"I Think Of You: The Westbound Singles 1969-75" by THE DETROIT EMERALDS - featuring James Mitchell with Ivory (Ivy) and Abrim (Abe) Tilmon (September 2017 UK Ace Records/Westbound Records CD Compilation of Remasters – Duncan Cowell Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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"...Baby Let Me Take You In My Arms..."

A beautiful and deeply classy CD compilation from those on-the-money gents over at Ace Records of the UK (via the Westbound label imprint) - the complete Detroit Emeralds 45-single output on CD for the first time (1969 through to 1975). Even though (sadly) there are two British 45 B-sides amiss (time constraints no doubt), this compilation will also allow Blighty fans to sequence most of these elusive 45-mix nuggets on CD too for the first time. So much to wade through, here are twenty-three Emeralds from the motor city...

UK released Friday, 29 September 2017 - "I Think Of You: The Westbound Singles 1969-75" by THE DETROIT EMERALDS on Ace Records/Westbound Records CDSEWD 160 (Barcode 029667085625) is a 23-Track CD Compilation of US-45 Single Remasters (with UK 45-equivalents also listed) that plays out as follows (73:49 minutes): 

1. Holding On 
2. Things Are Looking Up
Tracks 1 and 2 are the A&B-sides of a February 1969 US 45-single on Westbound W 147 

3. I Bet You Get The One (Who Loves You) 
4. If I Lose Your Love 
Tracks 3 and 4 are the A&B-sides of a December 1969 US 45-single on Westbound W 156

5. I Can't See Myself Doing Without You 
6. Just Now And Then 
Tracks 5 and 6 are the A&B-sides of a May 1970 US 45-single on Westbound W 170

7. Do Me Right 
Track 7 is the A-side of a January 1971 US 45-single on Westbound W 172 (B-side is Track 6)
Tracks 7 and 6 are the A&B-sides of their debut UK 45-single from March 1971 on Pye International 7N 25544

8. Wear This Ring (With Love) 
Track 8 is the A-side of a June 1971 US 45-single on Westbound W 181 (B-side is Track 3)
Tracks 8 and 3 are the A&B-sides of their second UK 45-single from December 1971 on Janus 6146 004

9. You Want It, You Got It 
10. Till You Decide To Come Home 
Tracks 9 and 10 are the A&B-sides of a December 1971 US 45-single on Westbound W 192
Tracks 9 and 10 are the A&B-sides of a March 1972 UK 45-single on Janus 6146 007
Track 9 UK issued April 1973 on Westbound 6146 103 with Track 18 "Whatcha Gonna Wear Tomorrow" as its B-side 

11. Baby Let Me Take You (In My Arms) 
12. I'll Never Sail The Sea Again
Tracks 11 and 12 are the A&B-sides of a May 1972 US 45-single on Westbound W 203
Tracks 7 ("Do Me Right") and 11 are the A&B-sides of a June 1972 UK 45-single on Janus 6146 015

13. Feel The Need In Me 
14. There's A Love For Me Somewhere 
Tracks 13 and 14 are the A&B-sides of an October 1972 US 45-single on Westbound W 209
Track 13 b/w "And I Love Her" are the A&B-sides of a November 1972 UK 45-single on Janus 6146 020
UK B-side not featured on this compilation

15. You're Gettin' A Little Too Smart 
16. Heaven Couldn't Be Like This 
Tracks 15 and 16 are the A&B-sides of a May 1973 US 45-single on Westbound W 213
Tracks 15 and 17 ("Lee") are the A&B-sides of an April 1974 UK 45-single on Janus 6146 108

17. Lee
18. Whatcha Gonna Wear Tomorrow 
Tracks 17 and 18 are the A&B-sides of a November 1973 US 45-single on Westbound W 220
Track 18 was also the B-side in the UK of "You Want It, You Got It" (Track 9) issued April 1973 on Westbound 6046 103

19. Set It Out 
20. I'm Qualified 
Tracks 19 and 20 by A.C. Tilmon & The Detroit Emeralds - A&B of July 1974 US 45-single on Westbound W 226

21. Rosetta Stone 
22. Yes, I Know I'm In Love 
Tracks 21 and 22 by A.C. Tilmon & The Detroit Emeralds - A&B of March 1975 US 45-single on Westbound WT-5005

23. I Think Of You (Single Edit) 
Track 23 is the A-side of a July 1973 UK 45-single on Westbound 6146 104 (its B-side "So Long" is not featured on this CD)

The 16-page booklet pictures out three Soul-vocalist heroes - JAMES MITCHELL, IVORY (Ivy) TILMON and his brother ABRIM (Abe) TILMON and of course loads of those tasty Westbound Records and Pye International single labels throughout. Expert and genre-lover TONY ROUNCE gives us a detailed history of the Little Rock quartet first called The Emeralds on Ric-Tic Records up until the threesome became established and signed to Westbound. 

1969's "Holding On" became a darling of the UK's heated Northern Soul scene whilst looking down the writing credits and its impressive to see Abe Tilman's name on almost 95% of the titles (in-between are some nice black and white publicity photos of the boys in less quarrelsome times. Long-standing Audio Engineer for Ace DUNCAN COWELL has handled the Transfers/Remasters and the audio is glorious.   

"It's too nice for a boy like me to have Paradise..." - James Mitchell sings in the fantastic dancer "Holding On" that opens proceedings. The Northern Soul boys took the shuffler to heart and when Westbound Records finally put out the "Do Me Right" LP in 1971 in the USA (Westbound WB 2006) - it became an import sought after. Same could be said for the "Do Me Right" title where our hero wants his lady to take him to the dealer to buy him an automobile (good luck with that). 

Smoocherville arrives with "Wear This Ring (With Love)" - you for me and me always for you. Mid-tempo chugging to and fro comes in the shape of the brassy "I Can't See Myself Doing Without You" - where our lad could be offered the whole wide world but he'd have to turn it down if she's not by his side 24/7. 

The first version of "Feel The Need In Me" that turned up on the 1972 LP "You Want It, You Got It" is such a hit - it's hardly a surprise that ace-remixer Tom Moulton saw the song's potential when he remixed it for the UK market in 1977, upped its pace and changed out Mitchell's vocal to Tilmon (got a No. 12 placing for that). Can't count the number of times I've heard the stunning sexy groove of "Baby Let Me Take You (In My Arms)" in a cool movie - I think the kick-ass "Baby Driver" was the last one. Some understated but cool All Green-type geetar work going on in "I Bet You Get The One (Who Loves You)" - another great neck-jerker. Cheesy moments come in the gull-shape of "I'll Never Sail The Sea Again" and the sappy "Till You Decide To Come Home" - but even then – somehow they make it work and mostly it's lovely like that all the way to the end. 

Understatedly sexy and smooth like Al Green getting all righteous in his prime - The Detroit Emeralds have always been special to British Soul boys (elsewhere the same) and on the aural evidence displayed here, it's easy to hear why "I Think Of You"...