"...Remove My Heart...It
Don't Do Me No Good..."
The gatefold slip of paper
that is the inlay on this rather naff-looking CD compilation for some of Labi
Siffre's more obscure 70ts output gives you no information whatsoever on what's
what (its total playing time is 78:25 minutes). So here are the gory details...
UK issued 17 September
2001 - "The Music Of Labi Siffre" by LABI SIFFRE on EMI Gold 535 5752
(Barcode 724353557522) is a single CD compilation that gathers together the
guts of two rare and largely forgotten Siffre albums - both from 1975 (on EMI
Records). With only one song missing from the first LP (available elsewhere) -
you can sequence them both from this CD as follows...
"Remember My Song"
- his 5th studio album, released March 1975 in the UK on EMI Records EMC 3065
Side 1:
I Got The... (Track 1)
Another Year (Track 2)
Down
Old Time Song (Track 3)
The Vulture (Track 4)
Side 2:
Dreamer (Track 5)
Sadie And The Devil (Track 6)
Turn On Your Love (Track 7)
Remember My Song (Track 8)
"Happy?" - his 6th studio
album, released November 1975 in the UK on EMI Records EMC 3098
Side 1:
Love-A-Love-A-Love-A-Love-A
(Track 9)
You Hurt Me (Track 10)
Doctor Doctor (Track 11)
Second Time Around (Track 12)
Would You Dance? (Track 13)
Side 2:
Supaluvva (Track 14)
Staride To Nowhere (Track 15)
You've Done Something To My
Heart (Track 16)
Sally Came To Stay (Track 17)
La-De-Da-De-Da (Lost Without
Your Love) (Track 18)
As you see from the list
above - the song "Down" from the "Remember My Song" LP is
missing from this 18-track compilation. That album (along with earlier LPs on
Pye Records) were reissued as CD remasters in 2006 also by EMI - so if you want
that song, 3 extra bonus tracks and far better sound - look to the 2006 issue of "Remember My Song".
The "Happy?" album (in its entirety) is only available here.
Both records are very mid
Seventies singer-songwriter material, but with a slightly more soulful tint on
some tracks. Two huge club hits are "I Got The..." which contains the
now famous funky bass-break halfway through it as sampled by EMINEM on his
"My Name Is" hit - while "The Vulture" has been club played
for years now. In fact the original vinyl album of "Remember My Song"
used to once command a £150 price tag because it had those 2 songs on it and
were unavailable on CD prior to 2001.
Other tracks on
"Happy?" are worth having too - the soulful-funky "Second Time
Around" and the almost Steely Dan keyboard slink of "Doctor
Doctor" (lyrics above). The lovely acoustic "Staride To Nowhere"
was even issued as a 45 in the UK and "Sally Came To Stay" has the
prettiest of melodies. Siffre would retire from music until 1987's
extraordinarily powerful anti-racism song "(Something Inside) So
Strong" on China Records.
It's not all genius of
course and budget-looking as fuck, but it's dirt cheap, loaded with gems in between the cracks and has acceptable sound if it doesn't cost you a country cottage on the secondhand market to acquire one.
From here, I'd advise to go
to his first four albums on Pye Records - "Labi Siffre" (1970),
"The Singer And The Song" (1971), "Crying Laughing Loving Lying"
(1972) and "For The Children" (1973) - I've reviewed them all
separately and they're uniformly excellent (with truly superlative remastered
sound and bonus tracks). I've also reviewed the best compilation of all - the 9CD "My Song" Box Set from Edsel issued September 2020 (Mini LP Sleeves, Bonuses, Remasters, Booklet, Artist involvement).
Siffre has a loyal and dedicated fan following and there are moments
on this unassuming compilation when you can 'so' hear why...
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