All Categories — All Formats  

3 tracks of pop-club crossover, not quite as sublime as their hit "Genius Of Love", but still loads of fun, with a post-punk Danceteria vibe.

A weird version of this one – almost folk-funk, with sweet arrangements from Brooks Arthur!

An early 80s classic from Richard Dimples Fields – one of the most unique talents in soul music of his generation – with an appeal that's both down home, and smoothly sophisticated at the time! In a way, Fields' music represents many changes his audience was going through at the time – classing things up a bit, and heading into the mainstream – yet still very much concerned about the same issues and challenges of years past. The approach is almost southern soul by way of southern California – rough edges polished out, but still earthy enough to hang out with the crowd from back home. Almost all titles are originals, and Richard handled most of the production too – on tracks that include "If It Ain't One Thing It's Another", "After I Put My Lovin On You", "Baby Work Out", "Mr Look So Good", "Taking Applications", and "A Freak On The Side".

Smooth soul from Cliff Dawson – a singer as classy as his look on the cover, and definitely a cut above most of the mainstream soul artists of his time! The album's an overlooked gem that's very nicely put together – well recorded, arranged with a subtle flair, and usually done with a warmer sound than you might guess for the vintage of the set – almost like some late 70s underground modern soul set, which is saying plenty to ears like ours! Thor Baldursson did most of the arrangements, but in ways that are much more restrained than his disco years – and titles include "It's Not Me You Love", "Waiting For Your Love", "Betcha Didn't Know", "I Can Love You Better", "Ocean Green Eyes", and "Never Say I Do".

A dozen of the biggest numbers from the seminal vocal group, including "There Goes My Baby", "(If You Cry) True Love, True Love", "Dance With Me", "This Magic Moment", "Save The Last Dance For Me", "I Count The Tears", "Some Kind Of Wonderful", "Up On The Roof", "On Broadway","Under The Boardwalk", "I've Got Sand In My Shoes" and "Saturday Night At The Movies".

The legendary vocals of Aaron Neville – heard here in one of his most old-school sessions in years! The songs are all vintage R&B – material that even pre-dates Neville's famous years in New Orleans soul, and which goes back to a late 50s/early 60s genre that seems to fit Aaron's sound wonderfully! Things are never schmaltzy at all, and the recording quality is great – mostly just small group backing, with lead guitar from Keith Richards – and backup vocals from older doo wop legends like Bobby Jay and Eurgene Pitt! Titles include "Work With Me Annie", "Gypsy Woman", "Ruby Baby", "My True Story", "Be My Baby", "Money Honey", and "Under The Boardwalk".

Atlantic soul live – recorded in a great grassroots setting! The performance comes from the Uptown Theater in Philly – as important to that city as The Apollo was to New York – and features a host of key Atlantic Records talents from the 60s, really hitting some hard and heavy notes in the live setting – with a bit of MC introduction at the start from Jimmy Bishop! There's a few great surprises here – artists you don't normally associate with Atlantic – and titles include "Mixed Up Shook Up Girl" by Patty & The Emblems, "Can't You Hear The Beat" by The Carltons, "My Girl Sloopy" and "The Watusi" by The Vibrations – plus "Under The Boardwalk" and "On Broadway" by The Drifters, "Down The Aisle" by Patti LaBelle & The Bluebells, and "I'm Gonna Cry" and "If You Need Me" by Wilson Pickett.

Two organ and tenor classics – back to back on a single CD – with some bonus cuts too! Four Dimensions is sweet soulful work from the legendary Don Patterson – a great Prestige set that has tenorist Houston Person joining the organist's hip trio with Pat Martino on guitar and Billy James on drums! The tunes have that loping soul jazz sound you'd find in Person's best early work at the time – a groove that's got plenty of bottom, but also a nice dose of lyricism as well – and the use of Houston's horn here seems to bring out a different approach from Patterson than you'll hear on his sessions with Booker Ervin. There's a very slight hardbop element at times – and titles include "Sandu", "Freddie Tooks Jr", "Red Top", and "Last Train From Overbrook". Next up are most of the tracks from the album Hip Cake Walk – a massive pairing of the tenor of Booker Ervin and Hammond of Don Patterson – a record that's got a very famous cover image, and which marks for one of the greatest meetings of soul and modernism at mid-60s Prestige Records! There's no bass at all on the set – just lots of quick, tight rhythm lines from Patterson on the pedals of the Hammond – mixed with drums from Billy James, and served up with plenty of space for Ervin to open up on tenor – blowing with more soul than on some of his modernist sides of the time! Oddly, the CD does not include the title cut – "Hip Cake Walk" – but does include the other 4 tracks from the album, "Rosetta", "Sister Ruth", "Under The Boardwalk", and "Donald Duck". CD also features more Ervin/Patterson material from the same session – the tracks "Sentimental Journey", "Theme For Dee", and "Just Friends".