g strictly to singles - love to know if any of these did actually make it out on 45, but either way I hope you'll agree they're great tunes.Hank Jacobs - Elijah Rockin With Soul
Cracking instrumental - just the sort of tune I like to start a set with! Some very fine piano work on a track I've loved ever since I found it lurking on a compilation album with no other redeeming features. This tune was a classic on the Northern scene long before I even knew there was one, and stands up really well in my book. In keeping with my earlier promise of suggesting places to buy this fine music, there's an extended version of this track on this fine Kent
compilation.Bobby Bland - Sweet Lips Of Joy
This one's from the 'Touch Of The Blues' LP. An absolutely stunning track, and surely one of the world's great voices. Look as I might I can't find a currently available CD with this beauty on, but just listen to it twist and turn! The lyrics are fantastic throughout and the one I pinched for the title of this podcast is one of my all-time favourites.
Tommy Raye - You Don't Love Me
This one was a bit of a bolt from the blue when it turned up as part of a job lot of records I bought recently. I'd known and loved Dawn Penn's 'No No No' for quite some years, but this entirely different version of the same tune was a complete revelation to me! Nice label too, must try to find on
e without stickers all over it...Kittens - I Got To Know Him
So, why isn't this one more famous? Produced by the great Johnny Pate(much better known for his work with the Impressions) this is a fine song with a particularly outstanding lead vocal from Bernice Willis.
Williams and Watson - Love Is Such A Funny Thing
From the great "Two For the Price Of One" LP, which surely has one of the coolest sleeves ever seen. I thought this one would make a nice change from the 100mph fun of Too Late, and it's a great and somewhat unusual sounding song in its own right. To the best of my knowledge, this great album isn't out on CD but you can find several of the tracks - including this one - on this retrospective of their Okeh recordings.
Cornell Blakely - Don't Do It
This one's written by William 'Mickey' Stevenson, is a Berry Gordy production and published on Jobete - very much an early Motown-sounding production even if this copy was distributed on via Chicago. I believe its original release was on the Shenita label, but might be wrong about that one. I do know it's a great tune, though!
Eddie Holman - Stay Mine For Heaven's Sake
A really astonishing singer, Eddie Holman is most famous for by far his biggest hit "Hey There Lonely Girl" - a performance that inspired Smokey Robinson to describe him as a man with the voice of an angel, to give some idea of the scale of his accomplishment. He has quite an active presence on the web, so I'll point you towards his own site for more information. This particular mid-tempo beauty has always been a great favourite of mine, and you can find it and much more on this very nice compilation of his work if you'd like to hear more.
Charmettes - Please Don't Kiss Me Again
Well, there may be fewer girl-group sounds than usual on this podcast, but at least the ones that are here are brilliant! It's written and produced by Kenny Young, a bit of a legend in girl-group circles. I really don't know anything about the girls themselves, unfortunately, but you can find this track (and a bunch of other fine girly tunes too) on this rather nice CD.
Albert Washington - Loosen These Pains and Let Me Go
Singing in a wonderful intersection where soul, blues and gospel meet I've thoroughly enjoyed everything I've heard from Albert Washington. He suffered with the complications of diabetes for many years before finally passing away in 1998, but I think the uplifting nature of this and many of his other records show how much optimism of spirit he m
aintained in the face of a hard life. There's a nice CD collection of his work from this time if you'd like to hear more.Tyrone Davis - Call On Me
The great Tyrone Davis, best know to me for the stunning "Can I Change My Mind" this is another track taken from the LP of the same name. Discovered working in Chicago nightclubs by the pianist Harold Burrage, he went on to record a string of great soul tunes on the Dakar label. He passed away in 1995 following a stroke, but the music live on and you can hear more of it on this nice Dakar retrospective.
Betty Harris - I'm Evil TonightBetty Harris recorded an astonishing number of great records in a relatively short recording career, despite remaining relatively little known. This classic on New Orleans' Sansu label is a lovely slinky, moody song that really draws you into its story. There's a fine article on her career over at Funky 16 Corners, so I'll point you towards it rather than copying their work here - and also point you to this CD if you'd like to hear a bit more.
Well, that's all for this time - more to come in a few weeks!
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