A rare soul treasure – previously unissued work from Little Willie John, cut for Capitol Records by the mighty David Axelrod! The pairing is quite unique, but it's a great one – and if anything, Little Willie John sparkles here even more than on his later King sides – finding a hipper
60s groove that moves way past older R&B modes! Willie's vocals are still wonderful, and they're set up here with arrangements from HB Barnum – who brings
in plenty of bounce, snap, and vamp to the grooves – similar to his more famous Axelrod productions for Lou Rawls, but rougher and grittier here
in the company of John. A few cuts bring
in more ambitious backings – taking Little Willie into the same space as his longtime fan and supporter
James Brown – at least
in the way
Brown hit ballads during the
60s – and given Axelrod's hand
in the studio, there's a clarity here that the singer hardly would have found at King Records, who blocked the initial release of this material back
in the
60s. CD features 20 tracks
in all – a number of alternates, and the master takes – with tunes that include "Crying Over You", "Country Girl", "Suffering With The Blues", "Never Let Me Go", "I Had A Dream", "
In The Dark", "Welcome To The Club", "I Need Someone", and "Early
In The Morning".
(Soul, Blues)