"A CARNIVAL OF SOUL" Vol 3 - I WANNA BE

The third and final volume exploring the soulful sounds made at Carnival Records in the 1960s. Set up in 1962, Carnival attracted a red-hot 'house' band of young talent - guitarists Eric Gale and 'Snaggs' Allen, drummer Bernard Purdie and bassist Jimmy Tyrell (later a vice president of Columbia Records), among them - and together they forged a distinct new sound. Many of the excellent singers to record for the label were word-of-mouth recommend-ations - singer Barbara Brown was instrumental in bringing The Manhattans to Carnival and later Blue Lovett brought his cousin Phil Terrell along (Phil's I'll Erase You (From My Heart) is on the current volume of recordings). Throughout the 60s, Carnival had hits with The Manhattans, reinvesting the profits in local acts with the occasional licensed-in production. The label's sound developed from doo wop and R&B to mainstream soul and eventually the softer harmonies of The Pretenders.The Pretenders were the label's main preoccupation in the 1970s, even cutting a handful of disco sides for Carnival. The label's catalogue range, though, remained wide including, in addition to the softer soul of such groups as The Three Reasons, southern soul from Little Royal and Jimmy Jules and the blues of Curly Mays (whose Oh Why is today the rarest, most sought-after Carnival 45). In 1982, after five years inactivity, Carnival recorded Love Don't Come Easy by The New Jersey Connection. The last release from Carnival, it showed that the magic had not died. It became a big UK club hit and is still played by the likes of DJ Greg Edwards on his new shows.This 25 track compilation is by Ady Croasdell who also provides the detailed sleevenotes. Full Carnival discography is by Peter Gibbon. (Ace)

trax:
1. I Need You Baby - Lee Williams & The Cymbals 2. I'll Erase You (From My Heart) - Phil Terrell 3. I Wanna Be (Your Everything) - The Manhattans 4. I Call It Love - The Pretenders 5. If Love Comes Knockin' - The Topics 6. Send Him To Me - Barbara Brown 7. I'm The Man For You Baby - The Turner Brothers 8. Just One More Time - Jimmy Jules 9. I'll Be Gone - Lee Williams & The Cymbals 10. What Kind Of Man Are You - Dolores Johnson 11. Oh Why - Curly Mays 12. You Made Me Love You - Little Royal 13. The Git Go - Maurice Simon & The Pie Men 14. Just Be Yourself - The Pretenders 15. April Lady - James Perry 16. Take Me Back - The Three Reasons 17. Lonely Girl - The Lovettes 18. Cry Cry Cry - Kenneth Ruffin 19. Buy This Record For Me - Leon & The Metronomes w/The Kool Kings Band 20. Your Yah-Yah Is Gone - The Trenteens 21. Try Me One Time - Dolores Johnson 22. It's Too Late For Tears - Rene Bailey 23. I Don'T Wanna Go - The Manhattans 24. Groove In G - Wilbur Bascomb & Blue Zodiact 25. Love Don'T Come Easy - New Jersey Connection
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