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This Review Along With Nearly 195 Others Is Available in my
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"SOUL GALORE!"
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Even now at the tail-end of a pretty autumnal October 2022
(over 14 years after the late September 2008 event) - this fabulous 3CD Kent Soul compilation casts a shadow and exerts
a pull. I'm always dragging it off the shelf and playing it. And as a lifelong
60ts/70ts Soul, Funk and Rare Groove fan - an in-depth review of this iconic Storyville of Soul digital jewel is long
overdue.
"Take Me To The River..." might have maddeningly difficult to navigate packaging (really should have been altered by now) - but "...A Southern Soul Story 1961-1977" also has the most gorgeous sound quality, especially on CD3 which features All Green's 1975 classic after which the set is named. Start in on the Willie Mitchell stuff from Hi Records like Denise LaSalle and Ann Peebles or the Spencer Wiggins, George Jackson, Luther Ingram class smoochers and I'm flying baby. To the nitty gritty...
"Take Me To
The River: A Southern Soul Story 1961-1977" by VARIOUS ARTISTS is a 3CD
Mini Box Set UK released 29 September 2008 on Ace Records/Kent Soul KENTBOX
10 (Barcode 029667000901). Except where noted most of the 95-tracks are Mono
and Stereo US 7" single mixes with a Previously Un-issued Otis Redding
nugget and many other vinyl rarities (see full track list below for a breakdown
of what's what). It starts at Stax Records in 1961 and ends on the Ko Ko label in 1977.
Housed in a
glossy outer card wrap is a gorgeous hardback book of 72-pages featuring
knowledgeable and informative liner notes by Soul Experts and Compilers DEAN
RUDLAND and TONY ROUNCE (they've done huge numbers of inlays for Ace and Edsel
over the years). The text is peppered with beautiful colour photos - American
45's on Stax, Dial, Fame, Dot, Volt, Goldwax, Cadet etc - British 7" Demos
on London, Pye, Chess and Stateside - record company publicity photos -
American trade magazine adverts - recording studio shots. It's properly
gorgeous stuff and surely some kind of award-winner (hats off to Neil Dell at
9th Planet).
With regard to the packaging, it should however be noted that the card wrap is extremely tight
and needs to be removed carefully lest you tear it - and although the book is a
truly wondrous thing to behold - it can be awkward to read without snapping the
spine (so be careful). Ace need to re-think this into a Clamshell Box Set with Mini LP Card Sleeves and a separate detached readable booklet - maybe even an Expanded Edition to 4CDs as some kind of 15th Anniversary Reissue for 2023? Maybe even used the Hardback Block Box they used on Volume 3 in the series "Back To The River..." so our spines can match up on shelves...
Each disc is
theme-titled (see below) and as you can imagine the sound quality varies
enormously from era to era. DUNCAN COWELL and ROB SHREAD at Sound Mastering
have carried out the remasters and Audio Restoration - and overall the whole
thing sounds fantastic and feels like real effort has been applied to every
rendition (Cowell handled most of the superlative Blue Horizon CD reissues).
Sure Discs 1 and 2 do have their rough edges and hissy fits on the Independent
label stuff - but given the sheer passion of what's playing - it hardly ever
seems to matter. Frankly - it's all a joyful listen and you can `feel' the
engineers digging the transfers...
As you can see
from the detailed track-lists provided below - the quality simple hammers you
right from the get go (and there's a lot of it). All the huge hits are here -
These Arms Of Mine by Otis Redding, When A Man Loves A Woman by Percy Sledge,
Tired Of Being Alone by Al Green and I'm Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down by Ann
Peebles. In between you get stuff like O.V. Wright's superb "You're Gonna
Make Me Cry" which The Staples Singers did a powerfully moving cover
version of (it's the B-side to "Respect Yourself" in the USA on
Stax). But it's the artists you don't know that thrill. Bill Brandon's lovely
"Rainbow Road" and Tony Border's wicked funk "Polly Wolly".
Another grooving winner is Johnnie Taylor's cool "Jody's Got Your Girl And
Gone" - slinky like Clarence Carter's "Back Door Santa". And I
can never get enough of Luther Ingram's gorgeous " (If Loving You Is
Wrong) I Don't Want To Be Right".
The lone
Previously Unreleased track is a genuine Otis Redding sensation - Take 1 of
"Try A Little Tenderness" which sees him and his band getting a feel
for the song. But even at this early stage - the slow-burn magic is there in
the arrangement and vocal phrasing and it's like eavesdropping on the making of
a bona-fide classic. B-side genius turns up twice - King Floyd's funky
"Groove Me" and Joe Simon's stunner "My Adorable One" from
1964. Simon's flipside features plinking intro guitar, languid pace, hurting
lyrics and vocals alternating from pleading to outright passion - Tony Rounce
quite rightly surmising that it practically set up a template for Southern Soul
ballads for years to come (Ace even gives us the "Take 15" spoken
count-in at the beginning of the song). Paul Kelly's fabulous social-conscience
piece "Stealing In The Name Of The Lord" is properly brilliant as
well - masterfully covered by lead vocalist David Clayton-Thomas of Blood,
Sweat & Tears on his self-titled 1972 debut album (see separate review).
"If I Can't Run To You I'll Crawl" by Barbara & The Browns
features an impassioned vocal by Barbara Brown that will ensure her immortality
amongst aficionados. James Carr, ZZ Hill, Gwen McCrae, Joe Tex, Bobby Womack
and Spencer Wiggins - the list of quality goes on and on...
While the big
hits and belters of the era reside on Discs 1 and 2 - my heart actually lies
with Disc 3 on this one - to me it's little short of perfection. It's primarily
Seventies cuts so the production values go up but the quality of the songs is
staggering. And there's those discoveries too like Bobby Newsome's fabulous
groover "Jody, Come Back And Get Your Shoes" or the beautiful Sax
Soul of "How Can I Get Next To You" by veteran singer George Jackson.
There's heartache pouring out of every note on "You've Got My Mind Messed
Up" by Quiet Elegance - a revival of a James Carr hit (written by Willie
Mitchell) - it features gorgeous lead vocals by Frances "Frankie"
Gearing. The two album cuts are clever choices too - Denise LaSalle's funkified
cover of "Breaking Up Somebody's Home" (from her 1971 Westbound LP
"On The Loose") and Al Green's stunning Little Junior Parker tribute
"Take Me To The River" which bizarrely was never a 45 in the USA
(Talking Heads covered it in 1978 to great effect). Wonderful stuff...
To sum up - this
compilation clobbers you on three fronts - a beautifully annotated and
fantastically informative read (despite its awkward card wrap and clumsy
hardback) - the immaculate song choices and top sound quality. "Take Me To
The River" fills your living room with confessional urban tales - dodgy
doings in the bedroom with someone else's wife or husband (whichever suits).
The only downside is the preponderance for smoochers across all three discs (a
few more steppers would have broken up the moaning with a welcome shuffle)- but
it's a minor whine in the face of such copious amounts of Soulful class and
emotional excellence.
"One of the
best compilations ever, in any genre..." and "absolutely defines the
genre's sound and variety..." - both the Record Collector and Mojo
magazines raved. And having waded through literally thousands of contenders for
the reissue-crown-jewels over the decades
- they should know the real deal when they see it. Wash me in these
waters any day of the week - superlative and then some...
PS: For those
interested in further punishment - I've also reviewed the companion 3CD volume
from November 2011 - "The Fame Studios Story: 1961-1973" and the third set in the series
"Back
To The River: More Southern Soul Stories 1961 to 1978" from November 2015...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TRACK LIST for
"Take Me To The River: A Southern Soul Story 1961-1977"
Disc 1 "You
Don't Miss Your Water" (76:18 minutes):
Tracks 5, 8, 9,
12, 13, 14, 16, 20 and 26 are in STEREO - all others are MONO
1. You Don't Miss
Your Water - WILLIAM BELL (1961, Stax 116)
2. Go Home Girl -
ARTHUR ALEXANDER (1962, Dot 16425)
3. These Arms Of
Mine - OTIS REDDING (1962, Volt 103)
4. Steal Away -
JIMMY HUGHES (1964, Fame 6401)
5. My Adorable
One - JOE SIMON (1964, Gee Bee 077, B-side to "Say (Your Love Is
True)"
6. You're Gonna
Make Me Cry - O.V. WRIGHT (1965, Backbeat 548)
7. When A Man
Loves A Woman - PERCY SLEDGE (1966, Atlantic 2326)
8. Losin' Boy -
EDDY GILES (1967, Murco 1031)
9. Try A Little
Tenderness - OTIS REDDING (this is Take 1 of the single version on Volt 141
recorded in 1966 and is Previously Unissued)
10. Something I
Never Had - JARVIS JACKSON (1966, Sims 291)
11. Ninety-Nine
And A Half (Won't Do) - WILSON PICKETT (1966, Atlantic 2334)
12. Got To Make A
Comeback - EDDIE FLOYD (1966, Stax 194)
13. When
Something Is Wrong With My Baby - CHARLIE RICH (Originally Recorded in 1967 -
it remained Previously Unreleased until it was put on a vinyl compilation
called "I'll Shed No Tears - The Best Of Hi Recordings" in 1984)
14. The Dark End
Of The Street - JAMES CARR (1967, Goldwax 317)
15. Do Right Woman
- Do Right Man - ARETHA FRANKLIN (1967, Atlantic 2386)
16. Let's Do It
Over - TOUSSAINT McCALL (A previously unreleased 1967 recording first issued in
Japan on a 1982 LP on P-Vine Records)
17. I Can't Stand
Up For Falling Down - SAM & DAVE (1967, Stax 218)
18. You Ain't
Woman Enough (To Take My Man) - JUNE EDWARDS (1967, South Camp 7008)
19. Let's Face
Facts - THE MASQUERADES (1967, Wand 1168)
20. She Ain't
Gonna Do Right - JAMES and BOBBY PURIFY (A 1967 recording first issued in 2000
on the Sundazed CD compilation "Shake A Tail Feather - The Best Of")
21. Bless You
Little Sweet Soul - AL JOHNSON (1967, South Camp 7002)
22. Dirty Man -
LAURA LEE (1967, Chess 2013)
23. Cover Me -
EDDIE HINTON (a 1967 demo recording first issued the Zane Records "Dear
Y'All" CD Compilation in 2000. It was recorded by Percy Sledge in 1968 and
Jackie Moore in 1971 - both on Atlantic)
24. You're Gonna
Miss Me - REUBEN BELL with the BELTONES (1968, Murco 1046)
25. I'd Rather Go
Blind - ETTA JAMES (1967, Cadet 5578)
26. Without Love
(There Is Nothing) - OSCAR TONEY JR (1967, Bell 699)
Disc 2
"Rainbow Road" (79:54 minutes):
Tracks 3, 6, 21
and 22 are in STEREO - all others are MONO
1. You Left The
Water Running - MAURICE and MAC (1968, Checker 1197)
2. I'll Go Crazy
- DON BRYANT (1968, Hi 2143)
3. Rainbow Road -
BILL BRANDON (1968, Tower 430)
4. The One You
Can't Have All By Yourself - SHIRLEY WALTON (1968, Enterprise 004)
5. Tell Him Tonight
- WILLIAM BOLLINGER (1967, Chess 1994)
6. A Smile Can't
Hide (A Broken Heart) - OLLIE & THE NIGHTINGALES (A Previously Unreleased
1968 Stax Recording)
7. Uptight Good
Woman - SPENCER WIGGINS (1967, Goldwax 321)
8. I Forgot To Be
Your Lover - WILLIAM BELL (1968, Stax 0015)
9. I'll Make It
Up To You - CLAY HAMMOND (1968, Kent 503)
10. Slip Away -
CLARENCE CARTER (1968, Atlantic 2508)
11. That's The
Way Love Turned Out For Me - JAMES CARR (1968, Goldwax 338)
12. Polly Wolly -
TONY BORDERS (1969, Revue 11054)
13. Another Man's
Woman, Another Woman's Man - CANDI STATON (on her 1970 US LP "I'm Just A
Prisoner" on Fame Records ST 4201)
14. Buying A Book
- JOE TEX (1969, Dial 4090)
15. To The Other
Woman (I'm The Other Woman) - DORIS DUKE (1970, Canyon 28)
16. Stealing In
The Name Of The Lord - PAUL KELLY (1970, Happy Tiger 541)
17. Faithful And
True - Z.Z. HILL (1970 on Quinvey 7003 and 1971 on Mankind 12003)
18. Love's Gonna
Tear Your Playhouse Down (Pts. 1 & 2) - CHUCK BROOKS (1970, Volt VOA-4034)
19. I Went Off
And Cried - KIP ANDERSON (1969, Excello 2302)
20. If I Can't
Run To I'll Crawl - BARBARA & THE BROWNS (1971, Xl Records NN and Sounds Of
Memphis 705)
21. What I Don't
Know Won't Hurt Me - PAUL THOMPSON (1970, Volt 4042)
22. Jody Got Your
Girl And Gone - JOHNNIE TAYLOR (1970, Stax 0085)
23. Wish I Was
Back - THOMAS BAILEY (1971, Federal 12567)
24. I Can't Give
You My Heart - JIMMY BRASWELL (1971, King 6374)
25. Lead Me On -
GWEN McCRAE (1970, Columbia 45214)
Disc 3 "The
River" (75:01 minutes):
Tracks 1, 8, 15,
17, 21 and 24 are in STEREO - all others are MONO
1. Mumble In My
Ear - MARCEL STRONG (1971, Fame 1475)
2. Breaking Up
Somebody's Home - DENISE LaSALLE (1971 USA LP "On The Loose" on
Westbound 2016)
3. Tired Of Being
Alone - AL GREEN (1972, Hi 2194)
4. I Can't Be
Satisfied - SPENCER WIIGGINS (1973, Sounds Of Memphis 716)
5. Groove Me -
KING FLOYD (1970, B-side "What Our Love Needs" on Chimneyville 435)
6. She's All I
Got - FREDDIE NORTH (1971, Mankind 12004)
7. Jody, Come
Back And Get Your Shoes - BOBBY NEWSOME (1972, Spring 125)
8. Stating All
Over Again - MEL & TIM (1972, Stax 0127)
9. We Always Come
Back Strong - SAM DEES (A 1972 recording first issued on "Second To
None" - a 1995 Ace/Kent Soul CD Compilation on CDKEND 125)
10. I've Been
Lonely For So Long - FREDERICK KNIGHT (1972, Stax 0117)
11. (If Loving
You Is Wrong) I Don't Want To Be Right - LUTHER INGRAM (1972, Ko Ko 2111)
12. I'm Gonna
Tear Your Playhouse Down - ANN PEEBLES (1972, Hi 2232)
13. I'm Through
Trying To Prove My Love To You - BOBBY WOMACK (1973, United Artists 255)
14. Hurts So Good
- MILLIE JACKSON (1973, Spring 139)
15. You've Got My
Mind Messed Up - QUIET ELEGANCE (1973, Hi 2245)
16. I Get My
Groove From you - BOBBY PATTERSON (1974, Paula 386)
17. Take Time To
Get To Know Him - TOMMIE YOUNG (1972, Soul Power 110)
18. How Can I Get
Next To You - GEORGE JACKSON (1974, MGM 14732)
19. I'll Be The
Other Woman - THE SOUL CHILDREN (1973, Stax 0182)
20. Heartbreak
Woman - CLARENCE CARTER (1974, Fame 415)
21. Take One Step
(I'll Take Two) - CHET DAVENPORT (1974 recording that first appeared on the
2000 Various Artists CD compilation "Curiosities: The Ace 70's Singles
& Sessions" on Westside WESD 208)
22. Take Me To
The River - AL GREEN (on the 1975 LP "Al Green Explores Your Mind" on
Hi Records 32087)
23. If You've Got
To Love Somebody - TOMMY TATE (1977, Ko Ko 726)
24. I'll Play The
Blues For You - VERNON "GEATER" DAVIS (1976, Odds And Ends 7600) (a
cover of the Albert King 1972 hit on Stax)
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