"Chess NORTHERN SOUL: 20 Tracks Hand-Picked by MOJO" by VARIOUS (August 2005 Universal/Chess/MOJO CD Compilation - Gary Moore Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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"…A Love Like Ours…Let's Wear It On Our Face…"

The respected and much-loved MOJO Magazine of the UK decided in 2005 to use their knowledge and compile a series of rather cool (and cheap) Chess Records CD compilations.

Four appeared using generic card digipak artwork with the '20 Tracks Hand-Picked By MOJO' logo in the bottom left corner - "Chess ORIGINALS" (actually has 25 tracks, total playing time of 70:08 minutes), "Chess SOUL SISTERS" (56:09 minutes), "Chess TEARJERKERS" (58:50 minutes) and this sweaty Saturday night playlist at 58:48 minutes - "Chess NORTHERN SOUL".

There was also a 15-track CD sampler of sorts that preceding the four themed comps called "Chess CLASSICS" which was given away with copies of the MOJO August 2005 magazine when it went on sale in July of that year. It came in a jewel case (no catalogue number nor barcode) and actually had several tracks not featured in the four comps but that are on other Chess CD Remaster compilations (acts like Chuck Berry, Do Diddley and so on).

When it comes to three CDs on classic Soul Music - of course Ace Records of the UK and their Kent-Soul label imprint have had this sort of comp down pat for nearly three decades and have been thrilling fans like me with further trawls in the digital age almost on a monthly basis. But I feel that the "Chess NORTHERN SOUL" entry is one of those fabulous little CD compilations that slipped through the cracks in a crowded reissue onslaught.

The MOJO magazine's respected Soul authority and uber-fan LOIS WILSON did the smart-choice compiling back in 2005 and I've always dug them as short but oh so sweet listens. And even now in September 2019, most are still available at a frankly laughable pre Brexit outlay (get them before the panic sets in and they shut down the emotional borders on us all). Time to grab the Johnson's sniffy talcum powder out, don your dancing pom-poms and rectify that unforgivable anomaly by your woefully out-of-touch wallet. Here comes the pleasure tome for those eager men in large legged pants...

UK released 25 August 2005 - "Chess NORTHERN SOUL: 20 Tracks Hand-Picked by MOJO" by VARIOUS ARTISTS is on Universal/Chess/Mojo 9830153 (Barcode 602498301531) and breaks down as follows (58:48 minutes):

1. Let's Wade In The Water - MARLENA SHAW (1966 USA 7" single on Cadet 5549, A)

2. It Ain't Necessary - MAMIE GALORE (1968 USA 7" single on St. Lawrence 1012, A)

3. Hold On - THE RADIANTS (1968 USA 7" single on Chess 2037, A)

4. Wear It On Our Face - THE DELLS (from the May 1968 US LP "There Is" on Cadet Records LPS-804)

5. A Love Reputation - DENISE La SALLE (1967 USA 7" single on Chess 2005, A)

6. Ordinary Joe - TERRY CALLIER (from the 1972 US LP "Occasional Rain" on Cadet Records CA 50007)

7. More Love, That's What We Need - THE GOSPEL CLASSICS (1968 USA 7" single on Checker 5050, A)

8. Leave It In The Hands Of Love - FONTELLA BASS (1966 USA 7" single on Checker 1131, B-side of "Recovery")

9. Landslide - TONY CLARKE (1965 USA 7" single on Chess 1979, A)

10. Sweeter Than The Day Before - THE VALENTINOS [featuring Bobby Womack] (1966 USA 7" single on Chess 1977, B-side of "Let's Get Together")

11. More And More - LITTLE MILTON (1967 USA 7" single on Checker 1189, A)

12. Peak Of Love - BOBBY McCLURE (1966 USA 7" single on Checker 1152, A)

13. Run For Cover - THE DELLS (from the May 1968 US LP "There Is" on Cadet Records LPS-804)

14. You Colored My Blues Bright - LITTLE MILTON (1966 USA 7" single on Checker 1162, B-side of "Feel So Bad")

15. Make Sure (You Have Someone Who Loves You) - THE DELLS (from the February 1969 US album "Always Together - The Dells Musical Menu" on Cadet LPS-822)

16. Boo-Ga-Loo Baby - TOMMY & CLEVE (1966 USA 7" single on Checker 1154, A)

17. Look At Me - TERRY CALLIER (1968 USA 7" single on Cadet 5541, A)

18. The Fugitive Kind - TONY CLARKE (1965 USA 7" single on Chess 1935, B-side of "Poor Boy")

19. I Can't Help Myself - THE GEMS (1964 USA 7" single on Chess 1908, A)

20. Wade In The Water - RAMSEY LEWIS (from the 1966 US LP "Wade In The Water" on Cadet Records LPS 774)

Compiled and annotated by LOIS WILSON - the oversized 16-page booklet (inside a gatefold card digipak) is a lovely thing to behold - insightful paragraphs on each of the songs - 7" single labels reproduced, black and white publicity shots and even a full-page repro in colour of the girl dancing by the sea on the American LP sleeve of "Wade In The Water" by Ramsey Lewis. Very nicely done...

Same as the other compilations in this series - long-time Audio Engineer GARY MOORE at Universal carried out the excellent remasters. The audio varies from source-to-source - incredible one moment and more than acceptable the next. But as with the "Soul Sisters" entry in this series - all of that gets blown out of the water by the sheer joy of the music (recorded well or not). And once again very clever song choices abound here 'hand-picked' by those canny bods at England's fabulicious MOJO magazine. You get snappy B-sides instead of overplayed A's combined with crowd pleasers like "Wade In The Water" and Tony Clarke's fantastic "Landslide" all nestling alongside rare album cuts and obscure groups (The Valentinos featured a young Bobby Womack).

The compilation begins and ends with a Northern Soul stalwart - Ramsey Lewis' "Wade In The Water" sung by Marlena Shaw first as a dancefloor invite - then bookended by his original piano//brass driven instrumental. Sounding like something out of a Sixties Bond movie - Mamie Galore's "It Ain't Necessary" was co-written by Jerry Butler and Produced by a Funk fave of mine - Monk Higgins. But as lovely as "Necessary" is - it gets trounced for me by the 3:25 minutes of talcum powder bliss that follows - "Wear It On Our Face" by THE DELLS. Produced and Arranged by Cadet's resident in-house genius CHARLES STEPNEY - it has everything a great Northern Soul Record should have - a driving dancing beat, impassioned vocals, brass fills complimenting clever string arrangements and a simply irresistible upbeat joy that makes your hip replacements itch. It's properly gorgeous stuff and actually makes me tearful at times (lyrics from it title this review).

And there you have it - so many great tunes you don't know and need to. "Chess Northern Soul" is the kind of CD compilation that has gotten lost in an overcrowded marketplace. Check it out peeps and remember - like Johnson's Baby Powder on a flabby bottom - be liberal with that dancing powder once you get this disc into your CD player - you hip-shaking mama's...

The Four Compilation Titles in the 20 August 2005 (UK)

UNIVERSAL/CHESS/MOJO CD Series are:

1. Chess ORIGINALS: 20 Tracks Hand-Picked By MOJO

(Universal/Chess/Mojo 9830156 – Barcode 602498301562)

2. Chess NORTHERN SOUL: 20 Tracks Hand-Picked By MOJO

(Universal/Chess/Mojo 9830153 – Barcode 602498301531)

3. Chess SOUL SISTERS: 20 Tracks Hand-Picked By MOJO

(Universal/Chess/Mojo 9830155 – Barcode 602498301555)

4. Chess TEARJERKERS: 20 Tracks Hand-Picked By MOJO

(Universal/Chess/Mojo 9830154 –Barcode 602498301548)