Classic and Rare Soul Sisters 50s - 70s

Vivian Reed: Vivian Reed (1970) ... plus

2009-12-31T04:10:00.000-08:00

I would like to say farewell with a final post I am sure you are going to love, since this record is an extremely rare collector's item ...

An outstanding vocalist with a rich lower voice, the ravishingly beautiful Vivian Reed, a.k.a. "Ms. Bubblin' Brown Sugar," never made the splash in the record industry that she did as a Broadway actress. The talented New York native is the daughter of Lucille, and the late Clyde Reed. She starred in Bubbling Brown Sugar on Broadway, as Queenie, and with off Broadway productions in Toronto, Paris, and other cities. Her acting acumen, earned the vivacious actress, a Tony nomination, the Drama Desk Award (outstanding feature actress in a musical), Outer Circle Critics Award, the NAACP Award, and many more honors. In the early '90s she won a Tony for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical for The High Rollers Social and Pleasure Club. She began recording in the '60s and enjoyed her highest charting single with a fantastic rendition of 'Yours Until Tomorrow,' in 1968 on Epic Records. Hot on its heels she released her debut Lp, simply titled Vivian Reed. Produced by Ted Cooper and arranged and conducted by Jimmy Wisner, Tommy Bell and Bobby Martin, this is a killer of an album, mostly comprised of showtunes like 'Somewhere', 'The Shape of Things to Come' and 'I've Gotta Be Me', but all with a solid soul pedigree. It also features a great version of the Barbara Acklin and Eugene Record's song 'Walk on My Side'. Another single '(You're My) Soul and Inspiration b/w 'You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling (Medley)' made a little noise, climbing to #115 on the Billboard Singles Charts. Her next LP was the soundtrack Brown Sugar, on H&L Records in 1976, then Another Side, on United Artists Records in 1979; a second United Artists album Ready and Waiting dropped in 1980. They all sold poorly, and the single releases didn't shake em' up either. Other than her debut on Epic, and her United Artists' albums, the first produced by Jeff Lane, Vivian's recordings were MOR affairs that had little chance with contemporary audiences. While her recording career stagnated, she kept singing and as recently as 1996 was part of a Rhythm & Blues Revue with Freda Payne & Bunny Sigler. She has appeared in the top night clubs all over the world; an avid church goer, Vivian is attempting to revitalize her dormant recording career in the gospel field. I included here her complete debut album Vivian Reed with 7 bonus tracks, consisting of some of the sides she recorded for Atco Records in the early-'70s, including 'Save Your Love for Me' and her rendition of Al Green's 'Tired of Being Alone', her two collaborations on the Original Broadway Cast Recording of 1976's Bubbling Brown Sugar ('Sweet Georgia Brown' and 'God Bless the Child'), one cut from her Faith and Fire album, 'The Biggest Mistake', and 'Face to Face', a beautiful song which appears on the OST of the 1983 film L'Africain. (Gracias mil Maxi!!)

Vivian's stunning performance of Sweet Georgia Brown:

I hope you enjoy it! ;-)

SO LONG!!!

THIS IS IT ...

2009-12-31T01:44:00.001-08:00

After a run of almost one year and 300 posts, it is time for me to say farewell to Supersoulsisters. Yes, I know you don't like this, but unfortunately my collection of Soul Sisters records has its limitations and I am running out of goodies to post. Most of what I got left has been already posted in other blogs, so there is no point in doing it again. Besides, I don't have much time lately, due to some changes in my life, and doing this blog all by myself is starting to be a little bit too much for me. So from now on, everything I post will be on my Soulful Divas blog, which, as you might already know, is more varied in style and I update weekly.

I would like to thank all of this blog's faithful readers for their interest, kind comments and valuable contributions. I must specially thank Martin, Daniele, Bill, hooch, EliotW, Phil, pedro, Della Reese, troods, scottdavida, justme, Sugar Boom Boom!, laclasedetercero, The Commoner, Chris T, onejazzyman, Gerard, Vincent the Soul Chef, YankeeBoy, Soul Bonanza, Concept, Petit Bonbon, HeavySoulBrutha DaveB., Dee, e-keane, GHoSTFiNGeR, jahcisco, porco rosso, Rohto, NK666, Dreamer456, trakbuv, kareemah, joseph and Parry, for being all so supportive.

Well, I have enjoyed a lot sharing my stuff with you, guys! Take care and see you all on Soulful Divas…

Martha Reeves: Martha Reeves (1974) ... plus

2009-12-30T00:31:00.001-08:00

After an amazing run fronting the Vandellas at Motown, with 23 pop charting singles including such classics as 'Heat Wave,' 'Dancing in the Street,' and 'Jimmy Mack,' Martha Reeves parted company with both the Vandellas and her former label, Motown. Signing to MCA after a lawsuit to extract her from her previous contract, her 1974 solo debut was highly anticipated. Producer Richard Perry was signed on to oversee the project; it was hoped that he could bring the magic he had formerly employed on behalf of Barbra Streisand and Carly Simon. The album, entitled simply Martha Reeves, was certainly a stylistic departure, as Reeves turned to such unexpected songwriters as Hoyt Axton, Van Morrison, and Jimmy Cliff for material. Certainly Perry's production style was markedly different than any of the masters who inhabited Motown's Snakepit. In any event, the record wasn't the commercial success either Ms. Reeves or the record company had hoped for or expected, and it turned out to be the only one she would record for MCA. That said, the album holds up remarkably, given thirty years' distance. She's in terrific voice throughout, and Perry's production is comparatively restrained. The opening of Jimmy Cliff's 'Many Rivers to Cross,' for instance, is simply Ms. Reeves' and the Avalon Community Choir's vocals over an organ with piano accompaniment. Just gorgeous. 'Wild Night', her first solo single, was produced by Richard Perry and written by Kenneth Gamble, Leon Huff and Joe Simon, though still owed much to the Motown sound. With horns arranged and conducted by James Taylor and strong background vocals by Clydie King, the musicians included Motown genius James Jamerson, Joe Sample, Ralph MacDonald, Dennis Coffey, Jim Keltner and Dean Parks. As a matter of fact, some of the greatest musicians in the business appear on this album, and many of the songs are covers of great songs, including Joe Simons' 'Power of Love,' and 'I Got to Use My Imagination,' also recorded by B. B. King, and Gladys Knight and the Pips. She sounds great on 'My Man (You Changed My Tune)', and adds a gospel feel to Hoyt Axton's 'Dixie Highway'. This limited edition reissue of the album also includes three previously-unavailable bonus tracks, including the B-side of her debut single, 'Stand by Me', and a lovely reading of Ruby & The Romantics' 'Our Day Will Come.' This overlooked gem is a natural for all Motown and Vandellas fans. http://www.amazon.com/

VA: Ultimate Girl Groups (2006)

2009-12-29T00:23:00.000-08:00

One of the best compilations of obscure girl group singles from the mid-'60s. And I am talking obscure; Diane Renay is the only artist on this 26-track compilation who had a hit of any sort. These actually fall much closer to girl group soul than girl group pop/rock, the influence of Motown being particularly prevalent. These aren't meant as criticisms; these are mostly infectious, well-produced tracks, some of which, like Judy Hughes' 'Fine, Fine, Fine,' could have been big hits. You won't know how you ever managed without Theresa Lindsey's 'Gotta Find a Way', or Madeline Wilson's 'Dial "L" for Lonely', or Cheryl Williams' 'Everybody’s Happy But Me', or the Sherrys' 'Put You Arms Around Me' after you've lived with them for even just the shortest time.

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1. Judy Hughes - Fine Fine Fine
2. The Du-Ettes - Every Beat of My Heart
3. Cheryl Williams - Everybody's Happy But Me
4. Margie and The Formations - Sad Illusion
5. The Bonnetes - 'Ya Gotta Take a Chance
6. Madeline Wilson - Dial L For Lonely
7. The Delicates - Stop Shoving Me Around
8. The Gems - I'll Be There
9. Lorraine and The Delights - Baby I Need You
10. Deena Johnson - I'm a Sad Girl
11. Norma Jenkins - The Airplane Song
12. The Dolls - And That Reminds Me
13. Diane Renay - Can't Help Loving That Man
14. Mousie and The Traps - It's All in The Way
15. The Sherrys - Put Your Arms Around Me
16. Theresa Lindsay - Gotta Find a Way
17. Les Femmes - Closer
18. The Beas - Where Do I Go from You
19. Jeannie King - You've Got a Good Thing Going
20. The Contessas - I Keep on Keepin' On
21. The Twans - I Can't See Him Again
22. The Lovettes - Little Miss Soul
23. The Peaches - Music to My Ears
24. Phillis Brown - Oh Baby
25. The Passionetts - My Fault
26. Paulette & The Cupids - He'll Wait on Me

One of the groups featured on this compilation, the Dolls, singing 'The Reason Why' and 'And That Reminds Me of You', live in 1964:

The Contessas on Shivaree, October 30 1965, performing 'I Keep on Keepin' On':

This is a performance by New York girl group The Gems filmed for the documentary The Strange World of Northern Soul. 'I'll Be There', on Riverside Records, was a huge record at Blackpool Mecca:

Marie Knight: Hallelujah What a Song! (1946-1951)

2009-12-28T01:28:00.001-08:00

Marie Knight belongs to the select group of great soloists in the history of Afro-American gospel. With a voice that one recent reviewer described as "a natural wonder, an unadorned, powerful instrument," Knight began her career touring the national gospel circuit with evangelist Frances Robinson as a young woman in the mid-'40s, recording a few sides with the quartet The Sunset Four. The guitar-playing Tharpe, a major recording artist on the Decca Records label who brought gospel music to a broad audience, first heard Knight sing at a Mahalia Jackson concert in New York in 1946. Two weeks later, Tharpe showed up at Knight's house in Newark, N.J., to invite her to go on the road with her. "She was a beautiful woman with a beautiful contralto voice, who had a spellbinding effect on audiences," said Gayle Wald, who interviewed Knight for her 2007 biography "Shout, Sister, Shout!: The Untold Story of Rock-and-Roll Trailblazer Sister Rosetta Tharpe." Tharpe and Knight toured through the late '40s, appearing in clubs, arenas, churches and auditoriums. "Sometimes the one-nighters and the traveling was a little rough," Knight told the Times Union of Albany, N.Y., in 2005, "but on the stage was beautiful." Tharpe and Knight were best known for their classic gospel duets 'Up Above My Head', 'Beams of Heaven' and 'Didn't It Rain.' "They had a dynamic, exciting sound where they traded off vocal lines," Wald said. "That was a kind of hallmark with their duet singing, and it was so vocally agile that it approximated the sounds of jazz." After several years of recording together, Tharpe and Knight parted ways except for occasional on-stage reunions during the '50s, including performances at leading jazz clubs in New York City in 1955. In the '60s, Knight pursued a R&B career and toured with Brook Benton, the Drifters and Clyde McPhatter. After a hiatus, she returned to recording gospel music in the mid-'70s. This 22 track compilation features her work from 1946 to 1951, and features her collaborations with the Sam Price Trio/Quartet, the Nightingales, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, the Sunset Four, the Dependable Boys and others. Highlights include 'In the Shaded Green Pastures', 'Hallelujah What a Song' and 'I Thank You Jesus'. Although she was a top gospel soloist, Marie was more or less invisible to the gospel world at large during the last two decades, and in the fall of 2001, it was revealed through gospel expert Anthony Heilbut that Marie was still active as a singing pastor in New York. Unfortunatelly, she died in New York City on August 30 due to complications from Pneumonia. http://www.worldsrecords.com/. http://www.marieknight.com/

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Marie Knight singing 'You Better Run':

The Sisters Love: Give Me Your Love (1969-1989)

2009-12-27T01:13:00.000-08:00

‘Ahead of their time’ is a much used phrase to describe some of the most creative groups and The Sisters Love were most definitely that. In 1980 New York DJ Danny Krivit released an extended eight-minute cut-up of a track called 'Give Me Your Love' by The Sisters Love. Already an underground disco classic (partly on account of its rarity), this release brought it to a new audience of disco and rare groove fans. 'Give Me Your Love' originally came out in 1973 and subsequently become the property of the New York underground disco cognoscenti of DJs David Mancuso, Nicky Siano, Walter Gibbons and Larry Levan et all who made it a regular party anthem. The Sisters Love worked with producers such as Willie Hutch, Leon Ware, Gloria Jones and Richard Evans, toured the world with The Jackson Five, and appear in the Blaxploitation movie The Mack. Their sound is a great blend of funky rhythms, hard soul vocals, and soaring harmonies on the chorus, in a way that is almost a cross between the work of Lyn Collins at People Records with the best sounds of Sweet Inspirations over at Atlantic, but even more righteous overall. They made some classic music previously only available to the cognescenti and this release makes available many rare tracks as well as bringing the music to a new audience. The set brings together singles recorded for Motown and A&M, all over a period of 6 years, but tremendously unified overall, with a badass soul sound that rivals the legendary album by The Jackson Sisters. Titles include 'My Love Is Yours', 'The Bigger You Love (The Harder You Fall)', 'Blackbird', 'Ring Once', 'You've Got to Make Your Choice' and 'Now Is the Time'. I added 9 bonus tracks, including Danny Krivit extended version of 'Give Me Your Love', the vocal and instrumental versions of '(I Could Never Make) A Better Man Than You' and the B-side of their 1969 single 'Forget It, I've Got It', 'Are You Lonely', a remake of 'I'm Learning to Trust My Man' and 'No More Broken Hearts', from 1989. 25 tracks in all. http://www.souljazzrecords.co.uk/, http://www.dustygroove.com/
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The Sisters Love singing 'A Better Man Than You' on Soul Train:

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A 1973 lipsync performance of 'Mr. Fix-It Man' by The Sisters at the Dutch television show Toppop:

And last, but not least, their big classic 'Give Me Your Love':
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Alice Clark: Alice Clark ... plus (1966-1972)

2009-12-26T01:16:00.000-08:00

It was not initially my intention to post the self-titled 1972 album from Alice Clark - fabulous at it is - because it has been posted everywhere, but as I have had some requests, here it is: your wish is my command. Anyway, I added a few bonus to make it more appealing to those of you who already got it. The album is a sublime masterpiece of R&B/pop from the house of Bob Shad, the jazz producer who founded Mainstream Records. Jimmy Webb's 'I Keep It Hid' starts things off, one of the singles released from this original package and a nugget from another soul masterpiece, Supremes Arranged and Produced by Jimmy Webb, when Webb oversaw the post-Diana Ross girl group the same year as this release. A rendition of Fred Ebb and John Kander's tune, 'Maybe This Time' from the motion picture Cabaret, is included along with three compositions from 'Sunny' author Bobby Hebb. These include 'Don't You Care' and 'Hard, Hard Promises,' two titles Hebb has yet to release on his own. The third is an up-tempo version of 'The Charms of the Arms of Love' which concluded his 1970 album Love Games. Clark rips apart 'It Takes Too Long to Learn to Live Alone' in wonderful fashion with tasteful guitar, chirping horns, and restrained vibraphone. Juanita Fleming's 'Never Did I Stop Loving You' is just brilliant as the vocals take off into different dimensions inside and between the unique melody. The final track, 'Hey Girl,' is not the famous Carole King/Freddy Scott hit, it's a true find originally covered by Donny Hathaway and written by Hathaway's percussion player, Earl DeRouen. Here Clark changes it to 'Hey Boy' in a lively, jazz-heavy jaunt which concludes this dynamite set of recordings that should have made Alice Clark a superstar. http://www.answers.com/. I added 4 bonus tracks here: the George Kerr-produced and wonderfully titled Northern Soul side 'You Hit Me (Right Where It Hurt Me)' - a burner of a tune that was released on Warner subsidiary Seven Arts in about 1966 -, the flip to that record, a moving deep soul ballad titled 'Heaven's Will (Must Be Obeyed)', and her 1968 single 'You Got a Deal' b/w 'Say You'll (Never Leave Me)', which was released by a label called Rainy Day Records.

Maxine Weldon: Chilly Wind (1971)

2009-12-24T00:02:00.000-08:00

Despite her soul leanings, Maxine Weldon was at home singing blues, jazz, gospel, or an amalgam of all them. Chilly Wind, her second album for Mainstream, which was released in 1971 (the first being Right On, in 1970), is a good example of that. We find her working here with bigger backings from Ernie Wilkins in a style which is never too polished, and almost has a similar feel to some of Esther Phillips' work on the Kudu label during the early '70s. Soulful vocals at the lead, backed by some hip jazz and electric instrumentation from players who include Blue Mitchell and Bobby Bryant on trumpet, Hadley Caliman and Ernie Watts on tenor and flute, George Bohannon on trombone, Freddy Robinson on guitar and Earl Palmer, who was David Axelrod’s drummer, on drums. Side one is full of heavy soul cuts like 'I Think It’s Going to Rain Today,' and the funky 'Ain’t Got Nobody.' Side two changes it up a little with poppy groovers like 'Don’t Make Promises' and the jazzy ballad 'I’ll Remember Today'. There's even a version of 'I (Who Have Nothing)' with only her voice and harmonica that would get Nina Simone shook. Other titles include 'Chilly Wind', 'Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye', 'Country Son', 'Fire and Rain' and 'It Don't Matter to Me'. http://www.groundliftmag.com/, http://www.dustygroove.com/

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO EVERYONE !!!

Hodges, James & Smith - The HJ&S Story (1963-1979)

2009-12-23T00:01:00.000-08:00

Hodges, James & Smith (HJ&S) was the brainstorm of producer/writer William "Mickey" Stevenson, Motown's A&R Director during their glory years. They were originally known as Hodges, James, Smith & Crawford (former Motown artist Carolyn (Caroline) Crawford) and later became a trio: Pat Hodges, Denita James, and Jessica Smith. The girls were handpicked by Stevenson, though they each took different routes to get there. Denita James, who had previously studied ballet and tap dancing, had a solo single ('I Have Feelings Too' b/w 'Wild Side') on Flip in 1963; Pat Hodges played the clarinet in a local band, then attended college, earning a B.A. in music, and had a solo release ('Playgirl' b/w 'Surprise Party') on Keymen in 1966. As for Smith, she had a gospel background. Stevenson had a great vision for HJ&S and groomed them to play the top, plush clubs. He created a snazzy nightclub act for them that rivaled the Supremes, although HJ&S's sound was more aggressive and a lot more Soul/R&B oriented. Their first single was 'Nobody' b/w 'I'm in Love' on the Mpingo Label. 'Nobody' (previously a hit for Kim Weston on MGM) was updated later for the second of their 20th Century albums in the '70s. The group played the sweet gigs throughout Europe and recorded Incredible on 20th Century Fox in 1973, but the only thing incredible about it was the speed it reached cutout bins at discount record stores. Although a solid album, it just didn't get a decent push. Another 20th Century album, 1975's Power in Your Love, disappeared so fast that most people can't recall its title. The lack of recording success though, didn't douse HJ&S' flame; they continued traveling, doing the plum gigs. In 1976, they signed with London Records. What's on Your Mind received quite a bit of promotion and acclaim that, unfortunately, didn't transform into sales. During 1977, they had a few singles that nested in the nose-bleed section of the charts: the Motownish 'Don't Take Away Your Love' and the six-plus-minute chest-beater 'Since I Fell for You', a song that added sax, strings, and rough-and-tumble soul. Combined with 'I'm Falling in Love' in a medley for its single release, it reached number 24 on the R&B charts in July 1977. A second London album, What Have You Done for Love?, was released in 1978. But even when the girls displayed their best talents on songs like 'Darling I Promise,' 'You Know Who You Are,' Stevie Wonder's 'Seems So Long,' and Earth, Wind & Fire's 'You Can't Hide Love', the LP met a similar fate. Other artists including Bobby Womack, and Sylvester used HJ&S on sessions, but after a few more years of the same the trio disbanded, never having achieved the success they and Stevenson tried so hard to obtain. I included here their four complete albums on 20th Century Fox and London Records, Denita James' 1963 single, the A-side of Pat Hodges', the second of the two 45s they released with Carolyn Crawford in 1972 as Hodges, James, Smith & Crawford, plus Sylvester's 1979 two-sider 'Stars' b/w 'Body Strong', which features backing vocals by the girls. 44 songs in all! http://www.allmusic.com/

Mable John: My Name Is Mable - The Complete Collection (1960-1963)

2009-12-22T00:21:00.001-08:00

Mable John's stint with Motown was sufficiently obscure that even some of the relatively few soul fans who know of her work at all aren't aware that she started her career with the label. She did record a fair amount of material while there, and the accurately titled My Name Is Mable: The Complete Collection has all of it, containing all nine songs that showed up on 1960-1963 singles (including both the stringless and with-strings versions of 'No Love' and both the 1960 and 1963 versions of 'Who Wouldn't Love a Man Like That') and ten previously unreleased outtakes. It's fine music, not just as quality early soul by one of the style's more underrated vocalists, but also as a document of Motown when it was at its bluesiest, and still looking to nail down the pop-soul groove that would eventually become its strongest suit. Several of the figures who would be key to Motown's success were involved with these sides, among them (as producers and songwriters) Berry Gordy, Mickey Stevenson, Smokey Robinson, Stevie Wonder, Clarence Paul, Brian Holland, and Lamont Dozier. What, then, was missing, considering that John was a mature, passionately strong gospel-influenced singer? Not much, except perhaps truly great songs that would have been obvious hits. The songs are decent, and though they've been a bit lazily classified as blues by some, you can virtually always hear the classic Motown sound in embryo. 'Who Wouldn't Love a Man Like That' doesn't sound much different from the early Miracles' material, for instance, and you could certainly hear other songs fitting into the early repertoire of fellow Motowners like Marvin Gaye and Mary Wells without a problem. Check out Joe Hunters amazing piano intro on this song. 'Looking For a Man' is the first indication on this disc of the Motown sound we all love and could have been a hit for Mary Wells this chirpy foot tapper is a very strong contender for being one of the best commercially sounding tracks on this set. Mable teams up with Singin' Sammy Ward on the upbeat 'I'm Yours, Your Mine' a much heavier arrangement than her other songs and a formulae that was to work wonders for Mary Wells and Marvin Gaye in 1964 - of particular note the drum beat was much heavier on this recording and was a sign of things to come. It is well known that Berry Gordy utilised some of the artists on the label to provide backing vocals on songs for other artists you'll find a stellar performance from non other than the Supremes on 'I'm Finally Through With You' where on close inspection they have used a similar backing vocal to Marvin Gaye's 'Stubborn Kinda Fellow' to complement what is great song full of commercial promise which sadly failed to materialise into a hit song. Examination of the track 'Say You'll Never Let Me Go' released as a 'B' side finds a gorgeous gospel flavoured ballad featuring the Temptations on backing. The disc closes with the HDH written 'Meet Me Halfway' which whilst being unreleased at the time could have been a single release and rates as good as anything else out at that time. Some fans might prefer the funkier stuff that John recorded later in the '60s for Stax (as heard on the Stay Out of the Kitchen compilation), but this anthology is strong enough to appeal to general fans of early soul music, not just specialist collectors. http://sixtiesmotown.co.uk/, http://www.answers.com/

VA: Girl Crazy - 20 Northern Soul Tracks by Female Artists (2006)

2009-12-21T01:56:00.001-08:00

The ladies are taking over ... or at least that's the case on this great compilation from the folks at Goldmine! This package pushes away a bit from their usual Northern Soul bag, and explores the world of female soul in the '60s, still in a way that's very much in the rare indie mode we've come to expect from Goldmine, but with a focus on tunes that mix uptempo soul with sweeter girl group numbers. Put aside any fears you may have about this stuff being too pop, or too oldies-focused, because the set's hip soul all the way through, with a good mix of standout names from the indie scene, plus a few others yet to be discovered. 20 tracks in all, with titles that include 'Bad Love' by Marlene and the Debanettes, 'Third Time Under' by Third Tuesday, 'I Only Cry Once a Day Now' by The Puffs, 'What's Wrong with Me Baby' by The Toys, 'Just As Much' by Kris Peterson, 'Stoney Face' by Barbara and The Castles, 'In My Life' by Linda Carr, 'GI Joe We Love You' by The Fantasions, 'Head and Shoulders' by Marlina Mars, 'Ooh Boy' by Adorables, 'Your Love' by Miller Sisters, 'Look What I Got' by Gerri Thomas, 'Girl Crazy' by Gigi and The Charmaines, 'Sweet Talkin' Willie' by Teri Nelson Group, 'Give Him Up' by Vicki Hill, 'You're Something Else' by Chris Calloway and 'It's Good Enough for Me' by The Sensations, among others. http://www.dustygroove.com/
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Esther Phillips: From a Whisper to a Scream / Alone Again Naturally (1972) ... plus

2009-12-20T02:22:00.000-08:00

Two of her best albums ever, From a Whisper to a Scream and Alone Again Naturally (1972) really helped Esther Phillips transform her sound for the '70s. The approach in From a Whisper is a lot more jazzy than before, served up with a good dose of funk, thanks to arrangements from Pee Wee Ellis, fresh from his work with James Brown, but even more electrically-oriented here. The groove is great, and the album is one of the best Kudu sides from the early '70s: a perfect blend of soul, jazz, and funk, all wrapped up with a new level of sophistication that benefits all parties involved. Other players include Richard Tee on keyboards, Eric Gale on guitar, Bernard Purdie on drums, Airto on percussion, and Hank Crawford on alto sax. Titles include an incredible cover of Gil Scott Heron's 'Home Is Where the Hatred Is', plus 'From a Whisper to a Scream', 'Till My Back Ain't Got No Bone', 'That's All Right with Me', 'Scarred Knees', and 'Baby, I'm for Real'. Recorded in late 1972, Alone Again Naturally was the follow-up to From a Whisper to a Scream. Producer Creed Taylor assembled a stellar cast of musicians - some of whom had already played on her previous effort -, including George Benson, Maceo Parker, Eric Gale, Bernard Purdie, Ron Carter, Richard Tee and Billy Cobham. Superb arrangements, again courtesy of Pee Wee Ellis and Don Sebesky, melded perfectly with Esther's smoky vocals to produce one of the finest albums of her career. Both critics and NARAS voters took note, the latter awarding Ms. Phillips a second Grammy nomination for this Kudu classic (the first being for From a Whisper). The album has got a great version of Bill Withers' 'Use Me' that features a tasty break in the intro, plus the cuts 'Alone Again (Naturally)', 'Let's Move and Groove', 'Cherry Red', 'Let Me in Your Life', and 'You and Me Together'. There are also four bonus tracks: 'A Beautiful Friendship', 'How Blue Can You Get', 'Don't Run and Hide', and 'Brother, Brother'. http://www.dustygroove.com/

Yvonne Carroll: Anthology (1963-1965)

2009-12-18T00:27:00.001-08:00

Yvonne Carroll is a complete mistery to me. Actually, I didn't know about her existence until only a few days ago! I have been trying since to find any useful information about this rare early soul singer, with little success, I must say. All I found out is that she recorded about half-a-dozen 45s for different labels, including Vee-Jay, Domain and Challenge, during the early to mid-'60s. She also issued one single in 1963 as Yvonne Carroll and the Roulettes. But I was not able to find a complete discography list or something of the kind: this is the closest I could get (and mostly I did it myself!). Some of these sides are available on different Girl Group / Northern Soul compilations, but otherwise they are quite obscure and hard to get. Anyway, I have gathered here many of her recordings, though I couldn't find the B-side of the Northern Soul tune 'A Little Bit of Soap', 'Stop the Party', the A-side of 'Laugh or Cry', 'Magic Moment', and the 1963 Domain single 'Earth Angel' b/w 'My Sad Love'. Needless to say, a link to any of those would be appreciated! Highlights here include 'Please Don't Go', 'There He Goes', 'Stuck on You', 'Gee What A Guy' and 'How Long Must This Fool Pay' a song which bears more than a passing resemblance to Brenda Holloway's 'Every Little Bit Hurts'. Yvonne has got a really beautiful velvety voice which I am pretty sure you are going to love as much as I do!

Bettye LaVette: Take Another Little Piece of My Heart (1969-1970) ... plus

2009-12-17T00:16:00.000-08:00

Outside of R&B circles, LaVette has been something of an obscurity until recently. Her singles, released on a variety of independent labels, each with varying degrees of distribution competence, often stalled out mid-chart or failed to build on her earlier success. The result is a string of much sought after collector's items that never built the sort of overall legacy these works should have wrought. This compilation goes part of the way to rectifying this, pulling together material from 1969 and 1970 sessions that LaVette recorded with producer Lelan ("Brother of Kenny") Rogers for his Silver Fox label. Waxed in Memphis with a crack set of soul musicians (starring Jim Dickinson on keyboards, Charlie Freeman on guitar, bassist Tommy McLure, drummer Sammy Jackson, and a horn section), the core of whom would soon become The Dixie Flyers, these are hard-soul sides that frame the awesome rawness of LaVette's voice with sizzling horns up-top and funky, deep bass down below. The set includes all of her singles for the label, and her burning version of 'Piece of My Heart,' issued on the SSS label after Silver Fox went under. Other highlights include 'He Made a Woman Out of Me', a song that cranked its way to #25 R&B despite being banned by many radio stations down South, 'Do Your Duty' and 'Games People Play'. There are also some unreleased cuts, such as 'Hello Sunshine,' one of two duets with Hank Ballard (the other one is 'Let's Go, Let's Go, Let's Go'). The collection is stellar, the material is pure, gritty soul rooted in deep blues and R&B. LaVette had no gospel training, making her a pure soul singer. This is tough, rootsy material given an immediate, live-sounding treatment. The grooves are deep and wide — just check 'My Train's Comin' In,' or 'Nearer to You', written by Allen Toussaint. This compilation is simply wonderful. There isn't a weak cut in the bunch, and it leaves the listener wondering how it came to pass that LaVette didn't become a superstar. I added two bonus tracks to the comp, her 1975 Epic B-side, written and produced by Ron Dunbar, 'You're a Man of Words, I'm a Woman of Action', and the previously unreleased track 'Waiting for Tomorrow'. http://www.amazon.com/, http://www.allmusic.com/

Bettye LaVette performing 'He Made a Woman Out of Me' on the Lilac Festival Roch NY:

Lea Roberts: Excuse Me, I Want to Talk to You (1973) ... plus

2009-12-16T00:14:00.000-08:00

Unfortunately, it is not easy to find much info about Lea Roberts on the net (or elsewhere), which is quite hard to understand as she is such a gifted vocalist! Lea Roberts was born Leatha Roberta Hicks in Dayton, Ohio on 15 April, 1946 and she began to record in the late '60s-early '70s, when she issued two singles for Minit Records, 'Prove It' b/w 'When Something Is Wrong With My Baby' and 'Love on My Mind' b/w 'Stay with Me'. She signed to United Artists in 1970, recording eleven singles for the label between 1970 and 1975. She released a couple of albums on UA, too: the first one - and her best - was Excuse Me, I Want to Talk to You (1973) and the second, which I posted months ago, was Lady Lea (1975). Her debut, arranged by Wade Marcus, is a mixture of smooth and deep soul with some funky tracks. Highlights include '(If You Don't Want My Love) Give It Back', 'I Take My Fire with Me', 'I'm Losing My Mind', 'Maybe I Don't Show It', and 'Jeremy'. Roberts' R&B recording of Neil Sedaka's song 'Laughter in the Rain', which appears on Lady Lea, went to #20 on the R&B charts. As far as I know she released one final album entitled My Silent Place, on Skies Unlimited Records, in 1982. No need to say it would be more than appreciated if someone could share a copy of that one ... Lea Roberts' unique gospelised vocal stylings are something like a cross between Aretha Franklin, Della Reese and Judy Clay, if such a thing was possible. I am sure you are going to like this great soul singer, in case you din't know her. For those of you who already had this album, I have left a second link in the comments section with three extra tracks, consisting of two sides from her Minit years, plus one track of her 1982 album.

Baby Washington & Don Gardner - Lay a Little Lovin' on Me (1973) / Edwin Starr & Blinky - Just We Two (1969) ... plus

2009-12-15T00:05:00.001-08:00

Two older '60s soul stars, Baby Washington and Don Gardner, team up in this early '70s album of sweet soul duets titled Lay a Little Lovin' on Me. Don had worked previously with Dee Dee Ford, and he is going for a similar style here with Baby Washington, with both singers trading off vocals, and one usually dominating the song more than the other. The groove is kind of early '70s indie, and the smoother numbers are the best. Arrangements are by Bobby Martin, Burt De Coteaux, and Paul Riser, and cuts include 'We're Gonna Make It Big', 'I Just Want to Be Near to You', 'Baby Let Me Get Close to You', 'Can't Get Over Losing You', and 'Lay a Little Lovin' on Me'. Edwin Starr & Blinky Williams' Just We Two album opens up with a soulful rendition of 'You've Made Me So Very Happy,' a #2 hit for Blood, Sweat and Tears earlier in the year that was itself a cover of a Motown original by Brenda Holloway, and it concludes with the Smokey Robinson classic, 'Ooo Baby Baby.' One particular standout in between is a new version of 'Oh How Happy,' which was written by Starr under his given name of Charles Hatcher for the group Shades of Blue in 1966. The cute duet grazed the lower reaches of the Hot 100 in the summer of 1969. Starr went on to record his signature hit, 'War,' the following year, so it's not a surprise that the pairing was so short-lived. But the reasoning behind the mass of powerhouse, unissued Blinky recordings remains one of Motown's many mysteries. As bonus tracks I added seven of those elusive Blinky's solo tracks, including 'The Hunter Gets Captured by the Game', 'I Wouldn't Change The Man He Is', 'This Time Last Summer' and 'Money', plus an extra duet with Edwin Starr, 'Never Gonna Give You Up', which was unreleased at the time. http://classic.motown.com/, http://www.dustygroove.com/

Etta James: The Second Time Around (1961)

2009-12-14T01:07:00.001-08:00

Etta James was just 22 when she made the recordings for this album in 1960 and '61, but she had already established herself as a youthful belter of spirited R&B numbers. The Second Time Around was originally released by Argo Records as a 45-inch LP, containing five tracks on each side of the LP (with ten tracks overall). Like her previous album, At Last!, producers, Phil and Leonard Chess added orchestral strings arranged and conducted by Riley Hampton to the background music of James's voice, which garnered her with Pop crossover appeal. Like Aretha Franklin in the same period, James felt pressure from recording executives to go in different directions. Chess was unsure whether to market her as an R&B singer or to press her toward mainstream adult pop and jazz. This album presents both sides of the coin, with James doing rousing R&B numbers such as 'Seven Day Fool' and the protosoul of 'Don't Cry Baby,' lounge tunes like 'One for My Baby', the jazz-flavored ballad 'Fool That I Am,' Ellington's 'Don't Get Around Much Anymore' and a cover of the Pop standard 'Dream'. It hardly matters, though, for James's emotional immediacy and potent delivery make all the material her own. The album spawned three singles, which all became major hits on the Hot Rhythm Blues Records and Billboard Pop Chart in 1961. Etta would surely do her best with later albums like Tell Mama, but on The Second Time Around one hears the singer at her peak in a swinging and varied program of blues, R&B, and jazz standards. http://en.wikipedia.org/, http://www.amazon.com/

Della Reese: Black Is Beautiful - The Avco Years (1969-1972)

2009-12-13T00:55:00.000-08:00

Della Reese is a renowned gospel singer, working with Mahalia Jackson and Clara Ward before becoming lead singer with the Meditation Singers. Her place was taken by Laura Lee when she left to join the Erskine Hawkins orchestra in 1956. Reese began a solo recording career with Jubilee in 1957, releasing the Top 20 hit 'And That Reminds Me' and a version of Cole Porter’s 'In The Still of the Night'. Now established as a gospel-influenced ballad singer, she signed to RCA Records in 1959 where Hugo And Luigi produced 'Don’t You Know', based on an aria from Puccini’s opera La Bohème. It reached number 2 and was followed by the Top 20 single 'Not One Minute More'. Later RCA singles included revivals of 'Someday (You’ll Want Me to Want You)' (1960) from 1946 and the '20s standard 'Bill Bailey' (1961). During the '60s and '70s, she worked frequently in cabaret, recording for Avco and ABC Records, where she had a minor dance hit with the Northern Soul tune 'If It Feels Good Do It', in 1972. Black Is Beautiful is one of the two fantastic albums Della released on Avco in the late-'60s to early-'70s. Nice stuff from a period when Della was forging a unique mix of country-soul, blues, gospel, funk and pop vocals into a sophisticated blend that transcended all styles. Produced by Hugo & Luigi, the record features some really nice moments, like 'Games People Play', a funky take on Eugene McDaniels' protest song 'Compared to What', a truly tip-top lick of The Impressions' classic 'Choice of Colors', Bobby Goldsboro's 'With Pen In Hand', the beautiful country soul song 'Comment' and 'Cycles'. One curious note is that Black Is Beautiful was the only album of the Avco label to ever reach a chart, peaking at #44 R&B, in 1970. I have added 14 bonus tracks from the same period, including a handful of singles, all but four of the cuts from her other album for the label, Right Now (1971), plus three songs which were not issued at the time. 24 tracks in all! http://www.oldies.com/, http://www.bsnpubs.com/ For obvious reasons this post is dedicated to one of my dearest blog followers, Della! ;-)
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VA: Troubles, Heartaches & Sadness - Hi Records' Deep Soul Sisters (1966-76)

2009-12-12T00:36:00.000-08:00

Whenever the classic sound of Memphis is discussed, the holy trinity of Stax, Goldwax and Hi dominate the proceedings. Although the Hi label was a relative latecomer in the soul stakes, it soon equalled, and often surpassed its rivals in both commercial and artistics terms. The company's roster was home to an array of talent, some already established, others fresh-faced and ready to roll, from whose ranks this collection of distaff delights has been assembled. Janet & the Jays' Memphis residence was brief, but the group's legacy, which includes Don Bryant's 'Without a Reason' and 'Love What You're Doing to Me', stands proudly among the finest Hi product of all time. Ann Peebles made her R&B chart debut in 1969 with her very first single, the start of a decade of chartbusters and, finally, the breakthrough into the soul market that had since eluded Hi. Four of Peebles' classic cuts are featured here, including 'Give Me Some Credit', 'Troubles, Heartaches & Sadness' and 'Run Run Run'. Memphis' best secret, Toni Green, was the lead vocalist of Imported Moods, a harmony outfit whose 'What Have You Done to My Heart' was released on the label in 1970. Five years before ex-fashion model Veniece joined Hi, released two singles pdq and promptly disappeared from the recording scene for six years. She returned from that hiatus with the driving downhome saga 'Stepchild', prompting a trip to Europe supporting Wilson Pickett. A revival of Otis Clay's 'Trying to Live My Life Without You' in 1975 proved to be her farewell disc. Signed to Hi Records, Quiet Elegance were produced by Willie Mitchell and Dan Greer, who acting independently, whip up a batch of hot, tough Southern sounds as magnificent as their debut single, 'I'm Afraid of Losing You'. Blue-eyed soul trio Joint Venture worked for several years as in-house back-up singers for Al Green before releasing one of the greatest 45s to find on the label, 'What Have You Done to My Heart', in 1970. One of their members, Donna Rhodes, recorded solo 'Where's Your Love Been' three years later. Erma Coffee's 1973 Hi single coupled her version of 'Any Way the Wind Blows' and 'You Made Me What I Am', both included here. She later recorded as Irma Coffee for Tamtown. Chicagoan soul diva Jean Plum arrived at Hi Records in 1975, where she debuted with the remarkable “soft-deep” double-header 'Look at the Boy' and 'Back to You'. Talking to the British publication Blues & Soul the following year, the singer expressed her excitement at the completion of sessions for her first album. The inclusion of treasures like 'Loneliness' and her supremely soulful interpretations of Aretha Franklin’s 'Today I Sing the Blues' would surely have ensured a top quality se but, sadly, the LP was never released. The 1976 single 'I Love Him' was Plum’s only other release until her final platter two years later. Meanwhile Hi girl group Known Facts delivered their impressive two-sider 'He's Got It' and 'How Can I Believe You', in 1975; same year that the Duncan Sisters issued 'It's You That I Need', their only outing on Hi. The fact that Ann Peebles alone amongst this talented asemblage hit the big time, detracts not one jot from the greats sounds laid down by her equally deserving labelmates, whom posterity has, at last, granted a wider and more appreciative audience than they attracted back in the day. Partially Taken from the original liner notes.

Deniece Williams: This Is Niecy / Song Bird (1976-1977) ... plus

2009-12-11T00:03:00.000-08:00

Deniece Williams spent the first half of the '70s establishing herself as a background vocalist for an impressive line of artists, including Stevie Wonder, Minnie Riperton, Roberta Flack, and Esther Phillips. Though she'd continue to do session work throughout her career, she also became accomplished as a solo artist. Unfortunately, a lot of people think she came out of nowhere for 1984's 'Let's Hear It for the Boy,' a number one pop hit, but she was making excellent albums as early as 1976. The songs that would eventually make up her debut, This Is Niecy, were sent to Earth, Wind & Fire. Williams didn't intend to make her own album and thought these songs would be a good fit for Philip Bailey. Instead, she got to record them with most of EW&F, including Maurice White and Charles Stepney as producers, Verdine White on bass, Freddie White on drums, those glorious horns, and several other associates of the group. Three of the album's seven songs were released as singles, and they're all stunners, each with its own mood and style (fittingly, one peaked on the dance chart, one hit the Top 30 of the pop chart, and one scraped the black singles chart). The best of the lot is 'Free,' a subtle but powerful sparkler that expressed Williams' desire to break from the more traditional lifestyle that had been mapped out for her. Out of everything she recorded, this low-key song demonstrates most how her time with Riperton and Syreeta rubbed off on her, showing how a bedroom whisper can be just as affecting as an in-the-red wail. The album also featured 'Cause You Love Me Baby' (which charted separately on the R&B chart as the flip side of 'Free'), 'That's What Friends Are For' and 'How'd I Know That Love Would Slip Away'. I included here as well her second LP for Columbia. Titled Song Bird, it was released a year later, in 1977, and was also a Maurice White production with great moments, like the number 13 single 'Baby, Baby My Love's All for You' and 'God Is Amazing', but This Is Niecy remains her best effort. As a bonus track I added the single version of 'Free'. http://www.allmusic.com/
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Deniece Williams performing her classic 'Free':

Ruby Winters: Songbird - The Anthology (1966-1979)

2009-12-10T02:30:00.001-08:00

Ruby Winters recorded several energetic soul singles for tiny labels throughout the late '60s and early '70s, but never could break out beyond regional status. She was born in Kentucky, but raised in Cinncinnati, and had her first chart hit in 1967, teaming with Johnny Thunder for a duet remake of Jo Stafford's 1954 single 'Make Love to Me,' for Diamond Records. Their version peaked at number 13 on the R&B charts. Ruby was one of the mainstays at Diamond for close to four years, between 1966 and 1969. She had another Top 20 hit with 'I Don't Want to Cry' in 1969 for the label, and one Top 20 single in 1969 with 'Guess Who'. But she would get caught up in the Diamond Records shutdown and shift over to Certron records for one release in 1970 (allegedly Certron bought the Diamond masters), before scoring a surprise hit in the mid-'70s with her cover of the Dick Glasser standard, 'I Will'. She would release an album with the same title in 1978. Later hit singles for her included the songs 'I Won't Mention It Again', 'Come to Me!' and 'Baby Lay Down', all of which made it into the UK Singles Chart in the late '70s. The last two appeared on her last album Songbird, released on K-Tel in 1979. I have gathered here 14 of her '60s sides, including her duet with Johnny Thunder, plus her complete 1978 album I Will, and half a dozen tracks from 1979's Songbird. Highlights include the Northern Soul cuts 'Better' and 'I Want Action', 'I Don't Want to Hurt Nobody', 'Just Like A Yo-Yo', 'The Bells of St. Mary's', 'Always David', Kris Kristofferson's 'For The Good Times', her impressive debut single 'In the Middle of a Heartache', and the wonderful deep soul ballad 'Try Me', 32 songs in all!! http://en.wikipedia.org/
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Ruby Winters performing the classic 'I Will':

Penny Goodwin: Portrait of a Gemini (1974)

2009-12-09T00:26:00.001-08:00

A legendary bit of jazzy soul recorded by Penny Goodwin, an obscure female singer from Milwaukee. Penny has a warm style that is pretty darn nice on its own, but it's made even better by the great arranger Richard Evan, who helped out a lot on the session, along with Phil Upchurch (G), and Morris Jennings (Ds). The feel is very much in the Chicago sophisti-soul mode and, at times, the record sounds a lot like Marlena Shaw's best work in the '70s, particularly her sides for Blue Note in the early part of the decade. Originally released on a Milwaukie Label, only 2000 copies were Pressed. Used vinyl copies of the original Portrait of a Gemini album were going for five hundred dollars in the collectors market at one point. It includes the great original 'Too Soon You're Old' - a jazz dance classic for many years - plus a stellar cover of Gil Scott Heron's 'Lady Day & John Coltrane', and the tracks 'He's Come Back', 'Amazing Grace', 'Slow Hot Wind', 'Today Is the First Day' and 'Rain Sometimes'. It also features a has-to-be-heard-to-be-believed version of Marvin Gaye's 'What's Goin' On'. http://www.dustygroove.com/, http://www.amazon.com/

Dusty Springfield: Where Am I Going (1967) ... plus

2009-12-08T01:26:00.000-08:00

Where Am I Going is a phenomenal album by Dusty Springfield, and though it doesn't have any American chart hits made famous by the icon, it would have been a blessing had every single performance here conquered the Top 40. The British version contains 12 tracks, while the U.S. counterpart, entitled The Look of Love, has 11, four of which are not on the vinyl version of this: 'Look of Love,' 'Small Town Girl,' 'What's It Gonna Be,' and 'Give Me Time' (I have added all these as bonus tracks). To further complicate things, this '90s reissue contains three extra cuts, including 'Time After Time,' 'I've Got a Good Thing' and the Goffin/King tune 'Don't Forget About Me'. The LP cover is great — a black and white of a smiling Springfield with wide-brimmed hat, mini skirt, and a comic book quotation in psychedelic off-pink and orange stating Where Am I Going. The music inside with strings and orchestration is a relentless delight. The Pat Williams arrangement of Bobby Hebb's 'Sunny' with conductor Peter Knight reveals a touch of the James Bond riff, a definite sign of the times. One can hear the wondrous voices of Madeline Bell and Lesley Duncan, the backing voices blending perfectly with the orchestration in songs like 'I Can't Wait Until I See My Baby's Face' and 'Don't Let Me Lose This Dream.' 'Where Am I Going?' is as perfectly surreal as its title suggests — imagine Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music twirling around in the windmills of Springfield's mind. This is not the driving pop of 'I Only Want to Be With You' or 'Wishin' & Hopin',' this is symphonic adult contemporary. 'They Long to Be Close to You' is the serious and dramatic blues that the Carpenters aspired to develop. 'Welcome Home' is out of this world rhythm & blues told with authority. It and other tracks from Where Am I Going? puts Springfield in that elite class reserved for the best of Janis Joplin, Etta James, and Ella Fitzgerald — female vocalists who found notes in niches of songs that were unavailable to lesser mortals. While Springfield was filling the airwaves in America with 'The Son of a Preacher Man' toward the end of 1968, a band called Vanilla Fudge had 'Take Me for a Little While' on the U.S. charts, but their disc was issued in July of 1967 and their success in the States was a delayed reaction. Dusty Springfield takes that great composition and turns it into snappy pop with an amazing vocal. Add 'If You Go Away' and the musicians on these grooves take the listener on a wild ride running the gamut of genres without disrupting Where Am I Going?'s flow. This is a tremendous and often forgotten masterpiece in the repertoire of Dusty Springfield which deserves more attention. It truly is the record which keeps on giving. http://www.allmusic.com/
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Dusty singing live 'Time After Time' on her TV show in 5 September 1967. Now this, ladies and gentlemen, is a REAL singer:

The great diva performing her 1967 single 'What's It Gonna Be':

Ty Karim: The Complete Ty Karim - Los Angeles' Soul Goddess (1965-1980)

2009-12-07T01:32:00.000-08:00

A tall, elegant and emotionally dynamic singer, Ty Karim was a local legend on the L.A. soul circuit, although she never really received her due on a national level despite having released several powerful dance tracks on various small labels from the mid-'60s through the early '80s. Most of her releases, which included the Northern Soul favourite 'Lighten Up Baby,' were produced by her second husband Kent Harris, whose own singing career was all but over when the two met. Harris devoted his creative energy to Karim's career, wisely featuring and giving full reign to her husky voice on their productions, many of which originally appeared on Harris' own Romark imprint. A 12" collaboration with George Griffin, 'Keep on Doin' Whatcha' Doin',' in the early '80s was a hit in the U.K. and brought Karim a good deal of attention in Europe. Karim died in 1983, and aside from serious fans of soul and R&B, her impressive body of work was all but forgotten. Such a shame, as she was a hell of a great talent, starting out in the '60s with upbeat Northern Soul groovers, then moving into the '70s with material that was even deeper, and a bit more sophisticated laidback numbers that really show a maturation in style, and which are filled with wonderful twists and turns. Ty's vocals have a burning quality that's quite surprising, given her kittenish look on the cover, making the whole package a really wonderful journey in soul. And although most of the tracks here were recorded by tiny indie labels, they often have a very full, spacious approach to production - one that's really trying to hit the heights of Detroit or New York at the time. A good number of these cuts weren't issued at the time, and together with the rare singles, they really go a long way towards filling in the gaps in Ty's too-short career on record. Titles include 'I Ain't Lying', 'Natural Do', 'You Really Made It Good To Me', 'Help Me Get That Feeling Back Again', 'All at Once', 'Only a Fool', 'Lightin Up' (the the '70s remake of 'Lighten Up Baby'), 'I Ain't Lying', 'You Just Don't Know', 'I'm Leavin' You', and 'Don't Make Me Do Wrong.' Ty was along with so many other artists such as Sandi Sheldon, Bettye Swann or Dee Dee Warwick, a marvellous artist who never broke through to the mainstream. However the quality of her music is undeniable and this set is essential for fans of '60s and '70s soul music. Thanks to Daniele for this one!! http://www.allmusic.com/, http://www.dustygroove.com/

Big Maybelle Smith: Chronological (1944-1968)

2009-12-06T04:40:00.000-08:00

Mabel Louise Smith (1 May 1924, Jackson, Tennessee, USA, d. 23 January 1972, Cleveland, Ohio, USA) was discovered singing in church by Memphis band leader Dave Clark in 1935. When Clark disbanded his orchestra to concentrate on record promotion, Smith moved to Christine Chatman’s orchestra with whom she first recorded for Decca Records in 1944. Three years later, Smith made solo records for King and in 1952 she recorded as Big Maybelle when producer Fred Mendelsohn signed her to Okeh Records, a subsidiary of CBS Records. Her blues shouting style (a female counterpart to ‘Big’ Joe Turner) brought a R&B hit the next year with 'Gabbin’ Blues' (a cleaned-up version of the ‘dirty dozens’ on which she was partnered by songwriter Rose Marie McCoy). 'Way Back Home' and 'My Country Man' were also bestsellers. In 1955, she made the first recording of 'Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On', which later became a major hit for Jerry Lee Lewis. Big Maybelle was also a star attraction on the chitlin’ circuit of black clubs, with an act that included risqué comedy as well as emotive ballads and brisk boogies. Leaving Okeh for Savoy, her 'Candy' (1956) brought more success and in 1959, she appeared in Jazz on a Summer’s Day, the film of the Newport Jazz Festival. Despite her acknowledged influence on the soul styles of the '60s, later records for Brunswick Records, Scepter and Chess Records made little impact until she signed to the Rojac label in 1966. There she was persuaded to record some recent pop hits by the Beatles and Donovan and had some minor chart success of her own with versions of 'Don’t Pass Me By' and '96 Tears'. She also covered 'Eleanor Rigby', Los Bravos' 'Black Is Black', and recorded the Northern Soul stomper 'Quittin' Time'. Big Maybelle’s career was marred by frequent drug problems, which contributed to her early death from a diabetic coma. I have gathered here a collection of 130 tracks, consisting of a fair amount of the sides the R&B chanteuse recorded for King, Okeh, Savoy, Brunswick, Scepter and Rojac between 1944 and 1968, including the entirety of her albums What More Can a Woman Do? (Brunswick, 1962), The Soul of Big Maybelle (Brunswick, 1965) and The Gospel Soul of Big Maybelle (Scepter, 1968). Enjoy!! http://www.oldies.com/

Big Maybelle singing 'I Ain't Mad at You', live at the Newport Jazz Festival, 1958:

Manifiesto “En defensa de los derechos fundamentales en internet”

2009-12-04T03:50:00.000-08:00

Ante la inclusión en el Anteproyecto de Ley de Economía sostenible de modificaciones legislativas que afectan al libre ejercicio de las libertades de expresión, información y el derecho de acceso a la cultura a través de Internet, los periodistas, bloggers, usuarios, profesionales y creadores de internet manifestamos nuestra firme oposición al proyecto, y declaramos que…

1.- Los derechos de autor no pueden situarse por encima de los derechos fundamentales de los ciudadanos, como el derecho a la privacidad, a la seguridad, a la presunción de inocencia, a la tutela judicial efectiva y a la libertad de expresión.

2.- La suspensión de derechos fundamentales es y debe seguir siendo competencia exclusiva del poder judicial. Ni un cierre sin sentencia. Este anteproyecto, en contra de lo establecido en el artículo 20.5 de la Constitución, pone en manos de un órgano no judicial – un organismo dependiente del ministerio de Cultura -, la potestad de impedir a los ciudadanos españoles el acceso a cualquier página web.

3.- La nueva legislación creará inseguridad jurídica en todo el sector tecnológico español, perjudicando uno de los pocos campos de desarrollo y futuro de nuestra economía, entorpeciendo la creación de empresas, introduciendo trabas a la libre competencia y ralentizando su proyección internacional.

4.- La nueva legislación propuesta amenaza a los nuevos creadores y entorpece la creación cultural. Con Internet y los sucesivos avances tecnológicos se ha democratizado extraordinariamente la creación y emisión de contenidos de todo tipo, que ya no provienen prevalentemente de las industrias culturales tradicionales, sino de multitud de fuentes diferentes.

5.- Los autores, como todos los trabajadores, tienen derecho a vivir de su trabajo con nuevas ideas creativas, modelos de negocio y actividades asociadas a sus creaciones. Intentar sostener con cambios legislativos a una industria obsoleta que no sabe adaptarse a este nuevo entorno no es ni justo ni realista. Si su modelo de negocio se basaba en el control de las copias de las obras y en Internet no es posible sin vulnerar derechos fundamentales, deberían buscar otro modelo.

6.- Consideramos que las industrias culturales necesitan para sobrevivir alternativas modernas, eficaces, creíbles y asequibles y que se adecuen a los nuevos usos sociales, en lugar de limitaciones tan desproporcionadas como ineficaces para el fin que dicen perseguir.

7.- Internet debe funcionar de forma libre y sin interferencias políticas auspiciadas por sectores que pretenden perpetuar obsoletos modelos de negocio e imposibilitar que el saber humano siga siendo libre.

8.- Exigimos que el Gobierno garantice por ley la neutralidad de la Red en España, ante cualquier presión que pueda producirse, como marco para el desarrollo de una economía sostenible y realista de cara al futuro.

9.- Proponemos una verdadera reforma del derecho de propiedad intelectual orientada a su fin: devolver a la sociedad el conocimiento, promover el dominio público y limitar los abusos de las entidades gestoras.

10.- En democracia las leyes y sus modificaciones deben aprobarse tras el oportuno debate público y habiendo consultado previamente a todas las partes implicadas. No es de recibo que se realicen cambios legislativos que afectan a derechos fundamentales en una ley no orgánica y que versa sobre otra materia.

Este manifiesto, elaborado de forma conjunta por varios autores, es de todos y de ninguno. Si quieres sumarte a él, difúndelo por Internet.

ENGLISH TRANSLATION IN COMMENTS.

Irene Reid: The World Needs What I Need (1971) ... plus

2009-12-04T00:05:00.001-08:00

Irene Reid was born and raised in Savannah, Georgia. She sang in church and in high school in Georgia, and moved to New York City in 1947 after her mother died. Toward the end of 1947, she tied out for an amateur contest at the Apollo Theater in Harlem, and won the competition for five straight weeks. Soon after she was offered a slot as the featured vocalist with Dick Vance at the Savoy Ballroom, which she held from 1948-1950. In 1961-62, Reid sang with Count Basie's orchestra, and recorded for Verve Records(Room for One More, 1965; It's Too Late, 1966). She later performed in a Broadway production of the musical The Wiz. Additionally, she sang with Carmen McRae, Sarah Vaughan, Aretha Franklin, and B.B King. In 1971 she recorded her lone Polydor effort, The World Needs What I Need. Arranged and conducted by Horace Ott, this album reinvented the singer for a new dawn, jettisoning the jazz sensibilities of previous efforts in favor of a bottom-heavy psychedelic soul approach perfectly matched to her potent vocals. While nowhere near as tripped out as concurrent Polydor releases from the likes of Roy Ayers or Edwin Birdsong, the album definitely boasted all the label's early-'70s hallmarks: thick, percolating grooves, panoramic arrangements, and a deep sensitivity for a universal consciousness far greater than the music itself. Navigating well-chosen covers like 'Son of a Preacher Man' and 'Didn't We', and funky originals like 'Hey World, Let Love In' with aplomb and self-possession, Reid never seems out of place in such radical environs; indeed, the performances here are among her very finest, and it's a shame the album's commercial failure spelled such an extended absence from the limelight. It wasn't until the late '90s that she returned to prominence, recording some albums for Savant and appearing at the Savannah Jazz Festival in 1991, 1994, and 1996. I have extended her 1971 album with 11 bonus tracks, consisting of 9 tunes from her '60s repertoire, including 'Once a Thief', 'Just Loving You', 'I Must Be Doing Something Right' 'We're Gonna Make It' and 'My Heart Said (The Bossa Nova)', plus a couple of songs from her album The Uptown Lowdown (2000). http://www.answers.com/, http://music2all.byethost18.com/

Mike Carr with his Trio and Irene Reid performing 'Fever':

VA: Here Come the Girls Vol.5 - Sisters from the City (1963-1974)

2009-12-03T00:02:00.000-08:00

Subtitled Sisters from the City, volume five in the consistently wonderful Here Come the Girls series that Sequel Records released in the '90s, isn't a girl group collection per se, at least not in the conventional Shangri-Las/Chiffons/Ronettes sense of the phrase. The subject is instead soul sides dating from between 1963 and 1974, relative light years in musical terms that encompass everything from the primal R&B of Betty Harris' deep-soul ballads 'Cry to Me' and 'His Kiss' to the insistent Philly proto-disco of Ecstasy, Passion & Pain's 'I Wouldn't Give You Up'; although the set consequently lacks the focus and clarity common to the remainder of the Here Come the Girls series, the quality of the assembled material is nevertheless high throughout. Five of the disc's 20 tracks (mostly drawn from the Roulette and Calla vaults) spotlight the unjustly neglected Jean Wells, whose incendiary gospel-inspired vocals combined with the slinky production of the great Clyde Otis to yield a series of strong singles like 'I Feel Good' and 'Have a Little Mercy,' all of which earned little notice during the Summer of Love. Other highlights: the Fuzz's beatific 'Like an Open Door,' Betty Lavette's Northern soul perennials 'Let Me Down Easy' and 'Only Your Love Can Save Me', Doris Troy's 'I'll Do Anything' and Oohna Truth's funky 'If It Feels Good, Do It.' http://www.allmusic.com/

Dee Dee Sharp Gamble: What Colour is Love (1977) / Dee Dee (1980)

2009-12-02T00:04:00.001-08:00

After marrying Kenny Gamble, Dee Dee Sharp seemed to inherit his smooth Philly soul style as part of the family and her records for Philly International are head and shoulders above her earlier work as a girl singer in the '60s. Over a five-year period as Dee Dee Sharp Gamble, she recorded a total of three albums for the label, Happy 'Bout The Whole Thing (1975), What Color Is Love (1977) and Dee Dee (1980). The first one I posted it already. Now it is the time for the other two. When What Color Is Love came out in 1977, it looked like a sure thing that Dee Dee would obtain legendary status, as this collection is filled with soul-stirring performances, from the beautifully haunting ballads 'What Color Is Love?' and 'Flashback', to the passionate plea in 'Nobody Could Ever Take Your Place'. Other highlights are her version of 'I Really Want to See You Tonight', which is far better than the original, and the remake of Barry Manilow's 'Tryin' to Get the Feelin' Again'. The second album, sadly her last to date, came out in 1980 to great reviews but no radio support, which was hard to figure out because so many of its tracks could have been hits (and a couple actually were). Dee Dee has some nice mellow midtempo cuts, like 'If We're Gonna Stay Together' and her duet with legendary Jerry Butler 'Everyday Affair', which stands up along with any of the greatest ever duets along with Dinah & Brook or Marvin & Tammi. 'Invitation' is a smoldering and riveting scorcher that will give pleasure to anyone who loves great passionate vocals, while the sultry and hypnotic 'I Love You Anyway' was a Top 100 R&B hit. But the album also has a number of great funky dance numbers, including 'Let's Get This Party Started', 'Easy Money' and 'Breaking and Entering', a song that spent four weeks at number 1 on Billboard's Disco/Dance chart. Those who only know Dee Dee Sharp for her '60s work will be surprised by the mature, sexy Dee Dee. If you love the Philadelphia sound this is a must for your collection. http://www.amazon.com/, http://www.dustygroove.com/

Laura Lee: The Hot Wax / Invictus Anthology (1970-1974)

2009-12-01T00:07:00.000-08:00

When Holland-Dozier-Holland broke up with Motown in 1968, two female vocalists proved crucial in putting the songwriters' newly established record labels on the map. First Freda Payne was signed to Invictus and scored a massive crossover hit with 'Band of Gold' in 1970. Out of contract with Chess, Laura Lee was convinced to record for Invictus' sister label Hot Wax. The title track of 1972's Women's Love Rights made up for its average chart success with its perfectly timed manifesto and rallying cry for downtrodden women. Three decades later, music magazine Mojo would also recognize the album's anthem-like qualities by including 'Wedlock Is a Padlock' in a Top 100 of protest songs for its May 2004 issue. In its turn, the bolshie monologue preceding the Buddy Johnson ballad 'Since I Fell for You' would be acknowledged as the lyrical jump off point for Millie Jackson. Although it spawned four Top 40 R&B chart hits, Lee would always remain more of a critics' favorite. The singer would go on to record two more albums for Holland-Dozier-Holland of which Two Sides of Laura Lee nearly matches her debut. On Two Sides she added a new element to Brenda Holloway's classic 'Every Little Bit Hurts,' turning the waltz-tempo whiner into a deep soul extravaganza, while her heartfelt versions of two standards, 'At Last' and 'Guess Who I Saw Today,' made them accessible to soul listeners who normally wouldn't give them the time of day. Her last Hot Wax effort, I Can't Make It Alone, had crack arrangements by HB Barnum and Eugene Moore which mixed strings and soul into a stellar blend. The album featured the breakbeat classic 'Crumbs Off the Table' (also included on Two Sides), plus the cuts '(If You Want to Try to Love Again) Remember Me', 'Mirror of Your Soul', and 'I Need It Just As Bad As You'. Lee left Hot Wax in 1975 and signed with Ariola Records, but became seriously ill shortly afterwards and retired from the music industry for several years. I have gathered here most of Laura Lee's Hot Wax / Invictus repertoire, including her three LPs for the label (not the duplicated tracks, obviously), plus all but three of the non-album sides, including an extended version of 'Her Picture Matches Mine'. http://www.dustygroove.com/, http://www.allmusic.com/

Laura Lee, performing her Blackpool Mecca anthem 'To Win Your Heart', recorded for Ric-Tic Records in 1965:

Annette Snell: The Collection (1970-1977)

2009-11-30T00:04:00.001-08:00

Annette Snell, a Miami native, was a member of The Fabulettes, a girl group that recorded for Fred Foster's Monument and Sound Stage 7 labels in 1965 and '66. She had gotten her start as a member of a Florida outfit called the Mar-Vells that had been laying down background vocals in Miami studios as early as 1960. That was where she met Paul Kelly. Kelly had come up as a member of Miami bands like the Valadeers and the Del-Mires. Buddy Killen had signed him and fellow Del-Mire Clarence Reid to Dial in 1964. Killen would produce some of his best records on Paul, not only for Dial, but for Warner Brothers in the early seventies as well. Kelly had taken Annette Snell with him to New York in 1968, on a trip to shop some demos of songs he had written. She cut one of those songs, 'Since There Is No More You' for the small Love Hill label under the name Annetta (it was specifically a duet between Paul Kelly & Annette Snell). The record, although leased by Juggy Murray for national distribution, didn't make much noise. Paul brought her to the attention of Killen, who was suitably impressed. 'Footprints on My Mind' was recorded at The Soundshop with both Kelly and Killen producing. Dial first released it as the A side of 'I'll Be Your Fool Once More' in 1972, and again as the B side of 'You Ought to Be Here With Me' the following year, which would break into the R&B top 20 in the fall of 1973. 'Get Your Thing Together' would follow, and reach the top 50 in early 1974. 'Just As Hooked As I've Ever Been' would crack the Hot 100 later that year, and be the last tune she would wax for the label. All had been written by Kelly. Times were changing, and Buddy worked out a deal with his distributor, EPIC, to release some of his 'product' on the parent label. They decided to hold Annette's next sessions in Muscle Shoals, where she cut 'It's All Over Now,' at Broadway Sound. Only promotion copys were distributed before her ultimely death. She was returning home after working on some tracks for a supporting album when her plane went down somewhere in Georgia on April 4, 1977. She would not survive. At the time of her death she was married to Pete Jackson of Touch of Class. I gathered here all of the sides Annette Snell released on Dial Records, as well as 'It's All Over Now' and 'Since There Is No More You' (I am afraid this track skips several times, but it's all I could get, sorry!); eight cuts in all. http://redkelly.blogspot.com/, http://www.boogalooinvestigator.com/

Gladys Knight & the Pips: Everybody Needs Love / Feelin' Bluesy (1967 / 1968)

2009-11-29T02:55:00.001-08:00

A great resurgence in the career of Gladys Knight, Everybody Needs Love was also her debut for Motown Records and the beginning of a new wave of sophistication and soul in her sound. The style here is much more polished than the R&B-tinged feel of her earlier recordings, a warmly growing sound that really set a new level for countless other soul acts in the '70s, especially in the way that her lead vocals are given full support by The Pips. Production is by Norman Whitfield, Johnny Bristol, and Harvey Fuqua, who all give Gladys a wonderfully full set of backings. The standout track of the album has to be their incendiary version of 'I Heard It Throught the Grapevine'. Lets not argue about whether they or Marvin recorded it first, but Glad and The Lads' was released a good year before, and sold two and a half million copies (mostly in the US). Also here are two British hits 'Take Me in Your Arms and Love Me', still on radio playlists, and 'Just Walk in My Shoes' which got re-released and was a hit in '72, following interest by DJ Johnnie Walker. The rest of the album is more than filler, and shows how skilled and talented the group were. Titles include 'Everybody Needs Love', 'You Don't Love Me No More', 'Yes, I'm Ready', 'He's My Kind of Fellow' and 'Do You Love Me Just a Little Honey'. Feelin' Bluesy (1968) yielded no British hits but again it is a fine album. By then Knight & the Pips seemed to be locked in a "cutting contest" with several other Motown acts (Marvin Gaye, the Temptations, Edwin Starr, even Jimmy Ruffin) as they were covering differing versions of songs by producer/writer Norman Whitfield, who was developing a funkier sound than the 'on the fours' stompers Motown was famous for. The best track here is a stunning rendition of Kim Weston's 'It Should Have Been Me,' given a glossy pop veneer that effectively contrasted Knight's grittiness. The song was a US hit and the song was a British hit for Yvonne Fair in the mid '70s. Other highlights include 'End of Our Road', 'That's The Way Love Is', 'Ain't You Glad You Chose Love', 'Don't Turn Me Away' and 'Giving Up'. This reissue repackages both albums along with three re-recordings of their earlier biggest hits (like 'Every Beat of My Heart') and a non-album B side, co-written and also recorded by Marvin Gaye. Thanks again, Martin!! http://www.amazon.co.uk/, http://www.dustygroove.com/, http://www.allmusic.com/

Gladys Knight & the Pips performing an AWESOME version of 'I Heard It Through the Grapevine'. Live at the "Save The Children" concert in Chicago, Sep 1972:

From Feelin' Bluesy, 'End of Our Road', live in 1969:

Leslie Uggams: Try To See It My Way (1972)

2009-11-28T09:31:00.000-08:00

A musical career came virtually by inheritance to African-American entertainer Leslie Uggams. Her father sang with the Hall Johnson Choir, and her mother was a chorus dancer. At age 6, Leslie was appearing with Ethel Waters in the TV sitcom The Beulah Show; at eight, she was featured on Paul Whiteman's TV Teen Club; and from eight to twelve, she sang on tour in big-city theatres and showed up in guests spots on shows starring the likes of Arthur Godfrey, Milton Berle and Garry Moore. A graduate of the Professional Children's School of New York, Uggams "retired" from show business at age 12--only to reemerge as a contestant (and singer) on the TV game show Name That Tune. Later on in 1960, Uggams was showcased to perfection as the offscreen singer of "Old Time Religion" in the opening scenes of the movie Inherit the Wind. While a student at Julliard in 1961, Ms. Uggams was hired to be regular female vocalist on Sing Along With Mitch, an otherwise all-male (and all-white) songfest hosted by Mitch Miller. A major star by 1969, Uggams became the first black female performer to host her own TV series since Hazel Scott in the '50s; alas, The Leslie Uggams Show became the latest in a long list of casualties to its powerhouse competition Bonanza. The next two decades were a kaleidescope of lofty heights and dismal depths for Uggams. But when she triumphed, it was big-time: She was brilliant as Kizzy in the groundbreaking 1977 TV saga Roots, and no less superb in a key role on a 1979 mini-series, Backstairs at the White House. In 1983 she won an Emmy as co-host of the short-lived NBC series Fantasy. Uggams also enjoyed a notable recording career and Try to See It My Way is one of her best Lps from the '70s. It was produced by Dionne Warwick for Sonday Records in 1972, and it has got unmistakable background vocals by the lady herself. Highlights of the album are the upbeat 'Love Is a Good Foundation,' 'Oh Lord, What Are You Doing to Me' and the version of 'Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever'. http://www.starpulse.com/
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Leslie Uggams sings 'If He Walked Into My Life,' from Jerry Herman's musical Mame, 1993:

Leslie Uggams singing 'Someone to Watch Over Me', 1982:

Judy Clay & Marie Knight: Bluesoul Belles Vol.4 - The Scepter and Musicor Recordings (1963-1968)

2009-11-27T01:09:00.000-08:00

A talented soul singer, Judy Clay joined the Drinkard Singers gospel group in the late '50s and, like many singers who started with gospel, she moved to soul in the '60s, releasing a string of non-hit singles for that are esteemed by soul fans today. The first of them was the La Vette single 'Let It Be Me' b/w 'I'm Uptight' (1963), one of the most intense ballads Judy would ever commit to tape. When the small La Vette company was taken over by Scepter Records, Judy opened her own account on Dionne Warwick's label with the stunning 'My Arms Are Strong Enough' b/w 'That's All', in 1964. The deeply torrid 'Lonely People Do Foolish Things' was paired with the rare Clay co-composition 'I'm Coming Home' to form Judy's second release of the year. As usual, the record featured Dee Dee, Cissy and company on background vocals. Judy re-emerged in 1966 with the stupendous ballad 'Haven't Got What It Takes' coupled with a spine-tingling version of 'The Way You Look Tonight'. The Stax-styled 'You Busted My Mind' b/w 'He's the Kind of Guy' marked the end of Judy's Scepter tenure and signalled the direction her career was about to take on Atlantic Records, where she would teamed with Billy Vera to form what may have been the first interracial recording duo. Meanwhile, Scepter scheduled a single pairing 'I Want You' and 'Your Kind of Lovin'', stompers cut by Judy in 1966. Other unreleased Scepter cuts, like 'Upset My Heart (Got Me so Upset)' and 'Turn Back in the Time' are featured on this collection. Further proof that the best singers are church-trained is Marie Knight, one of the few R&B gals who survived the period of transition from '50s R&B to soul. She recorded a Big New York soul version of the classic 'Cry Me a River' for Musicor, which was a modest hit in 1965. Taped at the same session were the mighty B-side 'Comes the Night' and the poppy number 'Hey, Tell Me Boy'. The thrillingly commercial 'That's No Way to Treat a Girl' b/w 'Say It Again' (an early effort by the young Ashford/Simpson/Armtead team) met a similar fate to 'Cry Me a River'. Likewise, even composing input by the great Jerry Ragovoy on the desperately atmospheric 'A Little Too Lonely' was insufficient to garner it or its coupling 'You Lie So Well' any action. Marie Knight's recordings must have been simply too good for the charts. Either hers or Judy Clay's talents lay in their powerful, straightforward approach to a song which, while failing to pay off big time, nonetheless left in its wake a wonderful catalogue of music for us to enjoy. Partially taken from the original liner notes.

Linda Hopkins: Rock and Roll Blues - The Early Years of "The Kid" ... plus (1951-65)

2009-11-26T00:15:00.001-08:00

An extremely versatile singer and performer with extensive stage credentials alongside her vocal skills, Linda Hopkins has been a major artist since the early '50s. She has recorded classic, traditional, and urban blues, done R&B and soul, jazz, and show tunes, all with distinction and style. In the '50s, Hopkins recorded for several prominent independent R&B labels - including Savoy, Federal, and Atlantic - without getting a hit. She would never get a hit as a solo artist, in fact, though she did have a medium-sized charter (# 42 pop, # 21 R&B) with a 1963 duet with Jackie Wilson, 'Shake a Hand.' This compilation, however, concentrates solely on recordings she cut between 1951 and 1957 (though I have extended it to 1965), including performances with bandleader Johnny Otis, tracks done with Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, then rocking blues from Kansas City and New York - the latter featuring ace guitarist Mickey Baker - and rock 'n' roll sides from 1957 featuring drummer Panama Francis. Otis himself introduced Linda Hopkins to Herman Lubinsky, the owner of Savoy Record in Newark, NJ, and she was signed to Savoy, where she made her first blues recordings in 1951, 'Doggin' Blues' b/w 'Living and Loving You' and 'Warning Blues' b/w 'I'll Ask My Heart', backed by the Otis aggregation. She didn't stay long with Otis, however, and by 1953 she was recording with Leiber & Stoller for the small Forecast ('Is This Goodbye' b/w Get Off My Wagon) and Crystalette labels ('Three Time Loser' b/w 'Tears of Joy'). She did two sessions for Federal, in 1954 and 1956, resulting in three singles, produced by Ralph Bass. These included 'Come Back Baby' b/w 'I'm Going to Cry Right Out of Mind' and 'My Loving Baby' b/w 'I Can't.' Next came a stint at Atco, then still run by Herb Abramson, who produced 'Rock and Roll Blues' b/w 'Shiver and Shake,' in 1957. A long, moderately successful stay at Brunswick Records (1960-65) followed. Her first record for the label was 'I Diddie Dum Dum', recorded in 1960, a poppy, but catchy rock 'n' roll tune in the style of LaVern Baker. 'Happiness' b/w 'I Don't Know You Anymore' and 'My Mother's Eyes' b/w 'Mama's Doin' the Twist' followed in 1961 and 1962, respectively. A year later she recorded an entire LP of duets with Jackie Wilson, featuring the old Faye Adams hit. Her last releases for Brunswick were in 1964-65, including 'The Magic Song' and 'If You Walk Away.' Meanwhile, Linda had been taking acting lessons, and from the '70s onwards she concentrated more on acting, though she still made occasional recordings. She won awards for her performances in Broadway musicals in the '70s, and toured the USA and Europe with blues musical revues in the '80s, still performing and recording into the new century. I added as bonus tracks NINE of her Brunswick sides, including two duets with Jackie Wilson, 'Shake a Hand' and 'I Found Love'. http://www.rockabilly.nl, http://www.allmusic.com/

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A young Linda Hopkins "rockin' the blues" in 1956:

The Royalettes: The Singles Collection ... plus (1962-70)

2009-11-25T00:10:00.000-08:00

This Baltimore quartet comprised of Sheila Ross, Anita Ross, Terry Jones and Veronica Brown was something of a link between the girl group and "sweet soul" styles. Their harmonies were clearly grounded in the early-'60s girl group approach. But they also benefited from pop-oriented, occasionally grandiose production at the MGM label, where they recorded their most successful work. The Royalettes were discovered in 1962 when they won a talent contest sponsored by legendary Baltimore disc jockey Buddy Deane. Their prize was a recording contract with Chancellor Records, but the two releases did not click with the public. A single for Warner Brothers Records did nothing either. In 1964, the Royalettes were signed to MGM Records and were teamed up with arranger/producer Teddy Randazzo, and he applied a little of the same magic that he used in recording all the Little Anthony and The Imperials hits for DCP during the '60s. The result was the girls' first national hit with 'It's Gonna Take a Miracle' (number 28 R&B/number 41 pop), from 1965, on which Randazzo created a sound that was indistinguishable from Little Anthony. The song was destined to be more identified, however, with singer/songwriter Laura Nyro, who made it the title track of her 1971 album of soul covers. In 1982, Deniece Williams took it into the Top Ten with her own rendition. The girls broke out of the Little Anthony mode with their second hit 'I Want to Meet Him' (number 26 R&B/number 72 pop), also from 1965. The Royalettes were not able to reach the charts again, although MGM spared no expense on their elaborate productions for the group's singles, which were as excellent as 'It's Better Not To Know', 'I Don't Want to Be the One', '(He Is) My Man' and 'Only When You're Lonely'. The latter failed to chart, possibly because Chicago-based singer Holly Maxwell had already had success in several markets with her version of the song. After a single for Roulette in 1967 failed to attract an audience, the Royalettes broke up. This set compiles all the singles recorded by the Baltimore group, including all of their Chancellor (1962-63), MGM (1964-66), Warner Bros. (1964) and Roulette (1966) sides, plus a live version of 'It's Gonna Take a Miracle'. I included 13 bonus tracks too, consisting of all the cuts from their two albums that weren't released as singles and the A-side of Sheila Ross' only solo 45, 'Livin' in Love', issued as Sheila Anthony. That is basically The Royalettes' entire discography. Enjoy!! http://fullundie.blogspot.com/, http://www.artistdirect.com/, http://www.soulfulkindamusic.net/royalettes.htm

The Royalettes sing their beautiful original 1965 recording of 'It's Gonna Take A Miracle' (lip-sync):

Erma Franklin: Soul Sister - The Brunswick Collection (1969-1970)

2009-11-24T00:15:00.000-08:00

During an appearance on the Oprah Winfrey Show, the hostess asked Erma Franklin, "What is it like to be the sister of Aretha?" Before Erma could answer, her sister, Aretha interjected, "Erma is her own woman!" "Her Own Woman" could be the title of Erma Vernice Franklin's biography. It seems that, through the years, the eldest daughter of The Rev. Clarence and Barbara Franklin did her own thing and achieved her own individual success, though her musical accomplishments were always overshadowed by those of her younger sister. Erma had her chances to record for Chess and to join Motown's early roster, but it was in 1961 that she successfully auditioned for Epic. Unfortunately, she was frustrated with the label's choice of directions for her and waited out her contract while spending 1961-1966 on the road. Then, when Aretha's career suddenly took off at Atlantic, Erma signed with producer/songwriter Bert Berns' Shout Records. 'Piece of My Heart,' a song Berns had co-written with Jerry Ragovoy, became Franklin's first Top Ten R&B hit in 1967; sadly, before Franklin could begin work on a proper LP, Berns died suddenly of a heart attack, throwing the company into chaos. In the meantime, Franklin backed her sister on many Atlantic recordings, and toured the U.S. and Europe. She signed with Brunswick in 1969 and scored a minor R&B hit with 'Gotta Find Me a Lover (24 Hours a Day),' also releasing her second LP, Soul Sister. On this album, she worked in Chicago with Johnny Pate, Sonny Sanders, and Willie Henderson for a harder-hitting sound than Aretha's, really in the groove with the best of Brunswick from the late '60s. But once again Franklin found herself with a label that didn't know what to do with her; after Brunswick nixed a proposed session with Aretha in the producer's chair, Franklin waited out her contract and moved back to Detroit in 1972 to work at a public relations firm. She performed with Aretha off and on through the '80s and '90s, and eventually took an upper-level job at the Boysville children's charity. She passed away in 2002, after a battle with cancer. Here I gathered all of Erma Franklin's Brunswick recordings, including her magnificient album Soul Sister, from 1969, and all of the non-LP singles recorded for the label between 1969 and 1970. Erma's vocals are incredible, equally at home with the original tracks on the record, as well as some late '60s hits that are nicely soulized by the boys in the band. Titles include 'Hold On I'm Coming', 'Light My Fire', 'By The Time I Get to Phoenix', 'Change My Thoughts from You', 'For Once in My Life' plus the singles 'I Just Don't Need You (At All)', 'It Could've Been Me', 'Whispers (Gettin'Louder)', '(I Get the) Sweetest Feelin'', and the previously unreleased 'Higher and Higher'. Note that the first two singles were omitted from Super Soul Sister, the 2003 reissue of Erma's Brunswick LP with bonus tracks. For her earlier catalogue, check HERE or buy (and share, if you please!!) the new compilation Piece of Her Heart: The Epic and Shout Years. http://www.allmusic.com/, http://www.dustygroove.com/, http://www.bluesmusicnow.com/

Erma Franklin performing her much rarer version of the Jackie Wilson Northern Soul classic 'I Get The Sweetest Feeling':

Millie Jackson: Soul for the Dancefloor (1969-1982)

2009-11-23T00:27:00.001-08:00

Millie Jackson spares no blushes – she tells it like it is. After she came to international prominence with her first Spring release, 'A Child of God', Millie created an impressive repertoire of Grade-A, no bull, soul music in her own straight-talking and earthy style. She is renowned and revered for her ballads and concept albums revolving around sex wars and infidelity, so this release is a bold move. The set re-visits the best dance tracks from her impressive 16 album Spring catalogue and cut straight to the chase with the aptly titled Soul For The Dancefloor. It winds up being, quite possibly, the finest ‘true soul’ femme vocal, dance album, of all time. 22 solid dancefloor delights, but strictly not Disco fodder. The songwriting talents of George Jackson, Bobby Womack, Phillip Mitchell, Ashford and Simpson etc, see to it that even the most hairy-chested soul fan is completely satisfied. Northern Soul fans should be delighted with Millie's first ever 45, the stomping 'My Heart Took a Licking (But It Kept on Ticking)', whose mere title is enough to conjure up adrenalin filled dance floors. They will also be pleased to discover several others that meet the criteria of Motownesque. Tracks such as 'Close My Eyes and I Miss You Baby' will win many more fans for the fraternity. Those with a lust for the Modern or Deeper side will be overjoyed to find album tracks like 'Somethin’ ‘Bout Cha', 'You Can’t Turn Me Off (In the Middle of Turning Me On)' and 'You Can't Stand the Thought of Another Man Loving Me'. The 21st century soul DJ will find this compilation indispensable as the raps and segues of the original concept LPs have been edited where appropriate, for instant punch. The debut issue of the US 45 mix of 'If That Don’t Turn You On', making its first appearance here, opens the whole package. When this comp puts such gems as 'Breakaway', 'Love Doctor' and 'Don’t Send Nobody Else' into context, true soul music lovers won't be able to resist picking the original vinyl up for a song. Millie has shown herself capable of matching most male singers in all sorts of ways, over the years. Here she takes on Little Milton with her reading of 'We’re Gonna Make It' and then fellow Chicagoan, Darrow Fletcher and his 'Rising Cost of Love'; and gives a stunning performance every time. Her duet with Prince Phillip Mitchell on 'Fancy' is an unexpected bonus and yet again, all shades of soul fans can unite in their acclaim for 'House for Sale'; just as they will do for this exquisite compilation. Thanks, Martin, for this!! http://www.acerecords.co.uk/

Millie Jackson performing 'My Man Is a Sweet Man', a rare if not the only instance where she actually praises a man! Original Live Footage From Soul Train:

Ann Peebles: If This Is Heaven (1977) ... plus

2009-11-22T02:18:00.000-08:00

By 1977, straight-ahead Southern soul had stopped selling in big numbers and disco had taken over the R&B market, and like many of her peers, soul diva Ann Peebles tried to make the best of matters by turning up the groove quotient on her album of that year, If This Is Heaven. Peebles, one of the best and most underrated soul songbirds of the '70s, had already demonstrated she could work wonders with a dance-friendly track on her previous set, 1975's Tellin' It, and this album's first two cuts, 'A Good Day for Lovin'' and 'If This Is Heaven', find her and producer Willie Mitchell leaning toward dancefloor ready soul numbers while still leaving a taste of their classic-style Memphis groove in the mix. The levitating arrangements of the Memphis Strings and the counter-punching horn section leave enough space for Peeble's wrenching, tortured vocals to do their magic in southern soul-styled tunes like 'I'm So Thankful', a solid soul shot about a contented wife and mother which she wrote herself, reflecting her then-current status as a new mom. In the slow bluesy side of things, 'You're Gonna Make Me Cry' finds Peebles singing her usual tale of love with the passion, force, and clarity that made her a legend. Other titles include 'When I'm in Your Arms', 'Games' and 'Boy I Gotta Have You'. This reissue also features a bonus track, the non-album single B-side, 'Fill This World with Love.'

This is a clip from a concert filmed in 1998 the Lokerse Festival in Belguim :

Doris Duke: I'm a Loser - The Swamp Dogg Sessions and More (1967-1971)

2009-11-21T00:07:00.001-08:00

For any fan of Southern soul or deep soul, this reissue of two of Doris Duke's most important albums, I'm a Loser from 1969 and A Legend in Her Own Time from 1971, is essential. In a lot of ways, I'm a Loser feels like the hidden blueprint for all the deep soul that followed. The vocals are cut free of the '60s pop aspirations of Motown and even their rougher Southern counterpart, Stax. They're earthy, gritty, and soulful and as close to the church as you can get without getting up Sunday morning. The music is simple, polished, and reserved, jumping into the spotlight only when necessary. Listen to the understated guitar solo on 'Ghost of Myself' for proof. By 1969 standards, the lyrics are sobering in their candor and, considering that this is loosely a concept album about the darkest facets of love and secret relationships, quite relentless, too. Credit is due to legendary soul eccentric Swamp Dogg, who produced and wrote most of I'm a Loser and a good deal of the follow-up, A Legend in Her Own Time. Legend isn't as intense as its predecessor and really, how could it be? It's an excellent companion, though, and its lighter tone and punchy horn arrangements are a welcome reprieve from the weight of I'm a Loser. Doris has a way of putting over a tune that's really incredible - that kind of intimate, one-on-one mode that brings to mind the kind of chills we first felt when hearing Otis Redding on Stax - and which somehow manages to hold on strong over all the tracks on the set. At 26 numbers in all, the package is a tremendous rare soul treasure, and features the full tracks from both albums, including 'He's Gone', 'I Don't Care Anymore', 'Ghost of Myself', 'Feet Start Walking', 'I Wish I Could Sleep', 'I Can't Do Without You', 'I'd Do It All Over You', 'He's Everything I Need', 'Divorce Decree', 'Congratulations Baby', 'Bad Water', 'To the Other Woman (I'm the Other Woman)', 'Too Much To Bear', and 'If She's Your Wife (Who Am I)'. Three singles from the tiny Jay Boy label, under her married name of Doris Willingham, are included as well. Her third album from 1975, Woman, is available HERE (fantastic blog, BTW). http://www.dustygroove.com/, http://www.allmusic.com/
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Jackson Sisters: I Believe in Miracles - The Jackson Sisters Collection (1973-1976)

2009-11-20T00:00:00.001-08:00

Not those Jacksons! The Jackson Sisters were Jacqueline Jackson-Rencher, Lyn Jackson, Pat Jackson, Rae Jackson and Gennie Jackson. Jackie was the eldest of the five siblings, Gennie the youngest. Based in Detroit (but originally from Compton, California), The Jackson Sisters recorded material with some modest success in the '70s. However, the group really came into their own nearly a decade later following the emergence of the rare groove scene in the U.K. The sister act only have one official album to their name, but it's a rich legacy thanks to their wholly unique blend of rollicking soul and amazing harmony vocals! I Believe In Miracles: The Jackson Sisters Collection includes all of the tracks from their only 1976 self-titled album, one of the most sought after rare soul LPs of the era, plus it is bookended by the furiously funky 1973 single 'I Believe in Miracles.' The original version kicks the set off, and the titanic extended version closes it out. The Jackson Sisters were essentially a soul vocal group, but with a style that tended to skew hard and gritty. Occasionally, that grit dipped into full on, furious funk, as on the above mentioned 'I Believe in Miracles', and the equally amazing 'Miracles'. One listen to that track will tell you why as it is funky soul at its finest, sounding like a Jacksons cut from the same era. The youngest of the Jackson Sisters takes most of the lead vocals on the song. She sounds uncannily like a young Michael Jackson. It truly lives up to its classic status. The rest of the album is very good soul with a mix of up-tempo groovers, bubblegummy soul, and ballads. Many of the songs were written by soul vet Johnny Bristol, who turns in what should have been a big smash with the cute and bubbly 'When Your Love Is Gone.' The Sisters also cover some classics, turning in a disco-fied 'Why Do Fools Fall In Love', and a fast and loose take on Aretha's 'Rock Steady.' Jackson Sisters is about as much fun as you could hope '70s soul could be. It's not hard to see why this is their only album — there were no hits. It really is too bad though; they could have made more great records. Other tracks include 'Maybe', 'Rockin' on My Porch', 'Shake Her Loose', 'Day in the Blue', and 'Boy You're Dynamite'. http://www.dustygroove.com/, http://www.allmusic.com/, http://www.enterplayment.com/

The Jackson Sisters performing live 'Boy You're Dynamite' on Soul Train, 1974:

VA: Where the Girls Are, Vol. 3 - Chess Female Singers & Groups (1961-1969)

2009-11-19T00:06:00.000-08:00

Based in Chicago, Chess had risen to the fore in the mid-'50s on the strength of its supreme inventory of post-war blues and r&b, not to mention the groundbreaking rock'n'roll of Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley. However, by the mid-'60s times had changed a lot, and Marshall Chess was not slow to adapt the label to the social and cultural transformations which governed the shape and direction of mid-'60s soul and r&b. The company soon established its own distinctive brand of hard-edged but melodious r&b under the direction of Billy Davis, the young Detroiter who had helped Berry Gordy launch Motown and later ran the Chess-distributed Anna label with Gordy's sister Gwen. Headhunted by Chess in 1961, he relocated to Chicago and began assembling a select in-house team of songwriters and arrangers. Not content with creating hits for artists such as Fontella Bass, Jackie Ross, Mitty Collier, Etta James and Sugar Pie Desanto, Chess augmented their patented hometown sound with masters licensed from indie producers in New York, Washington, Philly and Detroit, adding a welcome touch of variety to Chess' already formidable roster of girls. So this set bears witness as much to the collective creativity of Chess' backroom maestros, as it does to the remarkable range of wonderful women featured therein. Geraldine Hunt's 1962 single 'I Let Myself Go' is an incredibly blatant yet enjoyable and accurate Mary Wells imitation; Timiko's 'Is It a Sin?,' which is just marginally less Wells-like, has some fetching hooks; while the Clickettes' 'I Just Can't Help It' is cool and catchy soul-tinged girl-group pop. Tawney Williams' 'Pretty Little Words' gives more than a passing nod to Please Mr Postman by the Marvelettes, who also seem to be the inspiration behind the Lovettes' 'A Love of Mine'. Everything else wilts, however, besides Etta James' compelling 'Pushover,' an actual 1963 Top 30 hit that was one of her poppiest, yet gutsiest, and best singles. Other tracks include Mitty Collier's 'Help Me', the Northern monsters 'My Mama Told Me', by Barbara Carr and Jan Bradley's 'Your Kind of Lovin''; 'I've Decided on a Whole New Plan', by Joann Garrett, 'He's My Guy', by Margaret & Carol, The Kolettes' 'Just How Much Can One Heart Take', 'I Let Myself Go', by Geraldine Hunt, and 'Safe and Sound', by Fontella Bass. http://www.acerecords.co.uk/, http://www.allmusic.com/

Tamiko Jones: The Collection (1963-1986)

2009-11-18T00:09:00.001-08:00

Barbara Tamiko Ferguson was born in 1945 in West Virginia. Originally called Timiko, she began her recording career on the Checker label in 1963, with the happy-go-lucky song 'Is It a Sin?'. By 1964, Timiko had become Tamiko and she then relocated to the Atco imprint releasing the single 'Don't Laugh If I Cry at Your Party' b/w 'Rhapsody'. Moving to the Golden World label in July 1966, she recorded 'I'm Spellbound' b/w 'Am I Glad Now', a tune penned by Redd/McCoy/Crosby. Tamiko's career saw some elevation when she signed with Atlantic later that year. She released a couple of singles for the label during 1967, 'The Sidewinder' b/w 'A Man and a Woman' and 'Day Tripper' b/w 'A Good Thing (Is Hard to Come By)', in collaboration with label mate Herbie Mann. The pair would also record one album together, A Mann and a Woman, in Rio De Janeiro. Tamiko released the Lp I'll Be Anything for You in 1968, on the Creed Taylor A&M imprint, along with the single 'Goodnight My Love' b/w 'Ya Ya'. The album featured Bernard Purdie and Richard Tee, amongst others. Later on, she recorded a self titled album for the December label, featuring the single 'Someone to Light Up My Life' b/w 'Where Do I Go from Here'. By this time she went on to produce some records with the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, including 'Proud Mary', for Solomon Burke on Bell Records. She subsequently released her own "Muscle Shoals album" on Metromedia, Tamiko Jones in Muscle Shoals, along with the single 'Our Day Will Come', in 1970. 1971 saw the release of another single 'The Pearl' b/w 'Don't Go Breaking My Heart'. 'I'm the Woman Behind the Man (Playing the Guitar in the Band)' was issued three years later for the 20th Century label. Tamiko would re-record in 1976 the song for the U.K. Contempo label (a label owned by John Abbey to whom she was married at the time). In 1975, she released 'Just You and Me' b/w 'Read Me Right' for the Arista label and had a U.S. hit with the late Johnny Bristol's song, 'Touch Me Baby', from her album Love Trip. The following year she recorded the dancer 'Let It Flow', written by Tommy Stewart (famous for 'Bump and Hustle Music'). She also recorded her version of Stevie Wonder's 'Creepin’', which appeared on both Love Trip and her 1976 Atlantis album Cloudy. The last two remarkable recordings by Tamiko were the disco classic 'Can't Live Without Your Love' in 1979, and the Marvin Gaye/Leon Ware hit 'I Want You', in 1986. I gathered here a collection of songs recorded by this obscure R&B singer between 1963 and 1986. I included a dozen of cuts from her earlier years - solo and with Herbie Mann - as well as her two complete Love Trip and Cloudy albums and late hit singles. http://www.soulwalking.co.uk/

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Sylvia Smith: Woman of the World (1975) ...plus

2009-11-17T00:19:00.000-08:00

This is the wonderful surprise that our friend Phil left last Sunday in the comments section of Christine Kittrell's post. Woman of the World is the only album ever recorded by this unknown soul sister with super long legs, Sylvia Smith. All I can say about her is that she released a single in 1975 ('Is This The Way Love's Supposed to Be (A Good Feeling for You and a Hurt for Me)' b/w 'Original Midnight Mama'), taken from this ABC album, plus a couple of self-produced 12'' singles in 1986 and 1987 respectively, issued on Quest Records ('Don't Wanna Be a Sometime Lover' and 'Heartbreaker'). She also produced, wrote and made backing vocals for other artists' albums, including the Four Tops (vocals on 'Tell Me You Love Me', from the album Meeting of the Minds, 1974) and Jack Ashford (backing vocals on Hotel Sheet, from 1977). She co-wrote the song 'You Blew It' from Rose Royce's 1982 album Stronger Than Ever and produced Billy Preston's single for Motown 'Since I Held You Close,' in 1986 (this song can be found on The Ultimate Collection). And I am afraid that is all the information I could get from Sylvia Smith. Highlights on Woman of the World include 'Original Midnight Mama,' the fantastic ballad 'Shape Your Arms Like a Cradle,' plus the nice dancer 'Breakin' Up a Happy Home'. Phil has included the song 'Thanks I Needed That', from The Glass House's 1972 Invictus album of the same name, which supposedly features Sylvia on lead (though I am not very sure about that). I also added both sides of the single 'Don't Wanna Be a Sometime Lover' as bonus tracks. Enjoy and thank you again Phil for sharing a neat copy of this hard to find record!

Ruth Brown: Gospel Time (1962)

2009-11-16T00:25:00.000-08:00

The highs and lows of the American singer Ruth Brown's life merit a biopic. Dubbed the "original queen of R&B", she recorded hit songs like 'Teardrops from My Eyes', '(Mama) He Treats Your Daughter Mean', 'Lucky Lips' and 'This Little Girl's Gone Rockin'', becoming the first big-selling artist on Atlantic Records in the '50s - indeed the label was known as "the house that Ruth built" early on. However, as R&B mutated into soul in the early-'60s, Ruth fell from favor and she was out of the business entirely, broke and working as a maid. Her run of hits ended in 1960 with 'Don’t Deceive Me', and thereafter she was largely ignored by Atlantic - which by then had become a huge corporation -, and she decided to concentrate on raising her family. It would have been a sad way to end her career there, but somehow she managed to keep on releasing albums from time to time. One of her most interesting efforts from this strange period was Gospel Time, which she recorded after leaving Atlantic in 1962 (she issued sides for several labels during that decade, including Mainstream and Rhapsody.) Gospel Time was Ruth Brown's first and only gospel album, and meant a return to her roots, as she was as influenced by Billie Holiday as she was by Mahalia Jackson. The Lp was recorded in 1963 in Nashville under Shelby Singleton's direction, using country musicians. Ray Stevens of "Ahab the Arab" fame plays organ and vocal backgrounds are by the Milestone Singers. The most impressive cuts here are 'Closer Walk With Thee,' with soulful guitar licks from Jerry Kennedy and Harold Bradley; 'Peace in the Valley,' with nice piano triplets by Harold "Pig" Robbins; the beautiful 'Walk With Me'; a fabulous version of 'Milky White Way,' and 'Deep River', which she sings as if she had just heard Mahalia Jackson sing in a Storefront Church. Brown even tries her hand at preaching in a rocking version of 'Morning Train.' Overall, this is a surprisingly fine super rare album from the obscure days of a true R&B legend. http://www.answers.com/, http://www.amazon.com/, http://www.encyclopedia.com/

Ruth Brown's performance from Rhythm and Blues Revue in 1955, when she was still known by the nickname of "Little Miss Rhythm":

Christine Kittrell: The Matriarch of Columbus Blues (1951-1965)

2009-11-15T00:38:00.000-08:00

Christine Kittrell was born on August 11, 1929, into a musical family in Nashville, and decided that singing would be her life's work after singing in church, and listening to records by Vela Johnson, Dinah Washington, Billie Holliday and Bessie Smith. During the '40s and early '50s, Kittrell toured extensively, and recorded for Tennessee, Republic, Federal, King and Vee-Jay Records over her career. During the summer of 1952, a little independent label based in Nashville called Tennessee Records released a blues recording called 'Sittin' Here Drinkin'' /'I Ain't Nothing But a Fool'. In 1952, Little Richard played piano on one of her songs, 'Lord Have Mercy (I'm So Lonely)'. Christine then moved to Republic Records, also in Nashville, and recorded with the Gay Crosse Band, who had in their number a young tenor player called John Coltrane. Christine was starting to rack up sales of over 20,000 per single. Around this time, she toured regularly. DJ Gene Norman organised a show with The Robins, Christine Kittrell, Earl Bostic, and The Flairs at the Embassy Ballroom in LA, and to tour California in March. Other West Coast tours would follow, with "Fats" Domino, Earl Bostic, Paul Williams, John Coltrane and more. Success as a national R&B artist seemed imminent. At this point in 1954, Christine decided to return to gospel music. She moved to Columbus Ohio in 1962, to make a new home. Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller sought her out and wrote the song 'I'm a Woman' for her, which she recorded on Vee-Jay along with some other, but none of them sold well, and she returned to her gospel once more. In the mid '60s, she went on a Southeast Asian tour where she sang for the troops in Vietnam. She stayed there for 8 1/2 months, intending to stay longer. The tour was terminated, almost literally, when Christine was wounded by shrapnel in a Viet-Cong incident. She made a come-back in the '80s and spent her remaining few years working with a beautification group, the Linden Community in Action. Kittrell was inducted into the Columbus Senior Musicians Hall of Fame in 1998 and died on 19th December 2001 from emphysema, aged 72. http://boppinbob.multiply.com/, http://koti.mbnet.fi/

The Orlons: The Best of Cameo Parkway + 26 bonus! (1961-1967)

2009-11-14T04:11:00.000-08:00

The Orlons were a R&B quartet from Philadelphia, who consisted of Rosetta Hightower (the lead singer), Shirley Brickley, Marlena Davis, and Stephen Caldwell. Before they became the Orlons, they were originally an all-female quintet called Audrey and the Teenettes. They formed in the early '50s in junior high school and consisted of Hightower, Davis, and three Brickley sisters (Shirley, Jean, and Audrey). However, after the Brickleys' mother did not permit Audrey (the youngest member at age 13) to sing in certain clubs with the group, she and Jean quit; the group remained a trio. While in high school, the three remaining women discovered fellow student Stephen Caldwell who was lead singer of a local group called the Romeos. Impressed by him, they invited him to join the group in 1960 and named themselves the Orlons. A friend of theirs from high school, Dovells' lead singer Len Barry, encouraged them to audition for Cameo Records at the turn of the decade. The group took his advice in the fall of 1961, but were rejected at first. After two more auditions, they signed with Cameo. A&R director Dave Appell, appointed Hightower as the lead singer and began writing songs for them. Before rising to fame with their first national hit 'The Wah-Watusi', the group provided backup vocals for Dee Dee Sharp's hits 'Mashed Potato Time' and 'Gravy (for My Mashed Potatoes)'. They recorded their own versions of those songs for their debut album The Wah-Watusi. Davis and Caldwell quit the group in 1964 and were replaced by Audrey Brickley (Shirley's sister). By then, the group's popularity waned highly on account of the British Invasion in American pop music. They continued to perform into the late '60s with very little success. In 1968, they disbanded after Rosetta Hightower married an English musician and moved to England. All of the Orlons' hits, including 'South Street,' 'Crossfire!,' 'The Wah-Watusi,' 'Not Me' and 'Don't Hang Up' are featured on this compilation. I added 26 bonus tracks, including several B-sides ('Heart Darling Angel', 'Them Terrible Boots', and 'Holiday Hill', amongst others), a few non-single cuts from their Cameo albums, plus some sides recorded for other labels, including the storming Northern Soul classic 'Spinnin' Top,' with its flip 'Anyone Who Had a Heart', issued on Calla in 1966, and their last single 'Keep Your Hands Off My Baby', released on ABC in 1967. 46 tracks in all!! http://www.fact-archive.com/, http://www.soulfulkindamusic.net/

Rosetta Hightower was the lead singer of The Orlons on the Northern Soul anthem 'Spinnin' Top':

Linda Carr: A Small Anthology (1961-1976)

2009-11-13T00:07:00.000-08:00

Though she was American born and based, Linda Carr is regarded among the United Kingdom's best-loved, but long-forgotten female vocalists of the mid-'70s. She recorded a couple of singles for DCP ('Baby, Are You Puttin' Me On' / 'The Girl From 1A and the Boy From 1B' and 'A Heart Without Love' b/w 'I Should Be Happy For Baby') in 1965, but she first came to attention in 1967 when she recorded the Northern Soul classic, 'Everytime' b/w 'Trying to Be Good for You', on Stateside, the second of her two singles for the label. Carr released other 45s, like 'In My Life' b/w 'I Feel Love Comin’ On' (one of the three singles she issued on Ranwood in the late-'60s), 'Discover Me (and You'll Discover Love)' b/w 'These Things Will Keep Me Loving You', (Capitol, 1970), and 'Watch What You Plant in Your Garden' b/w 'I Feel a Song (In My Heart Again)' (Romar, 1972). Sadly, none made a mainstream impression, and Linda Carr all but disappeared until her triumphant and spectacular return in 1975, amid the U.K.'s sudden rediscovery of its Northern Soul heritage. Now signed to Chelsea, Carr teamed with producer Kenny Nolan to record her debut album, 1975's Cherry Pie Guy. Unveiled as Linda Carr and the Love Squad, July brought the singer her first real success as the Nolan penned 'Highwire' tipped #15 on the U.K. charts. A handful of further singles culled from the LP, 'Cherry Pie Guy', 'Dial L for the Love Squad' and 'Mama's Little Corner of the World', failed to spark and it seemed that Carr was already headed for commercial relegation. Linda Carr's winsome approach has been always compared to that of Diana Ross, and her first solo effort recorded in 1964, 'Sweet Talk' b/w 'Jackie, Bobby, Sonny Billy,' do nothing to dispel that notion. I included on this tiny 12-song collection, both sides of that first single, as well as a couple of her earlier doo-wop tracks as Linda Carr and the Impossibles, 'Happy Teenager' and 'Shy One', from 1961 and 1962 respectively. By the way, if you have any of the aforementioned songs that I could not include here, and most specifically her album Cherry Pie Guy, a link will be appreciated!! http://www.answers.com

Linda Carr singing 'You Can't Hurry Love' on the Sam & Dave Show, live in Offenbach, Germany, 1967:

Linda Carr & the Love performing 'Highwire' on Top of the Pops, 1975:

Esther Marrow: Newport News, Virginia (1971) / Sister Woman (1972)

2009-11-12T00:13:00.000-08:00

Newport News, Virginia is the first of two rare albums cut in the early-'70s by Esther Marrow, easily one of the hardest singing sisters of her generation. Esther has got roots in gospel, but she is singing here in a righteous mode that features plenty of funky undercurrents in the backings, a style that hits harder than work by Aretha Franklin or any of the better-known female singers of the time, and which holds up beautifully over the years. Many tracks here are obscure ones, arranged tightly by Artie Butler and Gene Page, both of whom do a great job of blending fuller orchestrations with tighter drums on the bottom, giving the record a good kick on most tracks, but still shading in the tunes with enough sophistication to match Esther's interpretation of the work. The album is a real landmark of bad-walking soul, as hard-hitting as Marlena Shaw during her best years at Cadet, with titles that include 'No Answer Came', 'Money Honey', 'Walk Tall', 'Peaceful Man', 'Mama', 'Chains of Love', 'It's Been a Long Night', and 'He Don't Appreciate It'. Sister Woman, from 1972, is an overlooked gem in the Fantasy catalog of the '70s. The album is the second of the two secular soul albums cut by Marrow and quite possibly the best of the bunch, too. Esther has got some great help on the set from arrangers Richard Tee, Bernard Purdie, and Bobby Scott, each of whom set Marrow up with some small group backing that keeps things tight and soulful throughout, thanks in big part to the drum work, which is handled by Purdie, Jimmy Johnson, and Idris Muhammad. Other players include Tee on organ and piano, Cornell Dupree on guitar, and Ralph McDonald on congas, whose percussion really helps shape the sound of most of the grooves. There is a horn section too, used sparingly, and there is also a bit of backing vocals from The Reflections, although Esther is pretty much in the lead on all numbers. Titles include 'Things Ain't Right', 'Trade Winds', 'Ask Me to Dance', 'Ghetto', and 'Woman in the Window'. http://www.dustygroove.com/
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"Queen" Esther Marrow with HGS and Leroy ''Lefty'' Thompson singing 'Let The Good Times Roll' live:

Esther Marrow and the Harlem Gospel Singers sing 'Precious Lord', 1993 :

VA: Atlantic Unearthed - Soul Sisters (1966-73)

2009-11-11T00:35:00.000-08:00

Atlantic Records (along with its Atco Records imprint) was pretty much the center of all things soul in the late '60s and early '70s, thanks in no small part to the label's recording and licensing agreements with Stax Records and the ever watchful eyes (and ears) of producer Jerry Wexler. This interesting set collects 16 recordings made for Atlantic by female soul and R&B artists between 1966 and 1973. The featured artists range from stars like Aretha Franklin and Patti LaBelle & The Blue Belles, to artists only familiar to soul aficionados, such as Margie Joseph (nicknamed “the next Aretha”) and Doris Troy. The collection of singers illustrates the interconnectedness of the soul and R&B industry in the '60s and beyond: Dee Dee Warwick, sister of Dionne Warwick, appears here, as do The Sweet Inspirations, a quintet that included Myrna Smith (Dionne Warwick’s cousin), Sylvia Shemwell (sister of Judy Clay, also represented on this album), and Cissy Houston (Whitney Houston's mother). Many of the songs on this compilation are unfamiliar, even if the singers are not. Some of them are covers of well-known hits, such as Aretha’s bluesy 'My Way,' which rivals both Sinatra’s and the Sex Pistols’ versions, as well as Dee Dee Warwick’s earthy rendition of 'Rescue Me.' Many of the tracks had only been released as singles, and consequently are rare treasures some thirty years later. Most valuable is the inclusion of several previously unreleased tracks: Margie Joseph’s 'It’s Growing,' Patti LaBelle & The Blue Belles’ '(1-2-3-4-5-6-7) Count the Days,' The Sweet Inspirations’ 'Ain’t Nothing Gonna Change Me,' and Bettye Swann’s 'I Ain’t That Easy to Lose'. Why any of these tracks sat so long in the can is a mystery, as each is a revelation, particularly Franklin's cut. Sounding a bit like an alternative version of the peak days of soul, Atlantic Unearthed: Soul Sisters makes a solid coda to anyone's vintage soul library and is a perfect complement to The Girls Got Soul. http://blackgrooves.org/, http://www.allmusic.com/
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Candy & the Kisses: Do 'The 81' and Other Soul Hits (2001) ... plus

2009-11-10T00:01:00.000-08:00

Armed with a fly name and gifted producers and writers, this Port Richmond, NY, group still didn't click. The group consisted of sisters Candy and Suzanne Nelson and their friend Jeanette Johnson. The Nelsons' father was a minister and they developed their singing skills in his church. For a while they were the Symphonettes but never recorded as such; they became Candy and the Kisses with their first release, 'After I Cry' b/w 'Let the Good Times Roll,' issued in 1963 on R&L Records. The hurtin' ballad sold well, where played, but it didn't get played much or in many places. 'The 81' b/w 'Two Happy People' (Cameo Records, 1964) was their biggest record; Kenny Gamble and Jerry Ross wrote the shuffler about the popular Philly dance. Leon Huff and Cindy Scott wrote the flip; Gamble & Huff later united to become Hall-of-Fame songwriters and producers. 'The 81' stopped short of Billboard's pop Top 40 and nested in the 50s. Cameo followed with Phil Spector's 'Soldier Baby (of Mine)' b/w 'Shakin' Time' (1965), but politics killed the potential two-sided hit and the Cameo deal. They signed with Scepter Records in 1965 and were assigned to the writing team of Josephine (Joshie) Armstead, Valerie Simpson, and Nicholas Ashford. However, excellent material like 'Keep on Searchin',' 'Sweet and Lovely,' 'Out in the Streets Again,' 'I'll Settle for You,' and 'Are You Trying to Get Rid of Me Baby,' fail to chart. Even a remake of the Shirelles' 1960 hit 'Tonight's the Night' and 'You Did the Best You Could' misfired. In 1968, the final Candy & the Kisses recording appeared on Decca Records; when 'Chains of Love' b/w 'Someone out There' didn't bust a grape, Candy retired. Suzanne, Jeanette, and new lead Beryl Martin tried again as Sweet Soul on Mercury Records in 1969. Their only single 'Oh No, Oh No' b/w 'If You Love Him' didn't win, place, or show, and they disbanded. This compilation properly focuses on the mid-'60s recordings of most interest to collectors, including all of their singles for the Cameo and Scepter labels, as well as three previously unissued tracks. I added as bonus tracks one Scepter unreleased track, 'Mr Creator', plus four cuts issued under the alias of Honey Love & the Love Notes (1965) and the Love Notes (1966), who included Harriet Laverne as a fourth member. http://www.allmusic.com/

Mary Jane Hooper: Psychedelphia - Rare & Unreleased New Orleans Funk (1966-1970)

2009-11-09T01:36:00.000-08:00

Sorely overlooked by everyone (save for major soul and funk fans) who enjoys soul music, the city of New Orleans was relegated to the backseat by their soul brethren in Detroit, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Nashville, somewhat unjustly. With the recent movement to unearth funk classics and rare vinyl, this wrong has been slowly corrected, most recently with the reissue of Mary Jane Hooper's finest performances. This funk diva remains one of the most shadowy figures in Crescent City soul history. Famed for her collaboration with legendary producer Eddie Bo, many believe she is simply an alias employed by singer Inez Cheatham, although Bo himself disputes such assertions. Hooper is in fact the stage name of one Sena Fletcher, who began her career singing gospel before crossing over to secular R&B backing Lee Dorsey. Upon signing to Bo's Scram label in 1966, Hooper issued her debut single, 'Don't Change Nothin'.' She eventually moved to Bo's Power label, where in 1968 she cut one of her best-known singles, 'That's How Strong My Love Is,' later licensed for national release by World Pacific. 'I've Got Reasons' followed later that year on Bo's renamed Power Pac imprint, but after the release of the two-part 'I've Got What You Need' (justly famed for drummer James Black's monster groove), Hooper effectively disappeared. Her vocal similarities to Cheatham (another Eddie Bo protégée) prompted many funk collectors to assume the two singers were one and the same, further muddying the waters of her history and recorded output. This collection of singles recorded for Scram Records includes her most well-known hit 'Psychedelphia' and is reason alone for beat junkies to consider listening to this compilation. But there are several other hidden treasures among the pile as well; 'I'm in a Loving Groove' and 'You've Got What I Want' are but two that could give 'Psychedelphia' a run for its money, and Fletcher's version of 'Harper Valley P.T.A.' is a beautifully haunting take on the classic song. http://www.allmusic.com/

Shirley Ellis: The Complete Congress Recordings (2001) ... plus

2009-11-07T10:10:00.000-08:00

Shirley Marie Elliston was born in the Bronx section of New York City in 1941, of West Indian ancestry. There were opportunities for ambitious young people in the music business in New York City in the '50s, and Shirley began writing songs. She had success early with a song she wrote titled 'One, Two, I Love You', which was recorded by the Heartbeats in 1957. She also performed as a singer with a group called the Metronomes in the '50s, once winning an award at the Apollo Theatre in Harlem. In 1959 Shirley became acquainted with talented 33-year-old songwriter/producer Lincoln Chase, who became her manager and songwriting partner. He wrote a song for Shirley titled 'The Nitty Gritty', and arranged for her to record on the Congress label, which was a subsidiary of Kapp. The record label changed her name to Shirley Ellis. 'The Nitty Gritty' was released in late 1963 and a short time later went top ten. Many sources say that Shirley married Lincoln Chase, although others report her husband's name as Alphonso Elliston. After years of working as a songwriter and performer, Shirley Ellis became well known to a national audience through her success with 'The Nitty Gritty'. She followed with a sequel that became a minor hit, '(That's) What The Nitty Gritty Is' and another titled simply 'Puzzle Song'. Many of Shirley's records featured a driving sax, and lots of percussion. Shirley recalled some words from a childhood game she had played and discussed them with Lincoln Chase, who rearranged them into a song; 'The Name Game' came out in early 1965 and was quite popular, rising to number three. It was followed a few months later by another song with nursery-rhyme style lyrics that went top ten for Shirley Ellis, 'The Clapping Song (Clap Pat Clap Slap)'. She continued to work with Lincoln Chase and had a few minor hits before retiring from show business in the late 60's. The Complete Congress Recordings offers quite a bit to fans of '60s pop-soul. Her string of hits are all featured, along with other great Chase's compositions, like 'Get Out' and 'Takin' Care of Business', plus her surprisingly strong versions of R&B standards like 'Kansas City,' 'C.C. Rider,' and even 'Stagger Lee.' I included three bonus tracks: her charming 1961 solo debut on Shell as Shirley Elliston, 'Love Can Make You Know', and two of her most famous songs for Columbia, 'Soul Time' and 'Sugar Let’s Shing-A-Ling', from 1967. http://www.tsimon.com/

Shirley on a TV appearance performing one of her biggest hits,'The Name Game':

'The Clapping Song' was recorded by Shirley Ellis in 1965, shortly after she hit it big with 'The Name Game'. The song made it to the top ten on the charts:

Brenda & the Tabulations: The Top & Bottom, Epic, and Chocolate City Singles Collection (1969-1977)

2009-11-07T02:46:00.000-08:00

Singer Brenda Payton and keyboardist Maurice Coates were the creative spark behind Philadelphia's Brenda & the Tabulations, and the pair wrote several impressive songs for the group, including the debut single 'Dry Your Eyes,' which was released by Gilda Woods' fledgling Dionn Records imprint at the end of 1966 and went Top Ten on the R&B charts and Top 20 on the pop charts early in 1967. When Dionn Records folded in 1969, the Tabulations landed on another Woods' imprint, Top & Bottom Records, and paired with producer and songwriter Van McCoy, continued to issue some outstanding singles, like 1969's airy soul delight 'The Touch of You,' a good seller in many R&B markets that features an endearing whisper/vocal from Brenda Payton, and their biggest record on the label, 1971's 'Right on the Tip of My Tongue,' which was written by the other two Tabulations, guitarist Eddie Jackson and drummer Jerry Jones. This set collects both of those songs along with the other singles the Tabulations released for Top & Bottom between 1969 and 1971, most of which get the soft soul treatment that exemplified Philly soul before the arrival of the harder-edged Philadelphia International sound, which obliterated everything that came before it. Other highlights here are 'Always & Forever,' 'A Love You Can Depend On,' 'Scuse Uz Y'All,' and 'And My Heart Sang (Tra La La)'. I added as bonus tracks the non-single cuts from the groups' first and only album on Top & Bottom Records, which dropped before the release of 'Right on the Tip of My Tongue', including two crafty remakes of 'California Soul' and 'Someday We'll Be Together'. Also, I added some of the singles they recorded for Epic Records between 1972 and 1973, the most significant of which are 'One Girl Too Late,' 'Little Bit of Love' and 'Let Me Be Happy,' plus all of their Chocolate City '45s released in 1976 and 1977, including 'Take It or Leave It' and 'Let's Go All The Way (Down)'. 29 tracks in all!! For more B&T, check HERE. http://www.allmusic.com/

Mitty Collier: Shades of Mitty Collier - The Chess Singles (1961-1968)

2009-11-06T00:14:00.001-08:00

The mighty Chess Records of Chicago was home to some of the greatest female soul singers of the '60s. Arguably the finest of the lesser-known was Birmingham, Alabama-born Mitty Collier, whom the label signed up in 1960, when she was just 20 years old. She stayed with Chess for eight years, during which time the company recorded her sparingly, releasing 15 singles and one album, 1965’s Shades of a Genius, a set comprising songs originated by or associated with Ray Charles. Mitty started out singing R&B material in a local nightclub, to help subsidise her college education. Her life-changing moment came in 1959 when, while visiting her brother in Chicago during summer break, she won a talent show at the Regal Theater, an achievement she maintained for six weeks straight. Her prize was a spot on a bill headlined by B.B. King and Etta James. Fabled A&R man Ralph Bass witnessed the show and recommended to the Chess brothers that they give her a recording contract. Mitty debuted in 1961 with 'Gotta Get Away From It All', arranged and produced, respectively, by Riley Hampton and Roquel “Billy” Davis, legends to aficionados of Chicago soul. Her Chess swansong, released in 1968, was a new version of the same number, recorded at Fame Studios in Alabama with producer Rick Hall. She first figured on the charts in 1963 with 'I’m Your Part-Time Love', an answerback to Little Johnny Taylor’s 'Part-Time Love'. The record with which Mitty Collier will always be associated, the classic 'I Had a Talk With My Man', charted in 1964. Like its follow-up, 'No Faith, No Love', it was an adaptation of a number from the pen of leading gospel songerwriter James Cleveland. 'Sharing You', released in 1966, was Mitty’s only other hit. A decade ago, Chess themselves released a compilation of Mitty Collier recordings, but that now long deleted and much sought after set concentrated on her album. This collection, on the other hand, focuses on her singles. Each of her 15 A-sides is included, along with 9 more great tunes from the flips! Titles include 'My Babe', 'I've Got Love', 'Ain't That Love', 'My Party', 'Do It With Confidence', 'Git Out', 'Help Me', 'Like Only Yesterday' and 'For My Man'. http://www.acerecords.co.uk/

Mitty Collier on a classic performance of her 1964 hit 'I Had a Talk With My Man':

Fontella Bass: Free (1972) ... plus

2009-11-05T00:42:00.000-08:00

If Fontella Bass' 'Rescue Me' is the best soul single that Aretha Franklin never made, then Free is the lost classic that deserves space in any record collection housing worn-out copies of the Queen of Soul's I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You and Spirit in the Dark. This album was done after her time at Chess Records, and after her work in Paris with the Art Ensemble of Chicago, though that is definitely not the best reference point for what this particular album sounds like, which is much more in the vein of Aretha, or at times Nina Simone. Reuniting Bass with producer Oliver Sain, who helmed her classic mid-'60s sides for Chess, Free draws on the singer's gospel roots to forge a deeply spiritual and moving examination of post-civil rights America. Cuts like 'Talking About Freedom,' 'To Be Free,' and 'My God, My Freedom, My Home' showcase the remarkable power and poignancy of Bass' vocals, couched beautifully by Sain's nuanced, blues-inspired arrangements. The strings, when they are present, are edgy enough not to make the album ever sound too overproduced. This expanded version of her 1972 Paula album Free, adds a new version of her classic 'Rescue Me' along with four B-sides: 'It Sure Is Good,' 'I'm Leaving the Choice to You,' 'Home Wrecker,' and 'It's Hard to Get Back In.' Bass wrote most of the songs here herself - including the touching blues ballads 'Wiping Tears' and 'I Need Love'-, along with a few collaborative efforts with her then-husband Lester Bowie, and all the tracks showcase her dynamic, dramatic approach to soul. In short, if you are interested in delving into late-'60s/early-'70s soul past the obvious masters, then you really can't go wrong with this album. http://www.answers.com/, http://www.dustygroove.com/, http://www.amazon.com/

Letta Mbulu: Letta Mbulu Sings (1967) / Free Soul (1968)

2009-11-04T00:13:00.001-08:00

With her performance at the Unity Festival Apartheid in 1991, Letta Mbulu returned triumphantly to her homeland of South Africa. Having been exiled, due to Apartheid, for more than a quarter century, Mbulu had gone from a teenager in the groundbreaking South African musical production King Kong of 1960 to one of the most influential singers to ever come out South Africa. In addition to recording such classic tracks as 'What is Wrong with Groovin’,' Mbulu added her soulful vocals to recordings and/or concerts with late jazz saxophonist Cannonball Adderly, Michael Jackson, and Harry Belafonte. Mbulu, whose screen credits include, A Warm December and The Color Purple, performed the opening title track and most of the African music for the historical '70s miniseries Roots. During her lengthy exile, Mbulu remained committed to the music of her birth land. She helped to form South African Artists United (SAAU) in 1986, basing the group on the Union of South African Artists that grew from the African Jazz and Variety for whom she made her early debut. Mbulu's husband, Caiphus Semenya, who she met while touring with King Kong, plays an essential role in her music. Two of Mbulu best recordings are her debut album Letta Mbulu Sings (1967) and Free Soul (1968), both produced by David Axelrod. These albums were cut at a time when Axelrod was riding high for Capitol Records through work done with Cannonball Adderley and Lou Rawls, and both feature Rawls' arranger HB Barnum penning charts for Mbulu. It's an incredibly righteous work from Letta done in a very groovy '60s mode that goes way beyond the typical folksy treatment that other African soul singers were getting in the US at the time. The tunes on the set groove around in a nice bouncy mode throughout, making good use of Axelrod's sense of space and shape, and letting Letta's spectacular vocals step out in a setting that gives equal focus to American soul, African rhythms, and a hip globally-conscious vision. 20 tracks in all, including 'Pula Yetla', 'Mamani', 'My Son', 'Only When You're Mine Again', 'Kukuchi', 'What More Could Be Right', 'Where Does It Lead', 'West Wind', 'Qhinebe', 'Sexwaxwa', and 'Zola (Mra)'. For more Letta, look HERE. http://www.dustygroove.com/, http://www.allmusic.com/
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Merry Clayton: Keep Your Eye on the Sparrow (1975) ... plus

2009-11-03T00:08:00.000-08:00

Merry Clayton was among the most ubiquitous session singers of the '70s when she provided background vocals for everyone from Lynyrd Skynyrd, Linda Ronstadt, Ringo Starr, Carole King, and Jerry Garcia to Billy Preston, the Blackbyrds, and the Brothers Johnson. She is especially famous for her contributions to the Rolling Stones' 'Gimme Shelter' in 1969. But regrettably, Clayton wasn't as successful as a solo artist. One of the solid, but overlooked, solo albums Clayton recorded in the '70s was Keep Your Eye on the Sparrow, a really cool collaboration between her and Eugene McDaniels, a producer who really takes her music into new territory here. As with other perfect productions by McDaniels in the '70s, Gene really grabs the whole thing up and makes it his own adding a lot more funk to the mix than you might expect, and electrifying the instrumentation in ways that bump up Merry's vocals nicely. Even better, though (he wrote a number of tunes for the set) the kind of off-beat soul numbers that are typical from Eugene's own work, which help Merry move into a hip range of themes and topics. There's a righteous mix of funky jazz and soul on the record, a bit like the sound of Marlena Shaw's Blue Note albums, and McDaniels titles include 'Gold Fever', 'If I Lose', 'Gets Hard Sometimes', and 'Sink or Swim'. Other highlights range from the gritty 'Do What You Know' and a very funky remake of Bob Dylan's 'Rainy Day Women #12 & 35' to Deniece Williams' 'How'd I Know That Love Would Slip Away,' which Clayton recorded before either the Emotions or Williams herself. The title track, meanwhile, is the memorable theme song from the '70s cop show Baretta. I added SEVEN bonus tracks, consisting on the four cuts she contributed with to the Brewster McCloud's OST (1970), her impassioned rendition of 'The Acid Queen,' taken from the adaptation that The London Symphony Orchestra made of the Who's rock opera Tommy in 1972, and two tracks from the Big Sur Folk Festival, recorded live in Monterrey, which were compiled on the 1971's Celebration album. http://www.dustygroove.com/,http://www.allmusic.com/. Thanks to EliotW for sharing this!

Merry Clayton performing 'Keep Your Eye on the Sparrow' on Soul Train, 1975:

The Three Degrees: The Roulette Years (1970-1972)

2009-11-02T00:34:00.000-08:00

The Three Degrees started in 1963 in Philadelphia, PA., where they were discovered by producer and songwriter Richard Barrett, who got them a deal with Swan Records that produced many singles over the next four years. After their contract with Swan ended, the Three Degrees (at this stage comprised of Valerie Holiday, Sheila Ferguson and Fayette Pinkney) enjoyed brief signings with several smaller record companies till they signed to Roulette Records in 1970. Their frist Roulette release was a revival of the Chantels' 'Maybe'; which the girls had previously recorded for Swan. The '70s version, with Valerie's superb monologue, took them to #4 on the US soul charts in 1970. During the next three years, the succession of hits included 'I Do Take You,' 'You're the One,' and 'There's So Much Love Around Me'. This success led to an appearenace in the film The French Connection and a three month, 28-city tour with Englebert Humperdinck with whom they recorded the album Englebert Humperdinck Live at the Riviera. Englebert was quoted a describing them as "the finest singing trio around today". This was a significant period for the Three Degrees as they were now able to prove their worth and versatility with a wealth of songs from classic standards such as 'Stardust' and 'Macarthur Park' to the funky 'I Won't Let You Go' and 'Who Is She (And What Is She to You)'. Valerie, Fayette and Sheila gave their all in this musical collage, each displaying their own individuality and strenght with a variety of interpretations. Just listen to Sheila's velvety richness fading to Fayette's sweet tenderness and finally Valerie's soulful crescendo in the masterpiece 'Ebb Tide'. These early-'70s tracks, with their great orchestations combined with intricately mastered vocal arrangements and, of course, three dinamic voices, preceded a scintillating run on Philadelphia International Records and are essential for fans wanting another side of the "TSOP" and 'When Will I See You Again' songbirds. Taken from the original liner notes and http://www.allmusic.com/

Recorded live in Japan in 1974, Fayette, Sheila and Valerie come together as only they can to perform their classic rendition of the Jim Webb's masterpiece 'MacArthur Park':

Doris Troy: Doris Troy (1970) ... plus

2009-11-01T02:51:00.000-08:00

Although she was born in the Bronx, and first came to prominence in the US with her 1963 hit 'Just One Look', Doris Troy earned probably her most loyal following in Britain. Nicknamed Mama Soul by her British fans, she moved to London after enjoying a steady streak of UK success and some noteworthy collaborations with leading British musicians during the mid-'60s. She can be heard on the Rolling Stones' 1969 anthem 'You Can't Always Get What You Want', and enjoyed a prominent solo spot on Pink Floyd's 1973 epic, 'Dark Side of the Moon'. She appeared on George Harrison's solo hit 'My Sweet Lord', and on Carly Simon's 'You're So Vain', and featured as both writer and singer on Billy Preston's album 'That's The Way God Planned It' for Apple. She affirmed her Anglophile leanings by signing with the Beatles' label in 1969; a deal instigated by George Harrison. Like Billy Preston's similar effort, this flopped, even when it was well-received by some critics; but unlike Preston, Troy really never got a second chance. As with Preston, Harrison rounds up a zillion big name guests: Steve Stills appears and contributes a couple of tunes (including 'Special Care'); Ringo drums; Preston and Harrison are prominent; Eric Clapton, Peter Frampton, Klaus Voormann, Jackie Lomax, Leon Russell, and Delaney & Bonnie all contribute to this album. Troy herself is credited as producer. Highlights on this release include 'Don't Call Me No More,' 'Ain't That Cute,' 'So Far,' 'Gonna Get My Baby Back,' 'I've Got to Be Strong,' 'Hurry,' and 'You Give Me Joy Joy.' This reissue adds no less than five bonus tracks: three are previously unreleased, while 'Get Back' and Leon Russell's 'Vaya Con Dios' were B-sides. Also try the compilation Just One Look: The Best of Doris Troy, that you can hear HERE. http://www.memorabletv.com/, http://www.spectropop.com.a
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Doris Troy was suffering from emphysema when she re-recorded her classic Northern Soul anthem, 'I'll Do Anything', in 1999:

Joann Garrett: Just a Taste (1969) ... plus

2009-10-31T04:16:00.000-07:00

As a 15-year-old student at Chicago's DuSable High School, Joanne Garrett (aka Joann Garrett and Jo Ann Garth) won a recording contract with Chess Records for finishing first in a Regal Theater talent show, no small feat considering Chicago's vast talent pool. The deal produced 'Stand By My Side,' a huge local hit, in 1966. She followed with Dee Clark's 'You Can't Come In' (March 1967) and a remake of the Heartbeats' 'Thousand Miles Away' (1968), with the Dells (uncredited) providing backing vocals on the A-sides. Garrett left Chess in 1968 to record for Duo Records. With Andre Williams producing, she cut 'That Little Brown Letter' backed with 'I've Gotta Be Loved' in 1968; later in 1968 she cut 'I'm a Now Girl (Do It Now)' b/w 'One Woman,' arguably her most popular recording, and and another two singles. In the meantime, Chess emptied their vaults and released 'It's No Secret' and 'Unforgettable' b/w 'We Can Learn Together', which came from her album Just a Taste, released a year before, in 1969. In 1970 she also recorded 'Goin' Man Huntin'', for the short-lived Twinight label. Despite her age, Chi-town producers recorded Garrett in a Dinah Washington-esque vein, but that changed on her sole release for Don Robey's Duke/Peacock setup in Houston, TX, where she waxed Barbara Hammonds' 'I'm Under Your Control' b/w 'Sting Me Baby', in 1973. A final single, 'Don't Abuse Your Faithful Love' b/w 'Charlie Boy (We Got to Love One Another),' credited as The Rock with Joanne Garrett, appeared on Scorpio Records; it flopped, and sadly, after a good start, Garrett rarely saw the inside of a recording studio again. Her tunes became popular Northern soul items. On Just a Taste (1969) Chess omitted Garrett's first three singles but added two excellent replacements: Aretha Franklin's 'Ain't No Way' and Dionne Warwick's 'Walk on By.' Garrett's pretty soprano soars on the Heartbeats' 'Thousand Miles Away' and is spunky on 'Soul Town.' Local hits 'It's No Secret,' 'Depend on Me,' and 'Unforgettable' are tasteful Chicago soul. I included here the three singles Garrett released on Chess between 1966 and 1967, as well as others she recorded for different labels througout her career, EIGHT bonus tracks in all (two of them are just low quality samples, I'm afraid). http://www.allmusic.com/

VA: Soulful Kinda Ladies Vol.1

2009-10-30T01:17:00.000-07:00

This compilation highlights the performances of some of those lesser-known, but nevertheless worthy, R&B female artists from the '60s whose contributions are only now beginning to be fully appreciated by the collector audience. A case in point is Ramona King, whose 1964 recording 'It's in His Kiss' was overshadowed by Betty Everett's version the very same year. Linda Carr's winsome approach has been compared to that of Diana Ross, and her 'Everytime' does nothing to dispel that notion. Complementing this 1965 release by Carr are two slightly earlier efforts, 'Sweet Talk' and 'Jackie, Bobby, Sonny Billy.' (Little) Helen La Rue Lowe's 'The Richest Girl (Ain't Got Nothing on Me)' received airplay on LA's KGFJ when it was released in 1966. She also recorded with the Superbs and Side Effect. Baby Washington is a name well-known to soul aficionados as well as doo-wop fans of the '50s. Her 'Let Love Go By' and 'My Time to Cry' from 1961 are both self-penned efforts which have thus far escaped reissue. Like Washington, Connie Questell emerged from doo-wop origins in the late '50s. Questell's mid-'60s efforts like 'The Girl Can't Take It' and 'Tell Me What to Do' are now achieving the belated recognition they most certainly deserve. Theola Kilgore achieved her greatest success in 1963, when her 'The Love of My Man' peaked at No. 3 on the R&B charts. This moving ballad, along with the follow-up 'This Is My Prayer,' are both included here, as is 'He's Coming Back to Me,' a lesser-known but equally fine example of Kilgore's repertoire. Shirley Gunter made a series of singles with her vocal group the Queens before striking out on her own as a soloist. Her 'Stuck Up' from 1969 gives us an indication of how she might have sounded had she signed a recording contract with Berry Gordy, Jr. After singles for Coral, Jubilee and Atco, Bette McLaurin teamed with pianist/producer Sampson Horton, for whom she cut 'Never' b/w 'As Long as You're Mine' on the Pulse label. Johnnie Mae Matthews' 1961 'The Headshrinker' has got a satirical theme which adds a wryly humorous touch quite rare for an early sixties R&B release. Marcene "Dimples" Harris recorded both as a single artist and with her sisters Beverly and Betty as part of the Harris Sisters in the '50s. Her 'I Just Don't Understand' from circa 1965 is waltz-time blues with a familiar soulish flavor. Another songstress who was no stranger to the blues was Lula Reed, who with husband Sonny Thompson was an oft-recorded member of the King Records rooster of the '50s and early '60s. Her 'Gabbin' Mouth Blues' from 1963 is an updated version of Big Maybelle's R&B classic with (presumably) Ray Charles' orchestra pooviding a simmering instrumental backdrop. As for Benice Swanson, Patience Valentine and Debbie Dovale, I wish I could furnish some biographical info, but in the absence of such let's the music speak for itself! Taken from the original liner notes.

One of the "soulful ladies" featured on this compilation, Linda Carr, singing Sam Cooke's 'You Send Me'. From The Sam & Dave Show, live in Offenbach, Germany, 1967:

Claudine Clark: Ask the Girl Who Knows - The Best of (1958-1969) ... plus

2009-10-29T01:05:00.000-07:00

Long overdue, this fab collection of the mysterious and energetically voiced Ms Clark’s best recordings kicks off with an alternate take of her only chart hit 'Party Lights', and features tracks released under the names Joy Dawn and Sherry Pye. Then there’s the previously unreleased and often speculated upon 'Buttered Popcorn' (yes, it is the pre-hit Supremes track), an as near as dammit Supremes cover in 'Goodbye Mama' and another unissued track, 'A Sometimes Thing'. All of this makes this set a dream come true for girl group fans, as it collects Claudine’s best work from 1958-1969 into one tight, 24-track hour of doo-wop, soul balladry, dance tunes and great and pure fun music. Claudine’s status as a one hit wonder does her a disservice and by track three, aural evidence soon backs up that statement. Clark was born in Macon, Georgia and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania raised, and she recorded for the city’s great labels like Chancellor, Jamie, Swan and Fayette. So it’s no real surprise that she was often given (and in fact gave herself, as she had a hand in writing a significant number of her own releases) a similar sound to that great hit-making Philly girl of the early '60s, Dee Dee Sharp. The versions of 'Party Lights' and (its original A-side) 'Disappointed' are previously unissued longer alternate takes, 'Easy to Love' is great slow drag soul and '(The Strength) to Be Strong' is in an extraordinary waltz tempo epic (unsurprisingly it was a Dave Godin favourite). The 1969 title track is closer to Claudine’s Georgia roots, with her sounding wonderfully soulful with a distaff take on a song Otis could have easily recorded. Add in the extremely odd 'Walking Through a Cemetery', the great 'Telephone Game', both sides of her 1958 release on Herald and a handful of tracks plucked from her Party Lights album and the whole package is a winner. I added a few bonus tracks, including the original version of 'Party Lights', and the rest of the tracks from her album which were omitted here. http://www.acerecords.co.uk/

Kim Weston: Kim Kim Kim (1970)

2009-10-28T01:16:00.001-07:00

One of the most extraordinary singers of her generation, for some strange reason Kim Weston was never properly promoted, even though she made many classic sides throughout her career. After Kim moved from Motown, she continued to record a number of great albums and singles, but radio programmers would not play anything Kim recorded, no matter what. The rumor was that when an artist turned away from Motown they were somehow banned from radio, and this appeared to be the case with Mary Wells and Kim Weston ... too bad as they both continued to grow artistically and made a lot of their finest work after leaving Motown. This masterpiece recorded for the Stax R&B subsidiary Volt Records in 1970 is a perfect example of the level of greatness Ms. Weston achieved, yet never receiving any acclaim for. Kim is in peak form throughout the album, and every song is varied and a complete winner. From the soulful opener 'You Just Don't Know', which blends into the passionate 'The Love I've Been Looking For', you know that you are in for the experience of a lifetime listening to one of the finest voices ever. Her versions of soul classics 'When Something Is Wrong with My Baby' and 'Got to Get You off of My Mind' are definitive. A passionate plea make 'Buy Myself a Man' a classic vocal, while the stunning tour-de-force 'Penny Blues' is so riveting and full of genuine pathos that this is clearly an all-time classic blues performance. A fiery rocking self-penned medley 'Soul on Fire'/'Brothers & Sisters (Get Together)' is wildly exuberant and exhilarating, and the closing gospel rocker 'The Choice Is Up to You (Walk with Jesus)' features Kim at her most brilliant, with a burning passionate delivery, that finishes this masterful set with a compelling performance and leaves one breathless. Anyone who loves a great and powerful singer in peak form in an incredibly arranged and richly varied program of classics should not miss this one. http://www.amazon.com/

Kim Weston singing ‘ Lift Every Voice & Sing' (Black National Anthem) (1972):

Randy Crawford: Everything Must Change (1976) / Miss Randy Crawford (1977) ... plus

2009-10-27T01:02:00.000-07:00

Randy Crawford's initial notoriety came from her fiery vocal on 'Street Life,' a song matching her with R&B veterans the Crusaders in 1979. Crawford was born in Macon and grew up in Cincinnati; she worked in clubs as a teen, accompanied by her father. Crawford was lead vocalist in a group that included bassist Bootsy Collins before touring as George Benson's opening act in 1972. Cannonball Adderley invited her to sing on his LP Big Man. She recorded 'Don't Get Caught in Love's Triangle,' a song produced by Johnny Bristol, during a short stay on the label. She soon moved to Warner Bros., and after 'Street Life,' recorded and toured Europe with the Crusaders. Crawford was tabbed Most Outstanding Performer at the 1980 Tokyo Music Festival. She remained with Warner Bros. through the '80s and early '90s, but was unable to score either a big R&B hit or major crossover smash, despite having one of the most readily identifiable voices and distinctive approaches of any contemporary female vocalist. Randy Crawford's first solo album Everything Must Change (1976) was produced by Stewart Levine. Like the albums that followed, it's a virtual masterpiece; the studio was crawling with heavyweights, and Crawford always brings out the best in everyone involved. Her version of 'I've Never Been to Me' bests Charlene's original, and even Dennis Edwards' emotional ordeal. The title track represents nearly five minutes of social drama, and she makes 'I'm Easy,' 'I Had to See Him One More Time,' and 'Don't Let Me Down,' so personal you think she's singing about you. Her second release, Miss Randy Crawford (1977), was produced by Bob Montgomery (Bobby Goldsboro, Billy Sherrill) with some tracks having a slight country-ish/Southern soul feel to them. It's a perfect showcase for Crawford's interpretive skill. The singer makes the Don Henley/Glenn Frey song 'Desperado' and the Mack Gordon/Harry Warren standard 'At Last,' her own. The former and her erotically charged take on Paul Kelly's 'Under the Influence of You' received airplay on R&B/soul-formatted FM stations. I added as bonus tracks the aforementioned 'Don't Get Caught in Love's Triangle,' from 1973, 'Street Life', the grooving classic that scored top slots on the Billboard jazz, dance, and black charts in 1979, and her collaboration on Steve Hackett's album Please Don't Touch, from 1978, 'Hoping Love Will Last'. Never a huge star in her homeland, Randy Crawford is, nevertheless, one of the most talented, experienced, and underrated vocalists in the industry. http://www.allmusic.com/

Randy Crawford singing one of her biggest hits 'Street Life':

Patti Labelle & the Bluebelles: Over the Rainbow (1966) ... plus

2009-10-26T01:42:00.000-07:00

After releasing a bunch of singles, one Christmas album and a couple of live Lps for Newton and Cameo/Parkway Records in the early-'60s, The Bluebelles signed with Atlantic Records in 1965. In 1966 they released the first recording of what later became a Patti standard, the cover of 'Over the Rainbow,' backed by one of the first versions of 'Groovy Kind of Love' (later a hit for the Mindbenders), with only mild success. Along the line, they extended their name to Patti LaBelle & the Bluebelles. The group discovered a fan base in England where they headlined a tour at in 1966 performing live on the show, Ready Steady Go!, and performed with Elton John's band Bluesology backing them up. They also contributed background vocals to Wilson Pickett's hit '634-5789 (Soulsville U.S.A.)'. During that year, Patti LaBelle & the Bluebelles recorded their first studio album, Over the Rainbow, which featured the aforementioned double-sider and the R&B hit, 'All or Nothing', which had been released as a single the year before. Produced by Bert Berns, the album has got a very sophisticated sound which tends to soften their earthy expressions with strings, brass and fancy arrangements that are never too kitschy to get in the way of the group's soulful vocals. It offers a really exciting agenda of songs, including 'Patti's Prayer', 'Who Can I Turn To', 'More', 'People', 'Try To Remember', 'Ebb Tide', 'Unchained Melody', 'He' and 'Yesterday'. I added as bonus tracks 12 songs which were released as singles between 1965 and 1970 on Atlantic and didn't appear on either their two albums for the label. These extra tracks include 'Oh My Love', 'You Forgot How to Love', 'Family Man', 'Dance to the Rhythm of Love', 'Trustin' in You', and 'I Need Your Love', amongst others. (Note: you will find their second release for the label, Dreamer, HERE). This is another great gift from my good friend Martin. Cheers, mate! ;-)

Patti LaBelle & The Bluebelles singing 'Over the Rainbow' live:

Kelle Patterson: Maiden Voyage (1973) / Kellee (1976) ... plus

2009-10-25T02:55:00.001-07:00

Born in the midwest just outside Chicago, Kellee Patterson grew up in Gary, Indiana. Her rise into the public eye came in 1971 when she was the first black girl to become Miss Indiana when she entered the Miss America pageant with merits for her singing talents. Her singing started professionally at just 16 and following the sucess in the Miss America pageant she toured the world where she both sung and gave speeches. Kellee broke into TV to host Harambee in Chicago and continued on with her singing career later when she moved to the West Coast. Kelle's debut LP Maiden Voyage is edgier and more challenging than her subsequent soul-oriented sessions, yet at the same time it's also the most mainstream recording ever issued on the Black Jazz imprint, boasting little of the label's signature deep-groove swagger. Produced and arranged by Black Jazz founder Gene Russell, the album's late-night, neon-lit atmosphere nevertheless does right by Patterson's sultry if slight vocals. Though Kelle had the habit of attacking a note just under pitch, she never stayed that way, but hit each note correctly once her vibrato kicked in. True, her voice was on the nasal side, but it worked. She should have made more albums in this vein - not to take away from her other albums (especially her last two, which were more disco than jazz or R&B), but this release was the most cohesive. Even the lyrics were topical (i.e., 'Magic Wand of Love'), but also timeless. Titles include 'Look at the Child', 'Soul Daddy (Lady)', 'Don't Misunderstand', 'You', and 'Be All Your Own', among others. On her second album, simply titled Kellee (1976), she keeps on exploring a little bit more the jazzy soul / soulful jazz territory. There are fine variations on Barry White's 'I'm Gonna love You Just a Little More, Baby', 'Mister Magic' (a song also done by Roberta Flack), 'Stop, Look & Listen to Your Heart' and even Dolly Parton's 'Jolene' (in a funky dancing way). It is always interesting to hear such song stylists, who make something new with something borrowed. I added as as bonus tracks both sides of her 1977 single 'If You Don't Fit, Don't Force It' / 'Be Happy'. http://www.amazon.com/, http://rateyourmusic.com/, http://www.artandpopularculture.com/,
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VA: Mama's Got a Bag of Her Own (2006)

2009-10-24T02:56:00.000-07:00

Mama's Got a Bag of Her Own features female acts, both solo and groups, and the twenty five tracks are excellent examples of the diversity to be found in '60s and '70s soul. Anna King supplies the funky title track, obviously a reply to her former employer James Brown's 'Papa's Got a Brand New Bag'. This was her first recording after being part of the James Brown Revue. Soul with a flavour of jazz is represented by three singers. Nancy Wilson covering Ashfords & Simpsons classic 'You're All I Need to Get By', Esther Philips distinctive voice adorns 'Nobody But You' - a fingersnapper written by Chicago soul stalwarts Gerald Sims and Floyd Smith - while Marlena Shaw give us a smooth as silk reading of 'Feel Like Making Love'. One of Dusty Springfield's favourite singers, Baby Washington, chips in with the atmospherically orchestrated 'I'm on the Outside (Looking In)'. Bettye Lavette and Irma Thomas are both represented here with two great classics, 'Let Me Down Easy' and 'Some Things You Never Get Used To', big US hits for the ladies. The same unfortunately can't be said about Tina Britt, who plunges in at the deeper end of the soul pool, with the ballad 'I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know'. Ann Cole's 'Don't Stop the Wedding' and Dee Dee Warwick's 'You're No Good' come from the very early '60s, when soul music was being born out of '50s style R&B. Clydie King has not recorded for many years but, in-between being one of Ray Charles Raelettes and doing session work for the likes of The Rolling Stones, Van Morrisson and Steely Dan, she made records the calibre of 'One of Those Good for Crying Over You Days'. Fans of the soul that was branded Northern by the British are treated to 'Groovin at the Go Go', by the Four Larks. The Southern USA has its own brand of soul and that is represented by Ann Sexton with 'Loving You, Loving Me' and a lady who is still performing great live shows, Gwen McCrae, with 'It Keeps on Raining' recorded in Florida with the great Clarence Reid. Other titles include 'I'm My Own Doctor' by Debbie Dovale, 'You Got 'Em Beat' by the Soul Sisters, 'Hard to Handle' by Patti Drew, 'Beatmaker' by Doris, 'There's So Much Love All Around Me' by the Three Degrees, 'I'm Just Not Ready for Love' by the Ikettes, and 'Just Not Ready' by the Exciters. So Mama's got a very mixed bag of soul by a bunch of female artists, most of whom have deserved their individual posting in this blog (seek and you will find!!). By the way, this is for you, DEE, as you got here Margo Thunder's version of 'Expressway to Your Heart' you requested from my playlist. Enjoy, my friend! http://www.designermagazine.org/

Bettye LaVette on a re-recording of one of the greatest soul songs ever, 'Let Me Down Easy':

Ruby Johnson meets Pearl Reaves (1993)

2009-10-23T00:50:00.000-07:00

Anyone who thrilled to the Stax compilation that gathered Johnson's 3 released singles and 16 superb unreleased tracks, will want to hear these rare pre-Stax recordings. Ruby was born on 19 April 1936 in Elizabeth City near Norfolk VA but made most of her recordings in Washington DC. After gigging around the Carolinas she settled in the capital city where she was spotted by DC entrepreneur Never Duncan who hired the multi-talented Dicky Williams as arranger/producer for her 45s. Included here is Johnson's first release (done for V-Tone in 1960), 'Pleadin' Heart' b/w 'Calling All Boys', as well as 'Stop Wasting Your Tears,' cut for Pledge. But it is via her excellent series of 45s for Neb’s (Duncan’s own label) that she made her considerable reputation, like the fine 'I've Been Hurt', 'Worried Mind', 'Let Me Apologize', 'I Want a Real Man', 'Here I Go Again', and others. The remainder of the songs belong to the obscure Pearl Reaves, a singer originally from Raleigh, North Carolina, who had moved to Rahway, New Jersey in the late '40s. After winning some local talent shows, she started singing at the Palace Blue Room, owned by bandleader/drummer Paul Farano. She not only sang, but played guitar with the Paul Farano Trio there for two years (and ended up marrying Farano). In early 1955, Morty Shad had Pearl Reaves do a couple of songs for Harlem, and used the Concords to back her up. The result is the great up-tempo 'You Can't Stay Here' (aka 'Step It Up and Go') and 'I'm Not Ashamed', wherein Pearl talks about being an "ugly woman". This one was released in April 1955. Considering what a wonderful voice Pearl had, she mostly limited her career to singing with her husband's band. The rest of her sides, including 'Cool with a Groove' and 'Same Old Love', seem to come from her own Pearlsfor label, and probably date from the early to mid '60s. On these, her name is spelled both "Reaves" and "Reeves" (Note: The cover art is very similar to the Stax set I posted last April, but the two albums have not a single track in common. Unfortunately, the sound quality - as it usually happens with all the releases on the Titanic label - is pretty bad, but that's better than nothing!) Thanks again, Martin, for this one!! http://www.rootsandrhythm.com/, http://sirshambling.com/, http://home.att.net/
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Bettye Swann Special - Part III: The Fame & Atlantic Years (1971-1976)

2009-10-22T00:38:00.000-07:00

This is the last of the three posts I have dedicated to the great Bettye Swann, spanning her entire recording career for Money, Capitol, Fame and Atlantic between 1964 and 1976. After working for Capitol, Bettye switched to Rich Hall's Fame label while it was being distributed by Capitol, releasing 1971's 'I'm Just Living a Lie' / 'I Can't Let You Break My Heart'. Swann then landed at Atlantic, but still retained the Fame link. During her time at Atlantic in the early to mid '70s she recorded at Muscle Shoals where she cut the #16 soul hit, 'Victim of a Foolish Heart', the first of half a dozen hits for her with the label. Her next Atlantic effort, 'I'd Rather Go Blind,' was notable in large part for its B-side, a reading of Merle Haggard's 'Today I Started Loving You Again,' that proved once more Swann a superb interpreter of country-soul. 1973's 'Yours Until Tomorrow' was backed by another Nashville cover, this time Tammy Wynette's 'Til I Get It Right.' While at Atlantic in the early '70s, some of her Money recordings, including her album Make Me Yours, were re-released on A-Bet, the Nashville-based successor to the renowned Excello blues and R&B imprint. Bettye also recorded at Atlantic in New York City, and at the famous Sigma Sound Studios in Philadelphia, where the Northern Soul biggie 'Kiss My Love Goodbye' was captured. This song found Swann operating firmly in Philly soul territory, its slick, urbane production courtesy of the Young Professionals team of LeBaron Taylor, Phil Hurtt, and Tony Bell. She made a return to the lower rungs of the Billboard Hot 100 with its A-side 'The Boy Next Door,' while 1975's 'All the Way in or All the Way Out' enjoyed minor chart success. Betty's last visit to the charts was a duet with Sam Dees of 'Storybook Children' in 1975 on the Big Tree label, an Atlantic distributed label. A last single 'Heading in the Right Direction' / 'Be Strong Enough to Hold On' was released on Atlantic in 1976, but without commercial success. Her last public performance as Bettye Swann was in 1980, the year her husband and manager, George Barton, died. As Betty Barton, she then worked in the education sector in the Las Vegas, Nevada area, and became a Jehovah's Witness. She is now retired and, according to a 2005 interview, suffers from a degenerative spinal condition. http://www.answers.com/, http://en.wikipedia.org/

Bettye Swann Special - Part II: The Capitol Years (1968-1970)

2009-10-21T00:15:00.000-07:00

The success of Bettye Swann's 1967 single 'Make Me Yours' on Money attracted the interest of Capitol Records, where she recorded what is generally considered her most lasting work. Capitol smartly paired her with veteran R&B producer Wayne Shuler, and together they recorded a series of sides that blended the uptown sophistication of Chicago artists like Barbara Lewis with the earthy grooves then being churned out by southern studios like Stax and Muscle Shoals. This self-titled collection brings together nearly everything Bettye recorded for the label, including the two complete albums The Soul View Now! and Don't You Ever Get Tired of Hurting Me (although the tracks are all mixed in together), and a couple of non-Lp B-sides. There is an achingly great southern soul feel to these tunes, which range from fragile soul ballads with sweet harmonies to poundingly righteous stompers. The feel is just loose enough, with roomy arrangements that leave plenty of space for Bettye's sweet vocals, but still with the ability to tighten up and pound at the crack of a whip! Swann is equally adept at slinky, sassy uptown soul like '(My Heart Is) Closed for the Season,' 'Cover Me,' and 'You're Up to Your Old Tricks Again' as well as down-home, heartbroken ballads like 'Little Things Mean a Lot,' the bluesy 'Don't Touch Me,' and Otis Redding's 'These Arms of Mine,' but also unique blends of styles like her Baroque soul take on the Bee Gees' 'Words' and her countrified funk version of Marvin Gaye's 'Ain't It Peculiar.' In fact, she often dipped into country music for material and came up with some impressive songs like her aching version of Patsy Cline's 'Sweet Dreams,' which comes darn close to the original in the heartbreak stakes. Her takes on 'Stand By Your Man' and 'Angel of the Morning' are beautiful and soulful reinterpretations, too. This disc is packed with original, soulful, and exciting music from beginning to end. http://www.allmusic.com/, http://www.amazon.co.uk/, http://www.dustygroove.com/

Bettye Swann Special - Part I: The Money Recordings (1964-1967)

2009-10-20T00:06:00.000-07:00

Betty Jean Champion was born in Shreveport, Louisiana on October 24, 1944 and began her singing career at the start of the '60s as a member of The Fawns. As a solo artist under her new stage name, and with a LA-based Money recording contract, she was handed a tune written by Carolyn Franklin, 'Don't Wait Too Long', and saw it go to # 21 R&B and reach # 131 on the Billboard Pop Hot 100 "bubble under" charts in March 1965 b/w 'What Is My Life Coming To?'. This modest beginning was then followed by two flops that same year, 'The Man Who Said No' / 'What Can It Be?' and 'The Heartache Is Gone' / 'Our Love'. There were no Money releases at all in 1966, but in June 1967 she scored her greatest hit ever when 'Make Me Yours' went all the way to # 1 R&B and a quite respectable # 21 on the Hot 100 b/w 'I Will Not Cry'. The follow-up 'Fall In Love With Me' didn't do nearly as well, however, reaching only # 36 R&B/# 67 Hot 100 that October b/w 'Lonely Love'. and this was followed by two more failures, 'Don't Look Back' / 'You Gave Me Love' and 'I Think I'm Falling in Love' / 'Don't Take My Mind'. In between she had her first album released, appropriately titled Make Me Yours, containing the afore-mentioned singles along with 'A Change Is Gonna Come' and something that hinted at future directions as a purveyor of Country soul - the Don Gibson Country classic 'I Can't Stop Loving You', which was a huge hit for Ray Charles. All of the material known to exist by Bettye Swann in the vaults of the Money label is found on this 24-track compilation. It has all of her 1964-1967 singles for the company, as well as a few songs released on her 1967 Make Me Yours LP, and nine previously unreleased tracks, two of which are just remixes, half a dozen of which are alternate versions. Enjoy! http://www.allmusic.com/, http://www.amazon.com/

Jeannie Reynolds: Discography (1969-1977)

2009-10-19T00:15:00.000-07:00

Underground soul diva Jeannie Reynolds is best known for her signature song 'The Fruit Song', though her highest-charting single was the snappy 'The Phone's Been Jumping All Day' on Casablanca Records, number ten R&B on Billboard in summer 1975. The sister of L.J. Reynolds of the Dramatics, Reynolds was actually cutting singles back in 1969 for Mainstream with 'Down on Me' / 'Don't Set Me Free', which she released under the name of Jeany Reynolds (though there are versions as Shirley Jean and the Relations). Following this release 1971 saw 'I Don't Mess Around' / 'People Make The World', issued as Jeannie Reynolds and the Re-Leets on Washington, and then in 1974 came 'I Know He'll Be Back Someday' / 'You Ain't the Only Man,' for Chess. Her only other R&B charting single was also on Casablanca Records, 'Lay Some Lovin' on Me,' number 46, fall 1975. With its "fruitful" cover, the singer's LP Cherries, Bananas and Other Fine Things on Casablanca was issued in June 1976, with detroit talents LJ Reynolds, Tony Hester, and Don Davis producing, save for one song by Michael Henderson. One single from the LP, 'The Fruit Song,' written by Lawrence Payton of the Four Tops and Fred Bridges, became a huge hit, a post-release collectible, and a steppers standard. The song is a sly seductive stepper of a track, with rolling congas, sweeping strings, and a very catchy hook from Jeannie. Another Casablanca LP, One Wish, produced by Don Davis (Johnnie Taylor, the Dramatics, Marilyn McCoo, and Billy Davis, Jr.) was issued in 1977, containing the deep ballad 'I'm Hooked on You', which was subsequently released as a single in 1978. Tragically, Jeannie Reynolds took her two children's lives before committing suicide in 1980; this sad event was, apparently, drug related. Jeannie's vocals were nice and deep, with hints of southern diva phrasing, filtered through some of the heavier soul styles coming out of Chicago and other points north at that time. I gathered here most of her discography, including her two complete Casablanca albums and six cuts she released as 45s between 1969 and 1975. http://www.soulwalking.co.uk/, http://www.soulcellar.co.uk/, http://www.dustygroove.com/

Jaibi: The Collection (1964-1967)

2009-10-18T02:06:00.001-07:00

Jaibi was the stage name of soul singer Joan Banks (February 6, 1943 - September 4, 1984). Born Joan Pulliam, and later known as Joan Bates after her marriage to her first husband Anthony Bates Sr., she first recorded with a group, the Pleasures, but is best known for her solo records, 'You Got Me' and 'It Was Like a Nightmare'. These were issued on Kapp Records in 1967, written and produced by her second husband Larry Banks (previously the husband of singer Bessie Banks). They were not successful in terms of sales and, after a few more recordings (some with her husband as Lawrence & Jaibi), her musical career ended. She and Banks later divorced, and she completed her schooling acquiring her Masters Degree in Computer Programming. Joan continued her life as an accomplished and successful computer programmer analyst for companies such as Polygram Records, IBM and finally reaching a high level position at Trans America Inter corp. She died of leukemia, on September 4, 1984, leaving behind 4 children (Anthony Bates Jr., Brian Bates, Tracey Banks and Corey Banks). Her recordings are now remembered due to the efforts of soul music pioneer Dave Godin, who regarded them as masterpieces, of "almost indescribable beauty and poignancy", the ultimate expression of Deep Soul music. He wrote: "No matter if you have only ever made one record, or written one book, or made one film, if that work is a great work of art then your name deserves to be remembered and your memory thanked equally as if you had produced dozens. For, in the creation of a masterpiece, even if it only touches the lives of a few, you have enriched life itself beyond measure, and in this respect, those who benefit in this way have been given a precious jewel of experience to add to all those other magic moments we collect as we journey through life." http://en.wikipedia.org/ I have gathered here seven of Jaibi recordings, including a song she recorded with the Pleasures in 1964, 'Don't You Know (I Love You)', a duet with husband Larry Banks, a single she recorded as Joan Bates ('We Can Do It'), and an alternate version of her classic 'You Got Me'.

Linda Hayes: Atomic Baby - Hollywood R&B From The Platters First 'Dish' (1952-56) ... plus

2009-10-17T02:55:00.001-07:00

Most of Linda Hayes' singles are on this 21-track compilation, including her number two 1953 R&B hit 'Yes I Know' and her lesser-known 1954 Top Ten 45, 'Take Me Back.' These 1952-1956 recordings don't include every last one of her releases - the 1954 single 'Play It Right'/'Your Back's Out' is missing - but otherwise everything seems to be here. There really isn't much separating the pleasantly full-voiced Hayes from many other singers straddling the early-'50s jump blues/R&B era and the dawn of rock & roll, other than her Platters association, a deeper tone than was customary for female singers in the genre, and those two hits. That makes this collection of almost exclusive interest to '50s R&B specialists, as the songs are on the rather formulaic side, though 'Yes I Know' is a natural standout owing to its semi-novelty as a sassy answer record (to Willie Mabon's number one R&B smash 'I Know'). Like some other vocalists who had a bit of early- to mid-'50s R&B success, she sounds like she might have been better cast as a jazz singer, not coming by the more raucous edge required by the changing times as naturally as some other performers - a greater problem when some of her material edged closer to doo-wop and rock & roll on her later recordings. Platters collectors will want to note the presence of a couple singles (including 'My Name Is Annie,' an "answer" record to the Midnighters' 'Work with Me Annie') with the Platters on backup vocals; she also duets with her brother (and Platters singer) Tony Williams on 'Oochi Pachi.' I added FOUR bonus tracks here: the 1959 single 'Hubba Hubba'/'Take the Hand of a Fool' and the previously undocumented early recordings with The Platters 'I Just Wanna Mambo' and 'Co-Operating Mama', which were hidden at the end of the session reel after 'My Name Ain't Annie'. Thanks, Daniele, for passing me this!! http://www.answers.com/

The Lovelites: The Lovelite Years (1999) / With Love from the Lovelites (1970) ... plus

2009-10-16T00:04:00.000-07:00

It’s a crying shame that the Lovelites, one of the best female groups of the '60s and '70s, never gained the national attention some of their counterparts were privy to. The Chicago high-school trio peaked on the Billboard R&B charts at number 15 with their stunning track 'How Can I Tell My Mom and Dad', - a sad slow tune about teen pregnancy, sung in a strange otherworldly style that's also quite soulful - with a catchy hook and a way of referring to the problem at hand that's vague, and makes for a strange approach to the material. They still recorded some other irresistible sagas about adolescent and young-adult love, much like Martha & the Vandellas, the Marvelettes, Honey Cone, and other luminaries. Patti Hamilton, her sister Rozena Petty, and Barbara Peterman were the original group, with Ardell McDaniel replacing Peterman in 1968. Joni Berlman replaced Petty in 1970, and Rhonda Grayson replaced McDaniel in 1971. 'How Can I Tell My Mom & Dad' did well enough for the group to start its own label, Lovelite Records, in 1970. It continued until 1973, while one single from their label made the R&B Top 40, 'My Conscience,' in 1971. They disbanded in 1973. This wonderful compilation of Lovelites sides, includes the Vandellas-sounding 'Get It off My Conscience', their first hit 'Mom & Dad' and other great songs like 'Love Is Pretty' and 'Love Bandit', which was released in 1972 as Patti & the Lovelites. The remakes are just as good: 'My Baby Loves Me,' 'You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin',' 'Betcha By Golly Wow,' and 'Got to Be There' are as potent as the originals. I included as bonus the ten tracks from the Lovelites' only full length album on UNI, With Love from the Lovelites, which were omitted from the set, plus an early song from 1967, 'I Found Me a Lover'. 31 tracks in all! These tunes are very different than the usual girl trio material, rougher, more honest, with a quality that's emotive, yet not overly drippy. Part of the thanks for this goes to arranger Johnny Cameron, who handled the tracks on the set, but a lot of the credit should also go to lead singer Patty Hamilton, who co-wrote some of the tracks, and who has a fantastic way of putting over the songs. These extra titles from their album include 'This Love is Real', 'Certain Kind of Lover', 'I'm in Love', 'Shy Boy', 'I've Got Love', 'Gotta Let You Go' and 'Oh My Love'. http://www.dustygroove.com/, http://www.answers.com/

Spanky Wilson: The Westbound Years (1973-75)

2009-10-15T00:30:00.001-07:00

Spanky Wilson’s Specialty from the House Lp, from 1975, was recorded at Westbound Records in Detroit with a crack team of session musicians arranged by David Van De Pitte (the arranger on Marvin Gaye’s 'What’s Going On'), and was produced by Al Kent, veteran of many classic Detroit sessions. The ten tracks on the album included her excellent debut single 'Shake Your Head,' and nine new tracks. The music was a perfect vehicle for Spanky’s vocal style. It is a record that would fit comfortably in anyone’s collection in a space alongside Marlena Shaw’s mid-70s Blue Note and Esther Phillips’ Kudu releases of the same time. Backings penned by David Van DePitte, Paul Riser, and others gave Wilson a nicely mature sound that was a good change from her aging style of previous years, allowing for a nice range of modes. For the most part, the best cuts are actually those that depart a little from the mainstream soul format, like a satisfyingly funky take on Bill Withers' 'Kissing My Love,' the nice crossover 'Easy Lover,' and a chance to revisit her somewhat jazz-poppier origins on 'Home.' Six unissued tracks have been also included here. Harlan Howard’s 'He Called Me Baby' is a great understated funky take on the song, and the same can be said of 'Chokin’ Kind', Mitty Collier’s 'I Had a Talk With My Man' and the jazzy blues of 'Standing Room Only' and 'Spend the Night With Me'. 'Can’t See the Forest for the Trees', the final unreleased cut, would have made a wonderful single. While the Spanky Wilson vocal magic continues to march on with the Quantic Soul Orchestra, the recordings that she made in Detroit over 30 years ago are a wonderful moment in the history of that magic. http://www.systemrecords.co.uk/, http://www.dustygroove.com/

Spanky Wilson: The Mother Records & The Snarf Company Years (1969-1975)

2009-10-14T00:02:00.001-07:00

Over the last 30 years Spanky Wilson has become established as a successful jazz vocalist. But there is a world of difference between concert hall jazz and the hip beats producers and sweaty night clubs where she has found herself recently. Her collaboration with DJ/producer Quantic have brought her prominence with the same crowd of DJs, collectors and beat-heads that have spent the last decade and a half desperately seeking her 60s and 70s recordings. Following her move in 1967 to Los Angeles Spanky Wilson worked with, amongst others, Marvin Gaye, Sammy Davis and Willie Bobo, but her most important contact was with producer and arranger H. B. Barnum. In the late '60s he founded his own independent record label, Mother Records & The Snarf Company. One of his first signings was Spanky Wilson, and her debut album for the label was the wonderful Spankin’ Brand New (1969). Swingin’ soul, songs written by Howlett Smith, Spanky’s delivery is rooted here in standards ala Dinah Washington but this is soul all the way, with great playing, subtle string parts & killer horn arrangements typical of Barnum. Highlights are 'Mighty Great Feeling,' 'Apartment 101' and 'The Last Day of Summer.' Even if this album was promising, it was the follow-up, Doin’ It (1970) that first alerted clubbers to her work when they discovered its deep funk single 'You' in second-hand bins in the late '80s. The album also included a bad ass cover of 'Sunshine of My Love' and the scorchin’ 'Hurtin’'. On her third and final Mother album, from 1975 (¿), she sings fabulous covers of some current hits, including Bobbie Gentry's 'Fancy' and the Beatles' 'Let It Be'. This three albums Wilson recorded for Mother should appeal to fans of Marlena Shaw, Salena Jones, Dakota Staton, and pretty much any soul jazz crossover vocalists. I included here her first two complete Lps, plus a couple of tracks from the third, Let It Be. http://www.popsike.com/, http://www.systemrecords.co.uk/

Spanky Wilson & The Quantic Soul Orchestra in a live performance of Wilson's classic 'You' in Paris, 2006:

Ruby & the Romantics: Our Day Will Come (1963-1966)

2009-10-13T01:42:00.000-07:00

Ruby & the Romantics had several pop and R&B chart records during the '60s, but are sometimes considered as a one-hit wonder for topping the charts in 1963 with their first recording, 'Our Day Will Come'. Ruby Nash, the female lead of the group, originally sang with an all-girl group, consisting of her sister and two friends. They sang at record hops, mixers, talent shows and clubs in Akron and surrounding areas. Some of the male members of the Romantics sang with The Embers. Eventually, The Embers became known as The Supremes and then The Feilos. Since they all grew up in Akron and knew each other, Leroy Fann, a member of The Supremes, asked Ruby to sing with them on occasions. After auditioning, the group was signed to New York-based Kapp Records, and the group changed their name to Ruby & the Romantics. An Abraham Lincoln quotation over the stage in the auditorium at Akron Central High School, where the group members attended, may have been the inspiration for 'Our Day Will Come' - "I will study and get ready, and some day my chance will come". Those who attended Akron Central High School in the early '60s will recall hearing that song sung between classes by members of the group. The follow-up, 'My Summer Love', reached #16 on the Hot 100 and a third release, the original version of 'Hey There Lonely Boy' climbed to #27. Several more singles were released by Kapp which generally achieved minor chart status. A short spell with ABC was unsuccessful while one single for A&M in 1969 ('Hurting Each Other', originally recorded by Jimmy Clanton some years earlier) proved to be their final recording before the group broke up in 1971. The group had remained intact throughout their recording career, as confirmed by Ruby in an interview in 2008 with Marv Goldberg (R&B Notebooks). This 42-song set present the highlights of Ruby & the Romantics' career for the Kapp label, 1963-1966. This includes the big number 1 and title track here, the original versions of 'Hey There Lonely Boy/Girl' (a hit for Eddie Holman in 1974), 'When You're Young and in Love' (a hit in 1967 for the Marvelettes and for the Flying Picketts in 1984), 'Hurtin Each Other' (a 1972 hit for the Carpenters), plus their other Pop and R&B chart picks. http://en.wikipedia.org/
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