“I’m Gonna Stop Wasting Time…I’m Hanging Up My Heart For You…”"The Platinum Collection" is essentially Rhino's 1992 compilation "It Tears Me Up: The Best Of..." minus one song ("That's The Way I Want To Live My Life"). The track running order has been rearranged, there's new cheaper artwork and it's now at a budget price.
This remastered reissue (from the original tapes) is part of a slew of releases to celebrate Atlantic's 60th Anniversary (see full list below) and for a paltry four pounds in stores (even less online), you get 22 slices of gutsy, classic 60's soul.
Sledge released 4 albums on Atlantic and many non-album 7" singles sides too - both A's & B's - seven of which appear on this set (they're listed below). But the trade off for the budget price is that the well-annotated 18-page booklet of the original is now an informationless slip of paper - so here's a detailed breakdown of what's on what...
Track List:
1. When A Man Loves A Woman (2:50)
2. Warm And Tender Love (3:20)
3. It Tears Me Up (2:49)
4. Try A Little Tenderness (2:49)
5. The Dark End Of The Street (2:45)
6. Take Time To Know Her (3:04)
7. True Love Travels On A Gravel Road (Edit) (2:48)
8. Stop The World Tonight (3:15)
9. It's All Wrong But It's Alright (2:59)
10. Out Of Left Field (3:14)
11. Cover Me (3:00)
12. Put A Little Lovin' On Me (2:45)
13. Love Me Like You Mean It (2:29)
14. I'm Hanging Up My Heart For You (2:37)
15. Bless Your Sweet Little Soul (3:02)
16. Sudden Stop (2:47)
17. Drown In My Own Tears (4:01)
18. Kind Woman (4:40)
19. Push Mr. Pride Aside (3:24)
20. It Can't Be Stopped (3:15)
21. Love Me Tender (3:05)
22. Rainbow Road (2:55)
"When A Man Loves A Woman", June 1966 US Stereo LP, Atlantic SD-8125
(CD Tracks 1, 12 and 13)
"Warm And Tender Soul", November 1966 US Stereo LP, Atlantic SD-8132
(CD Tracks 2, 3, 4, 14 and 21)
"The Percy Sledge Way", August 1967 US Stereo LP, Atlantic SD-8146
(CD Tracks 5 and 17)
"Take Time To Know Her", May 1968 US Stereo LP, Atlantic SD-8180
(CD Tracks 6, 9, 10, 11 and 16)
Non-Album Single Sides...
Track 7 is "True Love Travels On A Gravel Road", 1969 USA 7" single on Atlantic 2679 [B-side of "Faithful & True"]
Track 8 is "Stop The World Tonight", 1970 USA 7" single on Atlantic 2826 [A]
Track 15 is "Bless Your Sweet Little Soul", 1968 USA 7" single on Atlantic 2594 [B-side of "My Special Prayer"]
Track 18 is "Kind Woman", 1969 USA 7" single on Atlantic 2646 [B-side of "Woman Of The Night"]
Track 19 is "Push Mr. Pride Aside", 1971 USA 7" single on Atlantic 2719 [B-side of "Too Many Rivers To Cross"]
Track 20 is "It Can't Be Stopped", 1967 USA 7" single on Atlantic 2396 [A]
Track 22 is "Rainbow Road", 1971 USA 7" single on Atlantic 2848 [A]
Possessed of a great voice, but unable to pen a tune himself, when Sledge got his hands on good material he was the equal of many more famous and revered names - Dan Penn and Spooner Oldham's gave him the wonderful "It Tears Me Up" while Don Covay co-wrote the cleverly worded 'run around' message song "I'm Hanging Up My Heart For You". Bobby Robinson's "Warm And Tender Love" is delivered with a slinky organ wrapped around Sledge's pleading vocals - and the speakers literally rattle with the bass and drums of the slow but stunning "Bless You Sweet Little Soul" - all great stuff.
"When A Man Loves A Woman" will forever be his signature song of course, but like the equally underrated Arthur Conley who was lumbered with "Sweet Soul Music" - it seems that 'one' strong song is all that Percy Sledge and Arthur Conley are remembered for - when there was so much more to enjoy. And this is a great place to start - and for absolute fiscal peanuts too.
Highly recommended.
PS: the other Atlantic artists in "The Platinum Collection" series are: LaVern Baker, Archie Bell & The Drells, Brook Benton, Booker T & The M.G.'s, Ruth Brown, Solomon Burke, Clarence Carter, The Clovers, Arthur Conley (see REVIEW), Don Covay, The Detroit Spinners, Eddie Floyd, King Curtis, Barbara Lewis (see REVIEW), The Mar-Keys, The Persuasions, Sam & Dave, Carla Thomas, Rufus Thomas, (Big) Joe Turner and Betty Wright
- Atlantic Records - LP DISCOGRAPHY for PERCY SLEDGE -
“When A Man Loves A Woman”
Atlantic SD-8125, June 1966, US Stereo LP
Side 1: When A Man Loves A Woman/My Adorable One/Put A Little Lovin' On Me/Love Me All The Way/When She Touches Me (Nothing Else Matters)/You're Pouring Water On A Drowning Man
Side 2: Thief In The Night/You Fooled Me/Love Makes The World Go Round/Success/Love Me Like You Mean It
“Warm And Tender Soul”
Atlantic SD-8132, November 1966, USA Stereo LP
Side 1: It Tears Me Up/I'm Hanging Up My Heart For You/You've Really Got A Hold On Me/That's How Strong My Love Is/A Sweet Woman Like You/Love Me Tender
Side 2: Warm And Tender Love/Try A Little Tenderness/So Much Love/I Stand Accused/Heart Of A Child/Oh How Happy
“The Percy Sledge Way”
Atlantic SD-8146, August 1967, USA Stereo LP
Side 1: The Dark End Of The Street/You Send Me/I Had A Talk With My Woman/What Am I Living For/I've Been Loving You Too Long (To Stop Now)/Tell It Like It Is
Side 2: My Special Prayer/Drown In My Own Tears/Just Out of Reach (Of My Two Open Arms)/Pledging My Love/You Don't Miss Your Water
“Take Time To Know Her”
Atlantic SD-8180, May 1968, USA Stereo LP
Side 1: Take Time To Know Her/Feed The Flame/Sudden Stop/Come Softly To Me/Spooky/Out Of Left Field
Side 2: Cover Me/Baby Help Me/It's All Wrong But It's Alright/High Cost Of Leaving/Between These Arms/I Love Everything About You
“The Best Of Percy Sledge”
Atlantic SD-8210, March 1969, USA Stereo LP
Side 1: When A Man Loves A Woman/Out Of Left Field/Take Time To Know Her/Warm And Tender Love/Just Out Of Reach (Of My Two Empty Arms)/The Dark End Of The Street
Side 2: Cover Me/Sudden Stop/Baby Help Me/It Tears Me Up/My Special Prayer/You're All Around Me
2 comments:
Hey Mark,
Jerry Lawson here, (former lead singer of The Persuasions) - Do you have any idea what Persuasions tracks are included in this Collection?
Thanks.
You can write me : mail@jerrylawson.biz
www.jerrylawson.biz
Hi Jerry - nice to hear from you.
The detailed booklet in the original 1992 Rhino compilation "isn't" very detailed when it comes to who played on what...
In fact, when I try to check the extremely well documented Atlantic files and studio sessions, most of the Percy Sledge dates in 1966 and onwards are simply credited to him on vocals and 'others' as the rest - which of course is useless.
Is there someone you know at either Atlantic or Rhino?
I also notice that STEPHEN INNOCENZI (a name I'm not familiar with) remastered the Sledge set for Rhino "from the original master tapes" - so perhaps he knows who's listed on what box, because he must have had access to them to do the actual work??
Wish I could help more - I think you'll need to contact Rhino themselves - they've a great reputation and I'm sure they'll help.
Take care and nice to hear from you.
Mark Barry.
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