With the release of
Soul, Inc., Vol. 1,
Gear Fab commences a new phase in the label's history with the release of an entirely new original album by a band that never before had an album of material. A singles band from Kentucky,
Soul, Inc. was formed in 1965 when guitarist
Wayne Young and drummer
Marvin Maxwell secured a place on
Dick Clark's Caravan of Stars tour prior to even forming a band! So the story goes the two hired some musicians, then proceeded with the tour backing up the likes of
Lou Christi,
Reparata & the Delrons, and others on their first gig together. On the second
Dick Clark tour,
Soul, Inc. opened as a standalone band and quickly became a favorite of many of the top acts of the day including
Paul Revere & the Raiders. Over the next few months,
Soul, Inc. built a reputation for itself and began recording singles. The band recorded songs for the
Rondo,
Star Records,
Boss, and
Counterpart labels and became one of the most popular acts in Kentucky. Now for the first time,
Gear Fab has collected 20 of the band's singles recorded between 1965 and 1969 on one set.
Vol. 1 contains more than 50 minutes of music from one of the mid-'60s most legendary and exciting, but virtually unknown bands, outside of Kentucky. The music of the
Soul, Inc. ranges from
Beatles-influenced pop, garage rock, and surf-styled instrumentals to Motown soul and psychedelic rock. A more detailed and informative essay on the band can be found in the CD booklet and, as with all
Gear Fab releases, the sound quality is taken from master tapes where possible, and is superb except where original sources have deteriorated -- these tracks have been included only because of historical significance. With the release of this first compilation of
Soul, Inc.'s singles, the band will finally get the exposure and appreciation of a wider audience that they missed the first time around. This album represents a fantastic piece of lost American music history that will be further explored in a second volume of music by
Soul, Inc. ~ Keith Pettipas
