In The Trashcan Records
GARBAGE40
"Gather
around,all you soul brothers and soul sisters, put on your dancing shoes and
shake those legs. Even a greasy rockin' boss can have a special spot in his
heart for soul..."
After all those years it’s still great to discover unexpected tunes. Larry Williams, famous rock ‘n’ roll guy, discovers r&b and soul music. This B-side (flip is “Just because”) was recorded for Okeh in 1967. The three or four girls doing the backing vocals are lucky to have tasted this boss lovin’.
I’m not sure about the year, but it must’ve been 1967 or 1968. This black soul cover version of the Spencer Davies’ classic is one of the best I’ve ever heard. It’s fast, with an organ, bongo beatin’ drums, psychedelic backing vocals and this time the horns sound fantastic.
Here’s another rockabilly guy turning back towards r&b. This cool soul song was released on the mighty Stax label (together with “Family portrait”). No more Little Green Men in the 60s for Billy Lee; no now it’s a funky guitar, a thumping bass and swirling horns around an uptempo dance rhythm. But don’t get me wrong, he’s still red hot!
Mix “Get ready” and “Uptight” without turning it into a boring medley; it’s not as easy as you might think, but Eva did a great job as did the producer Harold Thomas who also wrote the b-side “Mr. Everything”. This '68 release is a dancefloor filler.
One of Bo’s best b-sides. It was coupled with “Bo Diddley 1969” on Chess. A steady organ beat to simulate the train getting berserk on the rails. Do the locomotive, baby, on Bo’s soul train. Yeah!
I’ve never seen this '67 tune on a compilation, but I’m sure such a comp must exist. This is too good and the singer is too well known. Ever heard the version by The Raunch Hands on Crypt in 1989? To me this is Mister Detroit Wheels’ best recording ever. The producer was the legendary Bob Crewe.
Not well enough known? Well, Jerry Lee is! Like Elvis with “Rubberneckin’” and Carl Perkins with “Soul beat”, he made his own great soul r&b song, albeit in 1972. Too bad that it was only a b-side, but it’s much better than the flip “Turn on your love light”.
The Belgian pic sleeve as shown here, is super, but hard to find. Most of us own the ‘green’ sleeve. Most of us? Yes, it’s the b-side of “Help yourself”. A psychedelic soul tune by Tom Jones in '68? Unlikely, but it does exist! And it fills every dance floor around Europe.
It seems like James Brown’s backing band (Famous Flames or one of the others) playing with Bobby Byrd. Three minutes full of funky uptempo fun. Feel like a rooster and feel those chicks.
What a great name for a band. Like a comic book. In 1969 followed another 45 and there also was a 45 release on Gama in 1968. The band included Harmon Bethea who recorded more 45s for Dynamo and Musicor until 1974, but also as Bethea & The Cat-Tans in 1963 and 1964 for Sabu. Great soul voice. And the b-side is even better! Just check it out on vol 46.
No, there isn’t, Johnny! If you know there is, please show me right now. Again a fast soul stomper; no wimpy stuff here, only the real fast, hard & groovy tunes. Doesn’t he look great in his costume? “New love” is on the flip of this '69 release.
Trumpets as in late 60s Gainsbourg compositions, a funky organ, a small choir and a super singer hailing from Canada. His recording career started in 1965 for Atco and ended in 1971 with Columbia and in between he recorded for Roman, Decca, Roulette and Tower. This '69 Vogue release is the French release of the Roulette 45. He’s better known for his work with Blood Sweat & Tears, also on this volume.
The A-side, “Lucretia’s MacEvil”, was a minor '70 hit and it’s been used several times in hip hop samples. But I go for the semi-instrumental B-side. Blood, Sweat & Tears never sounded more soulful than on this reprise.
A rare 45 by this instrumental band. Both sides (b/w “Indian fig”) were written by Lumni. It sounds like those late 60s/early 70s groovy Italian soundtracks. Maybe this song has been used in one of those brilliant Cinecittà productions. I remember standing at the entrance of the Roman studios and reflecting all the good moments I had watching those films.
”Coal man” was the A-side, but it’s the flip I go for. A great, swinging, mid tempo soul song from '69 by the fabulous Mack Rice.
I don’t know why, but I couldn’t find a single compilation with this '67 song. Still The Coasters were a major soul band and this was an A-side. Written by the Leiber-Stoller duo, just like the b-side “Down home girl”. And now enjoy this soulful funky album in your fave soul pad.
