LPCDreissues: Looking forward to the past

Yes I Do - Ram John Holder Lets Copp A Groove - Bobby Wells Lean On Me - Root & Jenny Jackson Do You Need My Love - The Showstoppers So Far Away - Root & Jenny Jackson Turn On A Heatwave - Sugar Simone You Won't See Me Leaving - Cinnamon Beautiful Baby - The Clangers A Little Love - Eldridge Devlin ) Romantic Attitude - John Fitch Stoned Out Of It - John Fitch We Got Lovin - Jon & Jeannie I Wish It Would Rain - Barry Davis Whatcha Gonna Do About It - Black Velvet Peace & Love Is The Message - Black Velvet Come See 'bout Me - Jeannie Dee What Am I To Do - Black Velvet Save Me - Root & Jenny Jackson Black Skinned Blue Eyed Boys - Tony Morgan & The Mussel Power Band Why Build A Mountain - Tony Morgan & The Mussel Power Band First In Line - Joyce Bond Wind Of Change - Joyce Bond African Velvet - Black Velvet Goodwill To All Mankind - Black Velvet with Ram John Holder Dance Of The Clangers - The Clangers Let's Go Somewhere - Root & Jenny Jackson Love Is Wonderful - Paula Parfitt A collection of rare groove singles, a fusion of Northern Soul, Classic Soul, Reggae recorded and released in the UK, mostly by UK artists, by the Beacon label. An overlooked chapter in UK music history. Before Trevor Nelsons Soul Nation was even a twinkle in the eye Britain was home to some fine soul artists and an enterprising record label producing indigenous soul and reggae. Beacon Records was started by Milton Samuels in 1968 after a few years of making productions that were leased to the major labels. Based in London, Samuels began with a few lease deals of his own including the Showstoppers 'Ain't Nothing But A Houseparty' which went top ten in 1968 as Beacons first release (not available to this compilation), and Bobby Wells title track. He then signed up a wealth of local writers and producers to make his own productions. The Showstoppers recorded all their next singles in Britain, and as a spin off their Jimi Hendrix alike guitarist John Fitch recorded his one off single for Beacon over here too. The group were produced by Biddu, who also produced the Barry Davis single, as well as others on his way to becoming a major soul/pop producer in the 70's. In between the Equals and his own massive solo career Eddy Grant turned his hand to Producing before launching his own Torpedo label. The two Tony Morgan cuts are both written and produced by Grant, and are stunningly powerful soul funk in the James Brown meets Parliament mould. 'Little Piece Of Leather' star Donnie Elbert settled in Britain and was connected to Beacon, producing the Jeannie Dee Northern Soul single Come See 'bout Me. Another classic northern soul track appeared through Beacon, the Miki Dallon produced Love Is Wonderful by Paula Parfitt, and our nomination for future classic Northern Soul status is You Won't See Me Leaving by Cinnamon. Ram John Holder is well known these days as the actor in the sitcom Desmonds, playing the character Pork Pie.In the mid 60's he made records produced by Paul Jones then moved on to Beacon where he fully embraced the soul reggae crossover that to perfectly captures the scene at the time in London. On Goodwill To All Mankind he is backed by the British collective called Black Velvet whose own singles are terrific cross over sounds. The epitome of the best in British black music at the time. In terms of black music from Britain, this album sits in the middle of a chronological development: the Windrush years of the Calypso generation , mid 60's pop of the Foundations and Equals, Beacon, and the later funk disco of Hi Tension, and mainstream reggae of Aswad. All recordings are reissued for the first time on CD, with sleeve notes written by Beacons in house label manager and promoter Roger St Pierre. If you bought all the singles from a dealer this collection would set you back over £200!!