Memphis is one of the great music cities. So many great artists and so many great labels have emerged from there down the years that the history of rock’n’roll and soul and R&B would be very different without them. Sun, Stax and Hi are the labels that define Memphis, but not far behind is our very own Goldwax, who in James Carr, Spencer Wiggins and the Ovations had their own trio of great artists. Since Ace bought Goldwax nearly a decade ago the major artists have all been treated well, with at least a CD of their recordings each, and in the case of James Carr, four CDs rounding up every single bit of his recording career. There has also been two label overviews that have helped to throw light on some of the lesser acts, as well as the stars and the sought after rarities. However labels are complex affairs and their stories are sometimes difficult to cover fully in the short-form. With this in mind we have taken on the herculean task of compiling ‘The Complete Goldwax Singles’ which allows us to present to you the A and B sides of every single 45 on the label or produced by the label or its principles. This takes us into areas that you wouldn’t meet ordinarily and allows us to provide you with some excrutiatingly rare records.

Goldwax was started in late 1963 by Doc Russell and Quinton Claunch, although our compilation lets us take a step back and include three earlier Quinton produced 45s on his own Bingo and Beale Street labels that form the true genesis of the label. These are just the first of many titles that are seeing their first ever legal reissue across these volumes including one side of our cover star Philip and The Faithfuls one single on the label – and the one that has proved itself to be the rarest of them all. Amongst the obscurities and the rarities we are sure that you will find yourself an especial favourite that you have never heard before, be it a storming instrumental such as the Playboy Five’s ‘Spoonful’, the Arthur Alexander take-off of Oboe’s first single ‘Mother-In-Law Trouble’ or even one of the pop or country records that sporadically appeared on the label.

However it is not just about what you have heard before. The chronolgical nature of this compilation allows you not just to watch the careers of, say, James Carr or Spencer Wiggins unfold, but more acurately Memphis music, as R&B slowly moves into soul which then develops a distinctly southern nature as time passes. It is perhaps easier to see this progress with a mid-size label like Goldwax than with a behemoth like Stax where weight of numbers obscured the changes.

It has to be remembered of course that Volume 1, however great, is just the first stirrings, the roots, as it were. The golden age is still to come, but this is still a pretty great start.

By Dean Rudland (Ace Records)

DISC 1:
1 BIG BAD JON THE TWISTER
Jon Kennedy
2 POP-EYE TIME
Jon Kennedy
3 A THOUSAND VOWS
Bobby McDowell
4 A GIRL NAMED JO
Bobby McDowell
5 TRADIN' STAMPS
Oboe
6 MOTHER-IN-LAW TROUBLE
Oboe
7 DARLING
The Lyrics
8 HOW A WOMAN DOES HER MAN
The Lyrics
9 THE DAY THE WORLD CRIED PART 1
Oboe
10 THE DAY THE WORLD CRIED PART 2
Oboe
11 THE GREASY FROG
Jeb Stewart
12 WILL I EVER BE FREE
Jeb Stewart
13 OUR LAST QUARREL
Bobby McDowell
14 THESE AIN'T RAINDROPS
Bobby McDowell
15 TOO SLOW
Oboe with the Keys
16 SHE'S BETTER THAN YOU
Oboe with the Keys
17 THE SIDE WIND
The Lyrics with the Top Notes
18 SO HARD TO GET ALONG
The Lyrics with The Top Notes
19 THAT'S HOW STRONG MY LOVE IS
O V Wright with the Keys
20 THERE GOES MY USED TO BE
O V Wright with the Keys
21 I CAN'T FIGHT THIS MUCH LONGER
Eddie Bond
22 NOW AND THEN
Eddie Bond
23 ONLY FOOLS RUN AWAY
James Carr
24 YOU DON'T WANT ME
James Carr
25 LOVE ME
Phillip & the Faithfuls
26 RHYTHM MARIE
Phillip & the Faithfuls
27 SPOONFUL
The Playboy Five
28 WHAT AM I LIVING FOR
The Playboy Five
29 PRETTY LITTLE ANGEL
The Ovations featuring Louis Williams
30 WON'T YOU CALL
The Ovations featuring Louis Williams

DISC 2:
1 TODDLIN'
Gene "Bowlegs" Miller
2 BOW-LEGGED
Gene "Bowlegs" Miller
3 I CAN'T MAKE IT
James Carr
4 LOVER'S COMPETITION
James Carr
5 ARABIAN JERK
The Merits
6 PLEASE PLEASE LITTLE GIRL
The Merits
7 IT'S WONDERFUL TO BE IN LOVE
The Ovations featuring Louis Williams
8 DANCE PARTY
The Ovations featuring Louis Williams
9 OHIO BOUND
Big Lucky Carter with Prince Gabe & The Millionaires
10 HURRICANE BLUES
Big Lucky Carter with Prince Gabe & The Millionaires
11 THE WELL'S GONE DRY
Dorothy Williams
12 COUNTRY STYLE
Dorothy Williams
13 EVERY WOMAN I KNOW (IS CRAZY ABOUT AN AUTOMOBILE)
Al Vance
14 HAVE YOU SEEN JEAN
Al Vance
15 WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT MY BABY
Spencer Wiggins
16 LOVER'S CRIME
Spencer Wiggins
17 I'M LIVING GOOD
The Ovations featuring Louis Williams
18 RECIPE FOR LOVE
The Ovations featuring Louis Williams
19 LOVE WORKS THAT WAY
Spencer Wiggins
20 I'LL BE TRUE TO YOU
Spencer Wiggins
21 SHE'S BETTER THAN YOU
James Carr
22 TALK TALK
James Carr
23 MY MOTOR BIKE BALKED
The Lamars
24 PATSY
The Lamars
25 DON'T CRY
The Ovations
26 I NEED A LOT OF LOVING
The Ovations
27 DARLING
The Vel Tones
28 I DO
The Vel Tones

23.00 €