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Stax - Respect Yourself/ Stax Volt Revue
Live In Norway
● DVD $19.98 $10.98
2 DVD set, 3 hours 8 minutes, essential
There can be
little doubt that Stax/Volt was one of the greatest labels in the
history of rock and soul music. The talent nurtured by the behind the
scenes staff was second to none: Otis Redding, Carla Thomas, Sam & Dave,
Booker T. & the MGs, and Eddie Floyd to name but a few. This double
feature DVD contains two films that had been previously released
individually in 2007, now combined into a reasonably priced package.
"Respect Yourself" tells the bittersweet story of the label's rise and
fall; a place where Black and White worked together with love, harmony,
and an innocence that was lost irreparably when Martin Luther King was
killed (at the same motel where the label's office staff, session
musicians, and artists often partied in the off-hours, ironically). The
tales of ego, greed, jealousy, and organized crime punctuated the
label's fall are not unique to them, but special chemistry that the
house band (Booker T. and the MGs, plus the Mar-Keys horn section) had
with the singers was a rare occurrence and to have that wasted is a
shame. And it's that chemistry that is demonstrated in spades in the
Live in Norway film; from the opening clutch of instrumentals from BT &
the MGs (later joined by the Mar-Keys) to the electrifying performances
from Sam & Dave (particularly on When Something is Wrong With My Baby
and Hold On I'm Coming) and Otis Redding (who brings the house
down with Try a Little Tenderness), the interplay between artist
and band is amazing with its spontaneous precision. Both these films are
mandatory viewing for lovers of Memphis Soul, which makes this DVD an
essential purchas. (GMC)
18 tracks. 49 min., highly recommended
The Missouri-born
Freda McDonald became famous after adopting the name Josephine Baker and
moving to France. She began recording in 1926 and this release offers a
nice sample of cabaret material, including J'ai Deux Amours/ Mon
Paris/ La Conga Blicoti, and Dis-Moi Josephine, among others.
A nice, reasonably-priced introduction to Baker's work, although the
notes are short on song and session information. (JC)
20 tracks, 56 mins, highly recommended
Gorgeous
collection of quartet gospel singing recorded for Peacock between 1952
and 1954 by this outstanding quartet from Austin, Texas led by A.C.
Littlefield who still leads a group with the same name today. Originally
known as the Starlight Singers they changed to The Bells Of Joy in 1950.
They were in the vanguard of a more modern quartet style with a more
intense vocal style, effective use of call of response and use of guitar
and drums to accentuate the rhythm. At their first session they cut the
uptempo Let's Talk About Jesus which was a massive gospel hit.
Since most of the members of the group were unwilling to tour following
their hit Littlefield joined forces with The Southern Tones who became
the new Bells Of Joy. Whatever the line up their singing was superb -
Littlefield did many of the leads with others featuring Clem Reed or
Vernon Maynor on the early sides and Sam Cooke influenced Robert Dawkins
on the later sides. This collection features all their issued side from
this period as well as eight originally unissued sides that first
appeared on a long out of print Japanese LP and are every bit as good as
the issued sides and in fact the unissued No More Sorrow with
searing lead by Clem Reed is probably my favorite track here. Excellent
sound and informed notes by Opal Louis Nations round out an exceptional
release. (FS)
31 tracks, 77 mins, highly recommended
How cool was
Solomon Burke? Man, he was one of the coolest. It seems sometimes that
since Solomon Burke had such a long, prolific, and varied career, his
great early Rhythm & Blues (or should we say proto-Soul) recording don't
get as much attention as they deserve. Gathering up classic tracks
recorded for the Apollo, Grand Prix, Singular, and Atlantic record
labels, this fab collection showcases the evolution of a great artist. I
had never really thought of Solomon Burke as a child prodigy, but he was
only 15 years old on the earliest recordings here, although he certainly
sounded like he was about 35 right from the start. If you pick this up,
you will get such gems as Why Do Me That Way/ Walking In A Dream/ You
Can Run (But You Can't Hide,)/ For You and You Alone/ Don't Cry,
etc., and such variety as Christmas Presents/ Honk Honk Honk Parts 1
&2, and Be Bop Grandma! All in all, this is a great
collection that should thrill and delight fans of Rhythm & Blues and
early Soul. (JM) SOLOMON BURKE: A Picture Of You/ Always Together -
Little Vincent/ Be Bop Grandma/ Christmas Presents/ Don't Cry/ Doodle De
Doo/ For You And You Alone/ Friendship Ring/ Honk Honk Honk Pt 1- Little
Vincent & His Band/ Honk Honk Honk Pt 2 - Little Vincent & His Band/ How
Many Times/ I Need You Tonight/ I'm All Alone/ I'm In Love/ I'm Not
Afraid/ It's All Right/ Just Out Of Reach/ Keep The Magic Working/ Leave
My Kitten Alone/ Mama, Mama Dear/ My Heart Is A Chapel/ No Man Walks
Alone/ They Always Say/ This Is It/ This Little Ring/ To Thee/ Walking
In A Dream/ Why Do Me That Way?/ You Are My One Love/ You Can Run/ You
Can't Hide/ You Don't Send Me Anymore - Little Vincent
25 tracks, highly recommended
First in a series of live
recordings drawn from radio transcriptions by Western Swing giant Spade
Cooley. Though his commercial recordings of the time were moving in a
pop direction and would eventually feature him with large orchestras
these live performances capture him and his band in top form with hot
instrumental work. Personnel varied from show to show but included steel
guitarists Joaquin Murphey & Tommy Sargent, guitarists Johnny Weiss,
Jimmy Widener and others, fiddlers including Tiny Hunt, Rex Call and
Spade himself, accordionist George Bamby and others. Vocalist include
Tex Williams, Smokey Rogers and others including female group The
Sunshine Trio featuring Colleen Summers who would later become known as
Mary Ford. Sound quality is satisfactory though it suffers from BACM's
tendency to overdo the digital noise reduction. Western swing expert
Kevin Coffey provides illuminating notes. (FS) SPADE COOLEY: Blue Skies/ Blues In My Mind/ Born To
Lose/ Copenhagen (instro)/ Hari Kari/ I Wish I Knew/ Ida Red (instro)/
Lies (instro)/ Limehouse Blues/ Listen To The Mockingbird (instro)/ My
Adobe Hacienda/ My Confession/ Oklahoma Hills/ Please Don't Leave Me/
Red Wing (instro)/ Riverside Drive (instro)/ San Fernando Valley/ Shame
On You/ Swingin' The Devil's Dream (instro)/ Take Me Back To Tulsa/ The
Campbells Are Comin' (instro)/ Turn My Picture Upside Down/ Yodelin'
Polka (instro)/ You Don't Love Me (But I'll Always Care)/ You're Only In
My Arms
Keep Me In Mind - Complete Liberty &
Imperial Singles 3
● CD $18.98 $14.98
27 tracks, highly recommended
The third and final
collection of DeShannon's A and B-sides cut during her ten year stay a
Liberty Records; this batch covers the years 1967 to 1970. The hit
during this period was 1969's Put a Little Love in Your Heart,
but the gems don't stop there; the quirky Changin' My Mind and
Me About You, I Keep Wanting You, and a lovely cover of John
Sebastian's Didn't Want to Have to Do It are just the beginning.
And Jackie's own songwriting doesn't get lost in the shuffle:
Effervescent Blue/ Keep Me in Mind/ Mediterranean Sky, and Nicole
are classy affairs. Jackie DeShannon fans will not be disappointed with
this last installment in her Liberty Records saga. (GMC)
30 tracks, 73 mins, essential
I have a theory that The Everly Brothers have more good songs than any other Rock & Roll act icon
in history. When you look at the length and breath of their career, the
Everlys probably have recorded about 40 great songs and about another
40-50 really good songs. When you break it down, Elvis had maybe 30
great songs and 15-20 really good ones, and then the quality takes a
nasty plunge; Little Richard, as great as he is, was so sporadic that
his totals are probably about the same. Bo Diddley and Fats Domino both
probably had/ have better batting averages than the big E and Little R,
due to more prolific careers and the number of great tracks on lesser
known records. Chuck Berry and Buddy Holly might have an even higher
number. The Everly Brothers beat them all, though, they had many great
hits starting in the 1950s, but all through to the late 1960's they had
great tracks on albums hardly anybody listened to and good tracks on
albums all the way up to the 1980s that even less people listened to. On
top of that, they had just as many great ballads as they did rockers,
which brings us to this fantastic collection, 30 tracks of nothing but
really good to great ballads by the boys. Here's the hits that are here
that most of you probably know: All I Have To Do Is Dream/ Devoted To
You/ Let It Be Me/ So Sad (To Watch Good Love Go Bad,)/ Love Hurts/
Crying in The Rain, etc., each one of those a mother of a song that
can bring a tear to your eye and make you feel all gooey inside. Then on
top of that you have beautiful lesser known tracks like: Sleepless
Night/ Always It's You/ Why Now/ Ebony Eyes, and many more. Even
when the record label was making them record such potentially cheesy
stuff Cole Porter's True Love, and show tunes like Theme From
Carnival, the Brothers Everly were able to make them cool, with
sparse, atmospheric recordings and their ethereal harmonies. The Everly
Brothers still sound as fresh to me now as they did when I first
starting digging them back when I was a little kid. High praise to Bear
Family for their consistently fabulous job putting this together, great
sound, notes, etc. (JM) THE EVERLY BROTHERS: A Change Of Heart/ All I Have To
Do Is Dream/ Always It's You/ Autumn Leaves/ Crying In The Rain/ Devoted
To You/ Don't Ask Me To Be Friends/ Don't Blame Me/ Ebony Eyes/ Hi-Lili,
Hi-Lo (#2)/ Let It Be Me/ Like Strangers/ Little Old Lady/ Lonely
Island/ Love Hurts (#1)/ Love Of My Life/ Maybe Tomorrow/ No One Can
Make My Sunshine Smile #1 (Take 17)/ Now Is The Hour (Maori Farewell
Song)/ Oh, So Many Years/ Oh, What A Feeling/ Sleepless Nights/ So Sad
(To Watch Good Love Go Bad)/ Take A Message To Mary/ That's Just Too
Much/ The Party's Over/ Theme From 'Carnival' (Love Makes The World Go
'Round)/ True Love/ Whe n I Grow Too Old To Dream/ Why Not
10 tracks, 46 min., highly recommended
Kim Wilson and
company have traded in the high octane house rocking' bar bad sound for
a more soulful and blues-laden approach, and the results are pretty damn
satisfying. Sure, they occasionally go a little too soft and fuzzy, as
on Hold Me, but they generally make up for it with better lyrics
and more thoughtful subject matter, as on the Wilson-penned Do You
Know Who I Am and the outstanding Got To Bring It With You.
which includes the musical thought, "If you want love/You got to bring
it with you." So while it may not be tuff enuff, it's a step forward and
worthy of repeated listening. (JC)
The Princess Of Soul - Before The
Coronation, 1956-1962
● CD $18.98
2 CD, 47 tracks, highly recommended
Before Aretha
Franklin was The Queen of Soul-that is before the team of Jerry Wexler
and Tom Dowd helped her find the recipe for success with Atlantic
Records-she was "discovered" by John Hammond and recorded for Columbia
Records. The long held belief was that nearly everything she cut for
Columbia was worthless because they didn't know what to do with her many
talents. In recent years that myth has come in for re-examination with
the release of various collections of that era, and Jasmine Records has
weighed in with their own version. "The Princess of Soul" collects
together over two discs Aretha's first three Columbia LPs--Aretha!
(1961), The Electrifying Aretha Franklin (1962), and The Tender, The
Moving, The Swinging (1962)-as well as a collection of gospel tracks cut
live in her father's church that was originally released by Checker in
1956. These gospel recordings are impressive in that they demonstrate
the fact that Aretha's powerful vocals were present at an early age, and
are certainly a highlight of the set. As for the Columbia tracks, it is
more than a little disconcerting to hear Aretha performing standards in
the manner of a Sarah Vaughan or Dinah Washington, but her gifts shine
through regardless, and she delivers a killer Today I Sing the Blues
and Won't Be Long backed by the Ray Bryant Combo on the first
album. While the first album has a bluesy undercurrent that's appealing,
the second seems to take more of scattershot approach that finds Aretha
tackling Jazz Pop (Operation Heartbreak), Big Band balladry (I
Told You So), and R&B (Rough Lover) to not unlikable effect.
As for album number three, it's basically wall to wall ballads that are
hit and miss. In sum, this CD presents Aretha's Columbia period as it
was meant to be heard: in the context of the original LPs. And it's in
this context that these sides need to be judged, because, like it or
not, these recordings are as much a part of Aretha Franklin's legacy as
anything she did for Atlantic or Arista and should be given a fair
hearing. (GMC)
22 tracks, 55 min., good
Joyce Heath was essentially a
pop singer, closer in style to Doris Day than any rock and roller or doo
wop crooner. The earliest tracks here are washed in strings to an
unpleasant degree. Interestingly, one of the better songs is the
country-flavored Too Many Walls. One of the worst is I Only
Dreamed It, which features a spoken word bridge by an unidentified
male vocalist which is as sappy as anything ever committed to vinyl. Her
big hit, Honor Roll Of Love, the B-side to the oddly flaccid
The Bunny Tale is nothing to write home about. Another single,
(The Legend Of) The Great Philadelphia Lawyer, also fails to catch
fire, despite backing from Timberlanes, Dion's first group. In fact two
of the better cuts belong to The Tremonts (Legend Of Love,
Believe My Heart), who were later rechristened The Privateers when
backing Heath. Fans of Joyce Heath will not be disappointed with this
release, but the rarity of the tracks doesn't always make up for the
too-often mediocre music. And don't expect much in the way of notes.
(JC)
26 tracks, recommended
Fine collection of sides from
this powerful and expressive singer. Howard had a slew of hits from the
mid 60s through mid 70s but this set features her early sides recorded
for Challenge and Capitol between 1958 and '62. Jan (Lula Grace Johnson)
was discovered by Wynn Stewart who introduced her to his friend, the
great songwriter Harlan Howard and they married within a week.
Originally acting as a demo singer for Harlan's songs she eventually was
signed by Challenge and recorded half a dozen singles for them, some of
them backed by Wynn Stewart's band, and subsequently moved to Capitol.
Most of the recordings were of her husband's songs including versions of
such classic songs as He Called Me Baby/ Pick Me Up On Your Way Down
and Heartaches By The Number as well as fine lesser known songs
like My Baby's In Berlin/ Bring It On Back To Me/ Belle Of The Ball
and The One You Slip Around With (her first chart hit). A fine
and enjoyable selection. (FS) JAN HOWARD: A World I Can't Live In/ All Alone Again/
Belle Of The Ball/ Bring It On Back To Me/ Don't Worry/ Everybody Loves
A Lover/ Funny How Time Slips Away/ He Called Me Baby/ Heartaches By The
Number/ I Wish I Could Fall In Love Again/ I've Got My Pride/ If Your
Conscience Can't Stop You How Can I/ Let Me Know/ Looking Back/ Many
Dreams Ago/ My Baby's In Berlin/ My Destiny/ Padre/ Pick Me Up On Your
Way Down/ The One You Slip Around With/ The Real Me/ They Listened While
You Said Goodbye/ This Sad Old House/ Tomorrow You Won't Even Know My
Name/ Whatcha Gonna Do For An Encore/ You'd Better Go
2 CDs, 60 tracks, 151 mins, highly recommended
Here's a
fantastic collection of the great Little Willie John's classic
recordings for the King record label. You get both the A & B sides of
some of the coolest Rhythm & Blues singles ever made. Hits like All
Around the World/ Fever/ Talk to Me, Talk to Me/ Leave My Kitten Alone/
Heartbreak (It's Hurtin' Me)/ Sleep, etc. Cooler than cool B side
cuts are My Nerves/ You Got To Get Up Early In The Morning/ I'm
Shakin'/ Flamingo, and many more. Truly one of the greatest and most
influential singers of his time, no less than James Brown, did a tribute
album to Little Willie John after John's tragic death at the age of only
30. (JM) LITTLE WILLIE JOHN: (I've Got) Spring Fever/ A Cottage
For Sale/ A Little Bit Of Loving/ All Around The World/ All My Love
Belongs To You/ Are You Ever Coming Back/ Autumn Leaves/ Dinner Date/ Do
Something For Me/ Do You Love Me/ Don't Be Ashamed To Call My Name/
Don't Leave Me Dear/ Drive Me Home/ Fever/ Flamingo/ Heartbreak (It's
Hurtin' Me)/ Home At Last/ I'll Carry Your Love Wherever I Go/ I'll
Never Go Back On My Word/ I'm Shakin'/ I'm Sorry/ I'm Stickin' With You
Baby/ I've Been Around/ I've Got To Go Cry/ If I Thought You Needed Me/
Leave My Kitten Alone/ Let Nobody Love You/ Let Them Talk/ Let's Rock
While The Rockin's Good/ Letter From My Darling/ Look What You've Done
To Me/ Love, Life And Money/ Loving Care/ Made For Me/ My Love Is/ My
Nerves/ Need Your Love So Bad/ No More In Life/ No Regrets/ Now You
Know/ Person To Person/ Right There/ Sleep/ Spasms/ Suffering With The
Blues/ Take My Love (I Want To Give It All To You)/ Talk To Me, Talk To
Me/ Tell It Like It Is/ The Very Thought Of You/ There Is Someone In
This World For Me/ There's A Difference/ Uh Uh Baby/ Until You Do/ Walk
Slow/ Why Don't You Haul Off And Love Me/ Will The Sun Shine Tomorrow/
You Got To Get Up Early In The Morning/ You Hurt Me/ You're A
Sweetheart/ Young Girl
28 tracks, highly recommended
Another amazing production
from Archeophone of music from the beginning of the 20th century - this
time devoted to the cornet playing of Bohemian born Bohumir Kryl.
Although, by current standards, his playing would be considered
"gimmicky" he was an awesomely gifted player - he was master of double
and triple tonguing techniques and his abilities allowed him to start
and stop air passing through his lips very rapidly, permitting many
notes to be played in a short period of times. He was also master of a a
technique that few today can duplicate; producing sub-pedal tones - in
other words producing notes on the instrument lower than the instrument
should be capable of producing. He couldn't explain how he did it and
even today it is not clear how he did it. He used these extreme
techniques on a number of tunes here like Down Deep in the Cellar/
Kryl's Favorite and Carnival of Venice. However it's not all
fireworks with Kryl. On tunes like Sing Smile Slumber/ Lost Chord/
The Ring and Blue Bell his playing is haunting and sensitive.
The material featured is a mix of light classical, original tunes by
Kryl and other recent compositions. Most of the tracks feature Kryl
accompanied by piano but there are also few with an orchestra as well as
several delightful duets with trombone players. As always with
Archeophone, the sound quality on these 100 year old recordings is
astounding and the 32 page, copiously illustrated booklet, give a
detailed account of Kryl's fascinating life story (among other things he
was a circus tumbler, trapeze flyer and sculpter!), discussions of his
technique and notes on every track. (FS)
Blues Blasters Boogie: Selected Classic
Sides, 1945-55
● CD $28.98
Four CDs, 96 tracks, essential
Jimmy McCracklin, who
passed away at the end of 2012 was a brilliantly talented and, to some
extent, underrated performer. Jimmy was a superb singer with a warm,
soulful engaging style, an excellent piano player, a decent harmonica
player, an exceptional songwriter and bandleader. He was one of those
artists who had the knack of remaining contemporary while rarely
straying very far from the blues and was an active performer from the
1940s to the early years of the 21st century. This superb collection
presents most of his recordings made for a variety of labels between
1945 and 1955. The recordings here from the beginning of his career find
him strongly under the influence of his inspiration and tutor the great
Walter Davis. The first half a dozen cuts from 1945 find him in the
company of piano player J.D. Nicholson whose own playing was strongly
influenced by Davis and the result are some truly sublime performances.
Soon Jimmy would take over his own piano accompaniments. A 1946 session
finds him accompanied by the band of Shifty Henry on some more urban
numbers including the great up tempo two parter Rock And Rye. In
1947 Jimmy relocated from Los Angeles to the Bay Area where he teamed up
with superb guitarist Robert Kelton who appears on most of the sides
from 1947 & '48 along with an unknown bassist and drummer LIttle Red.
For his 1950 session he is joined by a second guitar (possibly Lafayette
Thomas) and a tenor saxist (probably Maxwell Davis). On a number of
tracks Kelton & Thomas both play and the interplay between the two makes
for ecstatic listening. For his 1951 sessions he is joined by a
completely different group with alto and tenor sax players and probably
Pee Wee Kingsley on guitar. Jimmy's singing and piano playing are superb
throughout and there are some fine songs - mostly originals along with a
great version of Memphis Slim's Beer Drinking Woman and two quite
different variations on St. Louis Jimmy's Going Down Slow - one
called When I'm Gone (1948) and the other Bad Health Blues
(1950). In 1952 guitarist Lafayette Thomas and tenor saxist Wild Willie
Moore joined his band and were featured on many of his subsequent
recordings through the 1950s. Thomas was a devastating guitar player
whose imaginative technique was to influence many West Coast guitar
players. These recordings are consistently superb - the slow blues (Share
And Share Alike/ The End/ Hear My Story, etc) continue to harken
back to the mournful stylings of Walter Davis and the up tempo number s
(She Felt Too Good/ I Don't Want No Woman/ BLues Blasters Boogie,
etc) rock like crazy. The set ends in 1955 and I would have liked it to
continue a few more years but JSP decided to fill half of the last disc
with an excellent mid 70s session that JSP originally put out on LP
years ago. Jimmy is joined by his old associate Wild Willie Moore on
tenor and a fine band on a selection of new and old songs and shows how
deftly JImmy could update his sound while sounding pretty much the way
he always did. Sound quality is superb and there are informative notes
by Neil Slaven and full discographical details. (FS) JIMMY MCCRACKLIN: Achin' Heart/ Arkansas/ Baby Don't
You Want To Go/ Bad Condition Blues/ Bad Health Blues/ Bad Luck And
Trouble/ Beer Drinkin' Woman/ Beer Drinkin' Woman: Alt Tk/ Big Foot
Mama/ Blues And Trouble/ Blues Blasters Boogie/ Blues Blasters Shuffle/
Blues For The People/ Copyright On Your Love/ Couldn't Be A Dream/ Cry
On/ Darlin' Share Your Love/ Deceivin' Blues/ Deceivin' Blues: Tk 1/
Everytime/ Give My Heart A Break/ Gonna Find Another Woman/ Gonna Tell
Your Mother/ Gotta Cut Out/ Hear My Story/ Hello Baby/ Highway 101/
House Rockin' Blues/ I Am Tired/ I Can't Understand Love/ I Don't Want
No Woman/ I Got To Know/ I Think My Time Is Here/ I Told Ya Mama/ I'll
Get A Break Someday/ I'm Gonna Have My Fun/ Jimmy's Blues/ Josephine
(Just Won't Let Her Go)/ Just Couldn't Take My Rest/ Just Won't Let Her
Go/ Just Won't Let Her Go: Alt Tk/ Listen Woman/ Looking For A Woman/
Love When It Rains/ Low Down Mood/ Make Love To Me/ Mean Mistreated
Lover/ Miss Mattie Left Me/ Miss Minnie Lee Blues/ Movin' On Down The
Line/ My Days Are Limited/ My Life Depends On You/ Night And Day/ Ola
May/ Playin' On Me/ Please Forgive Me Baby/ Pleasin' Papa/ Ragged As A
Mop (Hamburger Joint)/ Railroad Blues/ Reconsider Baby/ Rock And Rye/
Rock And Rye: Pt 1/ Rock And Rye: Pt 2/ Rockin' All Day/ Rockin' Man/
Share And Share Alike/ She Felt Too Good/ She's A Wino/ She's Gone/
She's My Baby/ Something About You/ South Side Mood/ Special For You/
Street Loafin' Woman/ Sue And Pat/ That Ain't Right/ That's Life/ The
Cheater/ The End/ The Panic's On/ True Love Blues/ Up And Down Blues/ Up
And Down Blues: Alt Tk/ We Could Make A Go I Know/ What's Your Phone
Number/ When I'm Gone/ When You Was A Little Girl/ Where I Got My Start/
You Deceived Me/ You Deceived Me/ You Don't Love Me/ You Had Your
Chance/ You Look So Fine: Tk 1/ You Look So Fine: Tk 2/ You're The One/
Your Heart Ain't Right/ JERRY THOMAS (LAFAYETTE THOMAS): Don't Have To
Worry/ Lost Mind
12 tracks, very highly
recommended This cleverly packaged collection (designed to look like
a long lost album from the 60's) pays tribute to Redding's peerless
abilities as a balladeer. Sure it contains the obvious classics that
every other Otis compilation has-These Arms of Mine/ I've Been Loving
You Too Long and Free Me - but it also has some lesser known
material that fits the overall theme of the album: the pain and loss of
being in love. There is no denying that cuts like I Love You More
Than Words Can Say/ Open the Door/ A Waste of Time, and Everybody
Makes a Mistake get straight to the heart of the matter in a way
only Otis was capable of, and taken as a whole, this album is the
perfect accompaniment to a night of wine and contemplation. (GMC)
2 CD, 42 tracks, 98 mins, highly recommended
Checking
out this collection, I was surprised to hear that Del Shannon actually
had so many good songs. I also didn't realize that he was a bigger deal
in the U.K. than over here, and spent a lot more time on the charts over
there. Ace records obviously knew better about Del Shannon and, thus,
released this great CD set. This collection covers all of Shannon's A &
B sides from al his U.K. singles from 1961-66, and is so inclusive it
even includes the original misprint B side to "Runaway," which was by a
completely different artist! Del Shannon fans will certainly love this,
but Rock & Rollers and fans of '60s pop in general will probably find a
lot to love about this as well, including a few surprises (dig that
crazy sounding Kazoo man!). Extensive, single-by-single liner notes and
fantastic sound throughout will certainly delight audiophiles
everywhere. (JM)
29 tracks, 80 mins, highly recommended
Superb collection
of blues, R&B and doo-wop by North Carolina singer/ guitarist Tarheel
Slim (Allen Bunn). It features almost all of his recordings made between
1951 and 1962 for several labels - most notably Bobby Robinson's Red
Robin, Fury & Fire labels. Apart from an unissued session for Gotham in
1949 his earliest commercial recordings were as a member of the vocal
group The Larks and this set includes Eyesight TO The Blind and
My Little Sidecar. He then went out on his own recording as Allen
Bunn or Allen Baum and recorded such fine sides as The Guy With The
45 (with Sonny Terry on harp), the first recording of the minor key
ballad Two Time Loser and the Blind Boy Fuller influenced Too
Much Competition. In 1957 Bunn met his future wife Lee Sanford and
they started recording together as The Lovers or, sometimes Tarheel Slim
and Little Ann with a mix of hard driving R&B and minor key blues
ballads and notched up several R&B hits including the superb It's Too
Late. In 1958 he did a solo recording as Tarheel Slim resulting in
the double sided rockin' blues masterpiece Number Nine Train/ Wildcat
Tamer with Slim joined by Wild Jimmy Spruill to turn out a great
churning guitar accompaniment. The compilers of this set had the good
sense to leave out the truly awful versions of a couple of country songs
the duo recorded. Sound quality is excellent and there are detailed
notes. (FS) TARHEEL SLIM: Anything For You/ Can't Stay Away From
You/ Can't Stay Away Part 1/ Can't Stay Away Part 2/ Don't Ever Leave
Me/ Eyesight To The Blind/ Forever I'll Be Yours/ Got To Keep On Lovin'
You/ Got You Covered/ Gotta Whole Lot Of Lovin' To Do/ Guy With The '45/
I'm Gonna Throw You Out/ It's Too Late/ Let's Have A Ball/ Little Side
Car/ Lock Me In Your Heart/ Much Too Late/ My Fight/ My Kind Of Woman/
Number 9 Train/ Security/ She'll Be Sorry/ Tell Me/ Too Much
Competition/ Two Time Loser 1/ Two Time Loser 2/ Wildcat Tamer/ Wine/
You Make Me Feel So Good
The Creator, 1969-1973: The Best Of The
Flying Dutchman
● CD $18.98
15 tracks, highly recommended
Leon Thomas was a Jazz
vocalist who made his mark collaborating with guys like Pharoah Sanders,
Oliver Nelson, and Carlos Santana. Best known for the recording The
Creator Has a Master Plan, cut in 1969 with Sanders, in the Jazz
world, and for recording and touring with Santana during the latter's
Jazz period, Thomas' solo career is somewhat overlooked-very few of his
solo LPs are in print. Which makes this compilation of his time with
Flying Dutchman Records very useful indeed, as it demonstrates-on tracks
like China Doll/ One/ Welcome to New York (w/Johnny Hodges and
Nelson), Love Each Other/ It's My Life I'm Fighting For/ Umbo Weti
- how Thomas played his part in redefining the vocalists' role in Jazz
by adding African-inspired yodeling and spiritual lyrics to a blues
bedrock. He also knew how to get funky, as on Come Along and
Let's Go Down to Lucy's, in a Tower of Power-esque manner. The liner
notes are very thorough in telling Thomas' story; all told, this is a
solid introduction to a man who shouldn't be forgotten and whose career
requires further scrutiny. (GMC)
24 tracks, highly recommended
Over here in the U.S. the
name Cliff Richard doesn't mean a whole lot-unless you recall his solo
Top 10 hit from 1976, Devil Woman - but in the U.K. he's an
institution on the level of the Queen. He looms as large in the British
rock 'n' roll landscape as Elvis does in ours, and like Elvis, he had
good taste in choosing songs to cover early in his career. This
collection spotlights the original versions of 24 songs Richard recorded
on his journey to superstardom. As with most compilations of this type,
the songs are a mish mash, but the choices do show a diverse ear; the
range goes from country (Conway Twitty's I'll Try, The Gosdin
Brothers' Hangin' On), and rock 'n' roll (Gene Vincent's The
Night is So Lonely, Bill Haley & His Comets' Razzle Dazzle),
to Rockabilly (Carl Perkins' Pointed Toe Shoes), Pop (Peggy Lee's
I'm Looking Out the Window, Jay & the Americans' Look in My
Eyes Maria), and R&B (Ruth Brown's Somebody Touched Me,
Johnny Otis' Tough Enough). An interesting wrinkle in Ace's "You
Heard it Here First!" Series of CDs, this collection is not without its'
listening pleasures, particularly It's All Over by the Everly
Brothers and Jerry Lee Lewis' It'll Be Me. Songs for the
collectors: Stevie Wonder's La La La La La, Neil Diamond's
I'll Come Running , Dick & Dee Dee's When Blue Turns to Grey
(written by Jagger/Richards, and produced by Andrew Loog Oldham), and
Richard Barrett's The Snake and the Bookworm (written by Doc
Pomus and Mort Shuman). All told, this is a nifty compilation for music
lovers of all stripes. (GMC) RICHARD BARRETT: The Snake And The Bookworm/ BILLY THE
KID: Apron Strings/ RUTH BROWN: Somebody Touched Me/ NEIL DIAMOND: I'll
Come Running/ DICK & DEE DEE: When Blue Turns To Grey/ THE EVERLY
BROTHERS: It's All Over/ THE GOSDIN BROTHERS: Hangin' On/ BILL HALEY &
HIS COMETS: Razzle Dazzle/ BOBBY HELMS: Schoolboy Crush/ BRIAN HYLAND:
I'm Afraid To Go Home/ SONNY JAMES: The Minute You're Gone/ JAY & THE
AMERICANS: Look In My Eyes Maria/ CURTIS LEE: D In Love/ PEGGY LEE: I'm
Looking Out The Window/ JERRY LEE LEWIS: It'll Be Me/ JOHNNY OTIS AND
ORCHESTRA (VOCAL BY THE JAYOS): Tough Enough/ CARL PERKINS: Pointed Toe
Shoes/ ELVIS PRESLEY: Angel/ JACK SCOTT & THE CHANTONES: Save My Soul/
CONWAY TWITTY: I'll Try/ BOBBY VEE: A Forever Kind Of Love/ GENE
VINCENT: The Night Is So Lonely/ PETE VOTRIAN: We Have It Made/ LITTLE
STEVIE WONDER: La La La La La
Born To Be Together - Songs Of Barry
Mann & Cynthia Weil
● CD $18.98
25 tracks, 69 mins, recommended
Honestly, I was more
excited about this collection before I listened to it than after. Mann &
Weil were certainly great song writers, who covered a lot of ground, but
a lot of pretty lame records were done with their songs. First the good
stuff: When their songs are done well, by good artists, not much in the
1960's Pop charts could touch them. This collects some of those heavy
hitters like The Ronettes - Born To Be Together, The Drifters -
Saturday Night At The Movies, The Monkees - Love Is Only
Sleeping, The Animals - We Gotta Get Out Of This Place, etc.
Then there are also some cool takes of songs you all know, but not by
the artist you know like Slade - Shape Of Things To Come, and
Clyde McPhatter - On Broadway. Then the two stumbling blocks I
have with this collection: The Righteous Brothers - You've Lost That
Loving Feeling, certainly a great song, but as the most played song
in music history, does it really need to be here? More disappointingly,
though: B.J. Thomas, Tony Orlando, Mama Cass Elliot, and other lame Pop
acts that are here doing lame takes on otherwise good songs. So, there
you have it, A mixed bag:when it's good, its great; when it's bad, it's
lousy. Ace, of course, did a great job of putting it together otherwise,
with some truly deep notes, etc. and if you are collecting these
songwriters CDs, then you should add it to your set. (JM) THE ANIMALS: We've Gotta Get Out Of This Place/ LEN
BARRY: You Baby/ JOHNNY CRAWFORD: Proud/ THE CRYSTALS: Uptown/ DORIS
DAY: Love Him/ THE DRIFTERS: Saturday Night At The Movies/ MAMA CASS
ELLIOT: New World Coming/ THE EVERLY BROTHERS: The Girl Who Sang The
Blues/ MARIANNE FAITHFULL: Something Better/ THE HAPPENINGS: Make Your
Own Kind Of Music/ BOBBY HEBB: Good, Good Lovin'/ CLYDE MCPHATTER: On
Broadway/ CARMEN MCRAE: Just A Little Lovin'/ BILL MEDLEY: This Is A
Love Song/ THE MONKEES: Love Is Only Sleeping/ TONY ORLANDO: Bless You/
GENE PITNEY: Looking Through The Eyes Of Love/ LOU RAWLS: I'm Satisfied/
THE RIGHTEOUS BROTHERS: You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'/ THE RONETTES:
Born To Be Together/ RUBY & THE ROMANTICS: We'll Love Again/ SLADE:
Shape Of Things To Come/ DUSTY SPRINGFIELD: I Wanna Make You Happy/ B.J.
THOMAS: Rock And Roll Lullaby/ SCOTT WALKER: Angelica
29 tracks, 69 mins, highly recommended
Another excellent
collection of country issued as custom pressings - mostly by Starday.
The set starts off in fine form with the excellent Hoyt Scoggins trying
his hand at rock 'n' roll with Tennessee Rock backed with the
excellent honky-tonker Why Did We Fall In Love. Other highlights
include two superb sides Charlie "Cowboy" Huff - one with a Western
Swing flavor and the other a fine cowboy ballad, Lucky Hill with the
soulful blues It's Coming Home To You, a rare and great early
Willie Nelson side from 1957 No Place Forr Me and some fine duet
harmonies on My Heart Needs A Vacation by Zeke Wilson & The
Prairie Playboys. Other artists include Jack Frost & His Band, Don
Collins, Bob Cole, Trice Garner, BUddy Shaw and others. Excellent sound
and useful notes from Al Turner. (FS) RAMBLIN' RED BAILEY: The Hardest Fall/ DOROTHY
BLAKELY: Piano Bells (instro)/ BILL BOLAN & COUNTRY MELODY BOYS: Country
Music/ JEANIE CHRISTIE & DURRANCE'S BLUE SKY RAMBLERS: Flying High/
Sunshine/ AL CLAUSER & HIS OKLAHOMA OUTLAWS: Who's Foolin' Who/ BOB
COLE: Face To Face/ DON COLLINS: Too Late To Be Sorry/ JACK FROST & HIS
BAND: There Is No Tomorrow/ TRICE GARNER: Lover's Hill/ Tombigbee/ LUCKY
HILL: It's Coming Home To You/ COWBOY HUFF: Patonia (Pride Of The
Plains)/ What's Gonna Happen To Me/ BILL JOHNSON & THE DABBLERS:
Lonesome Daddy Blues/ JOYCE LOVE & CURLY SANDER'S SANTONES: Why Do You
Leave Me/ WILLIE NELSON: No Place For Me/ HARRY PEPPEL & SHENANDOAH
VALLEY RANGERS: Thermostate Baby/ LEWIS PRUITT & THE TRUE LADS: I'm In A
Daze/ Pretty Baby/ LITTLE JODY RAINWATER & JAMBOREE GANG: The Man That
Wrote Home Sweet Home/ GENE RAY: Rock & Roll Fever/ HOYT SCOGGINS &
SATURDAY NITE JAMBOREE BOYS: Tennessee Rock/ Why Do We Fall In Love/
BUDDY SHAW: Second Place/ JOHNNY SKILES & HARMONY RANCH BOYS: The
Twinkle In Your Eyes/ LEE VOORHIES & HIS OZARK COUNTRY BOYS: Hand In
Hand/ FUZZY WHITENER WITH JERRY DYKES' BAND: Why Do I Love You/ ZEKE
WILSON & THE PRAIRIE PLAYBOYS: My Heart Needs A Vacation
The World Needs Changing - Street Funk &
Jazz Grooves
● CD $18.98
20 tracks, 62 min., highly recommended
The street funk
greatly out numbers the jazz grooves on this fine release, which
collects sides from such labels as Flying Dutchman, Jacklyn, Spring,
Call Me, RCA, Rick Hall, Mar-Kee, Triple "8" Records, among others. Many
of the tracks are funk instrumentals, including The Willard Posey
Reunion's Sissy Strut-N-American Woman, Huck & The Soul Patrol's
Rudypoot, and Lonnie Liston Smith's Expansions (7" edit). Sprinkled
between the instrumental workouts are some jazz-inflected (with plenty
of flute) numbers and a few tough-talking soul sisters such as Esther
Marrow's excellent Walk Tall and Tina Bryant's Mr Perfect. The only Gil
Scott-Heron track, an alternate take of Free Will doesn't do the man
justice and is one of the few weak moments on an otherwise rewarding
album, which comes complete with the usual informative Ace booklet
notes. (JC) HAROLD ALEXANDER: Mama Soul/ ELAINE ARMSTRONG: That's
The Way It Goes/ TINA BRYANT: Mr Perfect/ CAESAR 830: See-Saw Affair/
DARROW FLETCHER: Now Is The Time For Love/ JOHNNY GRIFFITH ACC. BY BILLY
SHA-RAE'S BAND: Do It (Inst)/ LITTLE EVA HARRIS: Medley: Get
Ready-Uptight/ RICHARD "GROOVE" HOLMES & BRENDA JONES: This Is The Me Me
(Not The You You)/ HUCK & THE SOUL PATROL: Rudypoot/ GEORGE JACKSON:
Love Hijacker (Inst)/ HANK JACOBS & DON MALONE: The World Needs
Changing/ LONNIE LISTON SMITH: Expansions (7'' Edit)/ ESTHER MARROW:
Walk Tall/ THE ORIGINAL SOUL PATROL: Soul Patrol/ WILLARD POSEY REUNION:
American Woman-Sissy Strut/ JOE SAVAGE & THE SOUL PEOPLE: All Power To
The People Pt 1/ GIL SCOTT-HERON: Free Will (Alt Take 1)/ MELVIN SPARKS:
Love Tones/ BOB THIELE'S EMERGENCY: Head Start/ LEON THOMAS: Just In
Time To See The Sun
20 tracks, highly recommended
After a lot of searching
we've finally been able to find some more volumes in this great series.
The first four volumes we reviewed a few years ago and are still
available as special orders and will take four to six weeks to get. This
is a superb collection of deep soul - about 75% new to CD. It opens with
the the gorgeous I'm Available by Billy Young and continues with
the ferocious Half A Man by Shirley Wahls and has more great
sides from bluesy Florida singer Don Hollinger, Trudy Lynn, George
Perkins, Sam Hawkins, Albert Scott and others. Excellent sound and brief
notes on all the performances. (FS) SIM AIRES: Sometimes I Have To Cry/ CALVIN ARNOLD:
You'll Do It/ THE EXCEPTIONAL THREE: What About Me/ JUDY GREEN: I Still
Love You So/ FREDA HARRIS: I Miss Your Love/ SAM HAWKINS: Run To Me/ DON
HOLLINGER: Until I Find You/ ETTA JAMES: One Day One Step/ LIVING PROOF:
Movie Queen/ RONNIE LOVE: Pledging My Love/ PAT LUNDY: Does She Ever
Remind You Of Me/ TRUDY LYNN: What A Waste/ GEORGE PERKINS: Baby You
Saved Me/ JOHN ROBERTS: Something Reminds Me/ ALBERT SCOTT: Hey Hey Baby
Come Home/ BOBBY STEVENS: To Keep From Loving You/ THE SWORDSMEN: It
Seems I'm Never Tired Of Lovin' You/ SHIRLEY WAHLS: Half A Man/ LEE SHOT
WILLIAMS: I Found A Love/ BILLY YOUNG: I'm Available
25 tracks, 73 mins,- recommended
As Mike Rowe so
cogently points out in his liner notes, Memphis was a haven for great
harmonica players and several of them are represented on this
outstanding collection. There are 12 tracks featuring the brilliant Jed
Davenport - a dazzling harmonica player who is featured in a variety of
settings including a couple of tracks with singer/ guitarist Joe
Williams (not Big Joe - probably the ubiquitous Joe McCoy). 6 tracks
features Jed's own jug band The Beale Street Jug Band which in addition
to Davenports great harmonica work and the tight ensemble playing
features some nice fiddle work by an unknown fiddler. There are 7 vocals
by large voiced Minnie Wallace accompanied by her Night Hawks with Will
Shade taking the harmonica honors plus (probably) Eddie Miller on piano
and Son Joe or Robert Wilkins on piano. Finally there are 8 tracks by
the intense Little Buddy Doyle accompanied by a harmonica player who is
thought to be Walter Horton. Whoever it is is a brillantly expressive
performer whose playing weaves in and around Doyle's aching voice that
brings to mind some of Little Walter's early accompaniments to Muddy
waters. Some of the tracks on this set are from pretty noisy 78s but
there is so much great music here that I would be hard pressed not to
recommend this very highly indeed. (FS)
25 tracks, very highly recommended
From the fine folks
behind the great "West Coast Guitar Killers" series (El Segundo 1001,
1002, 1004B - $16.98 each) comes the first in what promises to be an equally
great series featuring guitarists from the other sides of the country.
This disc is devoted primarily to the work of two guitarist - Jimmy
Spruill and Bobby Parker. Spruill's guitar stylings with his
stratospheric treble work are familiar to blues guitar fans and this
collection features some of his lesser known work including his playing
on the big hit Happy Organ by Dave "Baby" Cortez as well as great
accompaniments to Tarheel Slim & Little Ann, Noble "Thin Man" Watts,
Wilbert Harrison (he goes so far up the neck on Drafted that only
dogs might be able to hear some of the notes!), Bobby Long (the great
and little known Jersey City) and others. Bobby Parker is best
known for his 1961 hit Watch Your Step which with it's
distinctive bass guitar riff was picked by many 60s rock groups and
inspired the Beatles hit I Feel Fine. Parker was a fine singer
and a spectacular guitar player. His earliest sides here are from 1956
as a sideman and vocalist with The Paul Williams Orchestra including the
superb Once Upon A Time with memorable guitar work and a rare
post war song about the sinking of the Titanic. In 1957 he recorded the
original version of You Got What It Takes which was a hit three
years later for Marv Johnson. Other superb performances by Parker
include the tough blues Blues Get Off My Shoulder and Steal
Your Heart AWay and the powerful soul song It's Too Late Darling.
Throughout, Parker's guitar playing is soulful and imaginative. By the
mid 60s he had stopped recording and returned to playing clubs around
Washington, DC where he was rediscovered in the 1990s and cut a couple
of albums for Black Top. But wait, there's more, two tracks by the
Cootie Williams Orch. from 1957 with superb guitar work from Larry Dale
and the set is rounded out by the amazing Ever Lovin' Baby by the
mysterious Little Luther with some amazing sounding guitar which is
probably playing through a Leslie speaker. A fabulous collection with
excellent soun - no notes but full discographical details. I'm ready for
Volume 2! (FS) B BROWN & HIS ROCKIN MCVOUTS (WILD JIMMY S: Rockin
With B/ DAVE BABY CORTEZ (WILD JIMMY SPRUILL GTR): Happy Organ/ GUITAR
CRUSHER (JIMMY SPRUILL ORCH): Since My Baby Hit The Numbers/ WILBERT
HARRISON (WILD JIMMY SPRUILL GTR): Drafted/ LITTLE LUTHER: Ever Lovin
Baby/ BOBBY LONG (WILD JIMMY SPRUILL GTR): Jersey City/ BOBBY PARKER:
Blues Get Off My Shoulder/ Don’t Drive Me Away/ Get Right/ Gimme A
Little Lovin/ It’s Too Late Darling/ Steal Your Heart Away/ Watch Your
Step/ You Got What It Takes/ TARHEEL SLIM & LITTLE ANN (WILD JIMMY SP:
Security/ NOBLE “THIN MAN™ WATTS (JIMMY SPRUILL GTR): Hot Tamales/
Mashed Potatoes/ Original Boogie Woogie/ The Frog Hop/ COOTIE WILLIAMS
ORCH (LARRY DALE GTR): Boomerang/ COOTIE WILLIAMS ORCH (LARRY DALE/
KENNY BURRELL: Rinky Dink/ PAUL WILLIAMS ORCH. (BOBBY PARKER GTR): Up Up
Up/ PAUL WILLIAMS ORCH. W/ BOBBY PARKER GTR/VCL: Once Upon A Time, Long
Ago, Last Night/ Suggie Duggie Boogie Baby/ Titanic
Two CDs, 36 tracks, highly recommended
Complementing
previous reissues devoted to the fire/ Fury and Enjoy labels this is
another fine set of sides produced by pioneering African-American
entrepreneur Bobby Robinson in New York. This is devoted to the Red
Robin label (originally just called Robin) founded by Bobby and his
brother Danny in 1951 which issued around 40 singles between 1951 and
1956. This is a superb collection of blues, R&B and vocal group sides.
Veteran blues artists Champion Jack Dupree, Sonny Terry and Brownie
McGhee are here in top form with a contemporary down home blues sound.
Up and comer Allen Bunn is here with two outstanding sides - a few years
later he would be recording for Bobby's Fire label as Tarheel Slim.
There are two excellent sides from the obscure Sandra Grimes - one a
quasi gospel number and the other a tough blues with solid guitar from
Mickey Baker. There are a bunch of hot R&B instrumentals featuring bands
led by saxophonists Morris Lane, Charlie Singleton and Red Prysock as
well as cuts by a band led by famed four string guitarist Tiny Grimes.
On the vocal group side we have the earliest recordings of the great
group the Du-Droppers as well as fine sides by The Topps and The
Serenaders - most of them up tempo rockers. Sound quality is excellent
and booklet has notes by the ever reliable Bill Dahl. (FS) SADIE BIRCH: Man I Crave, The/ ALLEN BUNN: My Kind of
Woman/ Too Much Competition/ THE DU DROPPERS: Can't Do Sixty No More/
Chain Me Baby (Blues of Desire)/ Come on and Love Me Baby/ Go Back/
CHAMPION JACK DUPREE: Drunk Again/ Highway Blues/ Number Nine Blues/
Shake Baby Shake/ Shim Sham Shimmy/ Stumbling Block Blues/ SANDRA
GRIMES: Be Good to Yourself/ You Didn't Give Me a Chance/ TINY GRIMES:
Juicy Fruit/ Second Floor Rear/ MORRIS LANE: Bobby's Boogie/ Ghost Town/
BROWNIE MCGHEE: Daisy/ Don't Dog Your Woman/ RED PRYSOCK: Crying My
Heart Out/ Hard Rock/ Jackpot/ Jump for George/ The Hammer/ Wiggles/ THE
SERENADERS: I Want to Love You Baby/ CHARLIE SINGLETON: Earthquake/
Never Trust a Woman/ SONNY TERRY: Doggin; My Heart Around/ Harmonica
Hop/ THE TOPPS: I've Got a Feeling/ Tippin'/ What Do You Do/ Won't You
Come Home Baby
24 tracks, highly recommended
The Kent Records gang are
raiding yet another treasure store of rare R&B; this time the vaults in
question are those belonging to Music Enterprises Inc.-the owners of a
majority of recordings produced by the great producer/huckster Huey P. Meaux. Meaux was one of the legendary record men, a guy with an eye and
an ear for an artist and a song-and uncanny knack for marrying one with
the other. This collection is as much a tribute to Meaux's talents as to
the South Texas R&B/Soul scene. These mostly new to CD tracks were
originally issued on Meaux's various labels (Tear Drop, Jet Stream 740,
Pacemaker, Eric, Boogaloo) between the years 1962 and 1971, and include
the likes of Johnny Copeland, Jean Knight, Johnny Adams, Maxine Davis,
and Barbara Lynn. Don't come here looking for anything fancy: this is
pure, gutbucket Rhythm 'n' Soul full of passion and grit. Among the
treats: Copeland powering through an alternate version of Sufferin'
City; Lynn shining on the stark demo of You'll Lose a Good Thing;
some steamy guitar work on Tee Bee Fisher's Five Long Years; and
Adams milking A Place Called Home for all its' emotional worth.
Anyone interested in honest Texas R&B needs to start right here. (GMC)
JOHNNY ADAMS: A Place Called Home/ Let Them Talk/
ROCKIN' DAVE ALLEN: Irene/ CHARLES BERRY: Time/ JOHNNY COPELAND: Slow
Walk You Down/ Sufferin' City (Version 2)/ MAXINE DAVIS: I Found A Love/
TEE BEE FISHER: Five Long Years/ THE INSIGHT (JOHNNY WINTER): Out Of
Sight/ JEAN KNIGHT: Doggin' Around/ BARBARA LYNN: You'll Lose A Good
Thing (Demo)/ JOE MASTERS (MEDWICK): This Is Where The End Must Begin/
JOE MELVIN (MEDWICK): Friends In Show Business/ JACKIE PAINE: Go Go
Train/ Go Go Train (Wmca Version)/ BIG WALTER PRICE: Git To Gittin'/
WARREN STORM: Tennessee Waltz/ SUNNY AND THE SUNLINERS: Trick Bag/ DAVID
KING THOMAS: If You're Looking For A Fool/ TV AND THE TRIBESMEN (JOE
MEDWICK): Fat Man/ ALTON VALIER: Neighbour Neighbour (Demo)/ MARGO
WHITE: If You Were Only Here/ Pick Me Up On Your Way Down/ JAMES "BIG
SAMBO" YOUNG: Long Gone
24 tracks, 68 mins, recommended Collection of rare and
often unreissued jump blues, black pop and gospel tracks recorded for
the King label between 1945 and 1950. The tracks includes
recording
licensed from Detroit entrepreneur Joe Von Battle by bandleader King
Porter and by superb singer/ piano player Detroit Count (who plays piano
on the Porter sides). From Detroit's Staff label comes night club style
vocalist Bobbe Caston. There's some blues shouting from Robie Kirk, ex
Count Basie vocalist Walter Brown, Joe Thomas (three tracks including
the great Lavender Cadillac and the drab instrumental Star
Mist). Cliff Butler has the tough blues Gold Diggin' Baby and
the pop ballad When You Love. On the gospel side we have THe
Jubileers with some fine acapella gospel and some dull pop flavored
items, Paul Breckenridge & The Four Heavenly Knights, The Swan
Silvertones and Spirit Of Memphis - the latter are magnificent but have
been out before. In general this collection is a mixed bag with some
really good sides along with a fair amount of rather tepid material.
Sound is generally excellent and booklet has discographical data but no
notes. (FS) PAUL BRECKENRIDGE & THE FOUR HEAVENLY KNIGHTS:
Lonesome Road/ Rock-A-Ma-Soul/ WALTER BROWN & SKIP HALL'S ORCH.: (I Love
My Baby) I'm A Liar If I Say I Don't/ CLIFF BUTLER: Crying Blues/ Gold
Diggin' Baby/ When You Love (You Should Love From The Heart)/ BOBBE
CASTON: Call Me Darling/ DETROIT COUNT: Hastings Street Woogie Man/ SLIM
GAILLARD & HIS BOOGIEREENERS: Voot Boogie/ HENRY GLOVER & HIS KINGS OF
SWING: Baby, You've Been Wrong/ GEORGE HUDSON & HIS MODERN MUSIC:
Applejack Boogie/ THE JUBALAIRES: God Almighty's Gonna Cut You Down/
Icky Yacki/ You're Gonna' Make A Wonderful Sweetheart/ ROBIE KIRK & HIS
ORCH.: Where Is Your Husband At?/ KING PORTER & HIS ORCH.: King Porter
Special/ KING PORTER & ORCH.: Bar Fly/ TUBBY "TAB" SMITH & HIS ORCH.:
Morning Blues/ SPIRIT OF MEMPHIS QUARTET: Blessed Are The Dead/ SWAN'S
SILVERTONE SINGERS: I Done Made It Up In My Mind/ JOE THOMAS - HIS SAX
AND ORCH.: Backstage At The Apollo/ JOE THOMAS - HIS SAX AND ORCH:
Lavender Coffin/ Star Mist/ HAROLD TINSLEY: She's Gone
25 CDs, 617 tracks, approx 32 hours, highly recommended
Another of those amazing European box sets that gives you a lot of great
music for not a great deal of money. This one is devoted to tracing the
story of vocal jazz starting in 1911 with Sophie Tucker's Some Of
These Days and ending in 1959 with Last Night When We Were Young
. The earlier years are strongly dominated by blues singers like Bessie
Smith, Ida Cox, Ma Rainey, Bertha "Chippie" Hill, Ethel Waters and
others but also including vocalists like Marion Harris, Fred & Adele
Astaire, Louis Armstrong, Sonny Greer and others. Blues and gospel
singers are strongly featured throughout this set. From the 1930s we get
Bing Crosby, The Boswell Sisters, Cab Calloway, Mildred Bailey, Louis
Bacon, Jack Teagarden, Billie Holiday, Fats Waller, Ella Fitzgerald,
Maxine Sullivan, The Mills Brothers, Georgia White, Big Joe Turner,
Helen Forrest, Hazel Court and many more. Many of these artists were
also active in the 1940s and are featured here along with new names like
Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Lena Horne, Anita O'Day, Peggy Lee, Judy
Garland, Dinah Washington, Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson, Billy Eckstine, Lee
Wiley, Louis Jordan, Julia Lee, Buddy Rich, Leo Watson and many others.
In the 1950s we get recordings by Yvonne Lanauze, Shelly Manne, Eddie
Jefferson, Betty Roche, Chet Baker, King Pleasure, Joe Williams, The
Four Freshman and many more as well as many returning from previous
decades. Sound quality is excellent and set comes packaged in a handsome
5 1/2x 5 1/2 x 5" box. Each CD comes in its own cardboard with a
reproduction of a 78 rpm label with it and the set includes a 256 page
CD sized book with extensive notes and full discographical details. A
full track list can be found here. A very impressive set.
Counts as 15 CDs for shipping. (FS)
2 CD, 50 tracks, highly recommended
Hot on the heels of
"Rip It Up: The Specialty Story" (One Day 178 - $11.98), comes this trip
through the vaults of Modern Records, which was-like Specialty-a Los
Angeles-based independent that specialized in "race records" (that's
R&B, Blues, and Gospel to you and me). The cuts contained herein were
released mid to late 50s and showcase label owners the Bihari brothers'
eclectic tastes in the artists they recorded. Some of the label's
biggest stars are represented-John Lee Hooker, Etta James, Jesse Belvin,
Elmore James, Jimmy Witherspoon, Hadda Brooks-as well as slightly lesser
lights like the Cadets (the great Stranded in the Jungle), The
Cliques, The Hawks, and Marvin & Johnny. Like the other label
compilations issued by One Day, I'm Ready - The Modern Story is a fine
introduction to an important player in mid-20th century music at a very
modest price. (FS) JIMMY BEASLEY: Don't Feel Sorry For Me/ Jambalaya/
Little Coquette/ My Happiness/ JESSE BELVIN: Goodnight My Love/ Just to
Say Hello/ Summertime/ You Send Me/ DENNIS BINDER: I Miss You So/ HADDA
BROOKS: Old Man River/ THE CADETS: Church Bells May Ring/ Don't Be
Angry/ I Want You/ Stranded in the Jungle/ THE CLIQUES: I Wanna Know
Why/ I'm In Love With A Girl/ My Desire/ The Girl In My Dreams/ THE
COBRAS: Cindy/ I Will Return/ DOLLY COOPER: Every Day And Every Night/
Teenage Prayer/ THE DOTTS: A Ting A Ling/ SHIRLEY GUNTER: Just Got Rid
of a Heartache/ Headin' Home/ THE HAWKS: Ever Since You've Been Gone/
It's All Over/ JOHN LEE HOOKER: I'm Ready/ Lookin' for a Woman/ ELMORE
JAMES: Long Tall Woman/ Wild About You/ ETTA JAMES: Good Lookin'/ Number
One(My One And Only)/ The Wallflower (Dance With Me Henry)/ W-O-M-A-N/
LONG TALL MARVIN: Have Mercy Miss Percy/ MARVIN & JOHNNY: Butter Ball/
Ko Ko Mo (I Love You So)/ ARTHUR LEE MAYE & THE CROWNS: Set My Heart
Free/ JIMMY MCCRACKLIN: I told Ya Mama/ OSCAR MCLOLLIE: Eternal Love/
Roll, Hot Rod, Roll/ THE ROCKETEERS: Hey Rube/ THE ROCKETS: Be Lovey
Dovey/ THE SOUNDS: Cold Chills/ CURLEY WILLIAMS: Be Mine/ This Heart Of
Mine/ JIMMY WITHERSPOON: Oh Mother, Dear Mother/ YOUNG JESSIE: Hit Git
And Split/ Mary Lou
Mercy Mercy Percy - Black Rock Pioneers
In Britain
● CD $21.98
23 tracks, 52 min., recommended
The subtitle, "Black
rock pioneers in Britain" needs a bit of explaining. These artists were
generally immigrants or U.S. transplants who picked up the rock and roll
gauntlet more as a way to make some cash than as a musical passion.
That's why the Deep River Boys are represented by their cover of Rock
Around The Clock and Rock-A-Beatin' Boogie. And the word
"pioneers" would seem to refer to the influence the performers had in
England rather than any musically creative trend setting. And many of
the cuts are apparently from the early 1960s rather than the middle
1950s, sounding like performers who are imitating the new and unfamiliar
style that was in demand. And yet, the cuts here are oddly charming and,
for all the calculation inherent in their production, posses a certain
naive enthusiasm. Artists include Derry Wilkie, Neville Taylor, Cuddly
Dudley, Davy Jones (no, not that Davy Jones), Emil Form & The
Checkmates, Ray Ellington, and Neville Taylor. Seldom heard British rock
and roll worth a spin. (JC) CUDDLY DUDLEY: Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey/ Let's Rock While
The Rockin's Good/ Sitting On A Train/ erry Boat Ride/ One That I Like/
THE DEEP RIVER BOYS: Rock Around The Clock/ Rock-A-Beatin' Boogie/ RAY
ELLINGTON: Chip Off The Old Block/ Giddy-Up-A Ding Dong/ That Rock 'n'
Rollin' Man/ EMILE FORD & THE CHECKMATES: Move Along/ You'll Never Know
What You're Missin' Till You Try/ DAVY JONES: Don't Come Crying To Me/
Jezebel/ NEVILLE TAYLOR: House Of Bamboo/ I've Had It/ Rockeroo/ Crazy
Little Daisy/ Good Good/ Mercy, Mercy, Percy/ Tears On My Pillow/ DERRY
WILKIE (WITH THE SENIORS): Bony Moronie/ Yes Indeed
What - has Roots & Rhythm finally decided to embrace
contemporary African-American music?! Not really. This 14 track
collection collection of classic soul features tracks recorded for the
iconic Stax label between 1971 and 1975 that have been sampled in
various hip-hop hits from the 80s and 90s. Artists here include The
Emotions, The Barkays, Isaac Hayes, David Porter, The Charmels, Rufus
Thomas, etc. Artists that have used samples from these songs include
Public Enemy, Ghostface Killah, Big Daddy Kane, Public Enemy, Notorious
B.I.G., The Geto Boys and more. The connections are discussed in detail
in the liner notes.
The Story Of Blue Beat - The Best In
Ska, 1962 - Vol. 1
● CD $16.98
2 CDs, 56 tracks, 153mins, very highly recommended
The
Sunrise record label is doing an absolutely fantastic job on this
series. Going year by year, from the earliest days of Ska, they deliver
this extensive, deep, and thoroughly enjoyable history of Jamaica's
greatest musical export. If anything, this collection suffers slightly
by its complete nature, with a couple of the tracks being so rare that
the only sources were scratchy old 45's. Hardly a complaint, though, and
fans of that Blue Beat will thrill at all of the goodies collected on
these. Rare early tracks by the likes of The Blues Busters, Derrick
Morgan, Jimmy Cliff, Owen Grey, Ruddy & Sketto, Eric Morris, and many
more. Fantastic production job, deep notes, the best sound available
throughout, and many rare label reproductions and other ephemera. (JM)
BOBBY AITKEN: Isabella/ Never Never (South Virginia)/
LAUREL AITKEN: Back to New Orleans/ Brother David/ Mabel/ You Got Me
Rockin'/ CLIVE BAILEY: Evening Train/ Take Me Home/ THEO BECKFORD:
Walking Down King Street/ THE BLUES BUSTERS: There's Always Sunshine/
You Had It Wrong/ BUSTER'S GROUP: Hully Gully/ JIMMY CLIFF: I'm Sorry/
ERROL DIXON & HIS BACK BEATS: Bad, Bad Woman/ Early This Morning/ THE
ECHOES: Are You Mine/ I'll Love You Forever/ RUPERT EDWARDS: Guilty
Convict/ Just Because/ HORTENSE ELLIS: Now and Forever More/ LLOYD
FLOWERS: I'm Going Home/ Lover's Town/ GIRL SATCHMO: My New Honey/ Twist
Around Town/ RUDY GRANT & SKETTO RICH: Abc Boogie/ Nothing but Time/
Please Enid/ OWEN GRAY: Millie Girl/ Nobody Else/ On the Beach/ Rocking
in My Feet/ Young Lover/ HORTENSE & STRANGER: True Love/ JIMMY JAMES:
Bewildered and Blue/ I Don't Want to Cry/ BOBBY KINGDOM: Brand New
Automobile/ Spanish Town Twist/ DERRICK MORGAN: Be Still/ Come Back My
Darling/ Come on Over/ Day in Day Out/ Don't You Know Little Girl/
Headache/ Sunday Morning/ Meekly Wait/ ERIC MORRIS: I've Tried
Everybody/ Money Can't Buy Life/ My Forty Five/ Sinners Repent and Pray/
RED PRICE: Roarin'/ RUDY & SKETTO: Summer Is Just Around the Corner/
SHENLEY & ANNETTE: First Time I Met You/ Million Dollar Baby/ SIR DEE'S
GROUP: The Clock/ WINSTON & ROY: Babylon Gone/ So Long (Going Home)
The Story Of Blue Beat - The Best In
Ska, 1962 - Vol. 2
● CD $16.98
2 CDs, 56 tracks, 147 mins, very highly recommended
1962
was such a great year for Ska that you need two double CDs to gather up
all the good tracks. Highlights from this installment include tracks by
Prince Buster, Derrick Morgan, The Charmers, Beresford Ricketts, Lloyd
Clarke, Roland Alphonso, Laurel Aitken, Owen Grey (he, as well as
Derrick Morgan, has a ton of good tracks throughout both CDs,) Rico &
The Blue Beats, and many more swells. (JM) LAUREL AITKEN: I'll Love You More Everyday/ Lucille/
ROLAND ALPHONSO & THE ALLEY CATS: Four Corners Of The World/ BELL'S
GROUP: Kingston 13/ THE BLUES BUSTERS: I've Done You Wrong/ Tell Me Why/
KENT BROWN & JEANNIE: Hello Love/ Daddy/ THE CHARMERS: Now You Want To
Cry/ Crying Over You/ LLOYD CLARKE: Fools Day/ You're A Cheat/ Good
Morning/ Now I Know The Reason/ DERRICK & PATSY & DRUMBAGO ALL STARS:
Love Not To Brag/ DRUMBAGO’S ALL STARS: Duck Soup/ DON DRUMMOND'S GROUP:
Twelve Minutes To Go/ HORTENSE ELLIS: Midnight Train/ BASIL GABBIDON:
Iverene/ Lover Man/ Boy Meets Girl/ RUDY GRANT & SKETTO RICH: Hush
Baby?/ Little Schoolgirl/ OWEN GRAY: Best Twist/ Come On Baby/ Grandma,
Grandpa/ My Own Desire/ No Good Woman/ Do You Know/ Sit And Cry/ Do You
Want To Jump/ Keep It In Mind/ Lonely Days/ HIGGS & WILSON: How Can I Be
Sure/ Mighty Man/ DERRICK MORGAN: In My Heart/ DERICK MORGAN & PATSY
TODD: Are You Going To Marry Me/ Troubles/ ERIC MORRIS: G.I. Lady (A
Love I Must Find)/ Oh What A Smile Can Do/ Pack Up Your Troubles/ Going
To The River/ ROY PANTON: My Forty Four/ In Your Arms Dear/ My Happy
Home/ PRINCE BUSTER & ALL STARS: These Are The Times/ They Got To Come/
PRINCE BUSTER & HIS TORCH LIGHTERS: My Sound That Goes Around/ They Got
To Go/ PRINCE BUSTER & THE BLUE BEATS: Independence Song/ RANDY’S GROUP:
Sam The Fisherman/ BERESFORD RICKETTS & THE BLUE BEATS: I've Been
Walking/ You Better Be Gone/ RICO & THE BLUE BEATS: August 1962/ THE
SHINERS: Romantic Shuffle/ OWEN & LEON SILVERAS: Oh Murder
The Birmingham Sound - The Soul Of Neal
Hemphill Vol. 2
● CD $16.98
24 tracks, 70 min., essential
The second volume of
collected sides from Neal Hemphill's Sound Of Birmingham studio (and
various record labels) does not disappoint. This time out the collection
of under-rated, 1960s and 1970s soul moves back and forth between great
cuts and very good ones. Among the finest tracks are Frederick Knight's
It Slipped Right By You, Wes Lewis' I'm Telling You, Bobby
Dobyne & The Barefacts' Soulful Sound Of Music, Sam Frazier's
Take Me Back, and Ralph "Soul" Jackson's Set Me Free
(alternate version). Other artists include Cortez Greer, Chuck Mitchell,
Davis Sea, Hope Parker, Lee Wilson, Fletcher Flowers, and more. The
second song on the album, Get Up And Get At It, is a joyous slice
of uptempo soul, and no one knows who the group was. Here's wishing for
vol. 3. (JC) BOBBY DOBYNE & THE BAREFACTS: Soulful Sound of Music/
Strickly Soul/ FLETCHER FLOWERS: When You Wake Up/ FRANKIE: Let's Go to
the End Together/ SAM FRAZIER: Set Me Free/ Take Me Back/ CORTEZ GREER:
Da Da Dee Dee Da/ Testify/ RALPH "SOUL" JACKSON: Let Your Sweet Love
Surround Me/ Matchbox/ Set Me Free (alternate version)/ FREDERICK
KNIGHT: How When or Where/ I've Been Lonely For So Long (demo version)/
It Slipped Right By You/ Take My Hand/ WES LEWIS: Best of My Years/ I'm
a Telling You/ CHUCK MITCHELL: Let Me Be Myself/ Stop By/ HOPE PARKER:
Everybody's Doin' the Worm/ S.O.B.: Instrumental/ DAVID SEA: Work Hard/
UNKNOWN: Get Up and Get At It/ LEE WILSON: Knock In For a Second Chance
24 tracks, highly recommended
Another terrific
collection of mostly unreissued deep soul. It opens with the stunningly
beautiful It Hurt by Clarence Nelson which is alone worth the
price of admission. But there are another 23 superb sides to sweeten the
pot and among the highlights are Billy Young's stunning cover of Little
Willie John's Let Them Talk produced by none other than Otis
Redding. On W-O-M-A-N Delores Hall sounds like a cross between
Aretha Franklin and Tina Turner and the harmonies on Please Don't
Hurt Me by The Harrison Brothers are a joy to listen to. There
isn'ta track here that's less than fine and other artist include Joe
Perkins, Grover Mitchell, Judy Clay, Charles Perry, George Freeman (the
magnificent All Right Now), The Keynoters, Joe Perkins (with some
great bluesy guitar), The Crume Brothers and others. Excellent sound and
the notes continue the artist profiles from Volume 1. (FS) JUDY CLAY: I Thought I'd Gotten Over You/ THE CRUME
BROTHERS: What Am I Going To Do/ BIG AL DOWNING: All I Want Is You/
CHARLES DRAIN: She's Gone/ JAMES DUDLEY & THE DEE JAY'S: Have Faith/
ROBERT EARL: Say You'll Be Mine/ TONY FOXX: Because/ GEORGE FREEMAN: All
Right Now/ DELORES HALL: W-O-M-A-N/ BIG JOHN HAMILTON: How Much Can A
Man Take/ THE HARRISON BROTHERS: Please Don't Hurt Me/ JOE HAYWOOD: Hand
In Hand/ THE KEYNOTERS: I Wanna Know Who/ BOBBY LONG: Just For A Day/
GROVER MITCHELL: Sweeter As The Days Go By/ CLARENCE NELSON: I Hurt/ JOE
PERKINS: Wrapped Up In Your Love/ Until You Were Gone/ CHARLES PERRY:
How Can I (Keep From Crying)/ JOHNNY ROBINSON: Poor Man/ WYATT (BIG BOY)
SHEPHERD: You Don't Want Me No More/ SOUL LEE: I Need You/ LITTLE BRENDA
STARR: No One But You/ BILLY YOUNG: Let Them Talk
24 track collection of soul rarities from the 60s - most
of them making their first appearance on CD. Includes sides by Gerge
Freeman, Alfreda Brockington, Billy Mack, Tommy Collins, "Lil" Willie &
The Rockin' Imperials, Tyrone Harris, Billy Frazier, Tony Owens and
more. Excellent sound and booklet has brief notes on every track. 'LIL' WILLIE & THE ROCKIN' IMPERIALS: I'm The One/ C.
ALEXANDER & THE NATURAL 3: Pay Them No Mind/ LEVERT ALLISON: Can You
Handle It/ ALFREDA BROCKINGTON: Crushing Me/ MATT BROWN: A Man Without A
Woman/ JIMMY CHURCH: You've Got Me (In The Palm Of Your Hands)/ TOMMY
COLLINS: Oh What I'd Give/ BILLY FRAZIER: Temptation (It's So Hard To
Fight)/ GEORGE FREEMAN: Stop Now (There's Still Time)/ You Guessed It/
EARL GAINS: It's Worth Anything/ ART GRAYSON: Be Ever Mine/ THELMA
HARPER: My Man/ TYRONE HARRIS: Ain't That Fun/ RAMONA JONES: Young Girl
Blues/ KING DAVIS HOUSE ROCKERS: We All Make Mistakes Sometimes/ TOMMY
KNIGHT: There's No Pain/ BILLY MACK: I Am A Son Of A Lover/ PAUL MARTIN:
I've Got A New Love/ TONY OWENS: Confessin' On A Feeling/ JEAN SHY: I'll
Belong To You/ BOBBY VALENTINO: How Deep Is The Ocean/ PAUL VANN: Hello
My Lover (Wherever You Are)/ JUDY WHITE: Save Me
24 more soul rarities mostly new to CD - including many
of the same artists as Volume 1. Includes "Lil" Willie & The Rockin'
Imperials, Tony Owens, Bennie Conn, Alfreda Brockington, George Freeman,
Pete Cooke, J.P. Robinson, Matt & Robert and more. 'LIL' WILLIE & THE ROCKIN' IMPERIALS: Crazy Stomp/ C.
ALEXANDER & THE NATURAL 3: Somebody Special/ LEVERT ALLISON: Hear That
River/ KIP ANDERSON: You'll Lose A Good Thing/ ALFREDA BROCKINGTON: You
Made Me A Woman/ JAY DEE BRYANT: Come Summer/ BENNIE CONN: Have You Had
A Love/ PETE COOKE: Little Darlin'/ WYLIE DIXON: Gotta Hold On/ BILLY
FRAZIER: Try Me/ GEORGE FREEMAN: I'll Be Long Gone (Make My Life Shine)/
THELMA HARPER: Without Love/ MARGIE HENDRIX: I Found My Love/ RAMONA
JONES: Sweet Devil/ NEAL KIMBLE: I Consider Myself Lucky/ I've Made A
Reservation (In My Life For You)/ JOHN LADREW: What's The Matter With
Me/ MATT & ROBERT: These Arms Of Mine/ TONY OWENS: Got'a Get My Baby
Back Home/ EARL PARADISE: You're All I Need/ LEA ROBERTS: Prove It/ J.P.
ROBINSON: Only Be True To Me/ ACE SAINT CLAIRE: Let There Be Just You/
OSCAR WEATHERS: Your Fool Still Loves You
22 tracks, 47 min., recommended
Last few copies. Their
LP on the Sims label is one of the rarest and most valuable albums of
the soul era. But if you like your soul music a bit on the raw and
spontaneous side, this cousin-rather-than-brother aggregation may be
right for you. They were among the very first to take advantage of the
magic touch of the Fame Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. And they even
scored a reasonably good-sized hit in 1964 with the title track here.
This disc reissues their entire output - their Sims singles plus 3
singles recorded for the British Sue label. It includes Love Me Like
I Love You, Faith, I'll Let Nothing Separate Me,
Precious Words, One Way Affair, She Loves Me Not,
Stepping Stone, These Arms of Mine, and Line Between Love
and Hate. It's rough-edged, gospel-influence music, offered with
high production standards. (DH)