These tracks are mainly well known soul records by artists whom most soul fans will know well. They include many chart, radio and turntable hits. Ady Croasdell explains by way of a fascinating 5000 word note how these sounds tuned a generation of UK soul fans into black America.
The compilation is strong on dance floor favourites but also features a few soulful ballads, including classics from Al Green, the Unifics and Debbie Taylor.
The dancers come from Bobby Wells, Bobbi Lynn, King George, Al Kent, Joe Tex, Darrow Fletcher and JJ Jackson; while Leon Haywood, The Carltons, The Holidays and Billy Butler just sit there, clicking their fingers and sounding cool.
Most were released in the UK at the time and were sold to the cognoscenti who will now buy them again on CD; as will the soul converts of the past thirty years. All tracks are new to the Kent label. Track listing: 1. We're Doing Fine - DEE DEE WARWICK
2. Sho' Nuff (Got A Good Thing Goin') - J J JACKSON
3. Do Unto Me - JAMES AND BOBBY PURIFY
4. Let's Copp A Groove - BOBBY WELLS
5. You Better Believe It Baby - JOE TEX
6. Earthquake - BOBBI LYNN
7. Mine Exclusively - THE OLYMPICS
8. Water - GENO WASHINGTON
9. You've Got To Pay The Price - AL KENT (label credits artist as 'instrumental')
10. I Can't Work No Longer - BILLY BUTLER AND THE CHANTERS
11. Can't You Hear The Beat - THE CARLTONS
12. It's Got To Be Mellow - LEON HAYWOOD
13. Never Gonna Let Him Know - DEBBIE TAYLOR
14. Come Back Baby - RODDIE JOY
15. I'll Love You Forever - THE HOLIDAYS featuring EDWIN STARR
16. In A Moment - THE INTRIGUES
17. The Pain Gets A Little Deeper - DARROW FLETCHER
18. Drive On James - KING GEORGE
19. Ready Steady Go - PRINCE AND PRINCESS
20. Mr. Soul Satisfaction - TIMMY WILLIS
21. Hmmm, With Feeling, Darling - THE SPIDELLS featuring BILLY LOCKRIDGE
22. Love In Them There Hills - THE VIBRATIONS
23. Keep On Loving - OTIS LEAVILL
24. I Want You So Bad - TOMMY G AND THE CHARMS
25. Back Up Train - AL GREENE AND THE SOUL BROTHERS
26. The Beginning Of My End - THE UNIFICS
This is a classy, high quality CD decorated with almost fifty photos, reviews and label scans. It will cross over to general soul fans as well as the purists: an ex-mod's delight.
