LPCDreissues: Looking forward to the past

My Own Two Feet Movin’ Away It’s Too Late For Loving You Baby I'll Stay By You Get Out Of My Way Come On, Come On Nothing But The Real Thing What Am I To You Monument You Can Never Stop Me Loving You Up On The Roof Puff (Up In Smoke) With Somebody Harlem Library Misery Stand By Me Mountain Of Love It Would Take A Miracle The World I Used To Know The Drifter Sweet Situation I Just Wanna Love You Mister Moonlight "...this is a quality package as well as a good (and well overdue) album." Record Collector Kenny Lynch has been at the heart of British showbusiness over 40 years. Whether he’s acting, writing for comedy or drama, singing, performing comedy or songwriting, Kenny has always been central to the mechanism that makes British entertainment tick. With such an enviable range of talents, it’s no surprise that some aspects of his career have been overlooked. Nothing But The Real Thing is the first celebration of Kenny’s 1960’s recordings for EMI, taking in his seven hit singles, many of his self-penned gems, including songs co-written with recognised giants like Jerry Ragavoy and Mort Shuman. It’s not that Kenny’s records haven’t been recognised, it’s more that acknowledgment of their merit has been limited to fans who have put Kenny’s showbiz associations aside. After all, My Own Two Feet and Movin’ Away have been Northern Soul collectables for years. It’s the music that counts. A consummate stylist, Kenny brought up his own perspective to the music of the day. The uptown soul sounds of For Loving You Baby or I’ll Stay By You show that Kenny was no slouch as a songwriter, taking the influences of the Brill Building - where, uniquely for a British songwriter, he worked - and moulding them to a British sensibility. On What Am I To You Kenny cocked an ear towards Burt Bacharach. That ear was firmly to the ground at home as well: Kenny’s version of Lennon and McCartney’s Misery was issued a week before The Beatles’ recording hit the shops on their first album. It may have taken almost 35 years to document Kenny’s terrific and classy EMI recordings, but the wait for Nothing But The Real Thing has been worth it.