"Soul Superman/With A Dab Of Soul" by THE HESITATIONS and FREDDY BUTLER - June and April 1967 US Debut Albums on Kapp Records in Stereo (September 2021 UK Ace/Kent Soul CD Compilation - 2LPs Remastered onto 1CD) - A Review by Mark Barry...

 

"...You'd Better Get Hip..."

 

A fourth CD compilation (this one for 2021) given over to Detroit Soul of the 60ts, in particular to the Pied Piper Productions team (see full list below). I must admit that in March 2022, I'm six months late as a reviewer and Soul-fan to this fabulous 60ts Northern Soul-ish party, but I've got to review this superlative reissue from England's finest because it's such a joyous dancing winner.

 

Ace Records of the UK and their stunning Kent Soul label subsidiary give you two sought after 1967 US Debut Albums (both in Stereo) originally on Kapp Records – first by Freddy Butler in April and then the Hesitations better known band effort that took over with the hit single in June of 1967. Let’s get at the Soul Supermen...

 

UK released Friday 24 September 2021 - "Soul Superman/With A Dab Of Soul" by THE HESITATIONS and FREDDY BUTLER on Ace/Kent Soul CDKEND 505 (Barcode 029667103428) Remastered 2 US Stereo Debut LPs onto 1CD and plays out as follows (59:55 minutes):

 

1. She Won't Come Back [Side 1]

2. You'll Never Know

3. You Can't Bypass Love 

4. I Believe To My Soul 

5. That's What Love Is 

6. Soul Superman 

7. Soul Kind Of Love [Side 2]

8. I'm Not Built That Way 

9. I'll Be Right Here 

10. Wait A Minute 

11. Soul Superman No. 2

12. Clap Your Hands 

Tracks 1 to 12 are the debut album "Soul Superman" by THE HESITATIONS released June 1967 in the USA on Kapp Records KS 3525. A Pied-Piper-GWP Production.  

 

13. There Was A Time [Side 1]

14. That's When I Need You

15. I Like Your Style 

16. I Fell In Love (I Can't Help It) 

17. Never Let Love Go 

18. They Say I'm Afarid (Of Losing You)

19. This Thing! [Side 2]

20. Just Because You've Been Hurt 

21. You'd Better Get Hip Girl  

22. Give Me Lots Of Lovin' 

23. She's Foolin' You 

24. Deserted

Tracks 13 to 24 are the debut album "With A Dab Of Soul" by FREDDY BUTLER released April 1967 in the USA on Kapp Records KS 3519 in Stereo. 

 

The 20-page booklet with ADY CROASDELL liner notes is the usual classy affair we've come to expect from Kent - all those Kapp Records US 7"-single labels, rare Euro picture Sleeves, the UK "Rhythm N' Blues" EP , promotional photos of both Freddy and the boys larking it up in their Man of Steel outfits for the "Soul Superman" LP. Croasdell quite rightly waxes lyrical about the Curtis Mayfield-smooth Soul of Butler tracks like "That's When I Need You" - Northern Soul nirvana for those in the know. The NICK ROBBINS Stereo Remasters are beautifully full and warm and make you want to throw Talcum Powder on the lino and do damage to your aging hips. Great.

  

FREDDY BUTLER

In January 1967 (over in Blighty), singers Sue and Sunny had put out "You Can’t Bypass Love" on Columbia DB 8099 as a 45-single. On the flipside of that sought-after dancer was a tune called "I Like Your Style" penned by famed songwriters Phil Coulter and Bill Martin. Freddy chose this mid-tempo shuffle for Track 3 on Side 1 of his debut LP and it’s a corker. "I Fell In Love (I Can't Help It)" has a Clarence Carter sexiness to it as the rhythm passes it on home to you. 

 

April 1967 then saw Kapp Records USA put out the Side 1 lead off track "There Was A Time" b/w Side 2's Harmonica-driven "This Thing!" as a taster 45-single on Kapp Records K-819. It would be the LP’s only single. But that didn't stop Northern Soul types in English clubs going past the primarily ballad-oriented feel of the album and gravitating to the bopping LP cut "That's When I Need You" – itself apparently bootlegged onto a 45 sometime in the 70ts. Track after track is classy and you can so hear why sums of money are and have been parted with for this stuff.

 

THE HESITATIONS

The Hesitations LP clocked up three US 45s (Kapp 790, 822 and 848) and Euro issues too. Predating the album by nearly six months, December 1966 saw Kapp K-790 put "Soul Superman" out with "I'm Not Built That Way" on the flipside - a fantastic double-header for Northern Soul dancers guaranteeing that copies cross hands for over £150 on a regular basis.

 

Dash for chart-immortality number two came in February 1967 when Kapp K-810 hit the streets with the soft shuffle of "Soul Kind Of Love" b/w "Wait A Minute". Girly singers join the guys on the very Motown A-side as we hear about Soul Music socking it to the kids and making the news. Personally I like the 'hear what I got to say' loveliness of the flipside "Wait A Minute" better - very sweet 60ts Soul. Single number three hit in April 1967 with another two from the album - "She Won't Come Back" b/w "I'll Be Right There" - and again - both cracker-lacking-good. Top album cuts don't come much better than the '...do the Boogaloo and Philly Dog...' shuffle of the Side 2 closer "Clap Your Hands" - jump around and get in the groove to this one. 

 

There's a reason why fans of Soul Music get weepy about Ace Records - releases like this. September 2021's Kent KEND 505 exposes great Sixties Soul and does it with style and yes - even love. Gorgeous...

 

CDs in Ace/Kent Soul’s Pied Piper Productions Series of Detroit Soul

 

1. VARIOUS ARTISTS - "Pied Piper Presents A New Concept In Detroit Soul" (28 January 2013 UK Ace/Kent Soul CDKEND 389 - Barcode 029667238922)

 

2. VARIOUS ARTISTS - "Pied Piper: Follow Your Soul" (25 May 2015 UK Ace/Kent Soul CDKEND 429 - Barcode 029667242929)

 

3. VARIOUS ARTISTS - "Pied Piper: Finale" (24 February 2017 UK Ace/Kent Soul CDKEND 461 - Barcode 029667078924)

 

4. THE HESITATIONS / FREDDY BUTLER - "Soul Superman/With A Dab Of Soul" (24 September 2021 UK Ace/Kent Soul CDKEND 505 – Barcode 029667103428 – 2 US Stereo LPs from 1967 on Kapp Records Remastered onto 1CD – The Hesitations first, then Freddy Butler – 24-Tracks)