70s soul from the vaults, rare dancefloor fillers and collectors’ top tips.
Chock-full of exclusive gems, this new volume in the “Masterpieces” series erupts from the speakers with the Mighty Whites’ unreleased master ‘Given My Life’, a song that would eventually see life as an inferior disco-driven recording by them under the Brotherhood moniker in 1978. It has already been played from acetate across Europe and is widely admired.
Another newly discovered soul sound is Detroit group C.J. & Co’s updated version of ‘Rainmaker’, a song popularised by the Moods’ Wand recording which featured on Kent LPs in the 80s. Detroit also provides a fabulous groove on the Moderations’ ‘Ride The Disco Train’ (a never-heard-before secular reading of the Tolbert Family’s in-demand gospel 45) and Dave Hamilton’s 80s productions of ‘Franchise On Love’ by the little-known Felecia Johnson and New Experience’s unissued ‘I Believe’.
Jazzman Leon Thomas reminds us that the early northern soul clubs weren’t all baggies and spins with his ever-popular shuffler ‘L-O-V-E’, whereas Major Lance’s ‘That’s The Story Of My Life’ is a 70s release that features the classic 60s soul-dance sound. Millie Jackson’s late 60s-style LP-only ‘I’ll Continue To Love You’ also belies its 1976 release date.
Social commentary features on Lee Porter’s in-demand Memphis waxing ‘Nobody’s Doin’ A Doggone Thing’, while our CD marks the digital debut for Street People’s ‘Your Momma Had A Baby’, taken from their excellent first Spring session which yielded two terrific 45 sides. Eddie Floyd’s originally unissued Stax outing ‘Can We Talk It Over’ was featured on a long-since deleted CD and deserves a re-listen now, as is the case with Eon’s LP track ‘We’ll Go On’.
Will Hatcher’s Wand outing ‘What Is Best For Me Is Better For You’ is a surprise sleeper, and there’s Ray Godfrey’s brand new version of ‘I Ain’t Givin’ Up’, the song he wrote for Joe Simon and Millie Jackson. Throw in a stunning Independents LP-only track, Ollie McLaughlin’s re-recording of ‘Hello Stranger’ on Detroit soulster Reggie Milner, an unissued dancer from the wild-haired Headliners and a laidback ender from the great Freddie Scott and you have a terrific mix of sounds from the early 70s right through to the 80s: as a collection these songs are irresistible.
ADY CROASDELL
