"GOSPEL FUNK"

In 1959, a woman by the name of Carmen Murphy attended a Good Friday mass in her home town of Detroit, as she did every year. Ms. Murphy, the proprietor of the city’s first salon for black women, known as House of Beauty, found herself particularly moved by the musical performances that evening. In fact, she was so inspired that she decided to convert the basement of her salon into a rehearsal space for local gospel acts. Later that year, she funded the recording of local gospel star Rev. James Cleveland, and House of Beauty Records was born. Over the years House of Beauty was owned and operated by a number of different parent companies. It was during it’s time at Scepter Records in New York (’64-’76) that the label grew both commercially and creatively. It slowly transformed from a rigidly traditional label, mostly featuring a capella quartets and choirs, to a company with eclectic tastes and broader musical horizons. Throughout the 70s the label became more accepting of secular influence on its music and slowly but surely, some of the recordings became straight up funky.
In the fall of 2008 Secret Stash began working with a local business man who acquired the House of Beauty catalog some years back. Our mission was to sort through his mountain of master tapes, containing over 3,000 tracks, in search of rare, funky and soulful gems for vinyl reissue. After hundreds of hours we settled on a short list of material to press up on wax.
Gospel Funk may sound like an oxymoron to some, however, in the late 60s and throughout the 70s, many Gospel artists began moving their sound in a funkier direction. When you think about it, it’s really not that hard to imagine. Most of us know that soul music is deeply rooted in gospel. Sam Cooke, Aretha Franklin, Al Green, and even James Brown all hail from the world of gospel music. Is it really unimaginable that the gospel community would latch onto the progression of soul music that took place in the secular market?
This collection of Gospel Funk is raw, gritty, and packed full of breaks. The compositions are tastefully simple. The production is organic. And most of all, the music is undeniably funky. (Secret Stash)
INFO: http://secretstashrecords.com/releases/us/gospelfunk/trax:

1. Joyful Sound/Amazing Grace - Christian Voice 2. Power Lord - The Victory Travelers 3. Play It By Ear - Rev. Milton Brunson 4. Trouble All Around Me - The Southland Singers 5. If You Think Your God Is Dead, Try Mine - The Swan Silvertones 6. Serve The Lord - The Southland Singers 7. New Testament - The New Testament 8. Can't Find No Other Love - The Messiahs Of Glory 9. Working People - Connie Pitts 10. Already Been In The Water - In Memory Of Stella Burke 11. New Testament Reprise (instrumental) - The New Testament

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The Zombies "Live At The BBC" 2003

2003 restored & remastered reissue of 1985 compilation, featuring 29 tracks recorded during 1964-1968, packaged in a digipak. Includes 12-page full color booklet with photos & other memorabilia.Like a majority of up-and-coming British bands of the 1960s, the Zombies made nearly two dozen BBC Light and Radio 1 transmissions between the fall of 1964 and the spring of 1968. The 29 cuts hail from a variety of those programs. In many cases their alternate persona as a consummate and immensely soulful cover combo is likewise illuminated. The parenthetical "bonus tracks" moniker may be seen as somewhat of a misnomer, since this volume is in essence the fourth ("Live on the BBC") volume of the remarkably thorough and highly recommended Zombie Heaven (1997) four-CD compilation. The contents are presented in a relatively chronological manner, commencing with one of the group's earliest shots (if not the earliest shot) on Saturday Club, broadcast on October 3, 1964. The obligatory plug of their own "She's Not There" and "You Make Me Feel Good," coupled with a fiery take of Bo Diddley's "Road Runner" and Little Richard's "Early One Morning," most reveal the quintet's passion. That becomes a prominent motif throughout, resulting in some of the Zombies' best and most spirited performances during their all too brief history. Other practically compulsory listens include their rendering of "I'm Going Home," Henry Glover's "Soulsville," and an additional Little Richard number, "Rip It Up," which is reworked into a masterful fusion of pop and rock guilded with hints of jazz. Billy Stewart's "Sitting in the Park" and the gorgeous rendering of Bacharach and David's "The Look of Love" are among the other zeniths. The latter boasts what may be Colin Blunstone's finest vocal with this aggregate. The mind boggles that it was not crafted into some kind of official studio release. In terms of originals, there are two inspired takes of "Tell Her No" -- one highlighted by Rod Argent on acoustic piano -- as well as an absolutely riveting and blistering reading of "What More Can I Do" from a late January 1965 Saturday Club session. The "Kenny Everett Show Jingle-Medley " is taken from a pair of appearances by Argent and Chris White from April of 1968. Sadly, this is the only material circa Odessey & Oracle (1968), as they had already broken up by the time the album was issued. Live at the BBC is essential for enthusiasts and the curious. Those not in need of the massive aforementioned Zombie Heaven can easily couple this title with any number of the single or double-disc anthologies to achieve a copious collection of the Zombies' pre-Odessey & Oracle output. --Lindsay Planer, AllMusic

trax:

01. Road Runner 02. You Make Me Feel Good 03. Early In The Morning 04. She's Not There 05. Tell Her No 06. What More Can I Do 07. I'm Going Home 08. For You My Love 09. Tell Her No 10. Soulville 11. Rip It Up 12. Can't Nobody Love You 13. You Must Believe Me 14. She's Coming Home 15. I Must Move 16. Just Out Of Reach 17. If It Don't Work Out 18. Whenever You're Ready 19. It's All Right 20. Will You Love Me Tomorrow 21. When The Lovelight Starts Shining Through Her Eyes 22. Just A Little Bit 23. Sitting In The Park 24. Gotta Get Out Of Myself 25. Goin' Out Of My Head 26. This Old Heart Of Mine 27. Friends Of Mine 28. The Look Of Love 29. Kenny Everett Show Jingle-Medley

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"Soul Galore!" The Northern Soul Of Brunswick

Stellar soul singles on Brunswick – nearly all of which come from the prime mid-to-late 60s period at the legendary Chicago label – with Jackie Wilson, Billy Butler, Barbara Acklin, Gene Chandler, Erma Franklin, Lavern Baker and many more! There's a tight focus here on mid-to-late 60s Brunswick – all of them great – and many are quite rare. There are some modest or regional hits in the set, but most might have been forgotten if not for the devotion of the Northern Soul scenes to come. It's got a number of uptempo stormers, midtempo groovers and some sweet surprises. Soul galore, indeed! Includes "Soul Galore" by Jackie Wilson, "Have More Time" by Marvin Smith, "Oh Linda" by Leroy Taylor, "I'll Bet You" by Billy Butler, "There Was A Time" by Gene Chandler, "Sweet, Sweet Revenge" by Alvin Valentine, "A Strange Way" by The Loreleis, "Just Ain't No Love" by Barbara Acklin, "I'm The Only One To Do It" by Lavern Baker, "California Montage" by Young-Holt Unlimited and many more.  © 1996-2014, Dusty Groove, Inc.

trax:

1. Soul Galore - Jackie Wilson 2. Don't Take It Out On This World - Adams Apples 3. Shing-A-Ling - The Cooperettes 4. Have More Time - Marvin Smith 5. The Chase Is On - The Artistics 6. Oh Linda - Leroy Taylor 7. Purple Haze - Johnny Jones & The King Casuals 8. Come Over To My Side - Billy Butler 9. Love Makes A Woman - Barbara Acklin 10. Baby Boy - Fred Hughes 11. I'll Bet You - Billy Butler 12. I Can't Help Myself - Chuck Carter 13. There Was A Time - Gene Chandler 14. Sweet, Sweet Revenge - Alvin Valentine 15. A Lovely Way To Die - Jackie Wilson 16. Nothing But Heartaches (Keep Haunting Me) - The Artistics 17. A Strange Way - The Loreleis 18. Raining Teardrops - The Demures 19. Just Ain't No Love - Barbara Acklin 20. Just Love Me - Sylvia St. Claire 21. Just A Thing Called Love - John Parker 22. Somebody Up There Likes You - Jackie Wilson 23. I Get The Sweetest Feeling - Erma Franklin 24. I'm The One To Do It - LaVern Baker 25. Suddenly - Tony Drake 26. California Montage - Young-Holt Unlimited

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The Zombies "Begin Here" The Complete Decca Mono Recordings 1964-1967 (2010)

The superb 1965 Zombies beat classic is now available remastered in glorious original Mono sound and presented in our popular Digipak format as a 2CD set with bonus tracks on a separate disc.
CD 1 features all the original 14 tracks, just as originally released and raved about back in the 60s Beat Boom era.
CD2 features 22 tracks – all the other Decca Mono recordings – Singles A-sides, B-sides and EPs from the 1964-67 period, including a soundtrack version of a song featured in the Otto Preminger film ‘Bunny Lake Is Missing’. 24 page expanded booklet with authoritative and extensive liner notes by respected author and former Decca archivist John Tracy, plus detailed data on the recordings. Expertly remastered by Jon Astley (who has worked on recordings by the Who, Led Zeppelin, George Harrison and many others). These classic Mono recordings now sound truly brilliant! --repertoirerecords.comOf the literally dozens of memorable bands that emerged from the British Beat scene in the early to mid-'60s, the Zombies were one act that stood out: there was a smart, slightly arty aura to their clever and beautifully crafted melodies, superb vocal harmonies, and a distinct instrumental sound, highlighted by Rod Argent's keyboard work, often using electric piano to memorable effect. Even when the Zombies rocked out or sunk into a tough R&B groove, they could convey a keen intelligence along with their energy, and their more introspective moments gave them a sound and feel that was unique. As good as they were, the Zombies didn't have much luck on the charts -- while "She's Not There" and "Tell Her No" were hits in 1965, most of their subsequent recordings attracted little notice on initial release, and some of the band's finest work was barely heard in its day. Begin Here: The Complete Decca Mono Recordings 1964-1967 confirms how baffling this is in retrospect. It includes the group's 1965 album Begin Here as well as 22 songs that appeared on singles and EPs, and it's disc two, with those non-LP sides, that makes the case for the Zombies' strengths. The album was divided half and half between covers and originals; all but two of the extra tracks are group originals, and Rod Argent and guitarist Chris White were excellent songwriters, crafting top-notch pop and R&B tunes with a clever twist, and if lead singer Colin Blunstone didn't write as much material, the songs that appear here are fine stuff. The group clearly knew how to make their music work in the studio, and the crisp monophonic remastering by Jon Astley gives these recordings plenty of punch without blurring the sonic details. The Complete Decca Mono Recordings 1964-1967 preserves a great group in their heyday, and John Tracy's liner notes and a beautifully designed package make this as much a treat for the eyes as for the ears. Short of picking up the box set Zombie Heaven, you're not going to find a much better presentation of this band's Decca years than this. --Mark Deming, AllMusic.  Score: 4,5/5 stars

trax disc 1:

01. Road Runner 02. Summertime 03. I Can't Make Up My Mind 04. The Way I Feel Inside 05. Work 'N' Play 06. You've Really Got A Hold On Me 07. She's Not There 08. Sticks And Stones 09. Can't Nobody Love You 10. Woman 11. I Dont Want To Know 12. I Remember When I Loved Her 13. What More Can I Do 14. I Got My Mojo Working

trax disc 2:

01. You Make Me Feel Good 02. Leave Me Be 03. Kind Of Girl 04. Sometimes 05. It's Alright 06. Tell Her No 07. She's Coming Home 08. I Must Move 09. I Want You Back Again 10. Whenever You're Ready 11. I Love You 12. Is This The Dream 13. Don't Go Away 14. Nothing's Changed 15. Remember You (Soundtrack Version) 16. Remember You 17. Just Out Of Reach 18. Indication 19. How We Were Before 20. Gottta Get A Hold Of Myself 21. Goin' Out Of My Head 22. She Does Everything For Me

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RCA Victor "A Northern Soul Legacy" 1966-1978

UK collection of Northern Soul rarities. Recording giant RCA are used to coming first. The world's largest manufacturer of phonographs developed the first 331/3-rpm long play record, the first 45-rpm single, the first stereo recordings, the first stereo 8-track tape and the first quadraphonic recordings. They were also no stranger to hit records having secured the recording contract of Elvis Presley in 1955. However, RCA failed miserably to recognize or understand the R&B/Soul boom of the '60s, even failing to hit with the former million-selling artist Roy Hamilton. Consequently, RCA, is one of the few collectable labels where the official stock copy 45 is rarer than the disc jockey promotional release. This collection gathers 20 rarities together on one disc. Outta Sight.

trax:

1. I Need Your Love - The Dynamics 2. Chain Reaction - The Celestrals 3. Honest To Goodness - Herb Ward 4. She Don't Want You - Lorraine Chandler 5. I'll Always Need You - Dean Courtney 6. I've Gotta Know Right Now - Rose Valentine 7. You Shook Me Up - Roy Hamilton 8. Ooh It Hurts Me - The Cavaliers 9. I'll Never Forget You - The Metros 10. (Putting My Heart Under) Lock And Key - Sharon Scott 11. What's That On Your Finger - Kenny Carter 12. Lucky To Be Loved By You - Willie Hutch 13. Ask Me For What You Want - Garland Green 14. Cuz It's You Girl - James Walsh Gypsy Band 15. Am I Cold Am I Hot - Bill Harris 16. Is This Really Love - Charles Drain 17. Are You Ready For This - The Brothers 18. Gotta Put Something In - Grey & Hanks 19. K-Jee - The Nite-Liters 20. Ripe For The Picking - The Trumains

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The Sonics "Psycho-Sonic" 2003

PSYCHO-SONIC is a 29-song retrospective of garage-rock band the Sonics, whose name was inspired by the Boeing aircraft surrounding them in their hometown of Tacoma, Washington. The collection includes the Sonics' first single, "(She's a) Witch" - which reportedly holds the record for the best-selling indie single in the Northwest - plus two live versions of the song.
In an era when the raw sounds of '60s garage-rock heroes the Sonics have been featured in an SUV commercial, it's possible to underestimate the fierceness of their straight-for-the-jugular attack. That is, until you hear the quintessential Sonics compilation, PSYCHO-SONIC. Here are 29 tracks of garage-rock grandeur featuring Tacoma's favorite sons in all their unfettered glory, tearing into a mix of blues, R&B, proto-psychedelia, and frantic rock & roll that's often gotten them labeled as "the first punk rock band."Everyone would agree that the Sonics reached their peak on their 1964-65 recordings for Etiquette. This 29-track compilation has everything they recorded for the label, extended not just to everything from their singles and two albums, but also with an alternate take of "The Witch" and live recordings of "Psycho" and "The Witch." Consequently, it's the best Sonics release on the market, though you should be warned: it's not wall-to-wall greatness. After the first half-dozen or so songs, you might well be ready to buy into their legend as one of the great (and certainly rawest) '60s garage bands, as those tracks include their toughest elementary riff-fueled pounders: "The Witch," "Psycho," "Boss Hoss," "He's Waitin'," and "Strychnine." But too much of the rest is filled out with covers of '50s and '60s rock and R&B standards, and the relentlessly frantic bang-it-out frat punk and throat-tearing vocals get blurry after a while, though at least they threw in a little-covered tune with their version of Adam Faith's "It's Alright." [The 2003 CD edition of this anthology, incidentally, is substantially different from Big Beat's first release of the material, though it has identical tracks and the same title. It's taken from first-generation tapes, and also has a 20-page booklet of liner notes with extensive quotes from several band members (including lead singer Gerry Roslie) and others involved in the group's career.] --Richie Unterberger, AllMusic (Rating: 4,5/5 stars)

trax:

01. The Witch 02. Boss Hoss 03. He's Waitin' 04. Psycho 05. Louie Louie 06. Strychnine 07. Cinderella 08. Shot Down 09. Have Love Will Travel 10. Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark 11. Dirty Robber 12. Keep A Knockin' 13. Money (That's What I Want) 14. The Hustler 15. Jenny Jenny 16. Hitch Hike 17. Roll Over Beethoven 18. Skinny Minnie 19. Do You Love Me 20. Walking The Dog 21. Good Golly Miss Molly 22. Night Time Is The Right Time 23. It's Alright 24. Let The Good Times Roll 25. Don't You Just Know It 26. Since I Fell For You 27. The Witch (Alternate) 28. Psycho (Live) 29. The Witch (Live)

Re-issue of the two LPs released in 1965 along with B-sides and alternate takes:

- tracks 1-12: !!!Here Are The Sonics!!!

- tracks 15-26: Sonic Boom

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The Sonics "This Is... The Savage Young Sonics" (2001)

Long before they delivered the full blown crunch of The Witch and Psycho, the Sonics were cutting their teeth in Tacoma teen clubs! These crude 1961-64 sides were taped live at dances and at home, showing the heavy influence of their primo idols the Wailers and includes the ultra primitive A-Rab, the group's very first recording - raw!! These tapes were recently found in a Tacoma attic. This is their first appearance ever!Before the Kinks and the Who came along and planted the seeds for what is commonly referred to as proto-punk, several obscure and/or one-hit U.S. wonders beat the two aforementioned British acts to the punch -- the Kingsmen, the Trashmen, and the Sonics. While the Kingsmen and the Trashmen managed to score a massive hit each ("Louie, Louie" and "Surfin' Bird," respectively), the Sonics never broke through outside of their home city of Tacoma. Regardless, the Sonics are often name-checked as one of the greatest garage rock bands ever, and the 2001 compilation This Is... The Savage Young Sonics focuses entirely on the group's early years. It turns out that the father of the Sonics' brother guitar/bass tandem, Larry and Andy Parypa, taped nearly every live show the group played during the early '60s, and these recordings serve as the basis for this 20-song release. Although the group was still a ways off from perfecting its tough-and-rough sound (which eventually included a heavy R&B influence), the comp includes such early instrumentals as "Sonic Blues" as well as covers of popular bar band standards of the day -- "Rumble," "Bony Maronie," "Keep A-Knockin'," and even the aforementioned "Louie, Louie." While newcomers should stick with one of their classic mid-'60s releases (e.g., 1965's Here Are the Sonics), longtime Sonics fans looking to trace the group's roots will certainly be able to do so with "This Is... The Savage Young Sonics". [Greg Prato, AllMusic]trax:

01. A-Rab [Home Recordings, 1961] 02. Rumble [Home Recordings, 1961] 03. Shanghied [Home Recordings, 1961] 04. Sonic Blues [Home Recordings, 1961] 05. Mashed Potato Time [Home Recordings, 1962] 06. Wailin' [Clover Park High School Dance, 1962] 07. High Wall [Clover Park High School Dance, 1962] 08. Lucille - Slippin' And Slidin' [Lake City Teen Club, 1963] 09. Swing Shift [Lake City Teen Club, 1963] 10. Louie Louie [Lake City Teen Club, 1963] 11. Sac O' Woe [Gaslight Teen Club, 1963] 12. Hey Mrs. Jones [Gaslight Teen Club, 1963] 13. In The Open [Gaslight Teen Club, 1963] 14. Bony Moronie [Gaslight Teen Club, 1963] 15. Just Pickin' [Gaslight Teen Club, 1963] 16. Sonic Dance Ad [Home Recordings, 1964] 17. Wailers House Party [Home Recordings, 1964] 18. Keep A-Knockin' [Home Recordings, 1964] 19. Think [Home Recordings, 1964] 20. Hold It [Home Recordings, 1964]

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"Mod Life Crisis" 60’s Mod Anthems For The In Crowd

No crisis here – as the music is plenty darn great – and a wicked assortment of upbeat groovers from the late 60s! Most tracks are uptempo enough to be dubbed Northern Soul, but there's often a gritty undercurrent of R&B too – an extra dose that makes the tunes perfect for that mod sound of London in the 60s – the key crossover of jazz, blues, R&B, and soul that went onto influence countless of musicians in years to come! This heavy-duty collection is filled with 27 vintage soul tracks that play perfectly to that crowd – a brilliant blend of obscurities and classics, with titles that include "Just Ain't No Love" by Barbara Acklin, "There's Nothing Else To Say" by The Incredibles, "I Spy" by Jamo Thomas, "Do The Whoopee" by Sugar Pie De Santo, "Every Beat Of My Heart" by The Du-Ettes, "Mercy" by Gene & Al's Spacemen, "My Back Scratcher" by Frank Frost, "Mr Bang Bang Man" by Little Hank, "The Rubaiyats" by Omar Khayyam, "Make Up Your Mind" by Barrett Strong, and "Soul Poppin" by Johnny Johns & The King Casuals.  © 1996-2014, Dusty Groove, Inc.

trax:

1. Do The Whoopee - Sugar Pie DeSanto 2. Barefootin' - Robert Parker 3. Wack Wack - Young-Holt Trio 4. Soul Poppin' - Johnny Jones & The King Casuals 5. Uptight (Everything's Alright) - Jackie Wilson & Count Basie 6. Everything Is Gonna Be Alright - Willie Mitchell 7. Going To A Happening - Tommy Neal 8. Baby Don't You Tear My Clothes - Little Richard 9. I Am Coming Through - Billy Preston 10. Getting Mighty Crowded - Betty Everett 11. Make Up Your Mind - Barrett Strong 12. That Other Place - Wade Flemons 13. Tired Of Being Lonely - The Sharpees 14. I Spy (For The FBI) - Jamo Thomas & His Party Brothers Orchestra 15. There's Nothing Else To Say - The Incredibles 16. Just Ain't No Love - Barbara Acklin 17. Oh How Happy - Shades Of Blue 18. Omar Khayyam - The Rubaiyats 19. Mr Bang Bang Man - Little Hank 20. Let's Go Baby (Where The Action Is) - Robert Parker 21. Doin' The Popcorn - Kim Melvin 22. Shimmy - Toussaint McCall 23. Monkey See - Monkey Do - Banny Price 24. Turn On Your Love Light - Bill Black's Combo 25. My Back Scratcher - Frank Frost 26. Mercy - Gene & Al's Spacemen 27. Every Beat Of My Heart - The Du-Ettes

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"Dial 3 For Northern Soul" Challenge - Dial - Hickory

Uptempo Soul Sides From South Of The Border. A Trail Of Northern Soul Classics From California To Tennessee.trax:

1. I Wanna Be Free - Joe Tex 2. Funny Style - Bobby Marchan 3. Queen Of Fools - Barbara Mills 4. Double Life - Jerry Fuller 5. I'll Forgive And Forget - Ron Holden 6. There'll Come A Day - Clarence Reid 7. All I Have To Do - Little Archie 8. I'll Hold You - Frankie & Johnny 9. Chills And Fever - Paul Kelly 10. Twenty Four Hour Service - Charlie Romans 11. Stop Shovin' Me Around - The Delicates 12. (Just To Keep Up On) The Lovin' Side - The Carnations 13. I Get Carried Away - Jerry Fuller 14. Old Time Lover - Joe Tex 15. I Wouldn't Change A Thing About You - Johnny Wyatt 16. I've Got To Keep Movin' - Charles Lamont & THE Extremes 17. Cry, Cry, Cry - Tommy Ray Tucker 18. Any Kind Of Love - Johnny Wyatt 19. The Yesterday Of Our Love - Jimmy Seals 20. Since I Found You - Paul Kelly 21. You've Got The Power - Gail Wynters 22. I'm A Teardrop - The Newbeats 23. Beating Of A Lonely Heart - P.W. Cannon 24. Never Will I (Make My Baby Cry) - The Magnificent 7

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The Sonics "Here Are The Sonics!!!" (1965/1999 Expanded Re-issue)

"Here Are The Sonics" is the debut album of American garage rock band The Sonics. It was released in 1965 on Etiquette Records. It was re-released in 1999 by Norton Records. "Here Are the Sonics" was influential on later punk rock.The utterly most fabulous debut album from the loudest crowd of punk rockers ever! Originally released in early ‘65, this hard-hitting screamfest took the local teen scene by the eardrums and never let go! An astonishing battle of the wills of Parypa, Bennett, Roslie, Lind and Parypa, this LP has long provided the measuring stick for all wishful thinkers! Lush packaging, interviews, tons of info, pix! Featuring Nortophonic Loud Sound mastering for massive fidelity. Includes four bonus cuts. --Norton Recordstrax:

01. The Witch 02. Do You Love Me 03. Roll Over Beethoven 04. Boss Hoss 05. Dirty Robber 06. Have Love Will Travel 07. Psycho 08. Money 09. Walkin' The Dog 10. Night Time Is The Right Time 11. Strychnine 12. Good Golly Miss Molly 13. Keep A Knockin' [Bonus track] 14. Don't Believe In Christmas [Bonus track] 15. Santa Claus [Bonus track] 16. The Village Idiot [Bonus track]

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Brownie McGhee "A Black Woman’s Man" The Essential 1940-1941

BLACK WOMAN'S MAN is a 24 track collection of songs by American blues legend Brownie McGhee, including "Step It Up And Go," "Prison Woman Blues," "Picking My Tomatoes," and "Let Me Tell You 'bout My Baby." UK collection fulfills a hitherto huge gap, concentrating on the bluesman's very early 'solo' recordings. Includes rarities on which he was billed as Blind Boy Fuller No. 2 & the first sides he recorded with Sonny Terry, his subsequent lifelong singing/performing partner. Few of these sides are available elsewhere on CD. Compiled & annotated by leading blues aficionado Neil Slaven, the booklet/inlay features comprehensive liner notes plus rare photos & ephemera.

trax:

01 Step It Up And Go 02 Me And My Dog Blues 03 Picking My Tomatoes 04 Death Of Blind Boy Fuller 05 I'm A Black Woman's Man 06 Workingman's Blues 07 Be Good To Me 08 Double Trouble 09 Back Door Stranger 10 Million Lonesome Women 11 Dealing With The Devil 12 Born For Bad Luck 13 Money Spending Woman 14 Key To My Door 15 Deep Sea Diver 16 Prison Woman Blues 17 Barbecue Any Old Time 18 It Must Be Love 19 Ain't No Tellin' 20 So Much Trouble 21 Jealous Of My Woman 22 No Guilty Blues 23 Let Me Tell You 'bout My Baby 24 My Barkin' Bulldog Blues

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The Sonics "Busy Body!!!" Live In Tacoma 1964 (2007)

The Fall of '64 was way furious in the top left corner of the USA! The Sonics howl on unissued live early local blasts that show off their prowess as seething R&B stoked savages covering the tuff stuff... plus a taste of shapes to come with 'The Witch'. These shows were live KTNT Friday night Teen Time radio broadcasts-- deadly for date drivers crankin' up sounds on Dad's dash, no doubt!The only thing more blistering than Washington State garage legends the Sonics are the Sonics live in concert. This utter gem of a disc finds the young Turks working their collective mojo until they explode. Recording for a pair of radio broadcasts on their home turf in Tacoma, the band blazes through a set of classic R&B numbers, including "Have Love Will Travel" and "Oo Pooh Pa Doo," as well as several original burners, most notably their classic "The Witch." This is an old-school, in-the-red face-melter that's a must-have for garage aficionados.trax:

01. Introduction 02. In The Open 03. Tall Cool One 04. Goin' Back To Granny's 05. Busy Body 06. Night Train 07. Number X 08. Introduction 09. Tough Walk 10. Have Love, Will Travel 11. Oo Poo Pah Doo 12. Hitch Hike 13. Busy Body 14. The Witch 15. KTNT Radio Spot

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THE OPTIC NERVE "Lotta Nerve" 1994

The Optic Nerve was formed in 1985 by leader Bobby Belfiore along with Elan and Orin Portnoy and Ira Elliott. Elan and Ira left to be full time Fuzztones, and Tony Matura was brought in for the lifetime of the band on guitar and vocals. Drums were handled by Frank Manlin, Greg Clark and Ken Anderson during the Optic Nerve’s duration and Tom Ward played bass. The band packed it in towards the end of 1988, but left behind a legacy of memorable live appearances and some incredible music.Entire recorded output by New York City's amazing Garage band from the 80's and still active today. All songs here are gorgeous originals, with a folk/rock sound that shimmers and sparkles. The songwriting is excellent across the board; with comparisons to Gene Clark, Emitt Rhodes and Michael Brown being easy to see. Certain songs jump out at the listener: “Like To Get To Know Her” with its breathtaking Byrds/Searchers-like harmonies, “Take Me” with the clever psychish opening, and “I See The Truth” with its hooks and guitar lines.trax:

1. Ain't That Man 2. Mayfair 3. Happy Ever After 4. Take Me 5. Leaving Yesterday Behind 6. Same Way Too 7. Kiss Her Goodbye 8. What's She Tryin' To Do 9. What's Been Missing 10. Like To Get To Know Her 11. She's A Drag 12. I See The Truth 13. The Girl With The Beautiful Eyes

…originally served by Gyro1966...

Billy J. Kramer "The Very Best Of" 1963-1966

The earlier EMI Billy J. Kramer collection At Abbey Road 1963-1966 is actually better than this 29-song collection, in that it contains some fascinating studio outtakes and ranges well beyond the hits, into some real obscurities. But this disc is probably easier to find, and it does touch all of the essential bases and quite a few more -- indeed, this probably has more songs than casual fans (especially in the U.S.) ever thought Kramer recorded, and there's also more rock & roll here than many people will associate with him, as most of his hits tended to be in a pop/rock vein. And it's all in excellent sound, as well. And there's even one track representing Kramer's backing band, the Dakotas, working on their own, though it is the most obvious one that could possibly have been chosen, "The Cruel Sea." The annotation is reasonably thorough as well, and it makes for a diverting hour or so of midtempo early/mid-'60s Merseybeat. (Bruce Eder, Allmusic)

trax:

01 I'll Keep You Satisfied 02 Do You Want to Know a Secret? 03 I Call Your Name 04 Sneakin' Around 05 Second To None 06 Bad To Me 07 The Cruel Sea 08 Magic Carpet 09 Oyeh 10 I'll Be On My Way 11 Sugar Babe 12 It's Up To You 13 Little Children [A-Side; Single] 14 From A Window 15 It's A Mad, Mad World 16 Neon City 17 Trains And Boats And Planes 18 It's Gotta Last Forever 19 That's The Way I Feel (Mono) 20 I'll Be Doggone 21 We're Doing Fine 22 Forgive Me 23 The Millionaire 24 Humdinger 25 My Girl Josephine 26 Take My Hand 27 San Diego '77 28 Ships That Pass In The Night '78 29 You Can't Live On Memories '83

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Game Theory "Dead Center" 1984

Game Theory formed on the fringe of the Paisley Underground movement of the early-'80sGame Theory is a clean, and for a time, mildly psychedelic, pop band from northern California, which means their departures from conventional meat-and-potatoes reality are more quirky than trippy. Like most over-educated popsters, they tend towards wimpiness — at which times the arcane lyrics don't help — but the hip catchiness of the songs mostly keeps them out of trouble.
With awfully thin sound and more enthusiasm than skill, the young guitar-and-keyboards quartet made its promising debut on the self-released Blaze of Glory. Switching drummers, Game Theory then returned with the schizy six-song Pointed Accounts. The first side is light; guitarist/singer Scott Miller's songs are slightly off-kilter, with cryptic lines ("She likes metal and glass exact" — huh?), but the hooks make them go down smoothly. Bassist/singer Fred Juhos carries things further out on the second side with two tunes, including "I Wanna Get Hit by a Car." Juhos' vision is darker and somewhat more intriguing, but he isn't Miller's equal as a tunesmith.
The five-song Distortion, co-produced by Michael Quercio of the Three O'Clock, is fuller, if not as fresh sounding as the debut. Unfortunately, the more baroque presentation makes Miller's fey falsetto and fragile melodies sound too precious. Pleasant listening, and the good ideas are still there, but it doesn't draw you in. Dead Center compiles the two EPs, adding three extra items.Game Theory:

Scott Miller (singer/songwriter, guitarist), Fred Juhos (bass, vox), Nancy Becker (keyboards, vox), Dave Gill (drums)

traxfromwax:

1/ Nine Lives to Rigel Five 2/ Penny, Things Won't 3/ Dead Center 4/ The Red Baron 5/ The Letter 6/ Shark Pretty 7/ Metal and Glass Exact 8/ Selfish Again 9/ Too Late for Tears 10/ 37th Day

"LE BEAT BESPOKE" Vol. 5

CD 5, featuring rare underground dancefloor fillers from the New Untouchables club scene, brought to the market in conjunction with Circle Records. With bespoke artwork from Pip Pip! , it highlights DJ Rob Bailey's inspired selection of obscure, hard to find, yet none the less must have tracks that display the ability to move seamlessly from one musical style to the next. All, naturally, done with restraint and good taste, but at the same time, compelling the listener to groove along with it all. This is number 5 of the series. (Shindig)Twenty-five tracks by never-heard-of super-obscure bands of the psychedelic, garage rock and pop genres. I mean - most (if not all) bands and artists featured on this 'Beat Bespoke' CD are unknown to even collectors of rare '60's psych and garage. Tunes that did the most for me include Gerrard with "Sexologie", Daisy Clan, Flash & The Dynamic's catchy "Glory Be", the Three Dog Night-like song "Hip Hip Hooray" by Anderson And Shot, Ola & The Janglers with their two cuts on this title, the awesome Lionceaux giving us "Nowhere To Run" and Fardon & Kieswetter's inspiring "I'm Alive" (didn't Tommy James & The Shondells record this song on an lp of theirs?). Yes, a nice collection of the better tunes you've NEVER before heard. Also like the Strangers cover of the Monkees hit "Mary Mary". Highly recommended. (Ugly Things)trax:

1. Make Love - The Grabbeltons 2. Little Tin Soldier - Billy Joe Young & The Jades 3. Silly Baby - The Fun Of It 4. That's The Way Life Goes - The Deep Set 5. A Better Mind - Maximus 6. Sunset Show - The Sense Of Humoor 7. Giny - Hush 8. Ahora Ella Se Fue (Now She's Gone) - The Delphines 9. Turn Out The Lights - The Sands Of Time 10. Gingerbread Man - Dickie Loader 11. Girl - Simon De Sade 12. Automatic - Early Christian 13. Gentle When You Say The Word - Gary Scruggs 14. I'd Like To Know - Tobias 15. One Fine Morning - James Curtis 16. Y'mouille A Scioux - La Revolution Francais 17. The Only Thing - Vince Britton Jr. 18. Come C'mon - The Satin Bells 19. I'm Still A Child - Joy & The Hot Kids 20. Loving You Sometimes - The Outcasts

...served by Gyro1966...

The True Believers "Hard Road" 1994

This is what Rock and Roll was meant to be, raunchy guitars, driving bass and drums with a melodic twist, if you have never heard this band do yourself a favor and give this a listen. - By C. BailorIn Austin, TX, a town where great roots rock bands grow like crabgrass in suburbia, the True Believers gained a reputation as something very special right off the bat, and their blazing live shows earned them a rabid following long before they cut their first record. Unfortunately, they also became the classic example of a fine band brought down by their own record company; their first album was cut on the cheap for an independent label (and often sounds like it), and after a major label bought out their contract and paid for a significantly more polished and powerful second album, the band was dropped following a corporate reorganization, and a potential breakthrough album was left collecting dust in the vault. Hard Road finally gives this great band their due, bringing together the True Believers' self-titled debut and their previously unreleased follow-up on one compact disc. While the self-titled first album's low-budget production (especially the out-of-balance snare sound) makes it sound more like a demo than a polished final product, the performances are game, the triple-guitar lineup kicks pretty hard, and the songs are great, especially "The Rain Won't Help You When It's Over," "Tell Her," and a rollicking cover of the Velvet Underground's "Train Round the Bend." The unreleased album's production is a bit more boomy and bombastic than it needs to be, but it certainly gets the band's wall of guitars on tape with a lot more authority and force (especially Jon Dee Graham's slide work), and while the new rhythm section imposed on the band by producer Jeff Glixman doesn't sound all that different than the band's original timekeepers, the True Believers do sound a lot tighter and strike with greater impact on these songs, whether they're rockers like "She's Got" or introspective mid-tempo tunes such as "One Moment to Another." And while these two albums were where Alejandro Escovedo first began to gain his reputation as one of America's great songwriters, his brother, Javier Escovedo, and Jon Dee Graham make it clear he wasn't the only fine songwriter in the group, and their tightly interlocked guitars are a wonder to behold. the True Believers deserved better than the hand they were dealt, and one listen to Hard Road provides all the proof you need. - Review by Mark Deming

trax:

01 Tell Her 02 Ring the Bell 03 So Blue (About You) 04 Rebel Kind 05 Train Round the Bend 06 Lucky Moon 07 Hard Road 08 We're Wrong 09 I Get Excited 10 Sleep Enough to Dream 11 The Rain Won't Help You When It's Over 12 She's Got 13 All Mixed up Again 14 One Moment to Another 15 Who Calls My Name 16 Outside Your Door 17 Wild Eyed and Wound Up 18 Nobody's Home 19 Only a Dream 20 Home 21 Please Don't Fade Away

"LE BEAT BESPOKE" Vol. 4

Raw mod and gritty funk rock grooves from team Le Beat Bespoke – the fourth set in the series – bubblegum garage, fuzzed out pop, funky percussion and wailing organs – this just might be the best in the series to date! Compiler Rob Bailey out does himself here, once again digging deep for obscure mod singles, groovy slabs of garage rock, with a few left turns such as a heavy Latin gem and a more psych-steeped number or two – propulsive, exciting numbers regardless of genre affections and fiery dancefloor ready rock tunes all the way! 20 tailor made cuts on the CD – a brief notes on each tune, all of which are exciting and groovy as can be! Titles include "Voodoo Medicine Man" by Jerry & Jeff, "False Alarm Love" by Peaceful Coalition, "Eg Veit Ao Pu Kemar" by Trubrat, "Feelin" by Joy Unlimited, "No Thank You Mr Pusher" by Big Tom, "King Of Siam" by East Of Eden", "Comin On Down" by The Twilights and more.  (Dusty Groove, Inc.)trax:

1. Voodoo Medicine Man - Jerry & Jeff 2. False Alarm Love - The Peaceful Coalition 3. Brother - The Paper Train 4. Ha Lese (Le Di Khanna) - The New Life 5. It's My Life - The Tages 6. Eg Veit Ro Pu Kemur - Trubrot 7. Feelin' - Joy Unlimited 8. Has Anybody Seen The Superstar - Rod St. James 9. Right Now - Justine 10. Making The Same Mistake - Russell Stone 11. This World - Chris Carpenter 12. Spaceship Lover - Paul St. John 13. I'm The Universe - Simon Scott 14. Burn - The Persuaders 15. Tears I Cry - Kirk St. James 16. It's Gettin' Harder - Maceys Window 17. No Thank You Mr Pusher - Big Tom 18. King Of Siam - East Of Eden 19. Bye Bye City - Le Coeur 20. Comin' On Down - The Twilights

...served by Gyro1966...

"LE BEAT BESPOKE" Vol. 3

Another great compilation of mod and soul from the 60’s, great job on this as the first two volumes where, if you are a bespoke fan or into 60’s mod, soul or garage rock this cd is a must own, great informative booklet comes with this and the mastering of the sound is great! (Creem)Twenty songs by never-before of bands and artists - definitely some more of that better music that you've never heard. Couple here well worth mentioning include The Paragons with their mod '60's-like tune "Abba" (be sure and check out their TV appearance on You Tube), Syd's Group with their astounding "Times A Good Thing" (maybe the best track, or at least one of the best on the entire CD collection), Soul Inc. with their rocking "Love Me When I'm Down" and The Bit'a Sweet with their contribution "Is It Off, Is It On" - as this band looks to have a CD reissue out of their 1968 lp. That's just for starters - about every song on this compilation import is (at least) good if not great-to-experience / take in for the very first time. Few more worth making note of are the Ro-d-ys, Fire & Ice, Whichwhat, Julie Felix and Rick McClellan. Overall, just an all-around essential various artists title that I believe most fans of '60's psych will thoroughly enjoy. (Bomp!)trax:

1. Abba - The Paragons 2. Times A Good Thing - Syd's Group 3. Love Me When I'm Down - The Soul Inc. 4. Flashback - Noons Express 5. Is It Off / Is It On - The Bit' A Sweet 6. Mirrors - Fire & Ice 7. Music Ship - Bastille 8. Looking For Something Better - The Ro-D-Ys 9. Hold-Up Inusite - Joanna 10. A-Minor Explosion - Don Shinn & The Soul Agents 11. Si Je Buvais Moins - Douglas 12. Sunrise Highway - Jonah P. Jones 13. Midnight Moses - Alex Harvey 14. Music Man - Fire & Ice 15. It's All Over Again - Whichwhat 16. Strange Magic - Claude Bolling 17. Future Thoughts - Tam White 18. Fly With Me - Chris Britton 19. Snakeskin - Julie Felix 20. Frozen Sunshine - Rick McClellan

...served by Gyro1966...

Timmy Thomas "The Magician" 1976

Hi everyone, despite 2 little stars on "allmusic.com", a solid pre-Disco/Funk album by the legendary Florida musician Timmy Thomas. Enjoy that vinyl rip!!! - Magic Kaic's MusicNobody ever got more out of a primitive recording setup than Timmy Thomas. The singer landed a huge hit with "Why Can't We Live Together," one of the most enduring soul classics of the early 70s. The song's very stripped-down arrangement of Thomas' soulful organ backed by a drum machine made it stand out from everything else on the radio, while also bringing to mind visions of Africa, where simplicity was always the key to music making. He kept that approach throughout his first album, finally embellishing his surroundings a bit on "Stone to the Bone," a moderate hit from 1977. He toured frequently and played on the more soulful TK sessions before launching Gold Mountain records in the 80s. allthingsdeep.comtrax:

01 - The Magician 02 - Say Love, Can You Chase Away My Blues 03 - Stone To The Bone 04 - Show Me Tenderness 05 - Watch It! Watch It! Watch It! For Dudley Dudley Dorite 06 - Make Peace With Yourself 07 - Let My People Go 08 - Don't Put It Down 09 - Running Out Of Time.mp3

...served by Magic Kaic's Music...

"LE BEAT BESPOKE" Vol. 2

Here's a second volume of wilfully obscure pop-soul tunes from the mid-late 60s as chosen by Rob Bailey of the New Untouchables UK mod gang. This time the selection is truly international, featuring tunes from all over Europe, which you might have heard recently revived at your local modernist discotheque. There are some real gems here. Heidi Bruhl's "Berlin" is worth the admission alone. (Crawdaddy)trax:

1. Dude - Pappy's Haunted House 2. Springtime - Jimmy Thomas 3. One, Two, Boogalo - The Light Nites 4. Gas Station Boogaloo Downtown - The Palace Guards 5. Too Many People - The New Hudson Exit 6. Her Own Life - E.G. Smith & The Power 7. Blue Tail Fly - The Moody Five 8. So Right - Paul King 9. Madeline - Dick Turpin 10. Happy - Proud Flesh 11. Little Louise - Shere Khan 12. I Found You - The Tops 13. Baluba Shake - Brunetta & The Balubas 14. You Know He Did - Mary McCarthy 15. Time To Say Goodnight - The Martells 16. Rouge-Rouge - Christie Luame 17. Truth In My Tears - Louisa Jane White 18. Berlin - Heidi Brühl 19. Run Shaker Life - Paul Nicholas 20. Mrs. Watson - M.U.5

...served by Gyro1966...

"Crossover To Modern Soul" Northern Soul's Finest Grooves

A wonderful collection from the soul treasure hunters at Outta Sight – essential grooves from a pivotal period – late 60s and early 70s soul singles that bridge the raw, driving vibe of the previous era to the more sophisticated arrangements of dancefloor soul to come! It's got some legendary names and comparably obscure ones alike – a great, stylistically varied set of soul tunes by Bobby Womack, The Electrifying Cashmeres, The Carlettes, Philharmonics, Three Shades Of Soul, Johnny Adams, Deniece Chandler, The Identities and more. Superb soul singles all the way – a bunch of which we've never heard before now! 24 tracks in all: "What Does It Take (To Win Your Love)" by The Electrifying Cashmeres, "Lost Without Your Love" by The Carlettes, "Tried And Convicted" by Bobby Womack, "Mama, I Wish I Stayed Home" by Deniece Chandler, "I Can't Get Along Without You" by Judy Green, "When Love Slips Away" by The Identities, "Crying Time Is Over" by Tony Love, "You're A Bad Habit, Baby" by Johnny Adams, "Patience" by Rokk and more.  (Dusty Groove) © 1996-2014, Dusty Groove, Inc. @320

trax:

1. What Does It Take(To Win Your Heart) - The Electrifying Cashmeres 2. Lost Without Your Love - The Carlettes 3. Tried And Convicted - Bobby Womack 4. My Sweet Baby - The Esquires 5. Mama I Wish I Stayed At Home - Denice Chandler 6. Not Too Young - Continental Showstoppers 7. I Cant Get Along Without You - Judy Green 8. Trying To Get To You - The Imperial Wonders 9. I Need, I Need Your Love - The Philharmonics 10. When Love Slips Away - The Identities 11. Im Not Like The Others - Denice Chandler 12. Dont Push My Love Cup - The Teques 13. Being In Love - Three Shades Of Soul 14. (When Your wrong)You Got To Pay The Price - Tony Owens 15. Across 110th Street - Bobby Womack 16. Crying Time Is Over - Tony Love 17. Shake Off That Dream - Eddie Billups 18. Youre A Bad Habit ,Baby - Johnny Adams 19. I Finally Found Myself Something To Sing About - Amazing Charlie Whitehead 20. Hot Foxy Woman - Christian Plicque 21. Im Superman - The Point Of View 22. Patience - Rokk 23. Baby Im Coming At You - Jesse Gomez 24. Number One - Uncle Remus

...served by Gyro1966...

"LE BEAT BESPOKE" Vol. 1

This LP is a compilation of obscure European mod dancefloor faves dating from the late 1960s, compiled by Rob Bailey, one of the leading promoters on the contemporary modernist scene. The first few tracks are the weakest of the set but the pace then soon picks up with excellent Swinging London sounds that are mostly hard to find in their original 45rpm format. You will be familiar with the tunes if you've been to any of Bailey's club nights. Standout tracks for me are Steve Ellis' "Loot" and Phil Wainman's "Going Going Gone" both with great period lyrics and production.
Recommended LP. (Melody Maker)Twenty-five tracks by never-heard-of super-obscure bands of the psychedelic, garage rock and pop genres. I mean - most (if not all) bands and artists featured on this 'Beat Bespoke' CD are unknown to even collectors of rare '60's psych and garage. Tunes that did the most for me include Gerrard with "Sexologie", Daisy Clan, Flash & The Dynamic's catchy "Glory Be", the Three Dog Night-like song "Hip Hip Hooray" by Anderson And Shot, Ola & The Janglers with their two cuts on this title, the awesome Lionceaux giving us "Nowhere To Run" and Fardon & Kieswetter's inspiring "I'm Alive" (didn't Tommy James & The Shondells record this song on an lp of theirs?). Yes, a nice collection of the better tunes you've NEVER before heard. Also like the Strangers cover of the Monkees hit "Mary Mary". Highly recommended. (NME)trax:

1. Sexologie - Danyel Gerrald 2. Du hast mich/glory be - Howard Carpendale/Daisy Clan 3. Electric Latin Soul - Flash & The Dynamics 4. Hip hip hurray - The Snap Shots 5. No no no - Ola & The Janglers 6. Mess around - Marmalade 7. Take me back - Plastic Penny 8. Born a free man - The James Anderson Parkway 9. Easy to Know - Gentle Influence 10. All you - The Sonny Burke Quartet 11. Nowhere to run - Les Lionceaux 12. I surrender - Bonny St. Claire 13. Billy Sunshine - Judi Scott 14. Balbelatando - I 5 Monelli 15. Hey hey Bunny - Los Gatos Negros 16. I think I'm a man - Chopper 17. Bring your love back to me - Simon K & The Meantimers 18. Loot - Steve Ellis 19. I'm alive - Don Fardon 20. Just The Same As You - Knut Kieswetter 21. Ring The Changes - David Walker 22. Mary, Mary - The Strangers 23. You'd Better Get Goin' Now - Zoot 24. Hard Headed Baby - The Driftin' 5 25. Going Going Gone - Phil Wainman

...served by Gyro1966...

Motown - The History 1967-1968 - Late Sixties Vol 2 - Changing Times

trax:

1. Take Me In Your Arms (Rock Me A Little While) - The Isley Brothers 2. This Old Heart Of Mine (Is Weak For You) - Tammi Terretll 3. You Ain't Livin' Till You're Lovin' - Marvin Gaye & Tami Terrell 4. I Want My Baby Back - Edwin Starr 5. I'm Wondering - Stevie Wonder 6. Honey Chile - Martha Reeves & Vandellas 7. I Second that emotion - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles 8. Ain't Nothing like the real thing - Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell 9. Destination: Anywhere - The Marvellettes 10. I'm In a different world - The Four Tops 11. Shoo-Be-Doo-Be-Doo-Da-Day - Stevie Wonder 12. My Cherie Amour - Stevie Wonder 13. Does your mama know About Me - Bobby Taylor & The Vancouvers 14. Its Wonderful (To Be Loved By You) - Jimmy Ruffin 15. For Once In My Life - Stevie Wonder 16. I'll Pick A Rose For My Rose - Marv Johnson 17. All Because I Love You - The Isley Brothers 18. Chained - Marvin Gaye 19. Here I Am Baby - The Marvelettes 20. The Nitty Gritty - Gladys Knight & The Pips 21. Here Comes The Judge - Shorty Long 22. You're All I Need To Get By - Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell 23. I'm Gonna make you love me - Diana Ross & The Supremes & The Temptations 24. I Can't Dance To That Music You're Playin' - Martha Reeves & The Vandellas 25. Baby I'm For Real - The Originals 26. Yesterday's dreams - The Four Tops

...served by Magic Kaic's Music...

"WEST COAST DOWN HOME HARMONICA"

This collection of 25 West Coast harmonica jams includes ALL of the 60's sides recorded by HARMONICA FATS with savage,rocking support as well as 7 previously un-reissued sides by George Harmonica Smith, including two fiery live recordings with Big Jay Mc Neely's band in 1964. Some of the most intriguing sides are by unknown artists who made a couple sides and then disappeared. Stormy Herman & His Midnight Ramblers and Ben Harper & the Cincos are amazing small combo sides with high register harp & funky band support. An added bonus is a Johnny Dyer single from 1979 with Jr. Watson featured on guitar and Pete "Guitar Lewis blowing the back off the harp on two wild sides from the 50's. (Roots & Rhythm)

trax:

1. Hello Miss Sims - Garland The Great 2. Further On Up The Road - George Harmonica Smith 3. You Don't Have To Go - George Harmonica Smith 4. Tore Up - Harmonica Fats 5. Mama Mama Talk To Your Daughter - Harmonica Fats 6. The Blues Is My Roots - George Harmonica Smith 7. Highway 59 - George Harmonica Smith 8. Sharp Harp - George Harmonica Smith 9. Bad Luck - Stormy Herman & His Midgnight Rambles 10. The Jitterbug - Stormy Herman & His Midgnight Rambles 11. Here Comes My Gal - Ben Harper & The Cinco's 12. How Low Is Low - Harmonica Fats 13. Sweet Chicago - Jimmy Slim & The Blues 14. Leave My Woman Alone - Ace Holder 15. I Get So Tired - Harmonica Fats 16. My Woman Didn't Come Home - Harmonica Fats 17. Blues For Reverend King - George Harmonica Smith 18. Stop Cheating On Me - Sir Arthur 19. Driveway Blues - Harmonica Fats 20. Sweet Pea - Sweet Pea Walker 21. Going Back Home - Harmonica Slim (Travis Blaylock) 22. Harmonica Boogie - Pete Lewis 23. Goin Crazy - Pete Lewis 24. Juicy Harmonica - George Harmonica Smith 25. Slipping & Sliding - Johnny Dyer

...served by Gyro1966...

The Skatalites "Kingston 11" 2005/2008

This is a nice collection of not so well known tracks by the Skatalites from 1963-1964. Produced by King Edwards.trax:

01. Jones Town Special 02. Red China 03. Dr No 04. Jazz Ska 05. 64 Special 06. African Queen 07. Four Seasons 08. What A Skandal 09. Shank I Sheck 10. Lon Chaney 11. Shuffle Deck 12. Kingston 11 13. Collie Foot 14. Man About Town

...served by Toxxy...

"WEST COAST GUITAR KILLERS" Vol. 3

Monster collection of hard core post war plank plunking... Stellar performances by JIMMY NOLEN- LAFAYETTE THOMAS & CAL VALENTINE as well as a live performance from 1950 of ROY MILTON with distorted guitar and crowd screams... ZZ HILLS first record is here- as well as LITTLE JOHNNIE TAYLORS debut on wax... Faves include the minor key sides from CURTIS GRIFFIN & relative unknown NEAL JOHNSON doing his best GUITAR SLIM impression... awesome!!!!..

trax:

1. Junior Jives [Live Recording Shrine Auditorium 1950] Johnny Rogers W/ Roy Milton's Solid Senders

2. Jackson's Nook - Teddy Bunn 3. True To You Baby - Neal Johnson 4. Good Fool - Bobby Kimble W/ Jimmy Nolen's Band 5. One Way Love Affair - Z.Z. Hill 6. I Tried To Understand - Little Johnny Taylor 7. Baby Have Your Way - Curtis Griffin 8. I've Found Something Better - Curtis Griffin 9. Good Woman - Sherwood Fleming 10. No Money - Little Willie Pollard 11. 67 Blues - Little Willie Pollard 12. I'm Sorry We Had To Part - Bobby Kimble W/ Jimmy Nolen's Band 13. Won't Be Back - Little Miss Janice 14. The Swinging Thing - Lafayette Thomas W/ Jimmy McCracklin's Blues Blasters 15. The City - Little Willie Pollard 16. The Caterpillar Crawl - The Strangers W/ Joel Scott Hill 17. Young Date - Lloyd Glenn 18. Looking At The Future - Little Johnny Taylor 19. Sunrisin' - Baby Little & The Playboys 20. Going Back Home - Sherwood Fleming 21. Hideout - Ervin Rucker & The Blues Blenders 22. Weekend Blues - Monte Easter W/ Jimmy Nolen 23. Just A Kiss - Finis Tasby 24. Slow Freight Pt. 2 - Bill Elliott Combo 25. That's It Man - The Valentines W/ Cal Valentine

...served by Gyro1966...

The Skatalites "In Orbit" Vol. 1 & 2 - 2009

Live Double CD that was recorded in Buenos Aires during the first few shows in the Armenian Theatre on 23rd & 24th in 2005 and features guests vocals by Doreen Shaffer on four tracks. Vol. 2 is a bonus disc that features 10 tracks more tracks.

trax Vol. 1:

01. Intro 02. Freedom Sounds 03. James Bond Theme 04. Eastern Standard Time 05. El Pussycat 06. Guns Of Navarone 07. Sugar, Sugar 08. Adorable You 09. Can't You See 10. You're Wondering Now 11. Real Rock - Rockfort Rock Medley 12. Musical Communion 13. Latin Goes Ska 14. Ball Of Fire 15. Phoenix City

trax Vol. 2:

01. Presentacion 02. Occupation 03. Two For One 04. Simmer Down 05. Nice Time 06. Man In The Street 07. Bridge View 08. I Should Have Know Better 09. Rivers Of Babylon 10. Freedom Sounds

...served by Toxxy...

"WEST COAST GUITAR KILLERS" Vol. 2

A TRULY INCREDIBLE COLLECTION OF WEST COAST RAW GUITAR... This second volume of blasting West Coast guitar from the 50's & 60's is another stunning example of the wealth of talent in California during the era. This cd features unissued Willie Egans tracks from the 50's with the incendiary guitar of Lloyd Rowe as well as 5 different Johnny Guitar Watson sides seldom heard. Once again there is pyrotechnics from Lafayette Thomas and The Rocking Brothers and many unreissued sides from Jimmy Liggins, Cal Valentine & Pee Wee Crayton. This is an awesome companion to the first volume!

trax:

1. Tell Me Tell Me - Johnny "Guitar" Watson 2. She's My Baby - Flash Terry & Orchestra 3. Poison Ivy - Two Crows & The Diggers featuring Lloyd Rowe 4. Tell The Truth - Blues Slim and his band 5. You Upset Me Baby - Willie Snow & The Diggers featuring Lloyd Rowe 6. Reconsider Baby - The Diggers - featuring Lloyd Rowe 7. Git To Gittin' - Pee Wee Crayton 8. You Don't Know What You're Doing - R.S. Rankin 9. Looking Back - Johnny "Guitar" Watson 10. The Eagle Is Back - Johnny "Guitar" Watson 11. Slow Jam - Bud Spudd and the Sprouts 12. Take A Chance - Jimmy McCracklin 13. Beer Tavern Girl - Jimmy McCracklin 14. Rock-It - The Rocking Bros. (Jason & Wilber) 15. Strangest Blues - Jimmy Wilson 16. Good Woman Blues - B. Brown & His Rockin' McVouts 17. I Believe In A Woman - Sly Williams 18. Boot Hill - Sly Williams 19. After Awhile - Jesse Allen 20. Knocked Out - Jimmy Liggins 21. The Search Is Over - Cal Green with the Midnighters 22. I Can Hear My Baby Calling - Cal Green with the Midnighters 23. Rat Now - Johnny "Guitar" Watson 24. Baby Don't Leave - Johnny "Guitar" Watson 25. The Boogie Twist - Cal Valentine & The Texas Rockers

...served by Gyro1966...

The Skatalites "Ball Of Fire" 1997

Ball of Fire finds a reunited Skatalites reworking their greatest hits, playing long, extended passages that allow the band to demonstrate their substantial instrumental abilities. Fans of the punchy early singles may find this approach a little unsettling, but anyone who gets into the groove will find Ball of Fire to be a delight, a thoroughly respectable comeback from one of ska's greatest groups. --Stephen Thomas Erlewine, AllMusic [Rating: 4/5 stars] The Skatalites' return to a major label was long overdue. For a band whose original incarnation had only lasted 14 months in the '60s, their influence had been tremendous. Resurrected in 1983, they were definitely jazzers with a ska beat these days. Ball of Fire was made up of old Skatalites material, all reinterpeted by a band that included four founder members, and it taught a lesson in sophistication and swing to all aspiring ska instrumentalists. Everything had a groove; the solos were fluent and never self-indulgent. In other words, it was everything they ever aspired to be, and glorious fun, too. --Chris Nickson, Amazon.comtrax:

01. James Bond Theme 02. Latin Goes Ska 03. Confucius 04. Occupation 05. Rock Fort Rock 06. Eastern Standard Time 07. Ball Of Fire 08. Swing Easy 09. Ringo 10. Freedom Sound

...served by Toxxy...

"WEST COAST GUITAR KILLERS" Vol. 1

If you love the solid blues recordings of T-Bone Walker, or early Gatemouth Brown, then this CD is essential to your collection. Twenty five tracks of post war, West Coast box banging by the well known to the long forgotten. Every cut is killer. This cd features most of Guitar Shortys' 50's sides as well as hard core entries by Lafayette Thomas, Pete ''Guitar'' Lewis and Johnny Fuller

trax:

1. Let`s Go Smitty - Floyd Dixon w/Johnny "Guitar" Watson 2. Mean Old World - Johnny Fuller 3. Hard Life - Guitar Shorty 4. Ways Of A Man - Guitar Shorty 5. Tom Cat - Big Mama Thornton w/Lafayette Thomas 6. Midnight Blues - Baby Calloway 7. Scarred Knees - Little Miss Janice 8. Behind The Sun - The Rockin' Bros. 9. Weekly Blues - Lafayette Thomas 10. The Thing - Lafayette Thomas 11. Claim On You - Lafayette "Thing" Thomas 12. Old Memories - Lafayette "Thing" Thomas 13. One Nighter Blues - Johnny Otis Orch. w/Pete "Guitar" Lewis 14. Goomp Blues - Johnny Otis Orch. w/Pete "Guitar" Lewis 15. I`m Leaving You - Ivory Lucky (Ted Taylor) w/Bob Reed's Band 16. In The Wee Wee Hours - Joe Liggins & The Honeydrippers 17. Baby Please Don`t Go - Troyce Key w/Eddie Cochran 18. Watch Your Mouth - Troyce Key w/Eddie Cochran 19. How Long Will It Last - Guitar Shorty w/Bob Tate's Band 20. Love Loves - Guitar Shorty w/Bob Tate's Band 21. Brick - Johnny Morrisette 22. Lafayette`s A-Coming - Lafayette Thomas 23. Too Late To Change - Jimmy McCracklin w/Lafayette Thomas 24. I Never Thought - Guitar Shorty w/Bob Tate's Orch. 25. High Sailing - Claude & The Nightones

...served by Gyro1966...

The Skatalites "Anthology" 2007

Outstanding soloists like Tommy McCook, Don Drummond and Rolando Alphonso led Jamaica's foremost Ska band the Skatalites in the mid 1960s with accomplished technique and creative flair.This double CD set features the work of some of Jamaica's most accomplished musicians, who recorded together in the mid 1960s under the general moniker of the Skatalites. Performers such as the trombonist Don Drummond, the saxophonist Tommy McCook, and the trumpeter Baba Brooks perform freewheeling, irresistibly danceable classics such as "Lucky Seven," "Strolling In," and "Latin Goes Ska," in the offbeat island rhythm that was the precursor to bluebeat reggae, and dancehall.

trax Disc 1:

01. Latin Goes Ska 02. Yard Broom [Rolando Alphonso] 03. Street Corner 04. You Can Depend On Me [Rolando Alphonso] 05. River Bank, Pts. 1&2 [Baba Brooks] 06. Musical Store Room0 7. Musical Communion [Baba Brooks] 08. Feeling Fine [Rolando Alphonso] 09. Twelve Minutes To Go 10. Magic 11. Strolling In 12. Don-De-Lion 13. Apanga 14. Eastern Standard Time 15. Twilight Zone [Baba Brooks] 16. Blackberry Brandy [Rolando Alphonso] 17. Sandy Gully [Rolando Alphonso] 18. Country Town (In Mood) [Baba Brooks]

trax Disc 2:

01. Lucky Seven 02. The Clock [Baba Brooks] 03. Silver Dollar [Don Drummond] 04. Let George Do It [Don Drummond & Tommy McCook] 05. James Bond [Rolando Alphonso] 06. Knock Out Punch [Don Drummond] 07. Dr. Decker [Baba Brooks & Don Drummond] 08. Occupation [Don Drummond] 09. Inez [Tommy McCook & Lester Sterling] 10. Garden Of Love [Don Drummond] 11. Green Island 12. Cool Smoke [Don Drummond] 13. Real Cool [Tommy McCook] 14. Burning Torch [Don Drummond] 15. Stampede [Don Drummond] 16. Corner Stone [Rolando Alphonso] 17. Independence Anniversary Ska

...served by Toxxy...

STEVE GIBSON & THE RED CAPS "Boogie Woogie Ball" 1943-1955

If you like The Ink Spots or The Mills Brothers you will not be able to resist the harmonies that this collection of 57 original tracks has to offer! Rocking recordings such as, 'Boogie Woogie on a Saturday Night' are abundant throughout this set and later recordings feature the lead vocals of R&B diva Damita Jo before she went on to her solo career. Steve Gibson & The Red Caps were a top R&B group for decades and this wonderful 2CD set is a great introduction for the uninitiated and must have for fans alike.

trax disc 1:

01 Mama Put Your Britches On 02 Tuscaloosa 03 Grand Central Station 04 No Fish Today 05 Just For You 06 I've Learned A Lesson I'll Never Forget 07 Boogie Woogie Ball 08 Lenox Avenue Jump 09 Strictly On The Safety Side 10 Somebody's Lyin' 11 Was It You 12 Gabriel's Band 13 Sugar Lips 14 It's So Good Good Good 15 I'm So Crazy About You 16 Mary Had A Little Jam 17 Boogie Woogie On A Saturday Night 18 Atlanta G.A. 19 Get Off That Kick 20 I've Got A Hole In It 21 Monkey And The Baboon 22 You Can't See The Sun When You're Crying 23 Jack You're Dead 24 Wedding Bells Are Breaking Up That Old Gang Of Mine 25 If Money Grew On Trees (As The Toppers) 26 Palace Of Stone (As The Toppers) 27 I'm Living For You

trax disc 2:

01 Scratch And You'll Find It 02 Danny Boy 03 Blueberry Hill 04 I Want A Roof Over My Head 05 The Thing 06 Am I To Blame 07 I'm To Blame 08 Sidewalk Shuffle 09 Would I Mind 10 When You Come Back To Me 11 Boogie Woogie On A Saturday Night 12 Shame 13 Three Dollars And Ninety Eight Cents 14 D'Ya Eat Yet Joe 15 I May Hate Myself In The Morning 16 Two Little Kisses 17 Wait 18 I Went To Your Wedding 19 Why Don't You Love Me 20 Truthfully 21 Big Game Hunter 22 Do I, Do I, Do I 23 My Tzatskele (My Little Darling) 24 Win Or Lose 25 Feelin' Kinda Happy 26 Nuff Of That Stuff 27 Freehearted 28 Always 29 How I Cry 30 Bobbin'

...served by Gyro1966...

HOWARD TATE "Get It While You Can" The Legendary Sessions 1966-1968

The greatest soul singer ever to fall below '60s pop radar, Howard Tate remains a tantalizing cipher remembered only through explosive cover versions of his late '60s singles by a blue-chip array of fans including Janis Joplin, B.B. King, Jimi Hendrix, and Ry Cooder. Tate's original versions were even better: his ecstatic falsetto, sinuous tenor releases, and gruff asides placed him in a category of R&B vocal stylists as lofty as his stratospheric pompadour. But the Macon-born, Philadelphia-raised former doo-wopper eluded broader acclaim despite a string of powerful performances that just dented the charts. As produced by R&B stalwart Jerry Ragovoy, Tate's sessions mixed emotive standouts, including "Ain't Nobody Home," "Stop," "Get It While You Can," and "Look at Granny Run Run," with shrewd soul updates of electric blues classics like "How Blue Can You Get" and King's signature tune, "Everyday I Have the Blues." The singer's vein-popping performances are matched by rock-solid arrangements and production, well served in this overdue anthology. As for Tate, he disappeared into legend in the early '70s, making this mother lode of deathless soul all the more valuable. --Sam Sutherland, Soul Timetrax:

01 Ain't Nobody Home 02 Part-Time Love 03 Glad I Knew Better 04 How Blue Can You Get 05 Stop 06 Get It While You Can 07 Baby, I Love You 08 I Learned It All The Hard Way 09 Sweet Love Child 10 Everyday I Have The Blues 11 How Come My Bulldog Don't Bark 12 Look At Granny Run Run 13 Half A Man 14 Shoot 'Em All Down 15 Give Me Some Courage 16 Night Owl 17 I'm Your Servant

...served by Gyro1966...

The Majority "The Decca Years 1965-68" 2009

This collection compiles almost all of the tracks they recorded as singles for Decca Records between 1965 and 1968, including the blistering ‘One Third’, which is now hailed as a classic example of prime 60s freakbeat. Many of these recordings are making their first appearance on CD, including the adventurous beat of their debut ‘Pretty Little Girl’ (which features Jimmy Page on lead guitar) and ‘A Little Bit of Sunlight’, a superb song written by Ray Davies but never recorded by his group, the Kinks.The Majority issued eight U.K. singles on Decca between 1965 and 1968 without reaching the British charts, though they were a reasonably accomplished band, especially in the vocal harmony department. This CD has everything from those singles with the exception of the 1967 cover of the pop standard "I Hear a Rhapsody," omitted at the specific request of the group (and described as "horrific" in the liner notes). The Majority sounded more American than the typical British Invasion band, with harmonies and, usually, material more in line with U.S. pop/rock acts like the Beach Boys and sunshine pop groups than most of their U.K. peers. While it's fairly enjoyable stuff, it's easy to hear why they became a sort of "in-between" group, with too much going for them to get dropped from their label, but not enough going for them to score hit records. One reason is that they didn't establish much of an identity, their arrangements veering from mild British Invasion sounds to quasi-Walker Brothers productions and late-'60s British orchestrated pop with the slightest of psychedelic touches. Another is that none of their material, most of it supplied by outside writers, was particularly great, though it was usually pleasant (if not much more). They did do songs by some outstanding composers, including Chip Taylor, who co-wrote "Wait by the Fire," and the Bee Gees, whose "All Our Christmases" was never issued by the Bee Gees themselves. British Invasion fanatics after rare original tunes donated to other acts by members of big groups will also want to hear "A Little Bit of Sunlight," a Ray Davies composition not issued by the Kinks at the time (though Davies did a demo that eventually circulated). Incidentally, The Majority also covered Davies' "Ring the Bells," though they did a far less notable job on that fine number than the Kinks themselves did. They were at their best when they sounded a bit like a poppier Zombies, as they do on "One Third" (which was included on the Nuggets, Vol. 2 box), "Tears Won't Help," and "Wait by the Fire." So it's an ephemeral British '60s rock comp in all, but certainly put together with class, with comprehensive liner notes and rare photos. --Richie Unterberger, AllMusic [Rating: 4,5/5 stars]trax:

1. Pretty Little Girl 2. I Dont Wanna Be Hurt No More 3. A Little Bit Of Sunlight 4. Shut Em Down In London Town 5. We Kiss In The Shadow 6. Ring The Bells 7. Simplified 8. One Third 9. To Make Me A Man 10. Tears Wont Help 11. Wait By The Fire 12. Running Away With My Baby 13. Let The Joybells Ring 14. All Our Christmases 15. People

...served by Toxxy...

JIMMY WITHERSPOON "Spoon Sings The Blues" 1946-1950

Born in Gurdon, Arkansas on August 8, 1923, and easily one of the top hard-driving blues shouters/bassists of all time, Jimmy Witherspoon honed his skills with The Jay McShann Orchestra from 1944 to 1947, and with Roy Milton & His Solid Senders from 1947 to 1951. This collection represents a cross variety of his output in the years 1946 to 1950, including four of his six charted singles which he registered for the Supreme (2), Modern (2), and Capitol (1) labels from 1949 to 1975.

Ain't Nobody's Business Parts 1 and 2, with The Jay McShann Orchestra, became his first hit when it surged to # 1 R&B in March-April 1949 on Supreme 1506, spending a total of 34 weeks on those charts. Later that year, again with the Jay McShann orchestra backing, he took In The Evening to # 5 R&B b/w Six-Foot-Two Blues on Supreme 1533.

By the end of the year his releases were being handled by Modern and in December they issued No Rollin' Blues b/w Big Fine Girl with the backing of The Gene Gilbeau Quartet on Modern 721. Early in 1950 both sides climbed to # 4 R&B. His next hit wouldn't come until April 1952 when The Wind Is Blowin' topped out at # 7 R&B b/w Would My Baby Make A Change? on Modern 857. Some 23 long years later he would have his last hit single, this time with Capitol, when Love Is A Five Letter Word peaked at # 31 R&B in February 1975 b/w The Other Side Of Love on Capitol 3998.

Jimmy passed away on September 18, 1997 at age 74. This CD - with great digitally-remastered sound and interesting liner notes written by Jean Buzelin - is a perfect way to sample 21 of his finest performances at a more than reasonable price, with Jimmy ably assisted throughout by tenor saxophonist Ben Webster, pianist Jay McShann and drummer Chico Hamilton. (Avid Oldies Collector)

trax:

01 Roll On Katy 02 Gone With The Blues 03 Bar Fly Blues 04 Please Stop Playing These Blues, Boy 05 Christmas Blues 06 Cain River Blues 07 Ain't Nobody's Business 08 Backwater Blues 09 Frogimore Blues 10 In The Evening 11 Early Morning Blues 12 Money Eyes Woman 13 Call My Baby 14 Sweet Lovin' Baby 15 Jump Children 16 Doctor Blues 17 Big Fine Girl 18 No Rollin' Blues 19 I'm Goin' Round In Circles 20 Just A Country Boy 21 There Ain't Nothin' Better 22 I'm Just Wonderin'

...served by Gyro1966...