VA - The Return of the FunkSoulSisters (2005)

The second volume of Funk Soul Sisters repeats the formula of mixing sought-after and in-demand sister-funk records with well-known classics. The opener is Honey and the Bees' ‘Love Addict’, followed by Martha and the Vandellas’ ‘Easily Persuaded’, a Tamla Motown album track that sound like it could have been written for a blaxploitation movie. ‘Family Tree’ and ‘He's What I Need’ by Little Rose Little are brilliant slices of funk, while ‘Who Told You’ by Jackie Moore has a distinct latinesque feeling. The James Brown production ‘That's How It Feels’ by the Sisters of Righteousness allies a stomping beat with a gospel shout to impressive effect. James also produced the R&B/funk classic ‘Do You Really Want to Rescue Me’ by the larger-than-life Elsie Mae. Another soul great, Curtis Mayfield, was involved with Patti Jo's ‘Ain't No Love Lost’, which he produced and wrote. The next three tunes all have a deep southern flavour. Tommy Young's flute-laden ‘That's All a Part of Loving Him’ appeared on the Louisiana-based Soul Power label, which was part of the Jewel-Paula label that also issued Harolyn Montgomery's ‘Gotta Get Away’. Annette Snell's glorious ‘Love Connection’ is one of two fine featured from Nashville's Dial label, the other, ‘Jessie Joe (You Got to Go)’ by Jean Knight, is just as hot. Talking about the sound of the South, Millie Jackson recorded her breakthrough hits in Muscle Shoals, with Brad Shapiro. The wonderful ‘Hypocrisy’ is from those sessions. Jeannie Dee's ‘Two Heads Are Better Than One’ features some pounding piano at its entry point before Ms Dee gives us her words of wisdom. The Ebonettes provide us with a slightly odd sounding femme funk groove recorded up at Dave Hamilton's Detroit studio, whilst another Detroit singer, Gloria Taylor, gives us her club classic the frantic ‘Grounded’. TV Mama Jean's only Kent single is the slippery funk-with-a-message of 'Woman's Liberation', which is a similar concept to that delivered by Betty Moorer on ‘It's My Thing’. Inez Foxx is less politically right-on, but more scathing to her man on ‘Speed Ticket’, and the groove laid down is one of the hardest on the record. Leaving just room to mention Marie Adams, whose ‘Get Up And Do It Baby’ should be a manifesto for anyone who loves this music. http://www.acerecords.co.uk/

a

aa

Millie Jackson singing one of the tunes featured on this compilation, 'Hypocrisy’, on Soul Train, 1973: