Soul — All Formats  

Some of the hippest Detroit soul of the 60s – a wealth of wonderful recordings done by legendary producer Don Davis! In the 70s, Don would make some huge marks in the mainstream with groups like The Dramatics, Dells, and others – but these sides represent the initial flowering of the Davis' genius in the Motor City – a magnificent melding of that scene's tightness with some rootsier, harder-edged vocals that really send the tunes home! We'd be hard-pressed to think of a better start to dig into the Detroit scene past Motown – and in addition to rare singles, the set also features some unissued tracks too. Titles include "Somebody Needs You" by Darrell Banks, "Love On A Lease Plan" by Johnnie Taylor, "Girl Crazy" by Sharon Soul, "A Love That Never Grows Cold" by Jackey Beavers, "I'm The One Who Loves You" by Melvin Davis, "Headache In My Heart" by Debonaires, "I Need You Like A Baby" by Andrea Henry, "Who's Kissing You Tonite" by Herman Lewis, "Has It Happened To You Yet" by Edwin Starr, "That's Why I Love You" by The Professionals, "Deeper In Love" by Robert Ward, "Friday Night" by Steve Mancha, and "When You Lose The One You Love" by Buddy Smith.

Soul & blues performances from Hoss Allen's 1966 Rhythm & Blues Revue program which ran on US television and is purported to be the first syndicated series ever revolving around black singers in the US! The history is incredible, but the compilation is all around the music and it's great stuff – featuring Gatemouth Brown, Rodge Martin, The Beat Boys, Earl Gaines, The Might Hannibal, Robert parker, Cleo Randle and many more. 24 tracks in all: "Have You Ever Been Mistreated" by Gatemouth Brown, "Hitch Hike" by The Beat Boys, "Empty Arms & Bitter Tears" by Gerri Taylor, "Respect" by Rodge Martin, "I Don't Know Why I Love You" by Clarence "Frogman" Henry, "24 Hours A Day" by Earl Gaines and much more.

An under-discovered treasure trove of southern soul – incredible early 70s work from the Sounds Of Memphis label – arguably a hipper imprint than Stax Records at the time! Sounds Of Memphis, and related XL imprint, were a perfect showcase for the growing sophistication in southern soul at the time – the generation of artists who were shaking off the cliches of soul that played big with crossover crowds in the 60s, but which were holding back development of the music in the following decade. The styles here are every bit as rootsy as before, but they offer up new sounds, new styles, new subjects, and new singers – plus some older artists who shine even more brightly in this setting. The package is a great counterpart to the other Sounds Of Memphis set on Kent – that based on Barbara & The Browns – and the production, presentation, and care of this set is every bit as great as that one. Titles include "I Can't Be Satisfied" by Spencer Wiggins, "Last Mile Of The Way" by The Minits, "You're Welcome Back" by Ann Hodge, "Tell Him Tonight" by Rudolph Taylor, "Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Love" by Lou Roberts, "Talking About The Love I Have For You" by George Jackson, "Hook Like & Sinker" by Dan Greer, "You Can Lead Your Woman To The Altar" by William Bollinger, "Take It From Someone Who Knows" by The Ovations, "California Dreamin" by The Jacksonians, "Let the Movement Last" by Vision, and "Play Thing (alt mix)" by Barbara & The Browns.