"The Specialty Story" disc 1 - 3 (of 5)

During the late '40s and the 1950s, few independent labels were as prominent or turned out quality R&B as consistently as Art Rupe's Specialty imprint……One primary factor in their success was Rupe and company's embrace of rock & roll -- a heretofore previously uncharted territory that a only a minority of the established indies dared to tread. The Specialty Story (1994) is a single-CD distillation of the bountiful five-disc box set of the same name. Specialty's prolific nature ensures that these platters are indeed the cream of what the moniker had to offer; however, studious enthusiasts and completists will inevitably want to locate the larger package -- especially as each featured performer is only given one entry here. That said, what is here can rightfully be assessed as "the best of the best." The anthology commences with Little Richard's crossover smash "Good Golly Miss Molly" -- which placed in the Top Ten of the pop as well as R&B surveys…...If nothing else, the artist's flamboyant no-holds-barred bombast immediately captured the attention of teens from every race and (presumably) religion and creed. Both Joe Liggins' signature "Honeydripper" and his younger sibling Jimmy Liggins' "Cadillac Boogie" are suitable representations of their memorable contributions. The compilers wisely chose to highlight the criminally neglected sacred selections from the Specialty archives. Alex Bradford ("Too Close to Heaven") , Sam Cooke & the Soul Stirrers ("Touch the Hem of His Garment"), and the Lou Rawls-led Chosen Gospel Singers ("No Room in the Hotel") provide examples of the label's all too often neglected religious recordings. Returning to the secular side are similarly essential cuts from Lloyd Price ("Lawdy Miss Clawdy"), Art Neville ("Oooh-Wee Baby"), Larry Williams ("Slow Down"), Don & Dewey ("Leavin' It All Up to You"), Percy Mayfield ("Strange Things Happening"), Clifton Chenier ("Squeeze Box Boogie"), Roy Milton ("Oh Babe!"), Tony Allen & the Champs ("Nite Owl"), Mercy Dee Walton ("One Room Country Shack"), Johnny Fuller ("Haunted House"), and Jesse Belvin ("Where's My Girl"), who are all present and accounted for. (Lindsay Planer, Allmusic)trax disc 1:
1. Boogie No 1 - The Sepia Tones 2. Voo-It, Voo-It - Marion Abernathy 3. Milton's Boogie - Roy Milton & His Solid Senders 4. R.M. Blues - Roy Milton & His Solid Senders 5. Rainy Day Blues - Jump Jackson Band 6. Ice Cream Freezer - Roosevelt Sykes 7. True Blues - Roy Milton & His Solid Senders 8. Rockin' Boogie - Joe Lutcher & His Society Cats 9. Thrill Me - Roy Milton & His Solid Senders 10. Teardrop Blues - Jimmy Liggins & His Drops Of Joy 11. Cadillac Boogie - Jimmy Liggins & His Drops Of Joy 12. Keep A Dollar In Your Pocket - Roy Milton & His Solid Senders 13. X-Temporaneous Boogie - Camille Howard 14. You Don't Love Me - Camille Howard 15. Fat Meat - Jim Wynn 16. Everything I Do Is Wrong - Roy Milton & His Solid Senders 17. Hop, Skip, Jump - Roy Milton & His Solid Senders 18. Careful Love - Jimmy Liggins & His Drops Of Joy 19. Big City Blues - Big Maceo 20. I Want A Roller - Smokey Hogg 21. The Hucklebuck - Roy Milton & His Solid Senders 22. Fiesta In Old Mexico - Camille Howard 23. The Honeydripper - Joe Liggins & His Honeydrippers 24. Don't Put Me Down - Jimmy Liggins & His Drops Of Joy 25. Information Blues - Roy Milton & His Solid Senders 26. Rag Mop - Joe Liggins & His Honeydrippers
trax disc 2:
1. Pink Champagne - Joe Liggins & His Honeydrippers 2. Junior Jives - Roy Milton & His Solid Senders 3. Where There Is No Love - Roy Milton & His Solid Senders 4. Everything's Gonna Be Allright Tonight - King Perry & His Pied Pipers 5. Please Send Me Someone To Love - Percy Mayfield 6. Strange Things Happening - Percy Mayfield 7. Little Joe's Boogie - Joe Liggins & His Honeydrippers 8. Oh Babe! - Roy Milton & His Solid Senders 9. Lost Love - Percy Mayfield 10. Frankie Lee - Joe Liggins & His Honeydrippers 11. What A Fool I Was - Percy Mayfield 12. Money Blues - Camille Howard 13. It's Later Than You Think - Roy Milton & His Solid Senders 14. T-Town Twist - Roy Milton & His Solid Senders 15. I Have News For You - Roy Milton & His Solid Senders 16. Prayin' For Your Return - Percy Mayfield 17. Strange Angel - Bumble Bee Slim 18. Best Wishes - Roy Milton & His Solid Senders 19. Cry Baby - Percy Mayfield 20. Love Will Make You A Slave - Lil Greenwood 21. I Can't Lose With The Stuff I Use - Lester Williams 22. Wheel Of Fortune - The Four Flames 23. The Big Question - Percy Mayfield 24. Lawdy Miss Clawdy - Lloyd Price 25. So Tired - Roy Milton & His Solid Senders 26. Night And Day (I Miss You So) - Roy Milton & His Solid Senders
trax disc 3:
1. Oooh Oooh Oooh - Lloyd Price 2. Restless Heart - Lloyd Price 3. Dream Girl - Jesse & Marvin 4. Tell Me Pretty Baby - Lloyd Price 5. Ain't It A Shame - Lloyd Price 6. Frantic - Frank Motley And His Crew 7. Too Close To Heaven - Professor Alex Bradford 8. I'm Coming Home - The Swan Silvertones 9. I've Got A New Home - The Pilgram Travelers 10. One Room Country Shack - Mercy Dee Walton 11. Lucy Mae Blues - Frankie Lee Sims 12. Early In The Morning - Roy Milton & His Solid Senders 13. She's Been Gone - H-Bomb Ferguson 14. Hard Living Alone - Floyd Dixon 15. Drunk - Jimmy Liggins & His 3-D Music 16. I Ate The Wrong Part - Little Temple & His 88 17. Bloodstains On The Wall - Honeyboy 18. Baby Doll - Marvin & Johnny 19. The Things That I Used To Do - Guitar Slim 20. I'm Your Best Bet Baby - Earl King 21. No Room In The Hotel - The Chosen Gospel Singers [feat. Lou Rawls] 22. I'm Mad - John Lee Hooker 23. Something's Going On In My Room - Daddy Cleanhead 24. Zindy Lou - The Chimes 25. One More River - Sam Cooke 26. Where's My Girl - Jesse Belvin
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