We Got More Soul!

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Grant, May 9, 2003.

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  1. Grant

    Grant Life is a rock, but the radio rolled me! Thread Starter

    Yeah, I know, I know! I get carried away discussing soul music here, but don't forget the 70s!

    There's more to it than Stax and Motown!

    One set that is indespensible is Rhino's 20 volume CD set "didn't it blow your mind!: Soul Hits of the 70s" series. They were produced at the same time the "Have A Nice Day" series was produced, so there small issues of some songs not being the actual hit versions, but other than that, there are many fine tracks in the series.

    Also highly recommended is the "Yo!: Funk Hits of the 70s from Rhino. Not all of the songs were chart toppers, but they were essential in the world of funk! Just for fun, Rhino also released volume 1/2, representing the late 60s.

    Several years ago, Polygram (now Uni) issued many collections in it's "Funk Essentials" series with collections from artists like Barry White, Bar-Kays, Con-Funk-Shun, Parliament, and Kool & The Gang. Of course, some of it spills into the early 80s. The sound quality is superior.

    We cannot forget the Ohio Players, Earth Wind & Fire, Johnny Taylor, The Brothers Johnson, Joe Simon, Isley Brothers, Bobby Womack, The Jacksons, Commodores, Rufus/Chaka Khan, Raydio, and the Philadelphia International stable!

    Another set for the 60s is the "Beg, Scream, and SHOUT!: Big 'Ol Box Of R&B". I think it is out of print, but it can be found new and used in various places.

    Just some recommendations for those interested in expanding your musical range.
     
  2. jeff e.

    jeff e. Member

    Location:
    NY
    Grant, you're absolutely right about the "Didn't It Blow Your Mind" series. I have all 20 volumes and they are amazing. There are a few issues here and there with the versions that were chosen, but they got most of it right. The two biggest problems I have are that "Express" by B.T. Express was accidentally included twice, thereby omitting "Do It (Til You're Satisfied)". Also, instead of using the proper 45 edit of William DeVaughn's "Be Thankful for What You Got" (one of my absolute favorites), they faded the LP version at the 3:30 mark. :confused:
     
  3. Ken_McAlinden

    Ken_McAlinden MichiGort Staff

    Location:
    Livonia, MI
    I'm pretty sure "Do It 'Til Your Satisfied" is included. It was on the same volume as "Tell Me Something Good" (I think it was 13, but don't quote me on that). Maybe they reissued a corrected version. I am missing a couple of volumes, but enjoy that series a lot as well.

    I wish they would revive the "Soul Shots" series. The original series on LP and cassette was great (occasional wrong versions aside), but they abridged and resequenced it onto only a few CDs.

    Regards,
     
  4. Grant

    Grant Life is a rock, but the radio rolled me! Thread Starter

    Well, first, shortly after the fouled up CD was released, Rhino offered a replacement copy of the corrected version that has "Do It 'Till You're Satisfied". I highly doubt they will do the replacement now, but if you ask them...

    Another sore spot with me is that Inglot used the LP version of Ohio Players "Fire" faded early.

    I that bugs me that they used a faded LP version of the William DeVaughn song instead of the single, but the correct 45 version does appear on other CDs. Also, it bothers me that most other CDs that contain this song are way too bright and are light on the bass. The original 45 had lots of bass and was not bright. Surprisingly, the correct sound and 45 edit of the song is on a Lowrider CD. Lowrider is an interesting CD reissue company. They dig up some rare mixes, and the sound is sometimes exceptional. I suspect their engineers don't funk with the sound by using EQ'ing and compression.

    Anyway, it is a great collection.
     
  5. CM Wolff

    CM Wolff Senior Member

    Location:
    Motown
    There are a lot of soul music collections dear to my heart, but one often overlooked is "Voices from the Shadows", a classic soul sampler compiled to serve as a soundtrack to Peter Guralnick's "Sweet Soul Music" book. (A mighty fine read - the best on the subject. It includes an absolutely PHENOMENAL discography - there are a couple people I've run across who's only mission is to collect this book's discography, an extremely worthy undertaking.) Definitely do not miss out on this very well compiled single disc:

    1. True Love Travels on a Gravel Road - Percy Sledge
    2. Nickel and a Nail - O.V. Wright
    3. My Song - Aretha Franklin
    4. Crying in the Streets - George Perkins
    5. Separation Line - Laura Lee
    6. Some Kind of Wonderful - Soul Brothers Six
    7. Rainbow Road - Arthur Alexander
    8. She's About a Mover - Otis Clay
    9. Heart Full of Love - Invincibles
    10. Hold On (To What We've Got) - James Carr
    11. Losing Boy - James Carr
    12. I Paid for the Party - The Enchanters
    13. I Stayed Away Too Long - Solomon Burke
    14. Greatest Love - Judy Clay
    15. It's in the Wind - Don Covay & The Goodtimers
     

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  6. jeff e.

    jeff e. Member

    Location:
    NY
    Oh man, if I'd only known that 9 years ago! It doesn't matter, though, because I have the track on the IN YO' FACE series.

    I'll have to look out for that Lowrider disc. Other than the botched Rhino version of the DeVaughn track, I have the original Roxbury LP with the full-length version (good), the Collectables CD reissue (not so good) and the Roxbury Part 1/Part 2 45 (the best of all).

    CM is right on the money with his review of the VOICES FROM THE SHADOWS disc. I picked it up as a cut-out a few years ago for $2.00. It's probably tough to find by now, but well worth seeking out. The Guralnick book is essential reading for any fan of soul music--without a doubt one of the finest music-related books I've ever read.

    While we're on the subject, has anyone bought the 70's soul box set that Rhino put out a couple years back? I passed on it because I already have the whole 20-volume series, but I'm just wondering if it has any additional 45 edits, improved sound, etc? (And for that matter, are Vol. 2 and Vol. 3 of the Stax complete singles boxes worthwhile?)
     
  7. Roland Stone

    Roland Stone Offending Member

    Grant says don't forget the seventies. To which I add: don't forget the fifties, either!

    Going back in time, one box set that gets overlooked is the KING R&B BOX SET, an out-of-print four-disc collection of the label's output from 1945 (Lonnie Johnson and Bull Moose Jackson) to 1965 (Freddy King and James Brown). Did I mention Little Willie John and Hank Ballard in between? On this box you hear R&B's jump band and blues roots, doo wop, soul and funk.

    King managed to maintain a consistently high level of quality over several genres including gospel and country (not included on this box), but remains most famous for its salacious pre-rock R&B classics like "Sixty Minute Man" and "Big Ten Inch Record." Beyond the double-entendres were the sharp, well-recorded grooves that had people like George Martin wondering how they got all that volume in the vinyl without making the needle jump. This stuff was amazingly well-engineered: you won't sit in your chair thinking, "Well, it's pretty good . . . for 1950."

    This box is a necessary addition to Rhino's LOUD FAST & OUT OF CONTROL, CHESS RHYTHM & ROLL, and whatever Sun Records collection is out this month. (I guess we'll need a Specialty Records anthology in there, too, but Fantasy's box sounds a little weak).
     
  8. stever

    stever Senior Member

    Location:
    Omaha, Nebr.
    I bought all the, "Didn't It Blow Your Mind," volumes as well when they came out. There were so many great soul tunes from the 70s. Lost classic: "Why Can't We Live Together," by Timmy Thomas!
     
  9. CM Wolff

    CM Wolff Senior Member

    Location:
    Motown
    Definitely a classic. I happen to like Joan Osborne's recent cover, too. I wish she would take any of the recommendations in this thread and sing it from beginning to end. Classic soul is the vein she should be working in.
     
  10. stever

    stever Senior Member

    Location:
    Omaha, Nebr.
    I haven't heard Joan Osborne's cover. Is it on one of her CDs?
     
  11. CM Wolff

    CM Wolff Senior Member

    Location:
    Motown
    Her newest album (How Sweet it Is) is an album of mostly soul covers. Once you get past that some of the tracks are true warhorses, and there is a certain slickness to the production, you realize she is putting a nice spin on many of the tunes and how enjoyable they actually are. Won't make you forget any of the originals, but personally, I love her voice.
     
  12. Jeff H.

    Jeff H. Senior Member

    Location:
    Northern, OR

    On the copy I got of this, it does in fact have "Do It(Til You're Satisfied) on it. I was never aware of there being a problem with the wrong cut being included. And also the correct single version of "Be Thankful For What You Got is also on the first "Then" series CD on Varese Sarabande. Also has the correct single edit of Al Wilson's "Show And Tell".
     
  13. CM Wolff

    CM Wolff Senior Member

    Location:
    Motown
    Ron, thanks for the recommendation on the King set, which I do not own. However, it is popped up too many times now; I know I am missing out, so I will have to find it somehow. I have some of the material scattered, but I realize now the box is set is totally necessary.

    Jeff E - I have the Rhino 70's Soul box and love it. However, I just started collecting the 20-volume series, so I don't have too much of a basis for detailed comparisons, and really haven't done research on rarities and versions. It is more of thing I just put on, let the soul shoot through me, and don't think too hard about from the collecting point of view....sorry I can't be of more help. There are a couple other board members that have the box that hopefully will post...
     
  14. Roland Stone

    Roland Stone Offending Member

    A couple more soul box sets that often get overlooked:

    THE SAR RECORDS STORY is two discs of 67 tracks performed by the cream of the gospel ciruit for Sam Cooke's label: The Soul Stirrers, The Womack Brothers, R.H. Harris & His Gospel Paraders, Cooke himself, and my personal favorite, The Valenitinos, whose "It's All Over Now" was quickly covered (but not surpassed) by The Rolling Stones.

    Cooke was very actively involved in the selection of artists and repertoire, and acted as producer for most of the sessions. The remastering is quite fine, and the music short, sweet, and soulful. Abkco released this in a hardbound-booklet box set configuration, but I've also seen it in a more bin-friendly clamshell jewel box.

    And until Rhino does a four-disc R&B instrumental box, we can make do with the three-disc series from Delmark Records, HONKERS & BAR WALKERS, which compiles the hard-driving sax-based dance records that fueled many a beer-stained jukebox. Volumes one and three cover the United/States artists, while volume two features the more familiar Apollo roster, including King Curtis and Willis Jackson.
     
  15. ZIPGUN99

    ZIPGUN99 Active Member

    There's a ton of regional soul hits, and near hits, the volume of which would boggle the mind. At late as 1990, while down south on vacation, i heard songs on Memphis's WDIA-AM that I never heard anywhere else.

    I just did a web search, it looks like they're still in business!
    http://www.am1070wdia.com/listen/

    note: on my computer I could only get the streaming radiocast on Netscape.
     
  16. Grant

    Grant Life is a rock, but the radio rolled me! Thread Starter

    Yeah, but it's too bright...

    Eh? The exact same edit is on all CDs...
     
  17. Grant

    Grant Life is a rock, but the radio rolled me! Thread Starter

    Several years ago MCA put out 2 individual CD volumes of R&B instrumentals from the 60s and 70s. I'm too lazy to look for the actual name of it right now, but i'm sure they are no longer in print. The CD covers had a dark blue cover and featured tracks like the Crusaders' "Put It Where You Want It", Hugh Maskela's "Grazing In The Grass", and the original "Killer Joe". The CDs were remastered by Erik Labison, so the sound is compressed.:realmad:
     
  18. MagicAlex

    MagicAlex Gort Emeritus

    Location:
    Atlanta, GA
    Don't forget the mother of all soul boxes, my favorite, Atlantic Rhythm & Blues 1947-1974; 8 CDs. If I could only have one it would have to be this one. Covers the whole era of soul pretty much and the transfers are pretty darn good. Atlantic had their share of the genre! :thumbsup:
     
  19. Mike

    Mike New Member

    Location:
    New Jersey
    FYI for anyone interested in picking some of this stuff up:

    Didn't It Blow Your Mind - All out of print except volumes 12-15.

    In Yo' Face: History of Funk - All out of print.

    Phat Trax - Volume 6 out of print.

    Bust out that credit card and start buying while you can!
     
  20. Mike

    Mike New Member

    Location:
    New Jersey
    I just did a little research and you are talking about Soulful Grooves from 1996 on Hip-O and they are out of print. I just picked up Volume 1 on half.com brand new for 10 bucks from Davidscds - the best seller on half.com (also known as Carolyncds on Ebay). You will never get a cutout or reseal from these folks and the prices are always fair. :love:
     
  21. lsupro

    lsupro King of Ignorers

    Location:
    Rocklin, CA
    We've got soul, yes we do..

    we've got soul, how 'bout you?


    sorry, I couldn't resist..

    :)
     
  22. Jeff H.

    Jeff H. Senior Member

    Location:
    Northern, OR
    Grant, I'll take a little brightness on "Be Thankful For What You've Got" anyday over most what I've heard of this cut on CD. The other ones sound muddy and flat. I even have a mint copy of the original album and I'm not crazy about how it sounds. Roxbury(aka RCA) didn't use very good quality vinyl to press their records. Only copy I have that really nails the sound for me is the Collectables reissue 45 I bought in the early 90's. It's hard to believe that this song was recorded at Sigma Sound in Philly and engineered by Joe Tarsia. All of the Philly International stuff sounds fantastic compared to this. Sounds like they cut a few corners as far as tape stock and final mixing go.
     
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