| Sly Stone - Listen To The Voices - In The Studio 1965-1970 Of every instrument that Sly Stone has mastered during his long and colourful career in music, perhaps the most significant is the recording studio. 20 years before the advent of computer-based recording, this maverick was pushing available recording technology to its limit. When he finally tired of the restrictions imposed by official facilities, Sly built his own, to satisfy his creative urge when, where and how he saw fit. It was the ultimate manifestation of the impulse that had transformed Sylvester Stewart of Vallejo, California into Sly Stone, titan of popular music. Sly drew from gospel, R&B, rock, jazz, pop, folk rock, psychedelia and everything in-between, married them to a positive outlook tinged with humour, and stayed focused on achieving his goals, using the tools he had. In doing this, Sly Stone liberated black music - rhythmically, lyrically, sonically - but he did it all within the context of the song. That is the reason Sly’s music has been covered by the Beach Boys, why Sinatra accorded him respect, why Miles Davis would wait hours in the studio for a chance to watch him at work. “Listen To The Voices” is the sequel to Ace’s earlier survey of Sly’s musical progression, “Precious Stone: Sly Stone In The Studio 1963-65”. It’s a project that has been in my back pocket for some time, for, as a terminal Sly freak, I’ve ransacked not just studios, but tape vaults, collector’s stashes and beyond, hunting for any and all evidence of this singular artists creativity, because every last scrap provides another clue, another revelation or, in most cases, just reconfirms Sly’s genius. His funky 1966 demo of ‘You Really Got Me’ came from a bank vault near the Mexican border; an unlikely H.B. Barnum was the source of the folk-punk ‘Underdog’ that Sly recorded with the Beau Brummels in October 1965. And my good pals Edwin and Arno Konings, the Dutch detectives whose forthcoming book “Thank You” will finally give Sly the definitive biography he deserves, came up with an acetate of the brilliant ‘Man Does Not Live’ – written for Walter Jackson in 1968 but performed here by the Family Stone with a touching, heartbreaking dollop of pure soul. Starting where “Precious Stone” stopped, on “Listen To The Voices” we continue Sly’s journey to the end of the decade, joining some dots, revealing some hidden gems, reiterating the team effort that lay behind the creation and evolution of a truly once-in-a-lifetime outfit, Sly & The Family Stone. The Stone Souls’ recordings reveal why Sly easily pegged his brother Freddie and Greg Errico to be in his new band, and the Family Stone’s earliest demo session reveals the sheer joy they found playing together. But even with their level of success, Sly’s creative desire was unsated, resulting in side projects that complement, and on occasion even match, the Family Stone’s catalogue. His 1969/70 Stoneflower productions on 6IX, Joe Hicks and Little Sister are crucial pieces of the Sly Stone jigsaw, while the outrageous French Fries single is finally identified as a Family Stone recording. In May 2009 I spent several days in Sly’s company talking about music and its creation, creativity, for the sleeve notes. The man is as funny, smart and brilliant as he ever was, and he seemed to enjoy talking purely about his music for once, rather than being asked prurient questions about his personal life. It was an unforgettable experience. Freddie and Greg also contribute to the notes, which shed fresh light upon the years in question: quite possibly Sly’s purple period. “Listen To The Voices” is a celebration of both Sly & the Family Stone the group, and of Sly Stone the auteur. It’s my way of saying “Thank You” to the incredible, unpredictable, one and only – Sly. By Alec Palao (Ace Records website) |
 |
Ace Records 2010 | CD | 17.00 € |
|
| Smokey Wilson - Round Like An Apple 17 tracks. The Big Town Recordings 1977-1978 |
 |
Ace Records 2006 | CD | 17.00 € |
|
| Solomon Burke - Definitive Soul Collection 2CD Originally a full-time preacher and gospel singer, the larger-than-life Solomon Burke made his mark on secular music with a masterfully produced R&B/soul sound that earned him the moniker "The King of Rock and Soul." This double-disc collection includes 30-tracks |
 |
Rhino Records 2006 | CD | 15.00 € |
|
| Solomon Burke - I'll Never Stop Loving You (Never Ever Song) / The Do Right VG++ |
 |
Chess / Platinum 1976 | Single/EP | 5.00 € Käytetty |
|
| Solomon Burke - Nashville 14 tracks with special guests - Dolly Parton, Gillian Welch, Patty Griffin, Emmylou Harris and Patty Loveless |
|
Shout Factory 2006 | CD | 18.00 € |
|
| Solomon Burke - Soul Arrives! 1955-1961 |
|
Jasmine Records 2013 | CD | 12.00 € |
|
| Soulville All-Stars - I'm Gonna Get To You / Won't You Please Be My Girl |
 |
Soulville USA | Single/EP | 6.00 € |
|
| Spellbinders - Chain Reaction 15 tracks 60s soul stompers & smoochers. Produced by Van McCoy |
 |
Shout Records 2007 | CD | 19.00 € |
|
| Spinners - Truly Yours: Their First Motown Album With Bonus Tracks Long before the Spinners amassed a stack of gold albums and singles with producer Thom Bell at Atlantic Records in the 70s, they spent eight years working hard at Motown. For the first four of those years, the period covered by this CD, the group recorded some very tasty tracks but had only four singles released. It was good luck that brought the Spinners together in the first place. “I was watching a local television show called Saturday Evening Dance Party with C.P. Spencer,” founder member Billy Henderson told Black Stars magazine back in 1975. “The amateur vocal groups always won. So I said if those guys can sing, so can I. I asked C.P. if he knew anybody that could sing bass and baritone because I could sing tenor. That’s how Henry Fambrough, Pervis Jackson and I got together. Pervis tried to give us a hard time, since he was one of the few baritones around and popular in school, but we pulled him anyhow.” “Bobby Smith had the car so we had to get him with us,” recalled Pervis. “Henry lived down the street from me and I would see him carrying a guitar back and forth to church, so I figured there goes our guitar player. We asked him to be in the group, figuring he could give us some backup music. We found out that he was carrying the guitar for his minister at church. Henry couldn’t play a note, but he could sing bass, so we kept him.” It was bad luck that kept them standing in the shadows at Motown. Billy: “We literally sat around and watched the other acts become superstars: the Supremes – we worked with them in the early days of their success; the Temptations; the Four Tops; Marvin Gaye – who played drums for us a couple of times; and Tammi Terrell – who we loved dearly.” The great UK Tamla Motown re-issue programme of the late 60s and early 70s, which ought to have made the Spinners household names, bypassed the group entirely. Good fortune teamed the Spinners with some of Motown’s finest writers and producers. Sterling work with Harvey Fuqua, Ivy Jo Hunter, Mickey Stevenson and Johnny Bristol make the tracks on this collection so special. Their 1967 album “The Original Spinners” – including the singles ‘Sweet Thing’, ‘I’ll Always Love You’, ‘Truly Yours’ and ‘For All We Know’ – appears here on CD for the first time. Other gems from the LP include Smokey Robinson’s ‘Like A Good Man Should’ and fan favourite ‘I Cross My Heart’, composed by Stevie Wonder with Ivy Jo Hunter. Of the 14 contemporaneous bonus titles here, 10 are previously unissued, all freshly transferred from the Motown master tapes. These include ballads such as ‘Darling’ and ’12 O’clock’, which display the group’s doo wop roots, and a handful of top-of-the-range stompers in the classic Motown style. Motown never sounded better than when in the hands of master stylists such as the Spinners. This set, featuring an essay by Motown expert Keith Hughes based on a new interview with lead singer Bobby Smith, means we have, at last, paid the Spinners their due. By Eric Charge (Ace Records) |
 |
Ace Records 2012 | CD | 17.00 € |
|
| Sugar Pie DeSanto - Go Go Power It’s one of those names that sticks in the brain, but a 1964 television appearance by Sugar Pie DeSanto was also impressive enough to instantly spring to mind when I was asked to write these words about one of America’s most under-rated R&B singers. It seems impossible now, but one of the UK’s main TV channels devoted a whole Sunday afternoon programme to the now-legendary American Folk Blues Festival. Many got their first sighting of Howling Wolf, Sonny Boy Williamson, Willie Dixon, Sleepy John Estes and Lightnin’ Hopkins that day. Pitting her tiny four-foot-eleven frame against these giants, the only female on the bill turned in the kind of rip-roaring, full-throttle performance that had made her a hot property on the US live circuit. British TV audiences also had the treat of her performing on Ready Steady Go on the same show as the Kinks. She released a number of singles that caused a stir in R&B circles, although Chess held back releasing many of her recordings so she wouldn’t impinge on their already-happening female star Etta James. This meant that Sugar Pie was mainly used as an in-house writer, churning out songs for label-mates like Fontella Bass, Little Milton, Billy Stewart and Minnie Riperton. The singles she released comprise this stellar collection, showing the lady to be a highly-expressive singer of power, passion and a fair smattering of sauce. She was born Umpeylia Marsema Balinton in 1935, her Filipino father and black American mother relocating to San Francisco when she was three. Umpeylia’s supercharged pipes developed as she sang along to her concert pianist mother at home and let loose in church, then gaining her talent show success by her mid-teens. She was noticed winning a competition by Johnny Otis, who dubbed her Little Miss Sugar Pie and whisked her on tour, eventually recording her for Federal. The name DeSanto came from basketball star Don Barksdale, who released some of her songs on his Rhythm Records. After marrying Pee Wee Kingsley she went on to record with him for various labels. She scored her first hit in 1960 with ‘I Want To Know’, attracting the attention of James Brown when she appeared at New York’s Apollo Theater. She spent the next two years singing with his Revue. Sugar Pie released her first single with Chess in early 1961. ‘It Won’t Be Long’ was followed by several for other labels, before she returned the following year with the pleading ballad ‘Ask Me’, kick-starting a string of 45s that would continue until 1966. After label-mate Tommy Tucker hit with ‘High Heel Sneakers’ in 1964, she replied with ‘Slip-In Mules’ and reached the Pop charts for the first time. The follow-up ‘Soulful Dress’ plumbed a similar sassy, stomping vein and also performed well. Its flip, ‘Use What You Got’, highlighted a smouldering, sexy blues groove, while ‘I Don’t Wanna Fuss’ hit a raw, funky grind and ‘Mama Didn’t Raise No Fools’ showed a gentler melodic soul side. Producer Billy Davis then suggested Sugar Pie record with Etta James as their voices boasted a similar kind of bite and roaring soul. The duo’s ‘Do I Make Myself Clear’ and the thumpingly contagious ‘In The Basement’ reached the R&B chart. This compilation is named after ‘Go Go Power’, a 1966 belter, as featured in a recent TV ad campaign. In the early 70s Sugar Pie moved back to California, where she still lives and works, but here’s a marvellous and long overdue picture of the rise of a truly overlooked and criminally-stifled talent. By Kris Needs (Ace Records) |
 |
Ace Records 2009 | CD | 17.00 € |
|
| Sun Ra - I Am Strange / I Am An Instrument |
|
Norton Records 2009 | Single/EP | 6.00 € |
|
| Supremes - Greatest Hits + bonus Live In Amsterdam 1964 |
 |
BR Music 2003 | DVD | 15.00 € |
|
| Supremes - The Happening 58 min |
|
All Stars 2008 | DVD | 8.00 € |
|
| Sven Zetterberg - Grounded In Reality Sven Zetterbergin uusin levyn nyt saatavana !! mainoita country-soulia ! kaikki biisit bändin omia ! |
 |
Borderline 2010 | CD | 17.00 € |
|
| Sven Zetterberg - Moving In The Right Direction |
 |
Last Buzz Records 2004 | CD | 17.00 € |
|
| Sven Zetterberg - Southern Soul Agenda Great Soul / R&B artist from Sweden. Great album packed to nice digipack sleeves |
 |
Borderline 2006 | CD | 17.00 € |
|
| Swamp Dogg - It's All Good - A Singles Collection 1963-1989 Some compilation CDs carry titles that oversell their content, but not this one. As the compiler and annotator of the project, I can say with hand on heart that here’s one collection with a title that you can truly believe in. What you get here really IS “all good”. The songs may not have made their creator rich, or famous beyond the circle of collectors who avidly seek out each and every note he recorded, but these 24 tracks amply demonstrate why Jerry Williams aka Swamp Dogg is held in such high regard by soul fans, and why there’s still enormous demand for his music almost 60 years after he cut his first recordings as an 11 year-old piano-playing prodigy. “It’s All Good” brings you more than 25 year’s worth of primo Swamp, in a variety of styles and under almost as many aliases. It embraces everything from Jerry Lee Lewis impersonations (‘Hum Baby’, ‘She’s So Divine’) and Northern Soul anthems (‘If You Ask Me’), big city balladry (‘Baby You’re My Everything’ and Swamp’s previously unissued, stunning version of ‘Oh Lord What Are You Doing To Me’) to sublime Southern Soul (‘Knowing I’m Pleasing Me And You’) and then some. More than anything, it demonstrates the multitudinous talents of Jerry Williams Jr. as musician, singer, songwriter, producer and arranger of some of the best music made across the last 50 years. We’ve managed to find room for a couple of great 60s sides that, for one reason or another, managed to evade release at the time of their recording. The rest of the selections were all originally issued on singles. Some of them also appeared on Swamp albums, but we have used the 45 versions – many of which have never appeared on CD – to give collectors something new. With superb sound quality throughout and a booklet packed with pics and info, it’s a treat that will enthral Dogg-lovers all over the world. “It’s All Good” comes to you with the personal seal of approval of Swamp Dogg himself. As well as being a great listen in its own right, it’s the perfect complement to our earlier “Blame It On The Dogg” compilation, as well as other Kent titles by Doris Duke, Sandra Phillips/Bette Williams, Irma Thomas and Charlie “Raw Spitt” Whitehead that bear his unmistakable stamp. If “It’s All Good” lives up to its title and your expectations, you could do worse than invest in any and all of those. By Tony Rounce (Ace Records) |
 |
Ace Records 2011 | CD | 17.00 € |
|
| Syl Johnson - Is It Because I'm Black |
|
Twinight Records | LP | 15.00 € |
|
| T. Valentine - Hello Lucille... Are You A Lesbian? Finally, the complete long lost works of elusive cult hero T. Valentine, whose playful rant "Hello Lucille Are You A Lesbian" on his own Val label catapulted him into infamy overnight! But long before his hit, T. Valentine was recording his own renegade brand of off-kilter Chicago R&B/soul bag raunch ranging from his flame hot 1960 stunner "Teenage Jump" to the social commentary of "Massius Ray" and the big town upset of "Black Power". Enter the uniquely sensational world of this enigmatic legend, who continues to entertain and astound. T. Valentine tells is like it is, from the hip and with a beat. Superb packaging, massive killer notes by top writer/Valentine enthusiast Nick Tosches! |
 |
Norton Records 2000 | CD | 17.00 € |
|
| Ted Taylor - Keep What You Get Once heard, the exciting tenor voice of Ted Taylor can never be forgotten or mistaken for any other. With his elaborate pompadour hairstyle and pencil-line moustache, he looked a lot like Little Richard, his label-mate at Okeh Records for a spell (although Ted was far from little). Onstage he wore flamboyant pink suits, his manicured fingers heavy with ornate rings. This and his androgynous singing voice led many to conclude that Ted was gay, but appearances can be misleading: when out of the spotlight, he was a quietly-spoken family man. He started out as a member of the Glory Bound Travelers gospel group. By 1955 he was singing with the Santa Monica Soul Seekers, soon to morph into dual identity secular combo the Cadets/Jacks. Turning solo in 1957, he notched up releases on the Ebb, Dena, Duke, Top Rank, Laurie, Top Rank, Warwick, Apt, Gold Eagle, United Artists and Soncraft labels. He then landed contract with Okeh, where he remained from 1962 to 1965, before joining Atlantic Record’s Atco subsidiary for a few singles. That brings us to the fantastic music on this CD, which stems from Ted’s lengthy tenure at Stan Lewis’ Ronn imprint out of Shreveport, Louisiana. Ted Taylor fans have been well-served with CDs over the years, but even those with a full collection will find much new material to enjoy on this collection. Pride of place goes to eight previously unissued tracks – ‘Farewell’, ‘I’ll Be Here’, ‘Anytime, Anyplace, Anywhere’, ‘A Lick And A Promise’, ‘Got To Have A Woman’, ‘Let Me Fix Up Your Feelings’, ‘Why Do I Have To Suffer’ and ‘(Long As I Got You) I Got Love’ – all of which are first-rate with Ted in fine wailing form. Also included are four unreleased takes/versions, four great cuts from Ted’s 1971 album “Taylor Made”, a quartet of killer duets with Little Johnny Taylor from their shared “The Super Taylors” LP and a whole lot more – over 79 minutes of soulful music in all. A solitary hit on Billboard’s Hot 100 paints another misleading picture. Between 1960 and 1976, a further seven Ted Taylor singles hovered just outside the pop charts and six others were R&B hits, a lack of label continuity depriving him of the commercial success he richly deserved. Ted spent 30 years touring the chitlin’ circuit, usually travelling by air when performing far from home, but in 1987 he decided to drive himself to a gig in Baton Rouge and was killed in a collision on the return journey to his home in California. He left behind a wealth of great recorded work, to which “Keep What You Get” is a vital addition. By Mick Patrick (ACE Records) |
 |
Ace Records 2011 | CD | 17.00 € |
|
| Temptations - Christmas Card |
 |
Motown | CD | 13.00 € |
|
| The Mighty Hannibal - Hannibalism! Get in the groove with the first ever collection of workouts by turban headed soul sensation The Mighty Hannibal! This massive set brings together Hannibal's best sides from his 1958 R&B debut Big Chief Hug-Um An' Kiss-Um to 1972's monstrous The Truth Shall Make You Free and is highlighted by the hits Jerkin' The Dog, Fishin' Pole and Hymn No. 5 plus four unissued titles! The Mighty One pulls no punches in the extensive notes, telling his life story as a soul singer, pimp, heroin addict and elephant thief |
 |
Norton Records 2001 | LP | 13.00 € |
|
| The Royal Five / The Informers - The Sounds Of North Philly |
|
Philly Archives | CD | 18.00 € |
|
| Timi Yuro - 18 Heartbreaking Songs |
 |
Intermusic 1993 | CD | 10.00 € |
|
| Timi Yuro - The Lost Voice Of Soul tracks from 1961-1968 |
 |
RPM 1993 | CD | 17.00 € |
|
| Ty Karim - The Complete Ty Karim - Los Angeles' Soul Goddess Sensational Nortnern Soul Dance tracks, big beat ballads and sophisticated 70s soul from this LA diva, whose raw emotive vocal delivery imbued everything with her own distintive touch. |
 |
Ace Records 2008 | CD | 18.00 € |
|
| Ty Karim - Wear Your Natural, Baby With the resurgence of vinyl, Kent has returned to its extensive back catalogue and conjured up a sultry soul stomper of an LP from Ty Karim. It features all her famed dancefloor favourites from the exciting and super-rare 60s single ‘You Just Don’t Know’ and smooth 70s soul floater ‘Lightin’ Up’ to the hipper-than-hip call to ‘Wear Your Natural, Baby’, which from the fabulous cover photo we can see Ty did with style. There are a couple of slower, soulful moments in the shape of the haunting big beat ballad ‘All At Once’ and the unlikely, yet successful, cover of James Taylor’s ‘Don’t Let Me Be Lonely Tonight’. It’s the first time on vinyl for the bluesy ‘Don’t Make Me Do Wrong’ and Ty’s solo version of ‘If I Can’t Stop You (I Can Slow You Down)’, which is going to please DJs. Those guys will already have the universally acclaimed ‘Wear Your Natural, Baby’ on Romark or Kent but will they be able to resist this perfect package? By Ady Croasdell (Ace Records) |
 |
Ace Records 2013 | LP | 25.00 € |
|
| VA - Sweet Soul Music - 1966 (1-CD DigiPac with 88-page booklet. 29 tracks, playing time: 79:02) -- Here comes the eagerly anticipated sequel to our first five volumes of 'Sweet Soul Music,' as well as the highly acclaimed, award-winning R&B series 'Blowin' The Fuse.' This is ehe sound that influences musicians who weren't even born when it came out, like Amy Winehouse and Joss Stone! All the greatest and most influential soul hits of the 1960s, including some surprisingly hard-to-find selections! Every song is the original version. The ultimate soul collection spread across ten individual CDs! The soul-searing soundtrack to the 1960s! Massive, beautifully illustrated booklets with detailed notes, incredible vintage photos, and ephemera. -- Over the course of ten spectacular years, R&B morphed into soul music with a side order of funk, and became the soundtrack to a social revolution. The riveting story of that incredible decade is told in full for the first time on Bear Family's 'Sweet Soul Music' series. Some record companies have compiled anthologies from their own vaults, but Bear Family has gone the extra mile... and then some, licensing classic recordings from virtually every record label at the epicenter of '60s soul to compile the greatest hits with the finest sound quality. -- The second five volumes, available now, cover the years 1966-1970. Though gospel remained the bedrock of soul music, the sound was transforming fast, thanks to Motown, Stax, the regional innovations of Chicago, New Orleans, and Muscle Shoals, and the funk revolution, led by James Brown and Sly & The Family Stone. The civil rights and antiwar movements were now rolling full speed ahead, and the messages at the heart of the music were often as powerful and invigorating as the grooves themselves. The second half of this incredible story is just as fascinating as the first. Bill Dahl's track-by-track commentary provides extensive biographical info on every artist on every disc. -- The prelude to this series, 'Blowin' The Fuse,' definitively covered the history of R&B from 1945- 1960, garnering awards and general acclaim. The first five volumes of 'Sweet Soul Music' earned the same enthusiastic response. Now here come the other five jam-packed volumes of 'Sweet Soul Music,' compiled with love by Dave 'Daddy Cool' Booth. -- Hits' Too many to mention! Consult the track listing! |
 |
Bear Family 2009 | CD | 22.00 € |
|
| VA. - Postcards From Los Angeles 1958-1964 - The Dore Story A one-man operation run at street level for more than two decades, Hollywood’s Dore label launched the careers of Phil Spector and Jan & Dean in the late 1950s and built upon these early triumphs with an extensive catalogue of pop, rock and soul 45s during the 60s before branching successfully into comedy in the early 1970s. The story of Doré records is inextricably linked with that of its owner, Lew Bedell, who entered the music business in 1955 having worked as a minor professional entertainer in the preceding years. Pop music was different back then and never more so than in California, where Hollywood’s dominance of the entertainment scene meant that Los Angeles was scarcely aware of its music industry until hotshot producers such as Phil Spector, Brian Wilson, Snuff Garrett and Lou Adler finally put the town on the recording map in the mid-1960s. Individualists such as Bedell were usually referred to as “characters” or as being “larger than life”, suggesting they were caricatures of some sort, but Bedell, for all his eccentricities, was somehow too pragmatic a man to fit that description. Doré began as a subsidiary of Era, a Hollywood label best known for mainstream pop hits such as ‘Chanson D’Amour’ and ‘The Wayward Wind’. Bedell had founded Era with his cousin Herb Newman before breaking away to run Doré alone. In 1958, it got off to a flying start with ‘To Know Him Is To Love Him’ by the Teddy Bears, a worldwide hit, followed a few months later by Jan & Dean’s ‘Baby Talk’. The major labels had lost touch with the street and it was largely left to LA’s scattering of independents to set teenagers’ turntables spinning on the West Coast. It was the age of the walk-in deal on LA’s so-called record row, an area of Hollywood populated by small labels wheeling and dealing from storefronts or backrooms. Some went in the blink of an eye but Doré stayed, moving seamlessly from rock and pop into soul music in the mid-60s. In this climate of spontaneous deal-making and low recording costs, Bedell was regularly approached by would-be’s and wanna-be’s, some of whom may have had something on the ball. Herb Alpert, Shel Talmy and Mike Curb were just a few who brought their first productions to Doré and there are some interesting connections: aside from Spector and Jan & Dean, the Walker Brothers and Vince Taylor all come into the story. 25 of the 28 tunes on this first volume of “The Doré Story” appear on legitimate CD for the first time, all taken from the original masters, including previously unissued rockabilly from cult figure Joel Scott Hill, two ultra-rare rock instrumentals by Bobby Fry, the guitarist Vince Taylor brought over with him from America in 1958. There’s exquisite doo wop, some featuring that cherished East LA “Barrio” sound, early teen rock from John Maus of the Walker Brothers and a rare instro featuring Scott Walker himself. Doré is becoming a collected label. Many of the original Doré 45s are now beginning to fetch quite big money, helped by the aura of mystique that surrounds the label and its distinctive logo. The generously proportioned, specially designed package includes a 18,000-word newly researched profile of Doré and Lew Bedell, artist biographies and many never-before seen photographs and illustrations. “The Doré Story” is an engaging snapshot of that moment in time before lawyers and accounts took over the music biz and things were simpler and probably more fun. By Rob Finnis (Ace Records) |
 |
Ace Records 2011 | CD | 17.00 € |
|
| VA: - A Double Plast Of Super Soul 27 tracks |
|
Pacific | CD | 20.00 € |
|
| VA: - A Solitary Man - The Early Songs Of Neil Diamond If you’re a Neil Diamond fan, the latest entry in our songwriter series is a no-brainer must-have. For starters, it collects 11 of the songs Neil wrote during the 1963-1969 timeframe that is its purview, but has never himself recorded. Among the numbers he gave away are the Monkees’ ‘Look Out (Here Comes Tomorrow)’ (heard here in the unique mix used on the original television broadcast) and Jay & the Americans’ ‘Sunday And Me’. Deep Purple’s remake of Diamond’s ‘Kentucky Woman’ was a hit just a year after his own version. Heavy, man! Further covers from his impressive run of over 50 chart singles are represented, most in styles vastly different from his versions, the infinite adaptability a testament to the quality of the material. Tony Tribe was the first, in 1968, to cut a reggae rendition of ‘Red Red Wine’, UB40’s self-acknowledged template for their wildly successful release of the song a quarter-century later. Jackie Edwards’ performance of ‘Girl, You’ll Be A Woman Soon’ is so tender that the original sounds almost gruff by comparison. No matter how you feel about Neil Diamond, if you’re a femme-pop fan, you’re going to need this disc for the tracks by Lulu, Marcie Blane, Jan Tanzy, Sadina and Billie Davis. If you favour the fellas, Cliff Richard’s ‘Just Another Guy’ sounds like a cross between the Everly Brothers and Bobby Vee filtered through Dion, while Jimmy Clanton appropriates the slogan of American greeting-card company Hallmark, “When you care enough to send the very best”, to suit his romantic needs. Ronnie Dove delivers an uncharacteristically energetic performance on the horn-and-handclap-propelled ‘My Babe’ and Billy Fury makes the Pitney-esque ‘Where Do You Run’ his own. How do you like your soul music? Bobby Womack takes an expressive approach to ‘Sweet Caroline (Good Times Never Felt So Good)’ that makes palpable the joy conveyed in the lyrics. Approaches as diverse as the Memphis sound (B.J. Thomas, the Box Tops and Arthur Alexander), Chuck Jackson-style big city soul (the Solitaires), and Motown (Four Tops, Jr Walker & the All-Stars) are all successful and satisfying. Adding still more diversity to the mix are the Rocky Fellers’ ‘We Got Love’, with their trademark marimba-driven Pacific Islander sound, and the surprisingly effective garage-rock stylings of the Music Machine and the Wanderer’s Rest, cementing the status of these songs’ universal appeal and versatility. If you didn’t think you were a Neil Diamond fan, it’s time to reassess your position, at least in terms of his formidable, diverse and affecting abilities as a songwriter. BY DAVID A YOUNG (ACE RECORDS) |
 |
Ace Records 2009 | CD | 17.00 € |
|
| VA: - A Van McCoy Songbook 1962-1973 - The Sweetest Feeling The songs of Van McCoy have been part of the soundtrack to our lives for more than 50 years. He became a hit artist in his own right in the mid-70s, thanks to ‘The Hustle’, but it’s his creativity as a composer and producer in the previous decade that has long beguiled fans of soul music. One of the most universally-admired figures in soul history, McCoy has long been overdue an appearance in our songwriter series. “The Sweetest Feeling” affords him the kind of salute that a talent of his stature truly deserves. Van McCoy was encouraged from an early age by his parents to be a good student and musician in equal measure. The McCoys were a churchgoing family and Van enjoyed being part of the local choir, almost as much as he enjoyed making use of the family piano, often accompanied by his older brother Norman on violin. By their mid-teens the brothers were smitten by doo wop and with two friends formed the Starlighters. In 1961 Van wrote and produced his debut solo single, ‘Mr DJ’. Released on his own Rock’n label with national distribution by Scepter Records, it didn’t quite chart, but Scepter boss Florence Greenberg was an astute judge of talent and was quick to hire Van as a staff songwriter and producer. He was on his way. Over the next 18 years, this musical genius was responsible for some of the greatest recordings of all time. It’s unlikely that there’s anyone out there with even a passing interest in American music of the 60s and 70s who doesn’t have some cherished examples of his work in their collection. Spanning the years 1962 to 1973, this collection offers a spellbinding cross-section of sumptuous ballads, uptown and big city soul classics, chart smashes and a few tried and trusted Northern soul favourites. Featured artists such as Jackie Wilson, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Erma Franklin, Nina Simone, Aretha Franklin, Jerry Butler, Esther Phillips, Irma Thomas and Chuck Jackson show that McCoy’s songs were invariably given the VIP treatment by the biggest stars in the soul firmament. Van McCoy was only 39 when he died in 1979, leaving a catalogue of material that was as excellent as it was abundant. Very few soul songwriters have ever matched quality and quantity to quite the same lasting effect. There are too many wonderful Van McCoy songs to fit on a single CD, but we hope that this one provides enough of a cross-section of his best work to inspire everyone who buys it to dig deeper into his vast catalogue. There’s music here that will delight fans of both up-tempo and down-tempo soul, and those who favour the former should note that a second volume that will focus on Van’s Northern soul favourites is planned. Meanwhile, the 24 songs featured on “The Sweetest Feeling” offer full proof of his songwriting talents and will leave everyone eager for more. By TONY ROUNCE (Ace Records) |
 |
Ace Records 2010 | CD | 18.00 € |
|
| VA: - ACE 30th Birthday Celebration: Soul & Funk 20 tracks very good and cheap soul & funk compilation |
 |
Ace Records 2005 | CD | 9.00 € |
|
| VA: - Ace Story Vol. 2 We weren’t in the least bit surprised at how well our expanded CD reissue of “The Ace (USA) Story Volume 1” was received. It’s been one of the most requested items in the “Why don’t you reissue more of your old vinyl albums on CD” stakes for years and, frankly, we’d have been more surprised if it hadn’t gone down well. In fact, it’s gone down so well that we’ve advanced the release of the second volume to satisfy public demand. The remaining three volumes are to be expanded and digitised during the course of next year. As with the previous and forthcoming collections, Volume 2 is enhanced by the addition of a dozen bonus tracks that complement those selected many years ago for the original vinyl LP. Johnny Vincent may not have been a musician himself, but he certainly knew which musicians would make his 45s and albums sound as great as they did. By employing hands-on A&R men of the calibre of Huey “Piano” Smith, sax king Alvin “Red” Tyler and the young Mac “Dr John” Rebennack, who commanded respect among their musical peers, he always ensured that Ace’s rhythm tracks would personify the sound of New Orleans at its best. The beauty of a catalogue such as Vincent’s is that there are so many great records in it that there’s no question of turning to anything not so good in an attempt to fill a CD. Volume 2 offers more of what Volume 1 delivered: the unbeatable goodtime New Orleans rock’n’roll and R&B for which Ace was famous (although one or two tracks were recorded outside of the Crescent City, next door in Houston). Several Ace label stalwarts inevitably make their welcome return, but we also encounter a number of highly talented people who briefly figured in Johnny Vincent’s discography – and who, but for the lack of a hit record, may have figured more prominently than they did. Our roll call includes 40s R&B megastars Amos Milburn and Charles Brown duetting on Huey Smith’s rocking ‘Educated Fool’, Edgar “Big Boy” Myles and Issachar “Junior” Gordon stepping out from premier vocal groups the Shaweez and the Spiders respectively, more great stuff from blues kings Frankie Lee Sims and Julius “Mercy Baby” Mullins, a brilliant example of the early work of Crescent City legend Eddie Bo and more from the inevitably top quality repertoire of Ace mainstays Frankie Ford, Jimmy Clanton, Bobby Marchan and Huey Smith. If this music doesn’t cure your blues and put a smile on your face, it really is about time you gave some thought to having that check-up from the neck up. By Tony Rounce (Ace Records) |
 |
Ace Records 2010 | CD | 18.00 € |
|
| VA: - Action ! The Songs Of Tommy Boyce & Bobby Hart The latest in our popular songwriter series spotlights Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart, the duo whose instinctive marriage of folk-rock and pre-bubblegum teen pop created and defined the Monkees sound. Boyce and Hart each started out as teenage rock’n’rollers in late 1950s Los Angeles and first met in 1960. Their formative years are represented here with ‘Be My Guest’, written by Boyce for Fats Domino in 1959, ‘Beverly Jean’, one of the handful of Boyce compositions recorded by Curtis Lee and ‘Too Many Teardrops’, an early Bobby Hart solo single. By 1963 both had relocated toNew York, where they began writing as a team. They made their big breakthrough the following year with ‘Come A Little Bit Closer’, a Top 3 hit for Jay & the Americans, which helped land the twosome a contract with leading music publishers Screen Gems. They reached the peak of their success and creativity in 1966, writing for and producing the Monkees. Three of the group’s best recordings are here, and a further six songs popularised by them are featured in less-frequently heard, but equally good, mostly pre-Monkees versions, including ‘(I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone’ by UK fuzz-beat combo the Flies and ‘She', an almost hit for Del Shannon. By the end of 1966 the Monkees had recorded nearly 50 titles, 21 of them Boyce and Hart songs – quite an achievement considering they were in competition with Carole King, Gerry Goffin and the rest of the Screen Gems stable. Apart from the duo’s joint compositions, the collection also features examples of their work with other co-writers. ‘Never Again’ by the Royalettes and ‘Hurt So Bad’, as defined by Little Anthony & the Imperials, stem from Bobby Hart’s spell collaborating with Teddy Randazzo. ‘Action’ – the theme for TV’s Where The Action Is, here by Paul Revere & the Raiders – and ‘Tomorrow’s Gonna Be Another Day’ by Sir Raleigh & the Cupons represent Tommy Boyce’s brief partnership with Steve Venet. And Wes Farrell gets a look-in via three songs co-written with Boyce and Hart. Come 1969 Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart were stars in their own right, with four hit singles and three albums to their name. This CD kicks off with ‘I Wonder What She’s Doing Tonight’, a power-pop precursor from 1967 and the pair’s biggest hit as performers. By Mick Patrick (Ace Records) |
 |
Ace Records 2012 | CD | 20.00 € |
|
| VA: - Adios Amigo - A Tribute To Arthur Alexander 17 tracks |
|
Razor & Tie 1994 | CD | 10.00 € |
|
| VA: - All Tore Up unrequited love, tormented romance, tragedy & tearjerkers 1955-1968 |
|
Turenki Records | LP | 18.00 € |
|
| VA: - Allnighter - Norther Soul In A New Millennium Vol. 4 |
 |
Vinyl Only Records 2004 | LP | 18.00 € |
|
| VA: - Always Something There - A Burt Bacharach Collector's Anthol Collectors' Pieces and original versions from the deep catalogue of one of the 20th century's greatest pop tunesmiths |
 |
Ace Records 2008 | CD | 18.00 € |
|
| VA: - America's Most Wanted 21 Dancefloor Favourites from the home of soul. Malaco Soul Fugitives |
|
Malaco 2003 | CD | 19.00 € |
|
| VA: - Atlantic Gold 3CD 75 Soul classics from the Atlantic vaults |
 |
Warner Music 2004 | CD-Box | 22.00 € |
|
| VA: - Atlantic Rhythm & Blues 1947-1974 Vol. 6 25 biisiä vuosilta 1966-1969 |
|
Warner Music | CD | 13.00 € |
|
| VA: - Atlantic Rhythm & Blues 1952-1954 Vol. 2 |
 |
Warner Music 2006 | CD | 9.00 € |
|
| VA: - Atlantic Rhythm & Blues 1955-1957 Vol. 3 |
 |
Warner Music 2006 | CD | 9.00 € |
|
| VA: - Backdrop - The Very Essence Of Northern Soul ca. 1974 20 tracks |
|
Vinyl Only Records 2000 | LP | 18.00 € |
|
| VA: - Beach Music - Made For Dancing Dee Clark, Nighthawks, Debby Dobbins.. |
 |
Beach Bag | CD | 11.90 € |
|
| VA: - Behind The Closed Doors Where Country Meets Soul The line that separates the genres of country and soul music has never been a particularly thick one and over the decades there has been a healthy swapping of repertoire between the genres. Jimmie Rodgers, country music’s first superstar, established himself by putting a hillbilly spin on delta blues – and that was back in the late 1920s. Most 60s soul singers who grew up in the segregated American south in the 30s and 40s probably heard more country music on the radio than they did blues or jazz, as there was little to no radio programming devoted to music for black people. It’s therefore no surprise to find that there were so many classic adaptations of great country songs during the golden age of soul music. “Behind Closed Doors: Where Country Meets Soul” brings together 24 supreme spins on songs that were first recorded – usually successfully – by country artists. It’s not the first such compilation to do so but, if I say so myself, it’s the best one to date. As one who regards both genres to be of equal importance, and who collects both soul and country 45s, I can say with some certainly that nobody is going to be disappointed with the tracks in this top-notch compilation. (For those who might wish to check out the country originals after hearing them sung with soul, I have listed the first version of each song in the track-by-track annotations.) Where country meets soul can be a pessimistic and dark place. Songs such as ‘The Grand Tour’ or ‘Life Turned Her That Way’ are going to have a downbeat outlook whoever is singing them; they are as tailor-made for Aaron Neville and James Carr as they are for those who originally sang them for country audiences (George Jones and Little Jimmy Dickens), while Percy Sledge sings ‘Take Time To Know Her’ with the experience of someone who sounds like he lived every minute of its bleak narrative and provides this collection with an undisputed highlight. The place can also be optimistic and light, as Joe Simon’s wonderful version of the early Waylon Jennings hit ‘Yours, Love’ and Little Milton’s romping revamp of Charlie Rich’s ‘Behind Closed Doors’ show. Somewhere in the middle there’s Moses & Joshua Dillard’s tear ’em up take on ‘My Elusive Dreams’, a song usually sung in country circles in the maudlin manner of the original version by its writer Claude “Curly” Putnam. There are still a few people out there who have not yet come to regard soul and country as musical equals. Hopefully “Behind Closed Doors: Where Country Meets Soul” will help to right that wrong and lead to further understanding of why so many country songs have been turned into soul classics down the years. By Tony Rounce (Ace Records) |
 |
Ace Records 2012 | CD | 18.00 € |
|
| VA: - Berry Gordy - Motor City Roots 2009 is the 50th anniversary of the formation of the worlds most recognisable record label - Motown - and all through the year reissue CDs, major print articles and TV specials have celebrated the music of Berry Gordy. This compilation is the first ever attempt to gather together examples of Gordy's song writing and production skills in the late 1950s prior to the formation of his legendary label. This unique collection brings together many of the records that helped in the formation of Motown like Jackie Wilson's 'Reet Petite' written by Gordy and often cited as his first recorded composition along with Kenny Martin's version of 'My Love Is Coming Down' which is making it's CD debut. To top it off this set also features the earliest recordings of Smokey Robinson & The Miracles as well as those of Motown stalwarts, Marv Johnson, Eddie Holland and members of The Originals who sang with The Five Stars. |
 |
Jasmine Records 2009 | CD | 12.00 € |
|
| VA: - Best Of Burlesque - 50 original club classics 2CD |
 |
Demon Music 2009 | CD | 10.00 € |
|
| VA: - Best Of Kayden & Merben Records 24 tracks soul, mod and r&r from the 60s |
|
Kayden & Merben Records 2009 | CD | 19.00 € |
