Format Details: Jewel Case
Format Details: Single Sleeve Vinyl Album
Release Date: 28 August 2001
Label: Kent
Packaging Type: Jewel Case
No of Units: 1
Barcode: 029667219228
Genres: R&B Northern Soul Soul/R&B
Release Date: 31 August 2018
Label: Kent
Packaging Type: Slip Sleeve (CD or Vinyl)
No of Units: 1
Barcode: 029667008617
Genres: R&B Northern Soul Soul/R&B
Description
The general equation runs something like this: rare, in Northern Soul parlance, is generally qualified by the number of known copies of each 45 being in single figures. Ergo, demand far outstrips supply and the ensuing clamour between the cognoscenti of hardcore collectors & DJs usually creates a price far beyond the means of mere mortals! In the 70s and 80s it was considered a result just to obtain the desired side on tape which you would swap with other like-minded souls at the Allniters or via the pages of the dedicated soul fanzines. This activity is still prevalent today and it's virtually impossible to put into words the sheer thrill and delight on hearing a quality 'new' side on tape which leaps immediately to the top of your 'wants' list and you spend the next twenty years in the fervent hope that one day you WILL unearth a copy! Whilst there can never be a substitute for owning the original 45s (anyone with a spare copy of Dan Folger for sale?!!)...a CD such as this goes a long way in easing and catering for that desire, and all without having to remortgage the house! Breaking away from the general Kent tradition of same label / subsidiary label compilations, Classiest Rarities consists of a dozen or so labels from all corners of the USA. New York, LA, Detroit, Memphis, Nashville, San Francisco, Cincinnati, Philadelphia and Norfolk are all represented here. But that's enough geographical information, as Billy Harner would say, What about the music?" Well, whatever your bag, be it big beat ballads, floaters, footstompers, modern, cross-over, R&B, girl groups... it's all catered for here. Space dictates that I cannot wax lyrically about the merits of each track, so here is a selection of four that I've deemed worthy of special attention. Turning tradition on its head and commencing with an 'ender', and a side that was first spun by Randy Cozens at the very early 6T's sessions and also championed by Eddie Hubbard via his Slow And Deep column in Shades Of Soul, Dan Folger's - The Way Of The Crowd is a real gem. Well-produced, heavy on sentiment and nostalgia it is a positive delight of strings...things...and everything else that makes for a resplendent and emotive big beat ballad. First time on CD too. Another 'ender', and indeed the final track on this esteemed CD, is the previously unissued Audrey Matthews - I Have No Choice, a superior version of the Johnnie Mae Matthews' issue on Big Hit. Plays from acetates have already stirred hearts and legs all over the country, where the discerning have been suitably impressed by the superb vocals and ingenuous, sublime delivery. First time on CD too for Karmello Brooks' Tell Me Baby and it's been well worth the wait. Originally issued on legendary jazz label, Milestone, the combination of the catchy, uptempo vocal, enhanced by the full-blown orchestral back up, renders this an undisputed classic and inspires reverence the length and breadth of the country. Regular spins by respected Nor
Description
Our "Northern Soul's Classiest Rarities"� CDs have showcased high quality 60s and early 70s records beloved of collectors and dancers. The series has proved much appreciated by the soul cognoscenti, making this new vinyl edition a necessity. Tracks such as Marva Holiday's 'It's Written All Over My Face' and Darrow Fletcher's Detroit-produced 'What Good Am I Without You' were played at the famous Northern Soul venues of yesteryear but got lost in the waves of 70s discoveries. They have improved with age. Later discoveries are just plain elusive or horrifically expensive. Salt & Pepper, a multiracial group of US GIs stationed in Bangkok, pressed the 250-500 run of 'A Man Of My Word' in Thailand in 1970 - an extremely scarce record that took many years to find before becoming a rare soul standard. The Antellects' 'Love Slave' was played by 100 Club DJ Shifty in the 90s and very few copies have found their way into the hands of collectors. Karmello Brooks' jazz-infused 'Tell Me, Baby' now fetches a similar multi-thousand pound price tag (although when I sold two for £40 in the 90s it hadn't quite taken off - dagnabbit!). Other prized items include Ty Karim's 'You Just Don't Know', Eddie Whitehead's soulful floater 'Just Your Fool' and the poppy stomper 'Losing Control' from Mary Saxton, a white teenager with a voice like Tina Turner. The Imaginations' more sedate 'Strange Neighborhood' beat ballad, like the Eddie Whitehead record, hails from Cincinnati. Pat Powdrill's 'Do It' proceeds at a furious pace but the great melody makes it an indispensable listen, even if the dancers' legs can't keep up. The Houston Outlaws' 'Ain't No Telling' has a bittersweet melody which creates a perfect setting for the group's fine vocals, while on Troy Dodds' 'Try My Love' it's the haunting atmosphere that dominates, with his brooding voice abetted by a superb female backing group. Like Dodds, Jeanette Jones was from the Bay Area and cut an LP's worth of material for Golden State Recorders. From that acetate-only album, 'Cut Loose', was played at the 100 Club nighters in the late 90s and was issued on a now-deleted Kent Select 45 in 2007. More recently we acquired the Fidels' version of the Puffs' Dore sleeper 'I Only Cry Once A Day Now' - a historic recording from the revered group. ADY CROASDELL
Tracklisting
Tracklisting
Z.Z. Hill
Wilson Pickett
Willie Bollinger / Willie Walker
William Bell
William Bell
Wee Willie Walker
Warren Raye & The Infernal Blues Machine
Walter Jackson
Various Artists
Various Artists
Various Artists
Various Artists
Various Artists
Various Artists
Various Artists
Various Artists
