"New Breed R&B: Saturday Night Special" by VARIOUS ARTISTS – Featuring Tracks from 1958 to 1966 by Aaron Collins and The Teen Queens, Rob Robinson, Freddie Williams, Prince Conley, Pee Wee Foster, Sterling Magee, Johnny Talbot, Tony Clarke, Margaret Lewis, Flora D, Curly Mays and more (July 2020 Ace Records/Kent Dance CD Compilation of Remasters – Nick Robbins Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

<iframe style="width:120px;height:240px;" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" src="//ws-eu.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=GB&source=ss&ref=as_ss_li_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=mabasreofcdbl-21&language=en_GB&marketplace=amazon&region=GB&placement=B089M1FCNC&asins=B089M1FCNC&linkId=c85a9f70a6a30cda5ec45c09a9ec464e&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true"></iframe>

"...Way Out Baby..."

Entry number seven in an increasingly cool and essential Ace Records CD series (see list below) – "New Breed R&B: Saturday Night Special" goes after 60ts American Blues and R&B with a Mod dance rhythm and like its predecessor - more often that not got my increasingly ancient loin-juices flowing to the point of physical embarrassment. 

We all know Ace Records make great compilations, but there is a sense of fun permeating this CD that just doesn't let up right to the shuffling end – pleaser after pleaser - the whole dancin' shebang bolstered up by a shockingly good haul of unissued.  

Most of the 24-cuts span 1960 to 1966 with some nods towards the 50ts topped off by Seven Previously Unreleased Period Tracks, whilst the remainder are hard-to-find 45s and unissued rarities that first saw the light of day on CD compilations in the 90ts and 00s. Here are the knee-slapping and hip-twitching details...

UK released Friday, 31 July 2020 (February 2016 in the USA) – "New Breed R&B: Saturday Night Special" by VARIOUS ARTISTS on Ace Records/Kent Dance CDKEND 492 (Barcode 029667098823) is a 24-track CD compilation and plays out as follows (55:03 minutes):

1. Every Saturday Night – AARON COLLINS & THE TEEN QUEENS (2020, Previously Unissued 1966 Modern Records recording)

2. I'll Never Do It Again – THE CORVAIRS (2020, Previously Unissued 1966 Arock Records recording)

3. Ain't That Good – PRINCE CONLEY (originally unissued 1961 Stax recording, first appeared on the 1995 UK CD compilation "4000 Volts Of Stax & Satellite – Rare & Unreleased Tracks From The Golden Era Of Soul" on Stax CDSXD 107)

4. Compact Baby – ROB ROBINSON (originally unissued 1963 Galaxy Records recording, first appeared on the 2004 UK CD compilation "Diggin' Gold: A Galaxy Of West Coast Blues" on Ace Records CDCHD 1017)

5. Triple Zero – ESKO WALLACE (June 1963 US 45-single on Graham 802, B-side of "I Don't Think (There Could Be Another You)")

6. Purty Li'l Mama – FREDDIE WILLIAMS (originally unissued 1961 Norman Petty recording, first appeared on the January 2020 US CD compilation "Norman Petty Studios – Vault Series No. 8 (1960-1964)" on Nor-Va-Jak NVJCD20)

7. Something's Wrong Baby – MARGARET LEWIS (June 1961 US 45-single on RAM 2451 (Royal Audio Music Inc), B-side of "John DeLee")

8. Way Out Baby – FLORA D (1961 US 45-single on Paso 103, B-side of "You Gonna Cry")

9. Family Man – SLIM and THE TWILITES (1962 US 45-single on Dore 645, A-side)

10. You're Gonna Need Me – BIG CHARLEY & THE DOMANS (originally unissued 1961 Lanjo Records recording, first appeared on a 2016 US 45-Single on Ohio's Hilltop Records 901, B-side of "Can't Even Enjoy My Home")

11. Wait A Minute Baby – JOHNNY "Guitar" WATSON (1964 US 45-single on Highland 1151, A-side)

12. Almost Midnight – KING SOLOMON (originally unissued 1966 Kent Records recording, first appeared on the 1999 Japan-Only CD compilation "West Coast Modern Blues 1960s Vol.3" on P-Vine Records PCD-3065)

13. Show Me How To Shake Like That – THE LON-GENES (originally unissued 1963 Glo-Rae Records recording, first appeared on the 2012 UK Various Artists CD compilation "Kent Harris' R&B Family" on Ace Records CDCHD 1334)

14. Head Doctor – GAY MEADOWS (2020, Previously Unreleased 1963 Chant Records recording)

15. You Can Be My Honey – PEE WEE FOSTER (2020, Previously Unreleased 

1958 Cleveland R&B Records recording)

16. Turn The Lamps Down Low – PAT GARVIS (1963 US 45-Single on Freida Records 6061, A-side)

17. Your Yah-Yah Is Gone – THE TREN-TEENS (1962 US 45-Single on Carnival 501, A-side)

18. The Long John (Dog) – JARVIS JACKSON (1966 US 45-single on Sims 291, B-side of "Something I Never Had")

19. Tighten Up & Pull Yourself Together – STERLING MAGEE (2020, Previously Unissued 1967 Sylvia Records recording)

20. Satisfied – JOHNNY TALBOT (2020, Previously Unissued 1965 Modern Records recording)

21. Love Must Be Taboo – TONY CLARKE (1962 US 45-Single on Fascination F-1010, B-side of "Cry")

22. I'll Conquer The World – J. D. WRIGHT & THE METALLICS (February 1963 US 45-Single on Baronet 18, A-side)

23. Walking The Track – LITTLE MACEY & THE VALIANTS (2020, Previously Unissued Terry Records recording)

24. I'm Walkin' On – CURLY MAYS (1964 US 45-Single on Carnival 505, A-side)

Tracks 1, 2, 14, 15, 19, 20 and 23 are PREVIOUSLY UNISSUED

All tracks in MONO 

The 20-page booklet is the usual Ace info-fest – track-by-track explanations by Compiler and Enthusiast ADY CROASDELL (has handled most of these New Breed CD compilations) – the text peppered with rare label repros from Graham, Paso, Highland, Dore, Glo Rae and even the Hilltop Records unearthing only issued in 2016 (how many copies of this are there!). There are publicity of photos of names that are too long forgotten – three of The Flares looked suited and booted stood beside an equally flash Betty and Aaron Collins, The Teen Queens smiling and beguiling, a signed photo of Rob Robinson looking all Sam Cooke suave, Margaret Lewis and her immaculate frock bathed in spotlight on stage, Jarvis Jackson clutching his Double Bass and a truly memorable black and white 80ts photo of guitarist Sterling Magee and Harmonica player Adam Gussow busking in Harlem as (wait for it) Satan and Adam. 

There is even a stunning psychedelic-type-face Otis Redding poster for the Fillmore Auditorium where Johnny Talbot got to be the support act on Wednesday the 21st of December 1966 (you could see an emerging Grateful Dead the night before). As you can imagine, the facts come fast and furious and compliment the listen and your appreciation of these largely forgotten names. Long-time Sound Engineer NICK ROBBINS has done the transfers and Remasters and a typically great job it is too despite the obviously less than Audiophile sources. There is also an in-yer-face vitality to the Mono recordings that apes Saturday Night sweating down at Smokey Joe's All Night Juke Joint. To the beat-lovers and dodgy under-covers... 

Hundreds come from miles around to sample the steel guitar, the big beat, the buttered beans, homemade brew and chilli too in a fantastic opener that gives this seventh compilation its name "Every Saturday Night" – Aaron Collins and The Teen Queens sharing the vocals and the good news. Taking it down a gear is a cool two-stepper where the lead singer of The Corvairs assures us that he has learned his lesson in "I'll Never Do It Again". The man knows what is right and he knows what is wrong – so from now on neither he nor his band mates will be touching other girlies while his baby is gone (oh no, no, no – well maybe a little). Prince Conley's is also terribly pleased that his gal has money in her hand and is going to make it back to her man in "Ain't That Good" – a sort of Clovers Saxophone shuffler with an unusual Booker T. type organ solo (an unissued Stax Records recording from 1961). 

While everyone else is digging Cadillacs, Rob Robinson wants his "Compact Baby" where he has only to put his mojo hands on the gas and she really knocks him out (the none too subtle lyrics and a saxophone solo that is too far back in the mix probably kept this in the can, but that doesn't stop it from being a winner to us in 2020). The Esko Wallace cut oozes R&B class - his Coasters-type shuffler reassuring his lady that even though she may be currently in the arms of another, he will always be understanding of said arrangement and see her as a triple zero. Such is the similarity, the fabulous voice of Freddie Williams on the novelty-sounding "Purty Li'l Mama" will have lovers of La Vern Baker and Ruth Brown over on 50ts Atlantic Records double-take -is that really a man? And speaking of firecrackers - white gal Margaret Lewis gives a toppermost performance on the excellent "Somethin's Wrong Baby" - sounding not unlike Wanda Jackson or Ella Mae Morse getting her teeth into a tasty little R&B shuffler. 

The fun and dancing continue with Flora D telling us that her man's 'good as gold and sweet as he can be' in "Way Out Baby" - a tremendous Saxophone romp with rolling Fats Domino piano complimenting the backbeat. With all that preceding beer-sodden joy and figure-hugging shimmy shaking, it's probably time for some domestic misery. So we should spare a thought for poor old Slim and The Twilites – Slim's house overrun with kids (no fault of his own) while his no-good wife pulls up the bed sheets over her head once again at the thought of another day. It's gotten so bad for our slender entirely faultless hero in "Family Man" that one afternoon, Slim opened up his work pale only to find a lone sardine staring back at him masquerading as 'lunch' (yikes). 

Other highlights include Johnny "Guitar" Watson pleading with his gal on "Wait A Minute Baby" admitting that his wandering-mits slow dance with Mary Lou on Saturday Night probably wasn't his finest hour - or The Lon-Genes loving their three-times-seven big mama in "Show Me How To Shake Like That" - one hand on her knee, one hand on her hip, doing the sexy backflip (she's giving them five-star chills). Meanwhile Sterling Magee is getting all "Tighten Up & Pull Yourself Together" in what feels like Ike Turner hitting all the right and tight guitar funk, while Tony Clarke goes all Dion-vocals in his sorry-man no-can-do "Love Must Be Taboo" tale of woe (his gal won't go steady never mind marry his sorry little sock ball ass). It is up to the nephew of Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown - Curly Mays - to bring it all to a superb bop finish with a Dave Edmunds retro Rock & Roll shuffler called "I'm Walkin' On" - a corkin' end to a really great listen. 

So much to savour on "New Breed R&B: Saturday Night Special" - fans of Jivin' R&B and Blues with a Soul twist are going to have to own it. Very good indeed and another winner and possible best yet CD (in the series) from those smart compilation-making hipsters over at Ace Records UK...

Titles in Ace's "New Breed R&B" CD Compilation Series on Kent Dance

In Release-Date Order from 2001 to 2020

1. New Breed R&B: Soulful 60s Blues For Today's Dances (July 2001, Ace/Kent Dance CDKEND 199 – Barcode 029667219921)

2. King New Breed Rhythm & Blues (July 2002, Ace/Kent Dance CDKEND 210 – Barcode 029667221023)

3. New Breed R&B With Added Popcorn – Early 60ts R&B Dancers Right In Today's Groove (February 2008, Ace/Kent Dance CDKEND 291 – Barcode 029667229128)

4. King New Breed R&B Volume 2 (April 2012, Ace/Kent Dance CDKEND 373 – Barcode 069227237321)

5. New Breed Blues with Black Popcorn (April 2013, Ace/Kent Dance CDKEND 393 – Barcode 029667239325)

6. New Breed Workin': Blues With A Rhythm (January 2016, Ace/Kent Dance CDKEND 443 – Barcode 029667244329)

7. New Breed R&B: Saturday Night Special (July 2020, Ace Kent Dance CDKEND 492 – Barcode 029667098823)