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Monday, 19 October 2026

"Sweet Soul Music - 24 Scorching Classics From 1975" by VARIOUS ARTISTS - Vol. 15 of 15 in a Yearly Series Covering 1960 to 1975 (February 2014 GERMAN Bear Family CD Compilation - Volume 15 of 15 In a Yearly Series Covering 1960 To 1975 – Wolfgang Manns Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...





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----------------------------------------------------

This Review Along With A HUGE 356 Others Is Available In My

SOUNDS GOOD E-Book on all Amazon sites

HIGHER GROUND 
70ts Soul, R 'n' B, Funk, Jazz Fusion
Exceptional CD Reissues and Remasters  

Just Click Below To Purchase for £4.95 (2026 Update)
Thousands of E-Pages - All Details and In-Depth Reviews From Discs 
(No Cut and Paste Crap)


"...Go Sister Go…"

I reviewed the preceding 10 volumes in this incredible series from 1961 to 1970 (probably the best Bear has ever done) and loved them to distraction. 

Jurgen Crasser was the remaster engineer for those. This time around (1971 to 1975) the sound hero on all five volumes bears the unlikely moniker of WOLFGANG MANNS. And I swear I may have to get "Wolfgang Is My Main Mann!" tattooed on my frumpy Irish buttocks - because these expertly crafted CD compilations are sonically sensational in every way. They're going to blow the minds of Seventies Soul fans everywhere. Here's the glitterball details for "1975"...

GERMANY/EUROPE/UK released Friday 14 February 2014 (11 Feb 2014 in the USA) - "Sweet Soul Music - 24 Scorching Classics From 1975" by VARIOUS ARTISTS on Bear Family BCD 16885 AS (Barcode 5397102168857) is a CD-only compilation that breaks down as follows (86:10 minutes, all 45-Single A-sides except Track 17):

1. Lady Marmalade - LABELLE (November 1974 US 45 on Epic 8-50048)
2. Supernatural Thing, Part 1 - BEN E. KING (January 1975 US 45 on Atlantic 45-3241)
3. Walking In Rhythm - THE BLACKBYRDS (January 1975 US 45 on Fantasy F-736)
4. Love Won't Let Me Wait - MAJOR HARRIS (February 1975 US 45 on Atlantic 45-3248)
5. Rockin' Chair - GWEN McCRAE (March 1975 US 45 on Cat Records CAT 1996)
6. Shining Star - EARTH, WIND and FIRE (January 1975 US 45 on Columbia 3-10090)
7. Shackin' Up - BARBARA MASON (March 1975 US 45 on Buddah BDA-459-N)
8. Give The People What They Want - THE O’JAYS (April 1975 US 45 on Philadelphia International ZS8 3565)
9. The Hustle - VAN McCOY AND THE SOUL CITY SYMPHONY (April 1975 US 45 on Avco AV-4653)
10. Keep The Home Fires Burnin' - LATIMORE (March 1975 US 45 on Glades 1726)
11. Slippery When Wet - THE COMMODORES (April 1975 US 45 on Motown M 1338F)
12. This Will Be (An Everlasting Love) - NATALIE COLE (June 1975 US 45 on Capitol 4109)
13. Fight The Power, Part 1 - THE ISLEY BROTHERS (May 1975 US 45 on T-Neck ZS8 2256)
14. How Long (Betcha' Got A Chick On The Side) - THE POINTER SISTERS (July 1975 US 45 on Blue Thumb BTA-265)
15. Do It Any Way You Wanna - PEOPLE’S CHOICE (June 1975 US 45 on (The Sound Of Philadelphia) TSOP ZS8 4769)
16. It Only Takes A Minute - TAVARES (July 1975 US 45 on Capitol 4111) 
17. Loving Arms - MILLIE JACKSON (September 1975 US 45 on Spring SPR 161, B-side of "Leftovers")
18. Full Of Fire - AL GREEN (October 1975 US 45 on Hi Records 5N 2300)
19. Love Rollercoaster - OHIO PLAYERS (November 1975 US 45 on Mercury 73734, This A-side is a Single Edit At 2:59 minutes, the "Honey" LP Version is 4:52 minutes)
20. Love Machine (Part 1) - THE MIRACLES (September 1975 US 45 on Tamla T 54262F) 
21. Sweet Thing - RUFUS featuring CHAKA KHAN (December 1975 US 45 on ABC Records ABC-12149)
22. Hold Back The Night - THE TRAMMPS (December 1975 US 45 on Buddah BDA-507 – September 1975 UK 45 on Buddah BDS 437)
23. Turning Point - TYRONE DAVIS (November 1975 US 45 on Dakar DK 4550)
24. Boogie Fever - SYLVERS (November 1975 US 45 on Capitol 4179)

The three-way fold-out card digipak of the preceding 10 volumes has been kept as has the live-on-stage Jackie Wilson photo on the spine that is now extended (when you line all 15 spines they make one photograph). This "1975" set features THE POINTER SISTERS on the front cover while the stock 7" of "The Hustle" by VAN McCOY graces the inside flap with a further photo of the lady threesome LABELLE in wild concert garb on the center lip. The detachable booklet is properly beautiful - a 76 oversized-pages wad of deep liner notes by world-renowned R 'n' B and Soul expert BILL DALH with Discography info by DAVE "Daddy Cool" BOOTH. There are black and white/colour publicity pictures of the artists (hairy chests, large-brim white hats and patch-inlaid elephant flares ahoy), the single labels/album covers and adverts from the US music press. Quality all the way...

As you can see from the catalogue numbers provided above all tracks are US 7" singles and proceedings open in stunning form with Labelle's irrepressible "Lady Marmalade". The crystal clear sound quality continues with a double slinky - "Supernatural Thing" and "Walking In Rhythm" - but slows down into the bedroom huffing of Major Harris being a naughty boy in "Love Won't Let Me Wait". Things pick up considerably with Gwen McCrae's infectiously brilliant "Rockin' Chair" - a tune I've loved for decades - and at last is lifted out of its former muddiness and given a brand new coat of aural paint. 

Genius choices come in three forms - the talking nosey-neighbors "Shackin' Up" by Barbara Mason while Latimore's "Keep The Home Fires Burnin'" is superlative funk. Equally cool in our trio is the wah-wah guitars and chunky bass of "How Long..." by The Pointer Sisters combining with some great string arrangements to deliver a fabulous builder. Even Van McCoy's over-played "The Hustle" sounds transformed as does the happy Natalie Cole movie-favorite "This Will Be (An Everlasting Love)". The bopping "Do It Any Way You Wanna" by People's Choice (written by Leon Huff) contrasts nicely with the barroom Tom Waits impassioned moan of Millie Jackson's "Loving Arms" in beautiful sound quality. And how good is to hear Al Green sound full on in your speakers instead of the clamped-down production values we've been used to (his "Full Of Fire" a forgotten nugget). The Miracles' "Love Machine" is bound to bring out the Afro Hairdo in you and a need to chuck some talcum powder on the kitchen floor while I'd forgotten just how sensual and beautiful "Sweet Thing" by Rufus and Chaka Khan is - no wonder it hit R&B Number 1 (both stunning transfers). Check out the YouTube footage of Prince introducing Chaka at a live venue where she and his band tear into "Sweet Thing" - what a wow. 1975 goes out with three popular dancers - the fantastically upbeat "Hold Back The Night" by The Trammps (covered by so many) and the "I used to stay out all night long..." of "Turning Point" by Tyrone Davis on Dakar (sounding lovely) with the future of Disco finishing it all off - "Boogie Fever" by The Sylvers. 

I had honestly thought that this Volume from 1975 would be the weakest - but if anything it's as brilliant as the 1971 set - a superlative mix of the familiar and lesser-heard - all properly handled by people who care about sound quality. And check out that eye-watering total playing time - 86:10 minutes – indeed a Good God Y'all!

These CDs have been a long time coming - but man have they been worth the wait. I know long-term Soul fans will look at the track list and price and perhaps baulk at duplicity and cost - DON'T. You've not heard these classics and undergrounds until now. And if you've any joy for Seventies Soul - then you need to have this volume and the other four compilations in your life - because GLORIOUS is the word that comes to mind. 

"Sweet Soul Music 1971 to 1975" are already my Soul/Funk reissues of the year for 2014 and I’m certain, a shoe-in for Grammy awards. Fabulous stuff... 

PS: see separate reviews for all Volumes from 1960 to 1974 in Bear Family's "Sweet Soul Music..." CD Series...

"Sweet Soul Music - 23 Scorching Classics From 1974" by VARIOUS ARTISTS - Vol. 14 of 15 In a Yearly Series Covering 1960 to 1975 – Featuring Eddie Kendricks, Bobby Womack, Earth, Wind & Fire, James Brown, The Jackson 5, The Stylistics, Latimore, The Tymes, Shirley Brown, Carl Carlton, Yvonne Fair, The Hues Corporation, B.T. Express and more (February 2014 GERMAN Bear Family CD Compilation – Wolfgang Manns Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...



Amazon UK Purchase Link 
-----------------------------------------------

This Review Along With A HUGE 356 Others Is Available In My

SOUNDS GOOD E-Book on all Amazon sites

HIGHER GROUND 
70ts Soul, R 'n' B, Funk, Jazz Fusion
Exceptional CD Reissues and Remasters  

Just Click Below To Purchase for £4.95 (2026 Update)
Thousands of E-Pages - All Details and In-Depth Reviews From Discs 
(No Cut and Paste Crap)


"...Diggin' The Scene...With A Gangster Lean..."


I reviewed the preceding 10 volumes in this incredible series from 1961 to 1970 (probably the best Bear Family of Germany has ever done) and loved them to distraction. Jurgen Crasser was the remaster engineer for those. 


This time around (1971 to 1975) the sound hero on all five volumes bears the unlikely moniker of WOLFGANG MANNS. And I swear I may have to get "Wolfgang Is My Main Mann!" tattooed on my frumpy Irish derriere - because these expertly crafted CD compilations are sonically sensational in every way. They're going to blow the minds of Seventies Soul fans everywhere. Here's the butt-bumping details for "1974"...


GERMANY and UK released Friday 14 February 2014 (11 Feb 2014 in the USA) - "Sweet Soul Music - 23 Scorching Classics From 1974" by VARIOUS ARTISTS on Bear Family BCD 16884 AS (Barcode 5397102168840) is a CD-only compilation that breaks down as follows - US 45-Single Catalogue numbers provided (82:32 minutes):


1. Boogie Down - EDDIE KENDRICKS (Tamla T 54243F)

2. Lookin' For A Love - BOBBY WOMACK (United Artists UA-XW375-W)

3. Mighty Mighty - EARTH, WIND and FIRE (Columbia 4-46007)

4. You Make Me Feel Brand New - THE STYLISTICS (Avco AV-4634)

5. Be Thankful For What You’ve Got - WILLIAM DeVAUGHN (Roxbury BRBO-0236)

6. The Payback, Part 1 - JAMES BROWN (Polydor PD 14223)

7. Dancing Machine - THE JACKSON 5 (Motown M 1286F)

8. Sideshow - BLUE MAGIC (Atco 45-6961) 

9. Rock Your Baby - GEORGE McCRAE (T.K. Records 1004)

10. Hollywood Swinging - KOOL and THE GANG (De-Lite DEP 561) 

11. Rock The Boat - THE HUES CORPORATION (RCA Victor APBO 0232)

12. Funky Music Sho Nuff Turns Me On - YVONNE FAIR (Motown M 1306F)

13. Hang On In There Baby - JOHNNY BRISTOL (MGM M14715)

14. Do It ('Til You're Satisfied) (7" Single Edit) - B.T. EXPRESS (Scepter SCE 12395) 

15. Let's Straighten It Out - LATIMORE (Glades 1722)

16. When Will I See You Again - THE THREE DEGREES (Philadelphia International ZS7 3550)

17. Everlasting Love - CARL CARLTON (Back Beat BB-630)

18. Woman To Woman - SHIRLEY BROWN (Truth TRA-3206)

19. I Wouldn't Treat A Dog (The Way You Treated Me) - BOBBY BLAND (ABC Dunhill D-15015)

20. You Got The Love - RUFUS featuring CHAKA KHAN (ABC Records ABC-12032)

21. You Little Trustmaker - THE TYMES (RCA Victor PB-10022)

22. As Long As He Takes Care Of Home - CANDI STATON (Warner Brothers WBS 8038)

23. Fire - OHIO PLAYERS (Mercury 73643)


The three-way fold-out card digipak of the preceding 10 volumes has been kept as has the live-on-stage Jackie Wilson photo on the spine that is now extended (when you line all 15 spines they make one photograph). This "1974" set features EARTH, WIND and FIRE on the front cover while the stock 7" of "You Make Me Feel Brand New" by THE STYLISTICS graces the inside flap with a further photo of a pensive-looking YVONNE FAIR on the center lip. The detachable booklet is properly beautiful - a 76 oversized-pages wad of deep liner notes by world-renowned R 'n' B and Soul expert BILL DALH with Discography info by DAVE "Daddy Cool" BOOTH. There's black and white/colour publicity pictures of the artists (more afro hairdos than you can shake a stick at), reproductions of the single labels and album covers in colour and adverts from the US music press. Quality all the way...


As you can see from the catalogue numbers provided above all tracks are US 7" singles and like "1971" it opens with a cleverly chosen triple-whammy of crystal clear sound quality - the hissy but ballsy "Boogie Down" by Eddie Kendricks followed by a truly huge remaster of Bobby Womack's chipper "Lookin' For A Love" and a blasting Earth, Wind and Fire laying down a template that would serve them well for years to come. The gooey but lovely "You Make Me Feel Brand New" by The Stylistics sounds amazing - full of extraordinary presence (the kind of Soul your sister liked). It's followed by a real gem - William De Vaughn's car-crawling genius of a song "Be Thankful For What You've Got" - the sound quality on this one track alone is worth the price of admission (lyrics from it title this review). We're back to serious funk with Part 1 of "The Payback" by James Brown which sounds ludicrously brilliant and is guaranteed to make stone dead hair follicles grow again.  


A brave and clever choice is the unexpected "Dancing Machine" by The Jackson 5 where they try to leave the teenybopper behind and tap into the funk of the time and just about succeed. The pretty "...hurry hurry…step right up…" talking song "Sideshow" by Blue Magic sounds lush and full (Rhino did a lovely reissue of the album in 2007 - see separate review) - while the ogre of Disco is being ushered in by a quad of huge hits - "Rock Your Baby", "When Will I See You Again", "Rock The Boat" and "Hang On In There Baby". I hate them all personally but for those who want them in top sound quality - then look no further.   


Far tastier is the genius choice of Yvonne Fair's utterly brilliant "Funky Music..." - an irresistible chunk of dancing dynamite liable to make Granny boogie that hip-replacement. Falling into the same territory is the "...whatever it is..." bump and grind of "Do It..." by B.T. Express. And another nugget is the slow groove of Benny Latimore’s hypnotic piano on "Let's Straighten It Out" - with its "...tossin' and turnin' in your sleep..." lyrics - gorgeous stuff. The audio gurus will flip for the sheer sonic improvement contained in Bear’s remaster of Carl Carlton's jubilant "Everlasting Love". And a really great double funk act is Bobby Bland and Chaka Khan with Rufus - both sounding fantastic. I even have to admit to a soft spot for the dooby-dooby-dooby Pop/Soul of "You Little Trustmaker" by The Tymes. 


Niggles - like "1972" there's those irritating exclusions (probably due to licensing rights). Where's the crossover hit "Pick Up The Pieces" by Average White Band, maybe a bit of Lou Bond, Willie Hutch, Chairmen Of The Board,  Ashford & Simpson, The Commodores, Billy Paul? And I'd admit that as I'm paying a wad for this CD, at least 5 of the Disco-orientated tracks make me cringe even now. But I would have to respect the fact that the compilers had to touch all bases (most are US R&B Number 1 hits so I suppose their choices were inevitable). But yet again there's that nice mixture of the common and the obscure (all sounding as pert as a grunting gymnast in the Russian Winter Olympics). I also had no problems with playback despite the jam-packed value-for-money playing time of 83 minutes. 


These sets have been a long time coming - but man have they been worth the wait. I know long-term Soul fans will look at the track list and price and perhaps baulk at duplicity and cost - DON’T. You've not heard these classics until now. And if you've any joy for Seventies Soul - then you need to have this volume and the other four compilations in your life - because GLORIOUS is the word that comes to mind. These are already my reissues of the year for 2014...


PS: see separate reviews for all Fifteen Volumes...

Sunday, 18 October 2026

"Mythical Kings And Iguanas/Reflections In A Mud Puddle" by DORY PREVIN – Second and Third Solo US Albums from March 1971 and December on Mediarts and United Artists – February and June 1972 UK LPs both on United Artists (April 1998 UK Beat Goes On Records (BGO) Compilation – 2LPs Remastered onto 1 CD) - A Review by Mark Barry...





Amazon UK Purchase Link
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This Review Along With 378 Others Is Available 
In My SOUNDS GOOD E-Book (on all Amazon sites)

GET IT ON - 1971
Your All-Genres Guide To
Exceptional CD Reissues and Remasters  
A HUGE 3,136 e-Pages 

All Details and In-Depth Reviews From The Discs Themselves 
(No Cut and Paste Crap)
Just Click Below To Google, Purchase or See My Author Page
For the SOUNDS GOOD Music Books Series (32 Titles in all)


"…Bent And Battered Wings…"

When I worked the counters at Reckless Records in Soho, London and their Islington branch – American ladies like Laura Nyro and Dory Previn divided punters – artists with such specific voices and visions that you either loved it or left. Studious students and University nerds would buy them after months of 50p reductions. Mostly, their lemon-haired characters and acidic quips were an acquired taste few seemed to want to acquire. Cut to five and half decades later and conservative tastes have changed and aficionados embrace both.

This 1998 CD compilation brings together Previn's second and third solo studio albums (and amongst her most popular) from March and December 1971 in the USA on Mediarts and United Artists (February and June 1972 in the UK on United Artists) onto one warm-sounding CD. Time to start turning the roulette wheel… Let's get to the details…

UK released April 1998 - "Mythical Kings And Iguanas/Reflections In A Mud Puddle - Taps Tremors And Time Steps" by DORY PREVIN on Beat Goes On Records BGOCD383 (Barcode 5017261203830) is a Compilation that Remasters her Second and Third Solo Studios Albums onto 1CD and plays out as follows (68:03 minutes):

1. Mythical Kings And Iguanas [Side 1]
2. Yada Yada La Scala
3. Lady With The Braid
4. Her Mother's Daughter
5. Angels And Devils The Following Day
6. Mary C. Brown And The Hollywood Sign [Side 2]
7. Lemon Haired Ladies
8. Stone For Bessie Smith
9. The Game
10.Going Home (Mythical Kings And Iguanas)
Tracks 1 to 10 are her second solo studio album "Mythical Kings And Iguanas" – released March 1971 in the US on Mediarts 41-10 and February 1972 in the UK on United Artists UAG 29186. Produced by Nicolas K. Venet – Musicians included Brain Davies and Clark Maffit on Acoustic Guitars, Peter Jameson on Slide Guitar, Electric Guitars by David Cohen, Hamilton Wesley Watt, Jr., and Louie Shelton, Lawrence Knetchtel (of Bread) with Tom Keene on Keyboards with Joe Osborn on Bass and Ron Tutt on Drums. Backing Vocals featured Abbey Hall Singers, Denny Brooks, B.G. Davies, Floyd Maffitt, Judy Mayhan, Michael McGinnis, Peter Morse and West Venet. The LP did not chart in either country

Side 1 Reflections In A Mud Puddle
11. Doppelganger
12. The New Enzyme Detergent Demise Of Ali MacGraw
13. The Talkative Woman And The Two Star General
14. The Altruist And The Needy Case
15. Play It Again, Sam

Side 2 Taps Tremors And Time Steps (One Last Dance For My Father)
16. The Earthquake In Los Angeles (February, 1971)
17. The Final Flight Of The Hindenburg (May, 1937)
18. I Dance And Dance And Smile (After An Initial Deep Split The Tremors Can Go On Indefinitely – L.A. Times)
19. The Air Crash In New Jersey
20. Aftershock
Tracks 11 to 20 are from her third studio LP "Reflections In A Mud Puddle – Taps Tremors And Time Steps" – release December 1971 in the USA on United Artists UAS 5533 and June 1972 in the UK on United Artists UAG 29346. Keyboards by Thomas Keene, Mike Lang and Perry Botkin, Jr. with Horns by Steve Douglas, Gene Cipriano, Ted and Richard Nash and Anthony Terran. Guitars by William Keane, Louie Shelton (and Banjo), David Cohen, Dennis Budimir, Thomas Tedisco and Don Peake. Bass by Joe Osbourne, Lyle Ritz and Carol Kaye.

These early BGO compilations did not come with the now obligatory outer card slipcase but the 16-page booklet with a PAUL PELLITIER (of Record Information Services) offers a four-page introduction to Previn and her female Randy Newman creations. The rest of the pages have the copious amounts of lyrics that accompanied her gatefold sleeves and finally the album credits. No name is offered for Mastering but this Liberty/Capitol Records license is Remastered. The opening track "Mythical Kings And Iguanas" was always a slightly wobbly listen, a distorted kind of keyboard sound and here it is no different only maybe controlled a little better. But apart from that tape-inherent starter, the rest of the almost baroque sounding lyric-fests sound amazingly clear - "Her Mother’s Daughter". The synths of "Angels And Devils…" are sweet but not overly trebled. A good job done.

I would be the first to admit that I found all her albums hard work. The words are brilliant for sure but the tunes lacked anything that felt like a real melody – something to move you. But then you hear her remember the lover who was gentle and the one who made love on the floor – or the smiling Hollywood sign constantly saying cheese to the poor, the tired, the pimps and the flunkies. You have Mary C. Brown jumping off the letter H because Tinseltown had not made her a star – Mary Cecilia making the grade via an Obituaries mention. Gorgeous acoustic transfer for "Lemon Haired Ladies" – Previn not expecting labels like lover or wife but hoping his one a.m. phone-calls will amount to more than her door constantly ajar after his visits to elderly clients. Time to get Bluesy and a little snide - "Stone For Bessie Smith" regaling a tale of unpaid mortuary bills, hero worship and schoolgirls who came across as Conservative when they talked but dressed like something else entirely. The roulette wheel goes round but always stops short in "The Game" – gilded walls, neon lights and antique mirrors in an honest gambling den. Her second album ends with a building crescendo return to "Mythical Kings And Iguanas" – this time stretching to five-minutes of voices – layer after layer – probably the most effective song on the LP. On to the next platter...

"Doppelganger" has our creep marching in Alabama's Montgormery Square shouting at students, trading heroin for pot, whispering obscenities on subways - but wait - that handwriting on her stoned apartment wall looks strangely familiar. Previn's "Reflections In A Mud Puddle" LP was divided into a Side 2 and Side B set of songs. You could only describe Dory's acidic jab at Ryan O'Neal and Ali Mac Graw in "Love Story" (the huge soppy movie of the day complete with an Andy Williams schlock theme song) as funny - while she lacerates the hypocrite in "The Altruist And The Needy Case" - a right on 'causes' fool who can't hold down a relationship (unselfish are his deeds). Bluesy Jazz saunters in with the Side 1 closer "Play It Again, Sam" - nice production - shuffling sticks, piano, Bass plucks - back when hearts were brave and love was true.

Side 2 gives over to suite of tunes revolving around parental influences. Daddy issues, ballrooms on ships, unexpected earthquakes and flaming airships on air all filter through the brilliantly written segued-double of "The Earthquake In Los Angeles (February, 1971)" and "The Final Flight Of The Hindenburg (May, 1937)" . There is sadness in "I Dance I Dance And I Smile..." where she wishes her Dad needed her more than young Dory needed him (some sign of approval). It comes to an end with broken promises drowning out Saxophones as the Side ragtimes out. Some love it (not me) but I know that others find her open-wound words too moving to even express.

In 1998, Beat Goes On Records also Reissued and Remastered Dory Previn's July 1973 2LP set "Live At Carnegie Hall" onto 1 CD (Beat Goes On BGOCD374 - Barcode 5017261203748) and another 2LPs-onto-1CD compilation that paired "Mary C. Brown And The Hollywood Sign" from Nov 1972 with her July 1970 US debut "On My Way To Where" (BGOCD381 - Barcode 5017261203816). 

Dory Previn was always a 'difficult' listen for many - but BGO are to be praised for transferring her albums with such audio taste - a nice job done...

Saturday, 17 October 2026

"Gonna Take A Miracle" by LAURA NYRO and LABELLE – November 1971 US Fifth LP on Columbia Records (Entirely Cover Versions) – Labelle featured Patti LaBelle, Nona Hendryx and Sarah Dash – Produced by Kenneth Gambel and Leon Huff with String Arrangements by Tom Bell – All of Philadelphia International fame (June 2002 US Columbia/Legacy Expanded Edition CD Reissue with Four Bonus Tracks – Mark Wilder, Ellen Fitton and Seth Foster Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...





Amazon UK Purchase Link
---------------------------------------------------

This Review Along With 378 Others Is Available 
In My SOUNDS GOOD E-Book (on all Amazon sites)

GET IT ON - 1971
Your All-Genres Guide To
Exceptional CD Reissues and Remasters  
A HUGE 3,136 e-Pages 

All Details and In-Depth Reviews From The Discs Themselves 
(No Cut and Paste Crap)
Just Click Below To Google, Purchase or See My Author Page
For the SOUNDS GOOD Music Books Series (32 Titles in all)


"…Soulful And Heartfelt…"

When I worked the counters at Reckless Records in Soho, London and their Islington branch - Laura Nyro and her high-pitched voice was always a Marmite listen for punters – you either loved it or you needed to leave the room. Here in 2026, five and half decades after these albums - Nyro is still something of an unsung hero amongst aficionados.

But I'd argue that her quietly joyous collaboration with the Soul-Trio Labelle in 1971 (under the supervision and production chops of Gamble & Huff and Tom Bell arrangements - all three pre their Philadelphia International Records fame with The O'Jays, Harold Melvin, Teddy Pendergrass and MFSB) produced an all-covers-album corker that deserves reappraisal – an LP that seems to eternally languish in the forgotten racks of yesteryear - and "Gonna Take A Miracle" should not. 

And as if to reinforce her legend, those natty dudes over at Columbia/Sony have only gone and unearthed four previously unreleased and astonishingly good live renditions with Laura at her Piano in front of a rapturous crowd (May 1971 at Fillmore East in the Village Area of New York). Out there on her own, Nyro holds the rockers enrapt with Rock-Soulful covers – impressive. Let's get to the details…

US released 25 June 2002 - "Gonna Take A Miracle" by LAURA NYRO and LABELLE on Columbia/Legacy CK 85762 (Barcode 886977077227) is an Expanded Edition CD Reissue and Remaster with Four Bonus Tracks (Previously Unreleased Live Recordings) that plays out as follows (41:49 minutes):

1. I Met Him On A Sunday (1:49 minutes) [Side 1]
2. The Bells (2:59 minutes)
3. Monkey Time/Dancing In The Street (4:54 minutes)
4. Desiree (1:50 minutes)
5. You've Really Got A Hold On Me (4:04 minutes)
6. Spanish Harlem (2:51 minutes) [Side 2]
7. Jimmy Mack  (2:55 minutes)
8. The Wind (2:53 minutes)
9. Nowhere To Run (5:02 minutes)
10.It's Gonna Take A Miracle (3:22 minutes)
Tracks 1 to 10 are her fifth studio album "Gonna Take A Miracle" – released November 1971 in the US on Columbia KC 30987 and in the UK on CBS Records S 64770 – Produced by Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff - 

BONUS TRACKS:
11. Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing (0:58 minutes) segues into Track 12
12. (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman (3:00 minutes)
13. O-o-h Child (1:30 minutes) – segues into Track 14
14. Up On The Roof (3:11 minutes)
Tracks 11 to 14 are PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED live recordings recorded 30 May 1971 at the Fillmore East, New York with Laura Nyro unaccompanied on Piano. Track 11 is an Ashford & Simpson song made famous by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell in 1968 on Tamla
Track 12 is a Carole King & Gerry Goffin song made famous by Aretha Franklin in 1967
Track 13 is a Five Stairsteps Soul song from 1970 written by Stan Vincent
Track 14 is a Carole King & Gerry Goffin song made famous by The Drifters in 1964 on Atlantic Records

Musicians:
LAURA NYRO – Lead Vocals and Piano
LABELLE – Patti LaBelle, Nona Hendryx and Sarah Dash
ROLAND CHAMBERS and NORMAN HAINES – Guitars
LENNY PAKULA – Organ
RONNIE BAKER – Bass
LARRY WASHINGTON and NYDIA MATA – Congas, Bongos
VINCE MONTANA – Percussion
JIM KELTNER – Drums
TOM BELL, LENNY PAKULA and ROBERT MANN – Strings and Arrangements

A team of three trusted names handled the audio – ELLEN FITTON and SETH FOSTER (Engineering) with MARK WILDER (Mastering) – and having played compromised LPs from 1971 for years – the virtually hiss-less clarity they have achieved is shockingly lovely. The sound is not dead but warm and inviting – not compressed but alive. Suddenly their vocals on the gorgeous Marvin Gaye associated Originals song "The Bells" at 1:52 minutes combined with the strings is breathtaking (Patti letting rip too). The 8-page booklet has a short introduction to the LP and its making by AMY LINDEN explaining Nyro worshiping at the altar of Patti LaBelle's lung power – Gamble & Huff at the controls pre-Philly-fame. There are lovely photos, songwriter credits (no lyrics) and Reissue Credits and even a Previously Unused LP mock-up on the last page that was quite right rejected (hideous stuff). It is odd though that the LP issue date is not mentioned (let alone catalogue number) or which song was originally done by who on a whole album dealing with cover versions, but the real fireworks comes with the sound. Songs...

Her fifth album "Gonna Take A Miracle" from Nov 1971 opens with hand-claps and voices - Nyro and Labelle giving in some Acapella Shirelles for their 1958 '…dated him on Tuesday, kissed him on Thursday, he didn’t come Friday…' tale of teenage woe - "I Met Him On A Sunday". Such a cool scene-setting and at only 1:49 minutes it then segues into the sublime – a soft piano and her impassioned vocals for the Marvin Gaye gem (when he was with The Originals, a January 1970 US 45 for them on Soul Records) "The Bells". Even when it ends and heads out with that quiet passage, the Remaster keeps it sweetly unencumbered. Just a beautiful rendition.

Time to bop y'all with a double dose of Mayfield and Motown magic – the Curtis Mayfield written Major Lance hit vs. a Martha & The Vandellas smash - "Monkey Time/Dancing In The Street" meshed into one frantic bopper. But it's at this point that I think (others disagree) the whole project made a mistake. The double-dancer "Monkey Time/Dancing In The Street" is manic and feels too crowded. But when she goes into the less-than-two minute "Desiree" – another gorgeous slowie – you start to think that slowies is what the entire album should have been – an ultra-mellow display of entirely sweet Soul interpretations. The whole album – variants on ballads. When Gamble and Huff introduce Tom Bell strings arrangements to "You've Really Got A Hold On Me" – it really works – but then towards the end they speed up the song and kind of ruin it for me. 

Side 2 returns to conga and bass sweetness with a cover of the Ben E. King Atlantic Records hit "Spanish Harlem" – brass saunters in towards the fade out but not enough to drown or detract – a fab opening to Side 2. Time to shimmy again, "Jimmy Mack" – and you can feel the four ladies digging it as they ooh and aah their way through the hurry back lyrics (Jimmy needs to get home fast). Stunning is the only word to apply to the lonesome echo of "The Wind" – an obscure 1954 Vocal Group 45 by Nolan Strong & The Diablos on Fortune Records which Nyro and Labelle strip back to just hurting vocals. A great example of injecting Soul into something that was Doo Wop - R&B transformed into something truly beautiful. But just like "Monkey Time…" on Side 1 – the Side 2 manic moment comes with "Nowhere To Hide" – its five minutes of trade-off hollers is too much. Thankfully, they end with another smooching beauty in "It's Gonna Take A Miracle" – a 1965 Soul outing for Sheila Ross and The Royalettes on MGM Records. Then we get something spectacular…

Most Bonus Tracks never feel like bonuses – but here Legacy unearthed four live performances where Nyro and only her Piano enthrals an almost silent audience who react with wild applause in-between songs digging her 'feel so tired' emotional singing. The remaster is lovely and if I am honest, I have returned to "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" far more often than I have the faster cuts on the LP (it takes a special vocalist to take on Aretha Franklin and win). 

A very cool CD Reissue and Remaster and here in 2026 it seems inexplicable that Columbia and Legacy did not do "Christmas And The Beads Of Sweat", "First Songs" and "Smile" in 2002 – although 5 November 2025 did see a Remaster of "Smile" (from 1976) with three bonus tracks on Sony International SICP 6721 (Barcode 4547366 766165) and "Nested" (from 1978) with one bonus track on Sony International SICP 6722 (Barcode 4547366766172) as part of their 18-titles strong Hidden Gems In 70s Series. 

Perhaps one day, Laura Nyro will fill the same hipster reverential shoes as Karen Dalton, Judee Sill, Anne Briggs or Jo Ann Kelly – I hope so. In the meantime, check out why devotees speak her name with a thump in the heart and a flush on the cheek…

June 2002 LAURA NYRO CD Remasters
US Columbia/Legacy Expanded Edition CD Reissues & Remasters

1. Eli And The Thirteenth Confession (April 1968 2nd Studio LP) – CD reissue is Columbia/Legacy CK 85763 (Barcode 696998576322) – Three Bonus Tracks

2. New York Tendaberry (September 1969 3rd Studio LP) – CD reissue is Columbia/Legacy CK 85764 (Barcode 886972413822) – Two Bonus Tracks

3. Christmas And The Beads Of Sweat (November 1970, 4th LP) – not issued in this series – Early un-remastered version is CK 30259

4. Gonna Take A Miracle (November 1971, 5th LP) – CD reissue is Columbia/Legacy CK 85762 (Barcode 886977077227) – Four Bonus Tracks

NOTE: More Than A New Discovery (Jan 1967 US Debut LP on Verve Forecast Records - reissued in the 1970s on CBS Records and Columbia as First Songs),  Christmas And the Beads Of Sweat (Nov 1970) and Smile (Feb 1976, 6th LP) were NOT included in this Remaster Series.

Thursday, 15 October 2026

"Now Yearbook Extra '71 - 61 More Essential Hits From 1971" by VARIOUS ARTISTS – Featuring John Lennon, T.Rex, Sweet, Hot Chocolate, Marmalade, The Byrds, Paul and Linda McCartney, Simon And Garfunkel, Neil Diamond, Elvis Presley, Gilbert O'Sullivan, The Fantastics, Elton John, Jethro Tull, Bob Dylan (with Leon Russell and Jesse Ed Davis), Georgie Fame and Alan Price, McGuinness Flint, C.C.S (with Alexis Korner), Deep Purple, Atomic Rooster, Medicine Head, East Of Eden, Glen Campbell, Perry Como, Dana, Curtis Mayfield, Stevie Wonder, The Supremes, The Honey Cone, Jackson 5, Frankie Valli, The Velvelettes, Marvin Gaye, The Pioneers, Mungo Jerry, Cat Stevens, Scott English, Four Tops, The Delfonics, The Elgins, Martha Reeves and The Vandellas, Chairmen Of The Board, Greyhound, Dave & Ansel Collins, The Pioneers and more (October 2026 UK Sony Music/EMI 61-Track 3CD Three Way Foldout Six-Panel Card Sleeve with 45-Single and Album Remasters – Companion Volume to the August 2026 "Now Yearbook '71" 4CD Set with 80-Tracks) – A Review by Mark Barry…





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RATINGS: 
Overall: ****
Presentation: ***
Audio: Mostly **** to ***** (Excellent and Better Throughout)
(But There Is An Awful Mastering Error on Mungo Jerry Song on Disc 3)

"…Life Is A Long Song…"

As ever with these multiple Sony Music/EMI Yearbook releases and especially the companion EXTRA sets – 1971 presents with genius and drivel sat uncomfortably alongside each other on every disc. And this set unfortunately sports a horrible mastering error on Disc 3 when you play the truly lovely "Lady Rose" by Mungo Jerry (Track 18) – it is distorted to unlistenable. Worse, about 2:40 minutes into the song – the audio sort of returns to normal to its 3:09 end just to tease you into hearing how it should sound. It will need to be withdrawn and fixed because this is undoubtedly one of the better highlights of discovery on this 3CD 1971 set.


And thematically (fairly sure I'm not the first person to notice this) these 3-Disc Extra variants almost always feel better than their 4-disc daddies – like they are aimed at the more discerning collector and not the casual browser (28 August 2026 was the 4CD predecessor - see separate review). And this 1971 Extra is no different. Stormingly good tunes here amidst the winces – a lot to cover, on to the details…

UK released Friday, 9 October 2026 - "Now Yearbook Extra '71 – 61 More Essential Hits From 1971" by VARIOUS ARTISTS on Sony Music/EMI CDYBENOW71 / 0199584439228 (Barcode 199584439228) is a 61-Track 3CD Three Way Foldout Six-Panel Card Sleeve that plays out as follows (track timings from the CDs):

CD1: 71:56 minutes (21 Tracks)
1. Power To The People – JOHN LENNON / PLASTIC ONO BAND (March 1971 UK 45-single on Apple Records R 5892, A-side – 3:19 minutes)
2. Jeepster (Album Version) – T.REX (from the LP "Electric Warrior" released 24 September 1971 on Fly Records HIFLY 6 featuring Marc Bolan and Mickey Finn – the November 1971 UK 45-single was on Fly Records BUG 16 and has the same playing time as the LP cut – 4:08 minutes)
3. Alexander Graham Bell – THE SWEET (October 1971 UK 45-single on RCA Victor RCA 2121, A-side - 2:57 minutes)
4. You Could've Been A Lady – HOT CHOCOLATE (January 1971 UK 45-single on RAK Records RAK 110, A-side - 3:40 minutes – featuring Errol Brown, Lead Vocals)
5. My Little One – MARMALADE (February 1971 UK 45-single on Decca Records F 13135, A-side - 3:19 minutes – co-written by Junior Campbell)
6. Chestnut Mare (Album Version) – THE BYRDS (from the November 1970 UK 2LP-set "(Untitled)" on CBS Records 66253 – there was also a January 1971 UK 45-single on CBS Records 5322 with a 2:58 minutes edit – this is the full LP version at 5:08 minutes)
7. Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey – PAUL and LINDA McCARTNEY (August 1971 US 45-single on Apple Records 1837, A-side – 4:42 minutes – Note: There was no UK single for this track lifted off the "Ram")
8. The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy) – SIMON & GARFUNKEL (September 1970 UK 45-single on CBS Records S 5172, B-side of "The Sound Of Silence" - a reissue of 1965 and 1966 tracks (1966 for Groovy) – it was issued May 1971 in Germany as the A-side on CBS Records 7169 - 1:54 minutes)
9. Moonshadow – CAT STEVENS (October 1970 UK 45-single on Island Records WIP 6092, B-side of "Father And Son" – the A-side "Father And Son" appeared on the November 1970 UK LP "Tea For The Tillerman" but its B-side (originally credited as "Moon Shadow") would not appear on LP until September 1971 on the "Teaser And The Firecat" album. But the song "Moonshadow" caught DJs and the public attention and first charted in late August 1971 hence its inclusion on this set - 2:50 minutes)
10. If You Could Read My Mind – GORDON LIGHTFOOT (February 1971 UK 45-single on Reprise Records RS 20974, A-side - 3:58 minutes)
11. I Am…I Said (Single Version) – NEIL DIAMOND (April 1971 UK 45-single on Uni Records UN 532, A-side - 3:35 minutes)
12. Rags To Riches – ELVIS PRESLEY (May 1971 UK 45-single on RCA Victor RCA 2084, A-side - 1:56 minutes)
13. We Will – GILBERT O'SULLIVAN (July 1971 UK 45-single on MAM Records MAM 30, A-side - 3:54 minutes)
14. Something Old Something New – THE FANTASTICS (February 1971 UK 45-single on Bell Records BLL 1141, A-side - 2:49 minutes)
15. River Deep, Mountains High (Single Version) – FOUR TOPS & THE SUPREMES (June 1971 UK 45-single on Tamla Motown TMG 777, A-side - 3:15 minutes)
16. Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology) – MARVIN GAYE (June 1971 US 45-single on Tamla T 54207F, A-side – the UK 45-single was released February 1972 on Tamla Motown TMG 802 - 3:15 minutes)
17. Ready Or Not, Here I Come (I Can't Hide From Love) – THE DELFONICS (September 1971 UK 45-single on Bell Records BLL 1175, A-side - 1:59 minutes)
18. Maybe Tomorrow – JACKSON 5 (June 1971 US 45-single on Motown M 1186F, A-side – no UK issue – 4:46 minutes)
19. Reach Out I'll Be There (Single Version) – DIANA ROSS (April 1971 US 45-single on Motown M 1184, A-side – no UK issue – 4:05 minutes)
20. Brandy – SCOTT ENGLISH (September 1971 UK 45-single on Horse HOSS 7, A-side - 3:12 minutes)
21. Who Put The Lights Out – DANA (January 1971 UK 45-single on Rex Records R 11062, A-side – 3:14 minutes)

CD2: 65:57 minutes (20 Tracks)
1. Levon (Mono Single Version) – ELTON JOHN (November 1971 US 45-single on Uni Records 55314, A-side - 4:45 minutes)
2. Life Is A Long Song – JETHRO TULL (September 1971 UK 45-single EP on Chrysalis Records WIP 6101, A-side, Track 1 of a 5-Track Extended Play EP, Lead Vocals Ian Anderson - 3:19 minutes)
3. Watching The River Flow (Single Version) – BOB DYLAN (June 1971 UK 45-single on CBS Records CBS 7329, A-side – taken from the 2LP set "More Bob Dylan Greatest Hits" – 15 Old Tracks Plus Six New Ones – the A-side is one of those – features Jesse Ed Davis on Guitar with Leon Russell on Piano - 3:36 minutes)
4. Rosetta – GERGIE FAME and ALAN PRICE (March 1971 UK 45-single on CBS Records S 7108, A-side – both singers are ex-The Animals - 2:46 minutes)
5. Malt And Barley Blues – McGUINNESS FLINT (April 1971 UK 45-single on Capitol Records CL 15682, A-side – Band took their name from Tom McGuinness and Bernie Flint – also in the band was songwriters Benny Gallagher and Graham Lyle (who wrote this) and who would become Gallagher & Lyle – a big chart presence in the mid to late Seventies - 2:13 minutes)
6. Walking – C.C.S. (January 1971 UK 45-single on RAK Records RAK 109, A-side – a Donovan cover version Produced by Mickie Most, Band featuring Alexis Koerner, John Cameron and Peter Thorup – 2013 Remaster - 3:12 minutes)
7. Fireball – DEEP PURPLE (October 1971 UK 45-single on Harvest HAR 5045, A-side – 2018 Remaster - 3:23 minutes)
8. Tomorrow Night – ATOMIC ROOSTER (September 1970 UK 45-single on B&C Records CB 131, A-side – written by Vincent Crane - 3:15 minutes)
9. (And The) Pictures In The Sky – MEDICINE HEAD (May 1971 UK 45-single on Dandelion Records DAN 7003, A-side – written by John Fiddler - 2:34 minutes)
10. Jig-A-Jig – EAST OF EDEN (May 1970 UK 45-single on Deram Records DM 297, A-side – Entered the UK charts in April 1971 (almost a year after release) – Band and song features the Fiddle Playing of Dave Arbus who would go to play on the Who opener "Baba O’Riley" - 3:44 minutes)
11. Tweedle Dum Tweedle Dee – MIDDLE OF THE ROAD (August 1971 UK 45-single on RCA Victor RCA 2110, A-side - 3:09 minutes)
12. What Have They Done To My Song Ma – MELANIE (August 1970 UK 45-single on Buddah 2011 038, B-side of "Ruby Tuesday" – 4:04 minutes)
13. It's A Sin To Tell A Lie – GERRY MONROE (April 1971 UK 45-single on Chapter One CH 144, A-side - 2:18 minutes)
14. Dream Baby (How Long Must I Dream) – GLEN CAMPBELL (March 1971 UK 45-single on Capitol Records CL 15674, A-side – a song made famous by Roy Orbison - 2:31 minutes)
15. Candida – DAWN (July 1970 UK 45-single on Bell Records BLL 1118, A-side – finally charted January 1971 – 3:05 minutes)
16. Las Vegas – TONY CHRISTIE (October 1970 UK 45-single on MCA Records MK 5058, A-side – charted early January 1971 - 3:23 minutes)
17. I Think Of You – PERRY COMO (April 1971 UK 45-single on RCA Victor RCA 2075, A-side - 3:36 minutes)
18. I Will Drink The Wine (Album Version) – FRANK SINATRA (February 1971 UK 45-single on Reprise Records RS 23487, A-side - 3:28 minutes)
19. There Goes My Everything – ELVIS PRESLEY and THE IMPERIALS QUARTET (March 1971 UK 45-single on RCA Victor RCA 2060, A-side - 2:59 minutes)
20. Symphony No. 40 In G Minor K 550 1st Movement (Allegro Molto) - WALDO DE LOS RIOS (March 1971 UK 45-single on A&M Records AMS 836, A-side – 4:25 minutes)

CD3: 61:34 minutes (20 Tracks)
1. Move On Up – CURTIS MAYFIELD (June 1971 UK 45-single on Buddah 2011 080, A-side – 2012 Remaster - 3:55 minutes)
2. We Can Work It Out – STEVIE WONDER (April 1971 UK 45-single on Tamla Motown TMG 772, A-side – a Beatles cover version - 3:19 minutes)
3. Nathan Jones (Single Version) – THE SUPREMES (August 1971 UK 45-single on Tamla Motown TMG 781, A-side – Lead Vocals by Jean Tyrell and Mary Wilson - 3:02 minutes)
4. Want Ads – THE HONEY CONE (May 1971 UK 45-single on Hot Wax HWX 107, A-side – Edna Wright on Lead Vocals - 2:47 minutes)
5. One Bad Apple (Album Version) – THE OSMONDS (February 1971 UK 45-single on MGM Records 2006 021, A-side – featuring Donny Osmond - 2:44 minutes)
6. Mama's Pearl (Single Version) – THE JACKSON 5 (April 1971 UK 45-single on Tamla Motown TMG 769, A-side – Lead Vocals by Michael Jackson - 3:07 minutes)
7. I Don't Blame You At All – SMOKEY ROBINSON & THE MIRACLES (May 1971 UK 45-single on Tamla Motown TMG 774, A-side – 3:06 minutes)
8. Everything's Tuesday – CHAIRMEN OF THE BOARD (February 1971 UK 45-single on Invictus INV 507, A-side – General Johnson on Lead Vocals - 2:49 minutes)
9. You're Ready Now – FRANKIE VALLI (November 1970 UK 45-single on Philips BF 320 226, A-side – Entered Chart December 1970 – rose to No. 11 in 1971 - 2022 Remaster - 2:17 minutes)
10. Put Yourself In My Place (Single Version) – THE ELGINS (June 1971 UK 45-single on Tamla Motown TMG 787 – Saundra Mallet on Lead Vocals - 2:41 minutes)
11. Forgot Me Not (Single Version) – MARTHA REEVES & THE VANDELLAS (January 1971 UK 45-single on Tamla Motown TMG 762, A-side - 2:59 minutes)
12. These Things Will Keep Me Loving You (Stereo Version) – THE VELVETTES (July 1971 UK 45-single on Tamla Motown TMG 780, A-side – Reissue of a 1966 song originally issued October 1966 on TMG 580 – Lead Vocals by Carolyn 'Cal' Gil - 2:26 minutes)
13. Surrender – DIANA ROSS (October 1971 UK 45-single on Tamla Motown TMG 792, A-side - 2:51 minutes)
14. Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler) (Single Version) – MARVIN GAYE (September 1971 US 45-single on Tamla T 54209F, A-side -  May 1972 UK 45-single on Tamla Motown TMG 817, A-side - 2:59 minutes)
15. Monkey Spanner – DAVE & ANSEL COLLINS (June 1971 UK 45-single on Techniques TE 914, A-side - 3:27 minutes)
16. Black And White – GREYHOUND (May 1971 UK 45-single on Trojan Records TR 7820, A-side - 2:55 minutes)
17. Let Your Yeah Be Yeah – THE PIONEERS (July 1971 UK 45-single on Trojan Records TR 7825, A-side - 3:07 minutes)
18. Lady Rose (Single Version) – MUNGO JERRY (May 1971 UK 45-single on Dawn Records 7N 2501, A-side – Also Issued on 21 May 1971 as Track 1 of a 4-Track Lady Rose EP on Dawn Records DNX 2501 - 3:09 minutes) – see AUDIO re Mastering Error on This Track
19. Peace Train – CAT STEVENS (September 1971 US 45-single on A&M 1291-S, A-side – no UK equivalent - 4:09 minutes)
20. The Back Seat Of My Car – PAUL and LINDA McCARTNEY (August 1971 UK 45-single on Apple Records R 5867, A-side - 4:29 minutes)

With no Book versions for these follow-on 3CD sets, the six-panel fold-out card sleeves of the 1971 Extra Edition offers minimal info, a track-by-track list with no catalogue numbers or chart placings (writing credits and naught else) with the CD sat in a yellow Card Pouch. This enables a 3CD set of quality audio to be sold for a tenner. The real meat-and-potatoes however comes in the shape of fab AUDIO throughout – shockingly good – even though Remasters are only mentioned sporadically. But it must be noted that as off now (first week of release, and as already pointed out) – CD3 has an unfortunate mastering mistake on the lovely Mungo Jerry song "Lady Rose" where it is distorted to buggery for most of its Single Mix duration. Bear that in mind…to the other 60 tunes…

CD1: Fist-pumping anthem "Power To The People" by John Lennon and Plastic Ono Band opens proceedings with a Right On wallop, but I prefer a bit of glam as T.Rex get all 'Electric Warrior' on our asses with their 'Universe reclining in your hair' Jaguar grooving "Jeepster". Good but not great, I can live without The Sweet song "Alexander Graham Bell" - but I'd forgotten how sweet Errol Brown and his Hot Chocolate were with the cautionary tale of "You Could've Been A Lady". And again (as with the first 4CD set), for a release that barely mentions Remasters (let alone dates applied) - the audio is uniformly glorious on all of them (and remember, this is 1971). Next up is a genuinely clever inclusion, Junior Campbell's Marmalade getting all America-meets-Matthews Southern Comfort acoustic mellow with "My Little One". Up on the stoney ridge is Roger McGuinn with The Byrds trying to catch a "Chestnut Mare" - great tune and thankfully Yearbook have chosen the full 2LP cut at 5:08 version and not the much-derided single edit at 2:58 minutes. More beautiful audio and melody magic with Macca's superb "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey" which was only a 45 in the USA and not his native Blighty (Paul & Linda McCartney chose the similarly arranged "The Back Seat Of My Car" (Track 20 over on CD3). 

Sneaking in the Sixties, Simon & Garfunkel's happiness anthem "The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)" first appeared in late 1966 on their "Parsley, Sage, Rosemary & Thyme" LP. Now Yearbook have snuck in a 1971 entry by way of it being reissued May 1971 in Germany on CBS Records (the British 1970 issue didn't chart). Whatever you look at it, it makes for a welcome warmth in your speakers. Same applies to chart-latecomer Cat Stevens and his beautiful "Moonshadow" - an October 1970 B-side release that took almost a whole year to finally chart in August 1971 as the more popular side (then came up later on the September 1971 "Teaser And The Firecat" album). Gorgeous is the only word for Gordon Lightfoot's "If You Could Read My Mind" - an acoustic guitar, string accompaniment and his voice and lyrics slaughtering all in its path - is it any wonder Bob Dylan rated Lightfoot as a top writer (liner notes in his 1985 'Biograph' box set). I suppose you could call "I Am..I Said..." cheesy and super melodramatic - but I have always loved Neil Diamond's bombast song (leaving me lonely still) - here with gorgeous Erick Labson audio. 

Unfortunately CD1 dives off a cliff with the crock that is "Rag To Riches" by a lost in Vegas Elvis. I love Gilbert O'Sullivan but "We Will" is hard to hear now (though I know there are those who rate all his singles). Soul now starts to turn up with The Fantastics giving it the Pop-Soul of "Something Old, Something Blue" but the Four Tops and Diana Ross don't do "River Deep, Mountain High" a whole lot of good. From the awful to the sublime - Marvin Gaye gets the second of three singles from his legendary "What's Going On" album with an environmental plea - "Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology Song)". Huge audio muscle follows with the darlings of Northern Soul  - The Delfonics giving it some 'gonna find you' in their "Ready Or Not Here I Come..." - great inclusion. Can live with Jackson 5's "Maybe Tomorrow" - better is "Reach Out (I'll Be There)" - Diana Ross helping us with lives filled with confusion (bit hissy at the beginning). Scott English is a clever inclusion - his "Brandy" covered by many later on - but the Dana track is awful and leaves a sour taste. 

CD2 is a tale of two cities - five stars to three - Rock first then Cheesy Easy with the Rock stuff easily the best. "Levon" from Elton's 1971 album "Madman Across The Water" was an American 45 (the now more famous song "Tiny Dancer" is on the 4CD set) and coupled with gorgeous audio for Jethro Tull's witty and brilliant "Life Is A Long Song" makes for a very cool double opener. But then I get mushy because I have always loved Bob Dylan's rocking "Watching The River Flow" - one of five new tracks on his Volume 2 'More Bob Dylan Greatest Hits' 2LP set - ably abetted on this rocker by Leon Russell on Piano and Jesse Ed Davis on Electric Slide Guitar. Bet your Mum and Dad remember all the words and catchy chorus to ex-Animals singers Alan Price and Georgie Fame doing "Rosetta" - the kind of singalong that would kick off in a pub after a few scoops. 

We're then hammered with a fantastic run of dreamy 45s - McGuinness Flint following up "When I'm Dead And Gone" with their other chart entry - "Malt And Barley Blues". The amazing C.C.S transforming a Donovan song "Walking" into a super-cool brassy groove while both Deep Purple and Atomic Rooster provide the hairy-men nits of "Fireball" and "Tomorrow Night" - stunner Rockers that amaze 55 years after the event. Two more in East of Eden and John Fiddler's Medicine Head - Dave Arbus giving it some fiddle on "Jig-A-Jig" (he would later grace "Baba O'Riley" for The Who's "Who Next" LP in August 1971) while the slightly weird Folk-Rock rhythms of Medicine Head remind you of a watered-down Gerry Rafferty - but in a good way. But the rest of the disc is inflicted with Easy Listening schlock like Gerry Monroe and Waldo De Los Rios - even the normally reliable Perry Como and Frank Sinatra letting the side down. 

CD3 returns to Soul, R&B and Reggae - opening with the fabulous "Move On Up" from Curtis Mayfield - a tune that has been lighting up clubs and dance-floors with its talcum powder grooves for nearly six decades (Curtom Records in the USA and Buddah in the UK). The Synth Funk sound that would so dominate our hearts and Stevie Wonder LPs from 1971 to 1976 begins with his funky cover of The Beatles soulful sway in "We Can Work It Out". And speaking of Tamla Motown, who is immune to the flange-pedal charm of "Nathan Jones" - The Supremes flourishing without Diana Ross - Lead Vocalists Jean Tyrell and Mary Wilson getting to triumph at last (love that tune). Love the Northern Soul Scene vibe with The Elgins, The Velvelettes and even the Four Seasons crooner Frankie Valli getting in on the act. But then we get the haunting gets-to-your-soul groove of Marvin Gaye's "Inner City Blues (Makes Me Wanna Holler)" where Rockets have priority over food and homes and people. And on it goes to fab turns from Reggae guys Dave & Ansel Collins, Greyhound and The Pioneers with "Monkey Spanner" (Madness ahoy), the hope of non-segregated children playing together in "Black And White" (what a beautiful sight) and The Pioneers confused by girly signals in "Let Your Yeah Be Yeah" (and your No be No now). Yearbook Extra 1971 sneaks in the popular Cat Stevens song "Peace Train" (a Stateside single) and so forth - but all of it marred by that crap Mungo Jerry mastering mistake which (had it been done properly) would have made CD3 the winner of all three. As ever, good with the bad, with good edging...

MISSING/IDEAS: fans will spot that there are kind of obvious exclusions across these three CDs for 1971 (the four-CD set that preceded it was no different - see list in that review also). This is most likely due to licensing difficulties or band blocks. Still, for info purposes, here are more missing 1971 gems - "Morning Has Broken" by Cat Stevens, "Hold Your Head Up" by Argent, "It Don't Come Easy" by Ringo Starr, "The Story In Your Eyes" by The Moody Blues, "You've Got A Friend" by James Taylor, "Warming Up The Band" by Heads, Hands & Feet, "Jewel Eyed Judy" (US) by Fleetwood Mac, "The Shape I'm In" by The Band, "One Of These Days" by Pink Floyd, "My Sweet Lord" by George Harrison, "Carey" and "California" by Joni Mitchell, "Wild Horses" (US) by The Rolling Stones or "Riders On The Storm" by The Doors. John Barry's "Diamonds Are Forever" as done by Shirley Bassey for the Bond film would have been perfect fodder here as would America and their acoustic anthem "A Horse With No Name". Obscure maybe but brill Soulful nonetheless would have been The Dramatics doing "Watcha See Is Watcha Get" or the domestic pain of "Thin Line Between Love And Hate" by The Persuaders nestled alongside dancefloor neck-jerkers like The Detroit Emeralds "Do Me Right" or Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose explaining why you must "Treat Her Like A Lady". There are loads more. The Soul stuff too seems to ponder far too much on Tamla Motown and not Stax or Atlantic who were label killing it with every 45-release in those years. And on it goes.

For sure Extra looks like crap, but you have to say that the Audio rocks throughout (apart from that horrible mastering Mungo Jerry glitch on CD3 - a great inclusion ruined which should be sorted out pronto), the good stuff is properly great and the surprises cool. 

Just be aware though of the popette schlock that accompanies Now Yearbook Extra 1971 and you will be getting it on, moving it on up and watching those rivers flow in an ecology jiffy (mercy me). Recommended...

NOW YEARBOOK '71 (1971) UK Discography
1. "Now Yearbook '71" by VARIOUS ARTISTS on Sony Music/EMI CDYBXNOW71 / 00199584531922 (Barcode 199584531922) – released Friday, 28 August 2026 as a 4CD 80-Track 28-Page Special Edition Hardback Book

2. "Now Yearbook '71" by VARIOUS ARTISTS on Sony Music/EMI CDYBNOW71 - 0199584531823 (Barcode 199584531823) – released Friday, 28 August 2026 as a 4CD 80-Track Eight-Panel Card Sleeve Standard Edition

3. "Now Yearbook '71" by VARIOUS ARTISTS on Sony Music/EMI LPYBNOW71 / 0199584531717 (Barcode 099584531717) – release delayed until Friday, 2 October 2026 as a 3LP BRIGHT YELLOW VINYL Edition with 50-Tracks Truncated down from the 80-Track 4CD edition

4. "Now Yearbook Extra '71 - 61 More Essential Hits From 1971" by VARIOUS ARTISTS on Sony Music/EMI CDYBENOW71 / 0199584439228 (Barcode 199584439228) – released 9 October 2026 as a 3CD 61-Track Companion Volume in a Three-Panel-Gatefold Card Sleeve

INDEX - Entries and Artist Posts in Alphabetical Order