Northern Soul's Classiest Rarities, Vol. 2

by N/A

Overview

Great sounding and dense with information Northern Soul's Classiest Rarities, Vol. 2 is a true labor of love, compiling 24 solid tracks on the Kent label, a follow-up to the first volume released in 2001, four years before this wonderful sequel. It is sonically superior to another 2001 classic, Northern Soul Connoisseurs on Spectrum/Uni, the huge quantity of these anthologies from this music genre almost as overwhelming as the 45 rpm singles they collect. Ady Croasdell delivers 12 pages of liner notes on slick paper rife with photographs and copies of the actual labels from some of the 45s contained herein. The music is breathtakingly magical, the "Heatwave" beat driving the Extremes "How I Need Your Love" sliding quickly into Jimmy "Bo" Horne's "I Can't Speak," hardcore doo wop merging with '60s pop creating sweet soul confections that stand up to repeated, endless spins. Isaac Hayes and Joe Shamwell combine to write the superb "Sea Shells" as voiced by the Charmels, produced by the legendary Hayes/Porter combo. It's followed by William Hunt's dynamite version of Bobby Hebb's "Would You Believe," also recorded by original Procol Harum drummer Bobby Harrison, as well as Grady Tate and Kenny Lonas. The song lineage here will no doubt make Northern soul fans' mouths water for more versions of these hard-to-find classics. Lonas' rendition goes for a good hundred dollars if you can find it, Hunt's version that's included here is probably even rarer as it came from a Steamside demo. For students of the genre, Croasdell's liner notes are thorough and worth putting on the xerox machine to enlarge and cherish as you read them and listen to Janice Christian with Johnny & the Charmers performing "Just a Bad Thing," which sounds like Barbara Lewis and the Toys' Barbara Harris all rolled into one -- and how can you not help but love that! Jennifer Wells "Dining in Chinatown" is bright and full of fun, reminiscent of Ramona King's "Oriental Garden," though more up-tempo. Jackie Washington's "Why Won't They Let Me Be" is also a standout, but there's not a bad track on these two dozen sides which have not only stood the test of time, they've escaped total obscurity by virtue of their inclusion here. ~ Joe Viglione

Product Details

Release Date:	07/12/2005
Label:	Ace / Kent
UPC:	0029667224826
Rank:	97109

Tracks

1. (Just a Little) Faith and Understanding  - Frank Jones  -  Magicians
2. You Just Don't Know  - Kent Harris
3. Losin' Control  -  Fashionettes
4. I Wanna Be Free  - Joe Tex
5. Contagious Love  - Eddie Campbell
6. I'm Waiting  - Bill Bush
7. How I Need Your Love  - Andrew Douglas
8. I Can't Speak  - Willie Clarke  - Jimmy Bo Horne  - Clarence Reid
9. Two Lovers  - James Thompson  -  Voice Masters
10. Just a Bad Thing  - Walter Gates
11. Dining in Chinatown  - Jennifer Wells
12. You Got What You Want
13. Wild Side  - Denita James
14. Love Has Taken Over Me  - Herbert Hunter  - Ted Jarrett
15. Miss Fine Miss Fine  - Isaac Hayes  - David Porter  -  White
16. I Finally Got Wise  - Billy Keen
17. It's Only a Paper Moon  - Harold Arlen  - E.Y. "Yip" Harburg
18. It Ain't What I Do (It's the Way I Do It)
19. Gotta Keep On  - Louise Whitney
20. Jerk Baby Jerk
21. She Could Love Me
22. Why Won't They Let Me Be  - Jackie Washington
23. Sea Shells  - Isaac Hayes  - Joe Shamwell
24. Would You Believe  - Bobby Hebb  - William T. Hunt

Album Credits

Performance Credits

William T. Hunt   Primary Artist
Eddie Campbell   Primary Artist
Herbert Hunter   Primary Artist
Jennifer Wells   Primary Artist
The Magicians   Primary Artist
Jimmy "Bo" Horne   Primary Artist
Danny White & Linda Nail   Primary Artist
The Voice Masters   Primary Artist
The Fashionettes   Primary Artist
Denita James   Primary Artist
Jackie Washington   Primary Artist
Joe Tex   Primary Artist
Billy Keen   Primary Artist
Louise Whitney   Primary Artist
Bill Bush   Primary Artist
David Porter   Conductor
Frank Metis   Conductor
Isaac Hayes   Conductor

Technical Credits

Buddy Killen   Producer
Willie Clarke   Composer
Ted Jarrett   Composer
E.Y. "Yip" Harburg   Composer
David Porter   Arranger,Composer
Pete Dino   Arranger
Walter Gates   Composer
Adam Skeaping   Mastering
Bill Bush   Composer
Art Barrett   Producer
Clifford Davis   Producer
Jackie Washington   Composer
Trade Martin   Arranger,Producer
Steve Alaimo   Producer
Harold Arlen   Composer
Bobby Hebb   Composer
Kent Harris   Composer,Producer
Billy Mure   Arranger,Producer
Isaac Hayes   Arranger,Composer
Brad Shapiro   Producer
Ady Croasdell   Annotation
Andrew Douglas   Composer
James Thompson   Composer
Ray Shanklin   Arranger
Richard Barrett   Producer
Joe Tex   Composer
Frank Jones   Composer
Joe Shamwell   Composer
Eddie Campbell   Composer
Ben Tucker   Producer
Barry White   Arranger
Clarence Reid   Composer
Cliff Goldsmith   Producer