O.V. Wright - The Complete Recorded Works By The Boss Of Southern Soul for Backbeat/ABC, disc 3 - 5

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The weekend is here, and you know how we do at Chitlins!!  Enjoy the final three albums that complete this glorious boxset - all ripped with EAC to FLAC.

Soul Shots Volume 2

Allright, I'm going to try this again, Volume One did not exactly incite a torrent of love. If you are, like Chubbs and more than a few others I'd guess, keeping a digital jukebox, well this series is for you. Classic Soul, not always the version of the song you know, and many artists you are not likely to collect individually. Frankly, a perfect recipe for a collection actually useful to an already rabid Soul fan.

Cow Cow Davenport - The Essential...

Now I surely don't want anyone to think that my historic Blues piano stuff was anywhere near over so I'm going to slip this one into our little August Soul festival.

Charles Edward "Cow Cow" Davenport (April 23, 1894 – December 3, 1955) Anniston, Alabama.

Arnold Caplin, on the liner notes to the album Hot Pianos 1926-1940 reports that Davenport started playing the piano at age 12. His family objected strongly to his musical aspirations and sent him to a theological seminary, where he was expelled for playing ragtime.

Davenport's career began in the 1920s when he joined Banhoof's Traveling Carnival, a medicine show. His first fame came as accompanist to blues musicians Dora Carr and Ivy Smith. Davenport and Carr performed as a Vaudeville act as Davenport & Co. He also performed with Tampa Red. Davenport recorded for many record labels, and was a talent scout and artist for Vocalion Records. Davenport suffered a stroke in the early 1930s and lost movement in his hands. He was washing dishes when he was found by the jazz pianist Art Hodes in 1938. Hodes assisted in his rehabilitation and helped him find new recording contracts.

His best-known tune was "Cow Cow Blues". In 1953, "Cow Cow Blues" was an influence on the Ahmet Ertegün-written "Mess Around" by Ray Charles' which was Charles' first step away from his Nat "King" Cole-esque style, and into the style he would employ throughout the 1950s for Atlantic Records.

"Cow-Cow Boogie (Cuma-Ti-Yi-Yi-Ay)" [1943] was probably named for him, but he did not write it. It was penned by Benny Carter, Gene de Paul and Don Raye. It combined the then popular "Western song" craze (exemplified by Johnny Mercer's "I'm an Old Cowhand") with the big band / boogie-woogie fad. The track was written for the Abbott and Costello film, Ride 'Em Cowboy.

Davenport claimed to have been the composer of "Mama Don't Allow It". He also said he had written the Louis Armstrong hit "I'll be Glad When You're Dead (You Rascal You)", but sold the rights and credit to others.

Cow Cow was known to have made recordings under the pseudonyms of Bat The Humming Bird, George Hamilton and The Georgia Grinder.

Cow Cow Davenport, who died in 1955 in Cleveland, Ohio, of hardening of the arteries is a member of the Alabama Music Hall of Fame. Cripple Clarence Lofton called him a major influence.

O.V. Wright & The Luckett Brothers - 4 & 20 Elders

Here is a little icing on the cake for the current O.V. Wright love fest at this blog.  These are about the last remaining recordings of O.V. Wright that have not been posted here yet.  These are also his last recordings, made just one month before O.V.'s untimely death.

Like his first recordings, O.V. Wright's last efforts were in gospel.  He joins the Luckett Brothers on four tracks for this album: Four and Twenty and Elders, Give an Account, He'll Understand and Say Well Done, and Stand Up and Testify.

It would be hard to argue that these are among the best O.V. Wright recordings, and opinions differ as to their merits.  Bill Pollak on his website calls it a "half-hearted attempt late in life by Wright to return to the fold with one of his former gospel groups. Wright sounds lost and uncommitted."   I don't hear it that way.  Of course, Bill Pollak also perceives a sharp decline in O.V.'s work for Hi Records relative to Backbeat, which I also don't hear.   While there may be nothing genuinely earth-shattering here, O.V.'s singing sounds quite good to me on this album, as it does virtually everywhere else.  The words "lost" or "uncommitted" would certainly not come to my mind to characterize these performances.  The Luckett Brothers tacks without O.V. are also quite nice.  

In any case, take a listen yourselves and come to your own opinions.   

O.V. Wright - The Complete Recorded Works By The Boss Of Southern Soul for Backbeat/ABC, disc 2

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I think this may be my favorite disc from this box set.  It was created specifically for inclusion with this set, as a way to capture all of his wonderful Backbeat 45's which never found a home on an LP.  As a result, we get a grouping of really strong songs which have been tracked with alot of thought.

It's probably an unfair comparison, but aside from "Nickel And A Nail..." I don't think any of his LPs really approach this CD in terms of material.  Damn near every song on this disc is a winner, and with O.V.s treatment added to the fray we get a really memorable album.

There's no doubt in my mind that "That's How Strong My Love Is" is probably the greatest soul ballad of all time when sung by O.V. Wright.  Other stand outs for me would be "What Did You Tell This Girl Of Mine", "Henpecked Man" and "Drowning On Dry Land".  Willie Mitchell was the musical force behind the production, so of course it's impeccable.  Probably the most aptly named album of all, "Treasured Moments" is exactly that.  Once again we have a perfect EAC rip to 16/44.1 FLAC.  Don't miss this or the upcoming posts, truly amazing music and sound quality... only at the Crypt.  Taken from the second pressing of the P-Vine boxset released in 2009.  Enjoy!!!

O.V. Wright - The Complete Recorded Works By The Boss Of Southern Soul for Backbeat/ABC, disc 1

by Bill Pollak (Originally published in MusicHound R&B: The Essential Album Guide, Gary Graff, Josh Freedom du Lac, and Jim McFarlin (eds.); Visible Ink Press (Detroit, MI): 1998.)

Born Overton Vertis Wright, October 9, 1939, in Leno, TN. Died November 16, 1980, in Mobile, AL.

"Let's not mince words: O.V. Wright was the greatest deep-soul singer ever. By the time he cut his first secular recording, "That's How Strong My Love Is" for Goldwax Records of Memphis, Tennessee (1964), Wright was already a well-known and successful gospel singer, having sung and recorded with gospel groups such as the Spirit of Memphis Quartet and the Sunset Travelers. Wright is by no means the only artist to abandon the sanctuary of the church in search of the rewards and temptations of the secular world. The pop recordings of Sam Cooke, Al Green, Aretha Franklin, and Johnnie Taylor all make overt or oblique reference to the trauma of this self-imposed exile. But in the work of no other artist, with the possible exception of Green, does this exile play so central a role. Wright's recordings are unmistakably the work of a spiritually troubled man. As if to underscore the gravity of his choice, Wright's secular recordings, more than those of any of his peers, cleave faithfully to the style, structure, and most importantly the feeling and fervor of the deepest and most heartfelt gospel music. The presence of this theme in all of his strongest performances--"You're Gonna Make Me Cry," "Eight Men,

Four Women," "Everybody Knows (The River Song)," "Born All Over," "Heartaches, Heartaches," "Memory Blues"--give them a timeless universality that places them on a par with the hymns of Mahalia Jackson, the blues of Robert Johnson, or the country music of Hank Williams.

There were two distinct periods in Wright's 15-year secular career, delineated by the demise of his first record label, Back Beat, which had been owned and operated by the don of Houston rhythm and blues, Don Robey. Midway in his career, Wright migrated to Hi Records, where his longtime producer Willie Mitchell was the principal talent director. (Somehow he fails to mention that Wright went to prison for narcotics, his label was sold to ABC and Don Robey died so his hold on OV was gone. ABC was not interested in him when he was released from prison so he was a free agent picked up by old friend Willie Mitchell who was now producer and AR guy for Hi Records! Surprising in what is otherwise a nice piece.) Few artists in any medium exhibit so huge a gap between artistic quality and commercial success as O.V. Wright. Wright's two most successful records, "You're Gonna Make Me Cry" and "Eight Men, Four

Women," came early in his career at Back Beat, and neither recording received any airplay outside the circumscribed world of 1960s R&B radio. In fact, R&B radio in the late 1960s, the heyday of southern gospel-inflected soul music, is the only radio format during the years spanned by Wright's career in which it is possible to imagine Wright's chilling statements from the spiritual void finding a home. Wright is an artist whose reputation is destined to grow with the historical perspective afforded by time.

Willie Mitchell's production values and house musicians (the Hi Rhythm Section, among others) were essential elements in the brilliance of Wright's recordings. Mitchell had achieved great commercial and artistic success helping Al Green craft a new kind of Memphis soul music in the 1970s. Undoubtedly motivated by the desire to help Wright achieve more of the success and recognition that he so deserved, Mitchell attempted to adapt this softer, more melodic sound to Wright's recordings during Wright's later period at Hi Records. That this sound was not entirely suited to Wright's unique gifts provides one explanation for the relative superiority of the Back Beat recordings. Another factor is that, by all accounts, the O.V. Wright who recorded for Hi was deteriorating from a drug habit that ultimately claimed his life. A comparison of the photographs from the BackBeat albums and the later Hi albums provides stark evidence of his physical deterioration. He died in an ambulance, en route to the hospital, at the age of 41, consumed by the music that haunted him and the life that went with it."

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I have used KCs original post, but we will be looking at this wondrous boxset again.  This time, we have found a copy of the second edition released from P-Vine.  This included 5 mini LP style albums, of which we will be sharing here with all of you lucky souls!!!  The set itself has gone out of print quickly each time it's been released to market - no surprise there.  At this point, the real beauty of having access to these great tracks is the fact that the box costs 2 - 300 on the grey market!!

P-Vine really did soul fans a solid on this collection, the remastering is incredible, particularily on the older Goldwax 45s.  I have decided to start things off with 8 Men And 4 Women, simply because it's my favorite tune by the man.  It also contains a couple other real zingers like "You're Gonna Make Me Cry", but I think you'll notice something else about this side.  Aside from the few exceptional tracks, alot of the material, at least in my mind, comes across as pretty straightforward.  The tunes are pretty run of the mill, and in anybody else's hands would probably have been dropped to the cutting room floor.  I'm thinking of songs like "Why Don't You Believe Me" and "Can't Find True Love".  O.V. really shows his interpretive skills on this album, and that's what makes it really special in his discography.

The first time this post went up I didn't even know who this legend was - now much like KC, he is my favorite.  I think the best evidence lies in his (the FIRST) cut of "That's How Strong My Love Is".  When compared to Otis, in my mind it's 10 times more the ballad.  O.V. really found the heart of that track.  When I listen to Otis rendition, I find his phrasing really diminishes the feeling as does the rather hokey shuffle beat that sets the tone.  I am not trying to pit Otis against O.V.!!!  But hell this man could out do the so called best of them, so let's shed some light on it.  At this point, I think O.V. Wright is more than just my favorite soul artist, he is possibly the most significant for the genre.  That's a tall order but he was really responsible for tying together the old school with what was to come.  It's a shame he never seemed to get the attention he deserved.

Anyhow gang, this was ripped using EAC and is in 16/44.1 FLAC.  Tremendous!!!  We will be following it up with the rest of the set so keep your eyes peeld on Chitlins in the upcoming weeks.  Nothin but a party y'all!!!

O.V. Wright - On Stage (Live In Japan)

O V Wright is a big fave of all of us here at Chitlins...
KC has supplied a biography accompanying  his post of 'The Complete Backbeat and ABC Recordings', which are undeniably OV's  greatest achievements ( Check this out under the 'Featuring' tag ).
 Preslives provided us with his earlier gospel  recordings and Poppachubby has become a new and cherished fan of this great Southern deep-soul singer ( Chubbs will have more to say about OV in some great future posts here ... so stay tuned)
This is OV's only known and available live recording - Made up of performances recorded over 2 nights in Tokyo during September 1979 on his sole visit to Japan - He is accompanied by the Hi Records Rhythm section, consisting of the Hodges brothers, Charles, Leroy and Teenie on keyboards, bass and guitar,   Howard Grimes on drums, Melvin Rodgers trumpet, Dennis Bates trombone and James Webb backing vocals.

It's a tight soulful funky production with OV delighting the crowd with his heartfelt forthright vocals, performing most of his best loved numbers along with some very tasteful covers. You'd be a fool to miss this....So enjoy.
Tracks - 1. I'd Rather Be Blind Crippled And Crazy 2. Ace Of Spades 3. Eight Men And Four Women 4. Precious Precious 5. Love And Happiness 6. Medley - God Blessed Our Love - When A Man Loves A Woman - That's How Strong My Love Is - You're Gonna Make Me Cry 7. Into Something (Can't Shake Loose)

Roy Roberts - Strange Love

How about something from the world of current music? One of the old school Southern Soul warriors who is still cookin', Mr. Roy Roberts.

"Roy Roberts became hooked on music while growing up in a small town in Tennessee, listening to blues and R&B on radio stations WLAC out of Nashville. Jimmy Reed’s “Baby What You Want Me to Do” was the clincher and at the age of 14, Roy worked on a nearby farm to earn the money for his first guitar, a mail order Sears Silvertone.

When he turned 18, he moved to Greensboro, North Carolina to live with an uncle. There he had another inspiration to become a professional musician, when he and a carload of friends happened upon a nightclub where Jerry Butler was performing and making quite an impression on the ladies. Roy sharpened his skills while playing in makeshift bands until he landed a job with local hero Guitar Kimbers’ Untouchables. Before long, Roy was backing up major artists who came through town. One of those artists, Solomon Burke, took young Roy under his wing after letting him sit in as a bass player during a local gig. He was soon handling the guitar chores behind the future soul legend on tour. Roberts subsequently picked up touring gigs with such luminaries as Eddie Floyd, “Little” Stevie Wonder, Dee Clark, and Otis Redding, while fronting his own band, The Roy Roberts Experience, on the regional club scene and Southeastern beach town circuit.

Roy began to cut records in the mid-sixties, staying mostly behind the scenes as a session man. The tragic death of Otis Redding inspired him to step up to the microphone with a song dedicated to the late crooner. The record was released on Nina Simone’s NinaAndy label and backed by an ace studio band. Roy followed this successful effort with a string of 45’s that carried him well into the seventies. During the disco years, Roy turned his talents to country music, touring with the great O.B. McClinton and releasing a number of country records. After a brief hiatus from the music scene, Roy built a recording studio in Virginia in 1989, where he produced records by regional gospel artists and cut a gospel record of his own.

One day in the early nineties, he heard a young Robert Cray singing the blues on the radio. “That cat’s got my style,” he declared, and got the blues fever once again. Besides recording his own material on Rock House, Roberts has produced albums for the label by Priscilla Price, Lou Pride, Chick Willis, Skeeter Brandon, Floyd Miles, Eddie Floyd, and many more. Roy continues to record and produce records for his label, and tours the U.S. and Europe regularly. After receiving numerous awards, Roy has earned his place among the finest artists playing blues today." From the RR website, 

Being that Roy is a living working artist I encourage everyone to visit his site and buy something, I'm about to; the site is a pretty good model on personal marketing, it looks to me to be fairly certain that your money is actually going to the artist!

Pete Johnson - Pete's Lonesome Blues

I had to delete an angry tirade from the front of this post - I just don't want to go there anymore. Just know that I would appreciate it if we had a bit more participation around here. Around 10 good friends seem to carry the entire load and I'd love to know what more of you think.You can't have many other places where your opinions would get any intelligent consideration.

01. Minuet Boogie (2:40)
02. Zero Hours (3:13)
03. Mutiny In The Doghouse (2:29)
04. 1946 Stomp (2:53)
05. Answer To The Boogie (2:25)
06. Hollywood Boogie (2:49)
07. Mr. Freddy Blues (2:58)
08. Backroom Blues (2:49)
09. Central Avenue Drag (2:50)
10. Bottomland Boogie (3:08)
11. Pete Kay Boogie (3:03)
12. Light Out Mood (3:05)
13. Rock It Boogie (3:07)
14. Mr. Drums Meets Mr. Piano (2:46)
15. Wiley's Boogie (2:53)
16. Pete's Lonesome Blues (2:45)
17. 66 Stomp (2:47)
18. Kaycee Feeling (2:52)
19. Dive Bomber (2:59)
20. Yancy Street Boogie (2:41)

Another nice collection of Pete Johnson, this one focuses on the pianist rather than the accompanist and the sound quality is an improvement over the Classics versions. I haven't looked up each and every tune but it appears that most, if not all, of these tracks were recorded between 1946 and 1947. The 1946 material was recorded in N.Y. and the rest in L.A., many tunes feature some tasty guitar work from Jimmy Shirley in NY or Chuck Norris in LA. To my ears Johnson is more varied and interesting than either Albert Ammons or Meade Lux Lewis, the two contemporaries he is most often associated with.

Mahalia Jackson - Let's Pray Together

Brothaz an' Sistaz!!

For our second installment in the Mahalia series, we will be looking at "Let's Pray Together".  The music and arrangements were handled by legend Marty Paich.  Was there any area of music this guy didn't touch??!!??  In any case, I wasn't sure what to expect with his involvement but the result is excellent.  

We must keep in mind that my gospel knowledge is quite limited, but I found that Paich retained that authentic sound on this side.  One thing is for sure, he gave plenty of space for Miss Jackson to do her thing.  As the album plays, the songs get better and better as does her vocal.  My favorite would have to be Guardian Angels.  She is accompanied by Harpo Marx and much like Black Baby on the previous post, the song focuses on her amazing emotive power.

I want to apologize to Uncle Cliff for not producing "The World's Greatest..." this week.  Cliff, you deserve anything you ask for (and as quickly as humanly possible!!).  That said, I didn't want to forsake the quality either.  And with that segway...  this album was ripped at 24/44.1 wav and dithered to 16/44.1 FLAC.  I cleaned it up as best as I could, but to go any further would have harmed the music - something I am unwilling to do.  So we have a bit of fried chicken in the mix, but frankly with gospel I find it to be a soothing and comforting anomoly.  I hope this pleases all of you gospel characters out there... enjoy!!!

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Columbia CL2130
1963

Arranged and Conducted by Marty Paich

A1 Altar Of Peace
A2 One God
A3 Let's Pray Together
A4 Without A Song
A5 Take God By The Hand
A6 Guardian Angels
B1 We Shall Overcome
B2 Song For My Brother
B3 Deep River
B4 No Night There
B5 If I Can Help Somebody

Soul Shots: Volume 1, Dance Party

I know that not everyone is a huge fan of the compilations, but I would like to point out once again that most of the material presented here was released as singles and in a time where the Song rather than the Album was king. Those of you who have been stacking the compilations like Blowing The Fuse and Stompin' in your digital jukeboxes will be thrilled to add these wonderfully made Rhino sets from 1989 to that mix.

Thanks to that Uncle who shares my affliction I have the first 5 LPs for y'all; there are at least 21 volumes as far as I can tell. Some things here are well known old friends, some things are likely completely new to you, others still will be familiar but not in the version heard here. Each volume that I have heard is exceptionally well chosen and sequenced and of course the Rhino engineers did a lovely job on the sound.

btw Stompin' fans need not worry yet on that front, I still have 2 of those left and there are many more out there.

Willie Hutch / Lou Johnson - Soul Warriors of 1969

I don't want anyone to think I'm finished with the blues piano by any means but I'd like to keep the variety up too with a pair of lesser known soul warriors who released these strong, but largely ignored albums in 1969.

"William McKinley Hutchison (December 6, 1944 – September 19, 2005), known professionally as Willie Hutch, was an American singer, songwriter as well as a record producer and recording artist for the Motown record label during the 1970s and 1980s. Born in 1944 in Los Angeles, California, Hutch was raised in Dallas, Texas. He joined a doo-wop group, The Ambassadors, as a teenager. After graduating from Booker T. Washington High, Hutch shortened his last name when he started his music career in 1964 on the Soul City label with the song, "Love Has Put Me Down".

After his move to Los Angeles, his music caught the eye of the mentor for pop/soul quintet The 5th Dimension, and Hutch was soon writing, producing, and arranging songs for the group. In 1969, he signed with RCA Records and put out two albums before he was spotted by Motown producer Hal Davis, who wanted lyrics to his musical composition "I'll Be There", a song he penned for The Jackson 5. The song was recorded by the group the morning after Hutch received the call. Motown CEO Berry Gordy signed Hutch to be a staff writer, arranger, producer, and musician shortly thereafter.

Hutch later co-wrote songs that were recorded by the Jackson 5 and their front man Michael Jackson, Smokey Robinson, the newly rechristened Miracles, and Marvin Gaye. In 1973, Hutch started recording albums for Motown, releasing the Fully Exposed album that year. That same year, Hutch recorded and produced the soundtrack to the blaxploitation film, The Mack. Hutch had several R&B hits during this period, including "Brother's Gonna Work It Out" and "Slick". He also recorded the soundtrack for Foxy Brown. Hutch recorded at least six albums for Motown, peaking with 1975's single "Love Power", which reached number 41 on the Billboard Hot 100. He left Motown in 1977 for Norman Whitfield's Whitfield Records.

Hutch returned to Motown in 1982, where he scored the disco hit, "In and Out", that same year and also recorded a song for the film The Last Dragon in 1985 called "The Glow". Hutch left Motown again by the end of the decade and by 1994 had moved back to Dallas.

Hutch continued to record and perform while living comfortably on royalties from old hits and new samples. His manager, Anthony Voyce, said of Hutch: "I've never met a more generous and caring person." He died in 2005.

He is survived by six children, and was the uncle to Cold 187um of the rap group Above the Law." wiki

"Lou Johnson (born 1941, Brooklyn, New York) is an American soul singer and pianist who was active as a recording artist in the 1960s and early 1970s.

Coming from a musical family, he started singing in gospel choirs in his teens, before studying music at Brooklyn College. He learned keyboards and percussion, forming a gospel group, the Zionettes, who recorded for Simpson Records and achieved some local success. Johnson then formed a secular vocal group, the Coanjos, with Tresia Cleveland and Ann Gissendammer, recording "Dance The Boomerang" before Cleveland and Gissendammer left to become The Soul Sisters.

In 1962, Johnson signed as a solo singer with Big Top Records, run by the Hill & Range music publishing company in the Brill Building. There, he met the songwriting team of Burt Bacharach and Hal David, who wrote Johnson's first single, "If I Never Get To Love You". Neither that song nor his second record, "You Better Let Him Go", were hits, but his third single, "Reach Out For Me", also written by Bacharach and David and this time produced by Bacharach, reached # 74 on the Billboard Hot 100 in late 1963. However, as it rose up the charts, the record company collapsed so limiting the record's success.

Johnson signed to its successor label, Big Hill and continued to record Bacharach and David songs. In 1964, his original version of "(There's) Always Something There to Remind Me", with backing vocals by Doris Troy, Dee Dee Warwick, and Cissy Houston, reached # 49 in the US charts. In the UK, a cover version by English singer Sandie Shaw rose to number one on the British singles chart.

Johnson also recorded the original versions of several other Bacharach and David songs that later proved to be bigger hits for other musicians. "Reach Out for Me", "Message to Michael (Kentucky Bluebird)" (originally "A Message To Martha"), and "(There's) Always Something There to Remind Me" were all American hits, also produced by Bacharach and David, for Dionne Warwick. Several of his records reached the Cashbox R&B Top 20 including "Always" peaking at # 12 and "Reach Out" at # 15. In the UK, Johnson's version of "A Message To Martha" was his biggest hit, reaching # 36 in late 1964, but was outsold by the cover version by Adam Faith.

In 1965, working with the production team of Bill Giant, Bernie Baum and Florence Kaye on the reactivated Big Top label, Johnson recorded a vocal version of Sidney Bechet's instrumental hit of a few years earlier, "Petite Fleur", entitled "A Time To Love, A Time To Cry". He appeared on the British TV programme Ready Steady Go! to promote it, but neither it nor its follow-ups, a version of the jazz standard "Anytime" and then a version of "Walk On By" co-produced by Allen Toussaint, were successful, and the record company's choice of songs distanced him from his earlier audience. An album, also called Anytime, went unreleased as the record company again collapsed.

Johnson recorded two albums in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The first, Sweet Southern Soul, for the Atlantic subsidiary Cotillion, was produced by the company's main R&B producer, Jerry Wexler, at Fame Studios in Muscle Shoals. Allen Toussaint produced the second, With You in Mind, at his New Orleans studio for Stax's Volt label, but neither proved successful. After moving to Orange County, California, Johnson became a nightclub entertainer. He sometimes performed in a latter-day version of The Ink Spots.

A CD retrospective of his recordings with Big Top/Big Hill Records in the 1960s, was put together by the UK label Ace/Kent Records in 2010. Although released in mono, it contained 'audio-restored' versions of all of his known recordings made at the time, including his work with Bacharach." wiki

Stompin' 3

One word that I would have to say stays in mind listening to these tracks is the word 'raw'. Most of these tracks have some warts or flaws in something, but one thing for sure too, they are all FUN and the good always seems to out weight the weaknesses.

I notice there are more Rock-A-Billy influenced tracks here than I recall on the first two volumes. At least this one has 3 whole names that I know; Billy Wright, LaVern Baker and Carol Fran but the rest....who?....wow, okay.

The Definitive Buddy Guy

"George "Buddy" Guy (born July 30, 1936, Lettsworth, Louisiana) is an American blues guitarist and singer. Critically acclaimed, he is a pioneer of the Chicago blues sound and has served as an influence to some of the most notable musicians of his generation, including Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan.
In the 1960's Guy was a member of Muddy Waters' band and was a house guitarist at Chess Records. He can be heard on Howlin' Wolf's "Killing Floor"and Koko Taylor's "Wang Dang Doodle" as well as on his own Chess sides and the series of records he made with harmonica  player Junior Wells.
Ranked 30th in Rolling Stone magazine's list of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time", Guy is known for his showmanship on stage: playing his guitar with drumsticks or strolling into the audience while playing solos. His song "Stone Crazy" was ranked 78th in Rolling Stone's list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time." (Wikipedia)

'Definitive' may be a bit over- the- top in it's claim, but generally this is a good single CD compilation of Buddy Guy's material between 1958 and 2001 even for a seasoned collector ( and 'Stone Crazy' is included here !) . It contains most of his best and better known 60's efforts and is a pleasing mix of new and old, studio and live. Full musician credits etc are shown in the scans provided.
 His later Silvertone recordings like 'Damn Right I Have The Blues' are excellent and are selling well - If there is a demand I shall post one/some...
In the Blues spectrum Buddy is at the extremity, his vocals and particularly his guitar are intense and wailing but always heartfelt and authentic. Once heard or seen - never forgotten- Enjoy   .

James Brown - Live At The Garden Expanded Edition

You have probably already noticed the difference in the artwork posted here.  Like so many "live" albums from back in the day, Live At The Garden was edited to include arena crowd noise and a different tracklist. Why??  Because it wasn't recorded at Madison Square Garden!  Most deceptive was the inclusion of a brand new track, recorded with no audience at all.  The effort was for little reward as shortly after this release, Live At The Apollo was released - overshadowing this album.  

Unlike so many expanded/deluxe reissues, Hip-O-Select have really outdone themselves to create something of real value for Brown fans.  The album was infact recorded at a supper club;  The Latin Casino.  With this album we get two discs.  The original LP on disc one, and the original show in its entirety on disc two, with no trickery.  Also included is the proper recording session of the "Let Yourself Go" single, as it was recorded after hours at the Latin Casino.

All in all this album is a superb treat.  Everything has been remastered and has excellent fidelity, giving this performance a real edge towards the Apollo shows.  I have ripped everything in FLAC with full scans making this a pretty large DL.  So please enjoy and remember to keep it on the one... HHHHaaaaaaaayyyyuh!!!

There’s no shortage of live albums from the Godfather of Soul available, but James Brown’s 1967 release Live at the Garden is a comparative curio that’s only now received the treatment it deserves.
The original album is included here, compressing performances from two nights at New Jersey’s The Latin Casino into a 12-track souvenir. But the record’s cut-and-pasting of numbers between overdubs of excited audience appreciation (and its bizarre omitting of the full version of Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag and It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World entirely) rather lessened its longevity. A poorer cousin of the Live at the Apollo albums, …Garden rather paled into insignificance.
Until now, as modern technology has seen it restored to greatness, even if the scratchy sound contrasts unfavourably to contemporary collections. But that’s part of the appeal – with the mix cleaned up, relatively speaking, the audience’s hollering reduced and Brown’s every interjection present, there’s appealing warmth exuded despite the patchy fidelity. Brown’s thank you mid-set seems sincere; when he tells the crowd that without them there wouldn’t be a James Brown, catching his breath as he does so, there’s an honesty that few several-nights-a-week performers today can match. Truly, the man conveyed a rare charm.
“I’ll always be the same ol’ fella,” Brown remarks, before the evergreen It’s A Man’s Man’s Man’s World – and such is the boundless reach of the track that you have to pinch yourself that said ol’ fella isn’t with us anymore. Then again, as this performance is

proof positive of, such is Brown’s vocal power, so emotions-stirring are his from-the-heart hymns to love, that the passing of time is determinedly defied. In life he could stop you in your tracks, leave you hanging on his next word; after death, his recordings continue to do so.
Buoyed by a superb band that, just occasionally, found space for Miles Davis’ bassist Ron Carter, …Garden not only catches Brown in typically fine voice, but also marks the moment where Alfred ‘Pee Wee’ Ellis stepped into his musical director role (Nat Jones was apparently displeased with The Latin Casino’s modest backstage facilities). Thrown in at the deep end though he was, Ellis keeps his reins tight – he’d go on to work with Van Morrison.
Wonderfully rollicking from the off, …Garden is a set to cherish in its rebuilt form. Do, please, bring it up and let yourself go.   - Mike Diver/BBC

 Original Album:
King Records 1018
1967

A1 Out Of Sight
A2 Bring It Up
A3 Try Me
A4 Let Yourself Go
A5 Hip Bag 67'
B1 Prisoner Of Love
B2 It May Be The Last Time
B3 I Got You (I Feel Good)
B4 Ain't That A Groove
B5 Please, Please, Please

 Expanded Edition:

Hip-O-Select

2009

Disc one

1. "Out of Sight" James Brown 1:14
2. "Bring It Up" James Brown 4:01
3. "Try Me" James Brown 2:19
4. "Let Yourself Go" James Brown 3:47
5. "Hip Bag '67" James Brown 5:41
6. "Prisoner of Love" Russ Columbo, Clarence Gaskill, Leo Robin 4:59
7. "It May Be the Last Time" James Brown 4:50
8. "I Got You (I Feel Good)" James Brown 2:27
9. "Ain't That a Groove - Part 1" James Brown, Nat Jones 6:03
10. "Ain't That a Groove - Part 2" James Brown, Nat Jones 1:10
11. "Please, Please, Please" James Brown, Johnny Terry 2:45
12. "Bring It Up (Finale)" James Brown 1:25
13. "Introduction - Vonsheliah" James Brown, Nat Jones 0:35
14. "The King" James Brown 1:55
15. "Wade in the Water" Ramsey Lewis 5:42
16. "Devil's Den" James Brown 3:07
17. "Medley: Headache/Get Loose/Jabo" James Brown, Nat Jones 5:45
18. "Night Train" Jimmy Forrest, Oscar Washington 11:15


Disc two

1. "Introduction/Out of Sight" James Brown 1:18
2. "Bring It Up" James Brown 4:35
3. "Try Me" James Brown 2:37
4. "Come Rain or Come Shine" Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer 3:02
5. "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" James Brown 9:27
6. "Prisoner of Love" Russ Columbo, Clarence Gaskill, Leo Robin 5:15
7. "Maybe the Last Time" James Brown 4:44
8. "I Got You (I Feel Good)" James Brown 2:23
9. "James Brown Thank You" 3:09
10. "It's a Man's Man's Man's World" James Brown, Betty Jean Newsome 7:16
11. "Ain't That a Groove" James Brown, Nat Jones 8:34
12. "Please, Please, Please" James Brown, Johnny Terry 2:46
13. "Bring It Up (Finale)" James Brown 1:39
14. "Let Yourself Go (Instrumental Jam)" James Brown 4:11
15. "Let Yourself Go (False Start)" James Brown 1:24
16. "Let Yourself Go (Extended Released Version)" James Brown 4:00

Mahalia Jackson - Come On Children, Let's Sing

Bruthaz an' Sistaz!!!  

Sorry I am late to church.  I am planning a hard look at some of Mahalia Jackson's greatest albums from her tenure at Columbia.  Each Sunday for the next several weeks I will post one.  I decided to start with this side because of its great notes on the back cover.  They are included of course in 300 dpi quality.  

There's no doubt that Black Baby is the real epic track from this set.  The album was clearly recorded inside a church so you really feel like you're in a pew during service.  Ripped from vinyl at 24/44.1 wav and dithered to 16/44.1 FLAC.  A bit of fried chicken in the mix but otherwise a wonderful rip, centered around Sister Jackson's tremendous pipes.  Enjoy!!!

Columbia CL 1428
1960

A1 Come On Children Let's Sing 1:55
A2 If We Ever Needed The Lord Before 4:20
A3 Because His Nae Is Jesus 2:50
A4 You Must Be Born Again 2:00
A5 Brown Baby 5:30
B1 The Christian's Testimony 2:32
B2 Keep A-Movin' 3:09
B3 A Christian Duty 3:19
B4 One Step 3:22
B5 God Is So Good 3:15

Quite simply, listening to this record is like going to church. Mahalia's voice, one of the strongest gospel voices to be put on record, is made even more powerful by the Falls-Webb ensemble, who chant, harmonize and rejoice in the background throughout the record. Upbeat numbers such as the title track find the choir in rare form, but the centerpiece of the album is Oscar Brown's "Brown Baby," the languid arrangement allowing Mahalia to pull at the song, stretching its melody for greatest emotional effect. - 4.5 / 5.0 : Steve Kurutz / AMG

Little Brother Montgomery - Complete Recorded Works (1930-1954)

"Eurreal Wilford "Little Brother" Montgomery (April 18, 1906 – September 6, 1985 was an American jazz, boogie-woogie and blues pianist and singer. Largely self-taught, Montgomery is often thought of as just a blues pianist, but he was an important blues pianist with an original style. He was also quite versatile, however, and worked in jazz bands including larger ensembles that used written arrangements. Although he did not read music, he learned band routines by ear, once through an arrangement and he had it memorized. He was a singer with an immediately recognizable, rather affecting wobble: an oral historian as full of musical anecdotes as Jelly Roll Morton.

Montgomery was born in the town of Kentwood, Louisiana, a sawmill town near the Mississippi Border, across Lake Pontchartrain from the city of New Orleans, where he spent much of his childhood. (Paul Gayten was his nephew) As a child he looked like his father, Harper Montgomery, and was called Little Brother Harper. The name evolved into Little Brother Montgomery, a nickname which stuck. He started playing piano at the age of 4, and by age 11 he was playing at various barrelhouses in Louisiana. His own musical influences were Jelly Roll Morton who used visit the Montgomery household.

LBM w/ Sunnyland Slim and Little Walter

Early on he played at African American lumber and turpentine camps in Louisiana and Mississippi, then with the bands of Clarence Desdunes and Buddy Petit. He first went to Chicago from 1928 to 1931, where he made his first recordings. From 1931 through 1938 he led a band in Jackson.

In 1942 Montgomery moved back to Chicago, which would be his base for the rest of his life, with various tours to other United States cities and Europe. His repertoire alternated between blues and traditional jazz (he played Carnegie Hall with Kid Ory's Dixieland band in 1949). In the late 1950s he was "discovered" by wider white audiences. He toured briefly with Otis Rush in 1956. His fame grew in the 1960s, and he continued to make many recordings, including on his own record label, FM Records (formed in 1969). FM came from Floberg, his wife Jan's maiden name and Montgomery, his own surname.

LBM w/ Memphis Slim and Earl Garner

These and other recordings added momentum to Montgomery’s career and he became a world traveller, visiting the UK and Europe on several occasions during the 1960s, cutting several of his 20-odd albums there, while remaining based in Chicago. Montgomery appeared at many blues and folk festivals during the following decade and was considered a living legend, a link to the early days of blues and New Orleans.

Among his original compositions are "Shreveport Farewell", "Farrish Street Jive", and "Vicksburg Blues". His instrumental "Crescent City Blues" served as the basis for a song of the same name by Gordon Jenkins, which in turn was adapted by Johnny Cash as "Folsom Prison Blues."

In 1968, Montgomery contributed to two albums by Spanky and Our Gang; Like to Get to Know You and Anything You Choose b/w Without Rhyme Or Reason.

Montgomery died on September 6, 1985, in Champaign, Illinois, and is interred in the Oak Woods Cemetery."
wiki

Detroit Gold Vol 2 - The Very Best Of Motor City Soul

Volume two - more small label jewels from Detroit - it isn't likely that you could have more than one or two of these tracks from any other source than these LPs.

Wax from Unkie Cliff, rips from KC.

Detroit Gold Vol 1 - The Very Best Of Motor City Soul

I am breaking down bit by bit on the question of Northern soul (American definition, not U.K). Certainly a fair amount showed up on the later Blowing the Fuse discs and on The Five Stairsteps post as well, but here is a set of small label Detroit soul that is largely all of the northern style. These recordings come from a family of minor labels run by Ollie McLaughlin, the label names were Karen, Carla and Moira, after his daughters. McLaughlin was also co-manager of Del Shannon; it was Shannon's success that financed Ollie's own labels. Aside from the Bettye LaVette and Barbara Lewis, I didn't have any of these tracks. This is the first of two ripped by moi from the crispy clean LPs courtesy of Unkie Cliff.