Ray Dobard’s Music City Records of Berkeley, California, across the Bay from San Francisco, is a catalogue of mythic proportions that has been cherished for decades by a small hardcore of R&B, vocal group and, latterly, soul fanatics. Based on the available evidence – 50-odd 45 and 78rpm releases – and a lot of hearsay and rumour, many have spent hours fantasising about the purported riches in the possession of its famously protective, zealous owner.

Ace Records is thus proud to unlock the Music City vault for the edification and entertainment of the world at large with the 3CD set “The Music City Story”, an unprecedented survey of the label’s 25-year operation, and an excellent primer for Ace’s forthcoming genre- and artist-based compilations of Music City material, telling the story with many rare gems from the catalogue and a surfeit of previously unissued goodies.

Although Ray Dobard experimented with recording a variety of genres, the legend of Music City is predicated on its role as a premier exponent of black rhythm and blues styles, with a strong regional flavour. Most significantly, the sound of Music City was street. Much of what appeared on the label and lies in its voluminous cache of unreleased recordings can be said to reflect the evolution of black popular music between the early 50s and the mid-1970s. It reflects reality: this is what was heard in clubs and juke joints, at high school auditoria and rec centres, rent parties or literally out on the sidewalk, with all the dissonance and unoriginality that might imply, but matched equally by huge, invigorating dollops of innocence and exuberance, and a surprising amount of inspiration.

Amongst the set’s 78 tracks are names familiar to doo wop and blues collectors – the Crescendos, Gaylarks, Rovers, 5 Lyrics, Alvin Smith etc – while behind several others lurk famous names (James Brown, Lou Rawls) or others soon to be famous (Sugar Pie DeSanto, members of Sly & the Family Stone). From the raucous jump blues of Del Graham’s ‘Your Money Ain’t Long Enough’ to the hip street soul of Darondo, the breadth of genres represented is extensive, but the overall emphasis in “The Music City Story” is upon the black vocal group, be it 50s, 60s or 70s vintage. It is the rich seam of Bay Area groups mined by Music City that collectors most closely associate with the label. Dobard had only a couple of minor hits – the 4 Deuces’ popular ‘W-P-L-J’, Johnny Heartsman’s raucous ‘Johnny’s House Party’ – but kept the tape machine running pretty much constantly for much of his quarter-century in the business.

It has been many years since as significant a stash as Music City’s has come to light, and accompanying the tantalising musical treats is an extensive, heavily-illustrated sleeve note detailing the label’s history. Given that the late Dobard was notorious evasive, an air of mystery has always surrounded his activities in music, but this is the first time a recounting of the Music City saga has been based upon hard data, rather than supposition. Documents, letters, tape box annotations, discographical notes, session chatter, even recorded phone conversations form a considerable body of evidence, that helps bring into focus what this fiercely independent and pioneering black entrepreneur achieved. Ray was no Dootsie Williams or Jake Porter, but nevertheless, a picture emerges of a fascinatingly complex figure, whose role in the black music scene in the mid-20th century cannot be discounted. As venerable East Bay bandleader Johnny Talbot puts it, “to me, Ray Dobard was the foundation of Bay Area music. There was hardly anyone who did anything later who didn’t bump into Ray, so he had to be a foundation.”

By Alec Palao (Ace Records)

Disc 1:
1 W-P-L-J
The 4 Deuces
2 YOUR MONEY AIN'T LONG ENOUGH
Del Graham with Que Martyn's Orchestra
3 KEEP ME SATISFIED, BABY
Golden Boy with Chick Morris & His Band
4 A PRAYER
Al Joseph Harris with Chick Morris & His Band
5 GUITAR BLUES
Sidney Grande
6 ON MY WAY
Alvin Smith
7 HERE LIES MY LOVE
Mr Undertaker
8 ANNIE PULLED A HUM-BUG
The Midnights
9 LATE LAST NIGHT
The Twilighters
10 ICHI-BON TAMI DACHI
The Rovers
11 JOHNNY'S STOMP
Johnny Heartsman
12 TELL ME, DARLING
The Gaylarks
13 I'M A WORKIN' MAN
The 5 Lyrics
14 MORRINE
The 5 Campbells
15 I DON'T STAND NO QUITTIN'
Gloria Jean
16 CROSSING THE RIVER
The Dreamers
17 THIS WICKED RACE
The Golden West Singers
18 JERRY
The 3 Dons & Donna
19 LIL TIPA-TINA
The 5 Swans
20 THE WHEEL
Jimmy Nelson
21 WRONG DOING WOMAN
Jasper Evans
22 DING DONG
The Gayteens
23 FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART
Leon Pryor
24 BURY ME IN THE SOUTH
Al Bennett with The Country Travellers
25 THE WALLFLOWER
Unknown Duo
26 BIG SIX RADIO AD
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DISC 2:
1 JOHNNY'S HOUSE PARTY PARTS 1 & 2
Johnny Heartsman with The Rhythm Rockers & The Gaylarks
2 ROCKIN' SATELLITE
The 3 Honeydrops
3 JUST ONE MORE CHANCE
Lord Luther
4 LOVE ME TENDER
The Fidels
5 GONNA BLOW OUT THE LAMP
Gene Lee & The Blues Rockers
6 ARE YOU MY BOYFRIEND
Wally & Theresa
7 INDIAN JANE
The Marcels
8 I NEED YOU BABY
Robbie Meldano
9 FLIPPIN' & A-FLOPPIN'
Pee Wee & Sugar Pie
10 STATION L-O-V-E
The Holidays
11 BLUES ALL AROUND MY BED
Jimmy Raney
12 ELAINE
The Klixs
13 MUSIC CITY HOP
Johnny George
14 HEAVEN'S OWN CHOIR
The Five Crystels
15 DYNAMITE
Kary Lynn
16 LOVER'S PLEA
The Pagans
17 THE SLOPP
Willie Moore
18 BEVERLY MY DARLING
Joe Blackwell & The Individuals
19 PARTY AT VERN'S
The Satellite Band
20 MY HEART'S DESIRE
The Crescendos
21 YOU GAVE ME LOVE
Lee Durrell & The Tamaras
22 I WALK IN CIRCLES
Little Lynn
23 CHURCH ON THE HILL
Bob & Jessie
24 LOVE YOU ALL NIGHT LONG
Little Willie Littlefield
25 MIRAGE
The Night Caps
26 MAGNIFICENT MONTAGUE RADIO SPOT
Magnificent Montague


DISC 3:
1 SCHEMING
Wanda Burt & The Crescendos
2 ALL AROUND THE WORLD
Vermettya Royster with James Brown's Band
3 OCEAN OF LOVE
The Franciscans
4 THE KASAVUBU WALTZ
D'Vonya White
5 NATURE BOY
The 4 Rivers
6 LONELY ONE
The Derbys
7 DON'T FENCE ME IN
Jackie Day
8 I FEEL SO BLUE
The Italics
9 I'M WAITING
The Fantastics
10 WHAT TO DO
The Swingin' Brothers
11 YOU ARE MY LOVER GIRL
The Powell Brothers
12 I CAN'T TAKE ANY MORE
Johnnie Marie Thorne
13 SOMETHING IN MY EYE
The Music City Soul Brothers
14 PASSING THRU MUSIC CITY
Music City Swingers
15 DO THE PHILLY
The Music City All Stars
16 TOO LATE TO CRY
Lou Rawls
17 FEELING FINE, FEELING GOOD
Wanda Burt
18 SHE'S COMING BACK
The Soul Brothers
19 HE'S ALL RIGHT
The Heavenly Tones
20 STOP TELLING ME
The Two Things In One
21 A MAN THAT IS NOT FREE
The Soul Sensations
22 DIDN'T I
Darondo
23 LOVING YOU ISN'T ENOUGH
The Ballads
24 WHEN WE GET MARRIED PART 2
Tear Drop Tears
25 FAREWELL GOODBYE MY LOVE
The Performers
26 KYA NEWSBEAT SPOT

40.00 €