Early Soul Classics – Various Artists
£8.50
Early Soul Classics Vol 1
Various Artists
The first volume of great early original R&B / Soul classics of the 1950s through to the early 1960s from the best artists of that era, and what great period it was, with many of those artists pioneers of the R&B scene which exists to this day, as this genre of music is as popular now as it has ever been.
This digitally re-mastered compilation CD of original records should provide hours of pleasurable listening for all fans of this musical scene.
Track Listing
Disc 1 | |||
1 | You’ve Really Got A Hold On Me | 02:59 | Smokey Robinson & The Miracles |
2 | At Last | 03:02 | Etta James |
3 | Poison Ivy | 02:43 | The Coasters |
4 | Buttered Popcorn | 02:57 | Diana Ross & The Supremes |
5 | First Taste Of Love | 02:32 | Ben E. King |
6 | Letter Full Of Tears | 02:51 | Gladys Knight & The Pips |
7 | Dance With Me | 02:26 | The Drifters |
8 | Drown In My Own Tears | 03:23 | Ray Charles |
9 | Saved | 02:39 | LaVern Baker |
10 | Don’t Let Her Take My Baby | 02:22 | Mitty Collier |
11 | Flip Flop & Fly | 02:52 | Big Joe Turner |
12 | Baby It’s You | 02:42 | The Shirelles |
13 | Love, Love, Love | 02:04 | The Clovers |
14 | Bye Bye Baby | 02:56 | Mary Wells |
15 | You Send Me | 02:48 | Sam Cooke |
16 | Shout Parts 1 & 2 | 04:44 | The Isley Brothers |
17 | Mashed Potatoes | 03:28 | Nat Kendricks & The Swans |
18 | Tra La La La La | 02:41 | Ike & Tina Turner |
19 | Long Lonely Nights | 02:26 | Clyde McPhatter |
20 | Two Lovers | 02:47 | Mary Wells |
21 | Gee Whiz (Look At His Eyes) | 02:22 | Carla Thomas |
22 | Tears On My Pillow | 02:19 | Little Anthony & The Imperials |
23 | (Night Time Is) The Right Time | 03:28 | Ray Charles |
24 | Lucky Lips | 02:08 | Ruth Brown |
25 | Tipitina | 02:40 | Professor Longhair |
26 | Going Back To Where I Belong | 02:28 | Sugar Pie DeSanto |
Disc 2 | |||
1 | The Midnight Hour | 03:03 | Ray Charles |
2 | Soul On Fire | 03:03 | LaVern Baker |
3 | The Chill Is On | 02:47 | Big Joe Turner |
4 | Don’t Make Me Over | 02:47 | Dionne Warwick |
5 | Fool Fool Fool | 02:33 | The Clovers |
6 | Please Mr. Postman | 02:30 | The Marvelettes |
7 | Wheel Of Fortune | 02:52 | The Cardinals |
8 | A Fool In Love | 02:41 | Ike & Tina Turner |
9 | A Beggar For Your Kisses | 02:58 | The Diamonds |
10 | I’ll Bring It Home To You | 03:05 | Carla Thomas |
11 | Money Honey | 02:48 | Clyde McPhatter |
12 | I’ll Have to Let Him Go | 02:50 | Martha Reeves & The Vandellas |
13 | Jam Up | 02:48 | Tommy Ridgely & His Band |
14 | Shopping for Clothes | 03:01 | The Coasters |
15 | Sh Boom | 02:27 | The Chords |
16 | Seven Day Fool | 03:02 | Etta James |
17 | The Applejack | 03:09 | Joe Morris |
18 | Just Out of Reach (of My Two Empty Arms) | 02:50 | Solomon Burke |
19 | Drinkin’ Wine Spo-Dee-O-Dee | 03:16 | Stick McGhee & His Buddies |
20 | Oh What A Dream | 02:55 | Ruth Brown |
21 | Midnight Special | 02:45 | Tiny Grimes |
22 | Bumble Bee | 02:30 | LaVern Baker |
23 | There Goes My Baby | 02:12 | Ben E King with The Drifters |
24 | I Got A Woman | 02:54 | Ray Charles |
25 | Along Came Jones | 03:00 | The Coasters |
26 | There’s No Other Like My Baby | 02:32 | The Crystals |
Disc 3 | |||
1 | Corrine Corinna | 02:54 | Big Joe Turner |
2 | Play It Fair | 02:59 | LaVern Baker |
3 | Ruby Baby | 02:26 | The Drifters |
4 | Mama He Treats Your Daughter Mean | 02:56 | Ruth Brown |
5 | Lonely Avenue | 02:36 | Ray Charles |
6 | Mashed Potato Time | 02:33 | Dee Dee Sharp |
7 | Searchin’ | 02:46 | The Coasters |
8 | Soldier Boy | 02:41 | The Shirelles |
9 | C C Rider | 02:35 | Chuck Willis |
10 | He’s A Rebel | 02:34 | The Crystals |
11 | Treasure Of Love | 02:11 | Clyde McPhatter |
12 | I Gotta Get Away From It All | 03:15 | Mitty Collier |
13 | Devil Or Angel | 02:28 | The Clovers |
14 | My Baby Won’t Come Back | 02:27 | Martha Reeves & The Vandellas |
15 | Smokey Joes Cafe | 02:47 | The Robins |
16 | Cry To Me | 02:34 | Solomon Burke |
17 | If You See Bill | 02:59 | Tammy Montgomery |
18 | Empty Arms | 02:43 | Ivory Joe Hunter |
19 | I Want To Know | 03:03 | Sugar Pie DeSanto |
20 | The Door Is Still Open | 02:59 | The Cardinals |
21 | My Heart Went Do Dat Da | 02:16 | Barbara Lewis |
22 | Spanish Harlem | 02:53 | Ben E. King |
23 | The Chicken And The Hawk | 02:41 | Big Joe Turner |
24 | In Paradise | 02:35 | The Cookies |
25 | Teardrops From My Eyes | 02:54 | Ruth Brown |
26 | The Twist | 02:36 | Chubby Checker |
Disc 4 | |||
1 | Do Re Me | 02:01 | Lee Dorsey |
2 | I Cried A Tear | 02:37 | LaVern Baker |
3 | Every Beat Of My Heart | 02:06 | Gladys Knight & The Pips |
4 | The One Who Really Loves You | 02:28 | Mary Wells |
5 | Hang Up My Rock And Roll Shoes | 02:20 | Chuck Willis |
6 | Hurt | 02:30 | Timi Yuro |
7 | Charlie Brown | 02:22 | The Coasters |
8 | Uptown | 02:24 | The Crystals |
9 | What’d I Say | 05:08 | Ray Charles |
10 | Stagger Lee | 02:24 | Lloyd Price |
11 | Save The Last Dance For Me | 02:30 | The Drifters |
12 | Can’t Let You Go | 02:45 | Sugar Pie DeSanto |
13 | Don’t You Know I Love You | 03:06 | The Clovers |
14 | Candy | 02:42 | Big Maybelle |
15 | Don’t Play That Song (You Lied) | 02:54 | Ben E. King |
16 | I’m Blue (The Gong-Gong Song) | 02:31 | The Ikettes |
17 | Any Day Now | 02:29 | Sam Cooke WithThe Soul Stirrers |
18 | Wild Wild Young Men | 02:32 | Ruth Brown |
19 | Honey Hush | 02:29 | Big Joe Turner |
20 | All In My Mind | 02:36 | Maxine Brown |
21 | Whatcha Gonno Do? | 02:47 | Clyde McPhatter & The Drifters |
22 | Ting a Ling | 03:06 | The Clovers |
23 | Tonight’s The Night | 01:47 | The Chiffons |
24 | I’ll Save The Last Dance For You | 02:13 | Damita Jo |
25 | Mess Around | 02:43 | Ray Charles |
26 | Let’s Twist Again | 02:19 | Chubby Checker |
-Th[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]One of the numbers Lena Horne sang in her triumphant 1981 one-woman show “Lena Horne – The Lady And Her Music” was an obscure Rodgers and Hart song, the wittily risqué “A Lady Must Live”. As a dedicated fan of all things Rodgers & Hart, I wondered at first, how in heaven’s name did Lena Horne find this rare gem.
I should have known better. There may well be a charming bit of business behind her discovery of the song; the means of her introduction to it, however, are far less important than the realisation that Lena Horne knows a good song when she hears one. Whether a song is brought to her attention for her consideration or encountered by her by chance, it is inescapable that she will recognise a song of merit, and if her vocal personality is up to it, she will have a new song to add to her already rich repertoire. And of course the chief beneficiaries are those who are unfamiliar with a forgotten or neglected gem.
So it’s little wonder that, in this album, Lena Horne has chosen her songs with care and in the process has uncovered rarely heard treasures from the pop song masters of the past.
Two of them have music by Harold Arlen, who wrote the melodies – with lyrics by E Y Harburg – Lena sang in “Jamaica”, her Broadway musical first presented in 1957. One is “The Eagle & Me” also with the lyrics by Harburg from the 1944 Broadway hit, “Bloomer Girl”. The song, reflecting a social consciousness of Arlen & Harburg is a joyous paean to freedom. “Sing From My Heart”, with a lyric by Ted Koehler is a swinging come-what-may ballad first sung by Irene Dunne in a 1939 RKO film, “Love Affair”.
Cole Porter, represented on the album by two songs could be the source of many Lena Horne numbers that she could delight her fans with, but for this album she offers his rarely performed “Ours”, in which exotic locales are viewed as retreat for lovers. It’s from the 1936 musical “Red Hot & Blue” the other Porter song is his wonderfully ardent standby “Every Time We Say Goodbye”.
Vernon Duke and Ogden Nash were infrequently paired as songwriters, but when they were, the songwriting craft was in captivating hands. Such is the case for “Roundabout”, lifted from 1946’s short lived “Sweet Bye And Bye”, and inserted into the 1952 Bette Davis musical, “Two’s Company”.
Lena Horne, to be sure, does not disappoint those who welcome choice renditions of songs from the standard repertoire. The likes of the aforementioned “Every Time We Say Goodbye”, “A Fine Romance”,“Look To The Rainbow” and “When I Fall In Love”, fill the bill with unquestioned brilliance
This album also reflects Lena Horne’s willingness to find worthy newcomers, two of which – the lovely ballads “I Wish I’d Met You” and “I Won’t Leave You” featured in her warm duets with Sally Davis and Joe Williams respectively. A third is “Joy”, a bluesy, yet optimistic song featuring a bit of cheerful byplay between Nina and her musicians.
If there is an underlying romantic philosophy in Lena Horne’s program it is one noted by Ettore Stratta, the album’s producer, “Lena”, he explains “wasn’t interested in songs of unrequited love, they reflect the sunnier view of life”.
Indeed, for the listener this album also mirrors Lena Horne’s basic philosophy of performance: the best songs of the past and present, in renditions that make them her own.
More recently, Lena’s “A Fine Romance” was featured in the Australian international smach hit film “Priscilla Queen Of The Desert”.
Unfortunately, Lena Horne passed away on the 9th of May 2010, but her music will stay with us forever.
IRV LICHTMAN, DEPUTY EDITOR, BILLBOARD MAGAZINE[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Track Listing[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2”][vc_column_text]
- I Wish I’d Met You
- Ours
- Every Time We Say Goodbye
- A Fine Romance
- Roundabout
- September Song
- Joy
- Close Enough For Love
- I Won’t Leave You Again
- The Eagle And Me
- When I Fall In Love
- Look To The Rainbow
- It Could Happen To You
- Sing My Heart
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