"The Minit/Instant Story"

It's much more fun supporting TWILIGHTZONE! than having an own blog. Jillem

This 52-song collection doesn't entirely overlap EMI's Minit Records Story box set, which has a few rarities and obscure tracks, but it's a good overview of some of the best and most interesting of the label's output, and also the sheer diversity of the company's output, from the hard blues of Jessie Hill to the smooth, near-pop stylings of Allen & Allen. Joe Banashak, who founded Minit and Instant, was truly in love with the sounds he heard from the clubs in New Orleans, and he seldom seems to have heard any artists expressing confidence and inspiration who he didn't want to release. Thus, hard-rocking numbers like Lee Dorsey's "Lottie Mo" share space on this set with harmony numbers like "The Owl Sees You" by the Showmen (aka the Humdingers) and the sultry, seductive soul of Irma Thomas ("It's Too Soon to Know," "Ruler of My Heart," "It's Raining"). British Invasion fans will find a lot to keep them busy as well, given the originals by several Brit-rock favorites, including "Fortune Teller," "Something You Got," and "I Like It Like That" represented here. Throughout both of these discs, Allen Toussaint is represented as producer, arranger, and frequently songwriter as well; if anyone needed convincing that Banashak had a resident genius under contract, the first few tracks do the job. The second disc moves up through later, post-Toussaint Instant and Seven B label tracks that feature Eddie Lang, Skip Easterling, and Eddie Bo, as well as Bo's production work from the mid- and late '60s. The sound is excellent as well, and one only wishes that a bit more material from Minit's early history was present, and that a few more details were available on some of the lesser-known artists. ~Bruce Eder (Allmusic)

trax disc 1:
1. Ooh Poo Pah Doo (Parts 1 & 2) - Jessie Hill 2. Beverly Baby - Allen and Allen 3. Lottie Mo - Lee Dorsey 4. The Owl Sees You - Showmen (The Humdingers) 5. Over You - Aaron Neville 6. Mother-in-Law - Ernie K Doe 7. Mudd - Roy Montrell 8. Moanin' And Screamin' (Parts 1 & 2) - Diamond Joe 9. Always Naggin - Del Royals 10. Fortune Teller - Benny Spellman 11. It's Too Soon To Know - Irma Thomas 12. I Like It Like That - Chris Kenner 13. All These Things - Art Neville 14. It Will Stand - Showmen 15. New Kind Of Love - Willie Harper 16. Everything Happens At Night - Joe (Mr G) August 17. I m Gonna Put Some Hurt On You - Raymond Lewis 18. Lipstick Traces (On A Cigarette) - Benny Spellman 19. Something You Got - Chris Kenner 20. In The Night - Chick Carbo 21. Show Me The Way - Aaron Neville 22. House On The Hill - Art Neville 23. Te Ta Te Ta Ta - Ernie K Doe 24. Green Door - Eskew Reeder 25. Ruler Of My Heart - Irma Thomas 26. The Pot's On Strike - Jessie Hill
trax disc 2:
1. Land Of 1000 Dances - Chris Kenner 2. A Certain Girl - Ernie K Doe 3. Fence Of Love - Eddie Bo 4. For You My Darling (Take 2) - Showmen 5. The Sooner You Realise - Eldridge Holmes 6. It's Raining - Irma Thomas 7. The Flu - Eskew Reeder 8. 10-4 (Calling All Cars) - Benny Spellman 9. Tain't It The Truth - Ernie K Doe 10. Oogsey Moo - Jessie Hill 11. Even Though (Reality) - Aaron Neville 12. Anybody Here Seen My Baby - Chris Kenner 13. Hook, Line and Sinker - Art Neville 14. I Waited Too Long - Eskew Reeder 15. S.G.B. (Stone Graveyard Business) - Eddie Bo 16. I'm Gonna Make You Eat Those Words - Eddie Lang 17. Whipped Cream - Stokes 18. Coo Coo Over You - Hueys 19. Whisper My Name - Little Buck 20. Something You Got - Barbara George 21. Poor Boy Got To Move - Allen Tousant (& The Stokes) 22. Pass The Hatchet - Roger and The Gypsies 23. The La La Man - Oliver Morgan 24. The Sad One - Eddie Lang 25. Lover and A Friend - Eddie Bo and Inez Cheatham 26. I'm Your Hoochie Coochie Man - Skip Easterling
...served by Jillem...