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Tuesday, 19 May 2020

"A Man Needs A Woman" by JAMES CARR – September 1968 US Second Studio LP on Goldwax Records in Stereo, January 1969 UK LP on Bell Records in Stereo - features Duet Vocals with Betty Harris On One Song (March 2003 UK Ace/Kent Soul 'Expanded Edition' 24-Track CD Reissue – Rob Keyloch and Duncan Cowell Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...





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"...Hurt So Good..."

This typically fabulous Kent Soul CD takes the second and last proper 60ts album of Soul Hero James Carr (the 11-track "A Man Needs A Woman" was issued September 1968 in the States on Goldwax Records in Stereo) and adds on a further 13 Bonus Cuts to make up a 24-Track 'Expanded Edition' CD.

The five extra songs that appeared on the UK 16-track LP issued by Bell Records in January 1969 are represented here by Tracks 12 to 16 - another seven here are from Japanese reissue LPs and US CD compilations originally issued between 1977 and 1995 (Tracks 17 to 23) - and it even throws in a new Previously Unreleased Goldwax Recording for 2003 – a cover version of the Johnny Cash monster "Ring Of Fire" in Stereo.

March 2003's CDKEND 215 actually more than doubles the original American 11-Track LP - and all of it dripping with Southern Soul class (hurt so good indeed). Soul boys and girls love their heroes and this third installment for Ace Records of James Carr's joyous output is clearly a labour of love for them - Tony Rounce's stunning liner notes all but popping out a prayer mat at the end of every paragraph. And truly, with this man's effortlessly soulful renditions - it's easy to hear why. Let's get down with the man who many reckoned always got the best take on the first take...

UK released 31 March 2003 - "A Man Needs A Woman" by JAMES CARR on Ace/Kent Soul CDKEND 215 (Barcode 029667221528) offers his second studio album from 1968 (USA) in a Remastered Expanded Edition form and plays out as follows (61:22 minutes):

1. A Man Needs A Woman [Side 1 US and UK LP]
2. Stronger Than Love
3. More Love
4. You Didn't Know It But You Had Me
5. A Woman Is A Man's Best Friend
6. I'm A Fool For You
7. Life Turned That Way [Side 2 US and UK LP]
8. Gonna Send You Back To Georgia
9. The Dark End Of The Street
10. I Sowed Love And Reaped A Heartache
11. You've Got My Mind Messed Up
Tracks 1 to 11 are his second studio album "A Man Needs A Woman" - released September 1968 in the USA on Goldwax GW-3002 in Stereo as an 11-Track LP (see 12 to 16 below for the British LP). Track 6 "I'm A Fool For You" is a duet with BETTY HARRIS

12. A Losing Game
13. A Message To Young Lovers
14. Let It Happen
15. You Gotta Have Soul
16. You Hurt So Good
Tracks 12 and 13 are the last two tracks on Side 1 of the 16-track British LP for "A Man Needs A Woman" - released January 1969 in the UK on Bell Records MBLL 113 (Mono) and Bell Records SBLL 113 (Stereo) - the STEREO mixes are used for all 16 tracks on this CD except Track 7 which is in MONO. Tracks 14, 15 and 16 appeared on Side 2 of the British LP after "I Sowed Love And Reaped A Heartache" and with "You Got My Mind Messed Up" as the last song on Side 2.

17. I Can't Turn You Loose
18. Let's Face Facts
19. Who's Been Warming My Oven
20. Please Your Woman
21. Your Love Made A U-Turn
22. The Lifetime Of A Man
23. Tell Me My Lying Eyes Are Wrong
24. Ring Of Fire
Tracks 17, 18 and 22 first appeared on the 1977 Japanese LP "Freedom Train" on Vivid Sound VG 3006
Tracks 19 and 20 first appeared on the 1991 Japanese Expanded CD reissue for "You Messed My Mind Up" on Vivid Sound VGCD-002
Tracks 21 and 23 first appeared on the 1995 US CD "The Complete James Carr, Volume II" on Goldwax GWX 47776
Track 24 is PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED in STEREO (2003)
All tracks in STEREO except Tracks 7 and 17 to 23 in MONO

SINGLES:
Ten of these 24 cuts were also issued as US 45s (in Mono) as follows:

You Got My Mind Messed Up b/w That's What I Want To Know
February 1966 US 45 Single on Goldwax 302
Only the A-side is here, Track 11

The Dark End Of The Street b/w Lovable Girl
December 1966 US 45 Single on Goldwax 317
Only the A-side is here, Track 9

Let It Happen b/w A Losing Game
May 1967 US 45 Single on Goldwax 323
Tracks 14 and 12

Gonna Send You Back To Georgia b/w I'm A Fool For You
August 1967 US 45 Single on Goldwax 328
Tracks 8 and 6

A Man Needs A Woman b/w Stronger Than Love
December 1967 US 45 Single on Goldwax 332
Tracks 1 and 2

Life Turned Her That Way b/w A Message To Young Lovers
July 1968 US 45 Single on Goldwax 335
Tracks 7 and 13

The 16-page booklet features new liner notes from COLIN DILNOT (penned February 2003) with further 'project' notes from TONY ROUNCE - a name every Soul lover trusts. There are some colour repro shots of those uber-desirable Goldwax US 45 labels (323, 328, 332 and 335), a 1967 Otis Redding headlining poster with James Carr on the bill and some colour photos of the classy Soul Man in May 1996 doing live shows with guitarist Johnny Rawls. The Audio comes from ROB KEYLOCH transfers and remixes with DUNCAN COWELL Remasters and kicking is the only word to use.

Carr could boogie with the best of them (Wilson Pickett and Clarence Carter over on Atlantic), a fantastic funky groove in cuts like "A Losing Game" and "Stronger Than Love" - but its the torch ballads that he reaches the heights of Otis and Solomon Burke - storming renditions of the classic "The Dark End Of The Street" and the piano church crawl of "A Woman Is A Man's Best Friend" where the brass fills ache alongside his shimmering performance.

Ace's Trevor Churchill worked at Bell Records in 1968 and 1969 and it was he UK Soul fans can thank for the 16-track British LP. Clever Trev stuck on five bonus cuts – including killers like the 'break your little heart' of "A Message To Young Lovers", the looky-here guitar-and-horns bopper of "You Gotta Have Soul" and the mid-tempo 'I keep hanging around when I know I should go' smooch misery of "You Hurt So Good" (we hear you brother). Amongst the various compilations tracks are goodies too like a cover of Otis Redding's "I Can't Turn You Loose" – a pleader in the shape of the 'you got to be strong' "Let's Face Facts" and a jaunty "Tell Me My Lying Eyes Are Wrong" where our hero drops into a bar on the way home only to find his woman in a dress that invites more than appreciative advances from another man (oh dear). The unreleased Stereo cover of the Johnny Cash classic "Ring Of Fire" is probably the weirdest and worst cut on here. But even if its obvious as to why it was left in the can – it's a small glitch in an otherwise faultless compilation.

James Carr passed in January 2001 – dogged by Bi-Polar problems and demons – a man who should have a huge star. Well with quality reissue labels like Ace and their Kent Soul imprint – the man and his musical legacy carries on. Beautiful stuff and how…

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