"CHICAGO TWINE TIME" Rare Soul Uncovered from MAR-V-LUS Records

The excellent Chicago Twine Time is the first in a series of compilations spotlighting the output of One-derful and its subsidiaries Mar-V-Lus and M-pac, the family of soul labels founded in late 1962 by producer George Leaner. A product of Mississippi, Leaner's tastes reflected an earthier, more distinctively southern flavor than the uptown soul approach favored by his labels' Windy City rivals -- the result was a string of superb raw soul singles that remain favorites at Northern soul clubs to this day, decades after Leaner closed up shop in 1968. At 28 tracks Chicago Twine Time includes roughly half of Mar-V-Lus' total output, including Alvin Cash's cult-classic "Twine Time," Cicero Blake's "Sad Feeling," and Josephine Taylor's "Ain't Gonna Cry No More." Sound quality varies wildly, with original vinyl copies obviously sourced for some entries -- also, given that Mar-V-Lus issued only 21 total singles during its existence, it's a shame Charly didn't just opt for an all-inclusive, two-disc set, especially since a few cuts here first appeared on Leaner's other labels. Still, the music is consistently excellent, and aficionados of rare soul are advised to check this out regardless of its flaws. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide

trax:
1. Twine Time - Alvin Cash 2. With Out You - The Ultimations 3. What Is Love? - Joséphine Taylor 4. Joey - The Young Folks 5. Shake A Tailfeather - The Five Du-Tones 6. Please Forgive Me - The Du-Ettes 7. The Barracuda - Alvin Cash 8. Ain´t Gonna Cry No More - Joséphine Taylor 9. You Told A Lie - Johnny Sayles 10. Every Beat Of My Heart - The Du-Ettes 11. Your Love Has Got Me Down - The Blenders 12. Tell Me Where I Stand - Johnny Sayles 13. Lonely Girl - The Young Folks 14. I Still Can´t Get You - Joseph Moore 15. Sad Feeling - Cicero Blake 16. Don´t Your Back On Me - Johnny Sayles 17. Love Is A Good Thing Goin´ - The Blenders 18. Ordinary Guy - Joséphine Taylor 19. You Did Me Wrong - Johnny Sayles 20. My World - The Five Du-Tones 21. The Girl I Love - Johnny Sayles 22. Please Change Your Mind - The Five Du-Tones 23. I´m Lost Without You - Joseph Moore 24. Behave Yourself - Miss Madelaine 25. Would I Do It Over - The Ultimations 26. Got You On My Mind - Johnny Sayles 27. I´m Gonna Love You - The Du-Ettes 28. Outside The Record Hop (Trying To Get In) - The Five Du-Tones
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