TINA TURNER |
BGO BGOCD 942 |
Come Together/ 'Nuff Said |
● CD $18.98 |
23 tracks, highly recommended
Two excellent Ike & Tina
LPs from 1970 and '71 issued on Liberty and United Artists find the duo
in fine form on a collection of R&B, soul and black rock. "Come
Together" is mostly drawn from singles including their hit versions of
The Beatles title song and Sly & The Family Stone's I Want To Take
You Higher. It also includes their superb cover of The Rolling
Stones Honky Tonk Woman with most of the rest being compositions
by Ike. "'Nuff Said" was a full studio album and mostly features songs
co-composed by Ike and has a black rock feel showing the influence of
Sly & The Family Stone. The two part title song is a blues-rock
instrumental workout. Ike & Tina are accompanied by the great Kings Of
Rhythm (renamed Family Vibes for the second album) with vocal backups
from The Ikettes. Some of the tracks on these albums are a bit more rock
flavored than I care for but these are solid performances throughout.
Newly remastered and with extensively annotated booklet. (FS)
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| IKE & TINA TURNER |
Hip-O Select 15367-02 |
River Deep ~ Mountain High |
● CD $18.98 |
12 tracks, 36 mins, recommended
Straight re-issue
(available for the first time in years as a domestic CD) of this
recorded in 1966/released in 1969 LP. As most people know, the title
track was Phil Spector's last major Wall-of-Sound production before he
went into spiteful temporary retirement, after the single flopped in the
U.S. Apparently, there was supposed to be an entire album, produced by
Spector, to be released on his Philles label in 1967; as it turned out,
what we got was this hodgepodge of half helmed by Spector - A Love
Like Yours (Don't Come Knocking Every Day)/ I'll Never Need More Than
This/ Save the Last Dance For Me/ Hold On Baby/ Every Day I Have to Cry,
and the title track-and the rest helmed by Ike. The juxtaposition of
Spector's everything-but-the-kitchen sink, atmospheric tracks with Ike's
gritty, no-non sense R&B isn't as jarring as one might think, and the
album holds together surprisingly well. The remakes of early Ike & Tina
hits, A Fool in Love/ It's Gonna Work Out Fine, and I Idolize
You, are ok, while Such a Fool For You is a typical Ike &
Tina barn burner. River Deep Mountain High remains the classic
it's been for 45 years, while the other Spector tracks do apt justice to
Tina's soaring vocals. All 'n' all, a welcome re-issue indeed, although
docked a notch for no bonus tracks or truly informative liner notes.
(GMC)
|
| SPENCER WIGGINS |
Kent CDKEND 340 |
Feed The Flame: The Fame And XL
Recordings |
● CD $18.98 |
22 tracks, 67 min., essential
After Rick Hall (of Fame
Records) bought Wiggins' contract from the floundering Goldwax Records,
he send him straight to the studio in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. The
results of those and later sessions (as well as Wiggins' final Goldwax
outing) appear on this excellent release. Recorded between 1969-73,
these sides, made at Fame and Sounds Of Memphis (many previously
unreleased) are every bit the equal of Wiggins' earlier work (also
available on Ace/ Kent). It's deep southern soul recorded the way it
should be. Wiggins' voice, which is two parts Bobby Bland and one part O.V. Wright sounds vibrant and strong on the classic This Time,
the much sought after I'm At The Breaking Point, This Love Is
Gonna Be True, Holding On To A Dying Love, the ballad Love
Works That Way, Make Me Yours,and more. Wiggins even turns out
a James Brown-esque funk workout called Love Machine and funks it up
some more on Love Attack. Used to be impossible to find this guy's
records, so it's especially nice to have these great recordings made
available. And Kent/Ace does its usual quality job all around.
Impressive stuff. (JC)
|
| MAURICE WILLIAMS |
Black Tulip 39227 |
And The Zodiacs And The Gladiolas |
● CD $18.98 |
33 tracks, highly recommended
Terrific retrospective of
top notch doo-wop and proto-soul featuring the fine lead vocals of
Maurice Williams with his groups The Gladiolas and The Zodiacs. It
ranges from his iconic hit Little Darlin with the Gladiolas
recorded in 1957 for Excello through to his 1968 remake of his 1960
classic Stay (the original is also included here). The group
started as the Junior Harmonizers gospel group and the Royal Charms,
then, switching to original material they signed with Excello as the
Gladiolas (1956-57) before changing their name to the Zodiacs and
recording briefly for Cole and Selwyn in 1959. They signed to Al
Silver's Herald label with a change in personnel and recorded some of
their jumping-est sides, many of which became regular "Beach" dance
classics in the Carolinas. This disc includes many of their familiar
Excello and Herald recordings along with fine, lesser known sides, for
Cole, Selwyn, Soma, Scepter and other labels. As the 60s progress the
group's moved in a soul direction. Throughout the singing, songs and
arrangements are excellent and sound quality is excellent. It's a shame
that there are no notes but it's the music that counts and there are no
problems with that. (FS)
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