"The Best Of" by ONE WAY featuring AL HUDSON and ALICIA MYERS (April 1996 USA MCA CD Anthology – Erick Labson Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

"…Get Up And Do Your Thang…"

One Way's most famous hit - 1979's "You Can Do It" - is the kind of infectious funky little Soul/R’n’B number that I loved then and still do now – and it's a guaranteed floor filler to this day - 30 years after the event. It's one of a few goodies on this rather excellent but overlooked CD reissue and remaster from MCA America. Here are the can-do details...

Released in the USA-only in April 1996 - "The Best Of" by ONE WAY featuring AL HUDSON and ALICIA MYERS on MCA Records MCAD-11432 (Barcode 008811143220) plays out as follows (69:32 minutes):

1. Cutie Pie (1982 USA LP "Who’s Foolin' Who" on MCA 5279)

2. Lady You Are (1984 USA LP "Lady" on MCA 5470)

3. You Can Do It (1979 USA LP "Happy Feet" on ABC 1136)

4. I Want To Thank You (1981 USA LP "Alicia" on MCA 5181)

5. Mr. Groove (1984 USA LP "Lady" on MCA 5470)

6. Something In The Past (1980 USA LP "One Way featuring Al Hudson" on MCA 5127)

7. Pop It [Single Edit] (1980 USA 7" single on MCA 41298 [A]) (The full album version is on "One Way featuring Al Hudson" (as per 6))

8. Don’t Think About It (1986 USA LP "One Way IX" on MCA 5823)

9. Appreciation (1984 USA LP "I Appreciate" on MCA 5485)

10. Push [Single Edit] (1981 USA 7" single on MCA 51110 [A]) (The full album version is on "Love Is…One Way" 1981 USA LP on MCA 5163)

11. If You Play Your Cards Right (1981 USA LP "Alicia" on MCA 5181)

12. Pull Fancy Dancer/Pull, Part 1 (1981 USA 7" single on MCA 51165 [A])

(The full album version is on "Fancy Dancer" 1981 USA LP on MCA 5247)

13. You Better Quit (1986 USA LP "One Way IX" on MCA 5823)

14. You Get The Best From Me (Say, Say, Say) (1984 USA LP "I Appreciate" on MCA 5485)

Tracks 1, 2, 5, 8, 12 and 13 are credited to ONE WAY

Tracks 6 and 7 are credited to ONE WAY featuring AL HUDSON

Track 3 is credited to AL HUDSON and THE PARTNERS

Tracks 4, 9, 11 and 14 are credited to ALICIA MYERS

The sound quality is fabulous throughout because all tracks have been remastered by one of Universal’s top audio engineers ERICK LABSON (has over 800 mastering credits to his name) while the 12-page inlay features affectionate and informative liner notes by one of Britain’s most famous soul aficionados DAVID NATHAN.

Personally I find some of the early solo Alicia Myers tracks difficult to take in all their over-the-top Eighties production and cheesy lyrics (her "Say, Say, Say" is however a genuine highlight here). What is smart though is to finally see the three rare 7" single edits of "Pop It", "Push" and "Pull Fancy Dancer…" make their way onto a good CD. In fact the superb remastered sound lifts them and all the other tracks out of their squashed vinyl muddiness into real clarity. The whack out of the funky and soulful "You Better Quit" (their last R&B hit) will make your feet tap and shake your booty (as they say in all the best commentaries)…

It’s not all genius of course, but this well-endowed "Best Of" compilation is still a cracking good soul listen – and it’s bolstered up with really great sound too.

One Way, Al Hudson and Alicia Myers are remembered with affection and on the strength of this – it’s easy to see why…

"The Warner Brothers Year: Hits, Remixes & Rarities" by ASHFORD & SIMPSON (February 2008 Rhino 2CD Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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"…Have You Ever Tried It…"

In truth - songwriting giants (Nicolas) ASHFORD and (Valerie) SIMPSON probably need - no deserve - a 3 or 4CD box set to document their extraordinary contributions to Soul, Funk and Disco - especially in that halcyon decade of the Seventies.

But in lieu of that – this superbly remastered 2008 2CD set on Rhino will have to do. Here are the details for those elusive but tasty Promo-Onlys…

US released February 2008 – "The Warner Brothers Year: Hits, Remixes & Rarities" by ASHFORD & SIMPSON on Rhino R2 347964 (Barcode 081227995065) is a 2CD set of Remasters and breaks down as follows:

Disc 1 (75:42 minutes):

1. Over And Over (12" Disco Mix) (May 1977 USA Promo-Only 12" single on Warner Brothers PRO 648)

2. Everybody's Got To Give It Up (from the 1974 US LP "I Wanna Be Selfish" on Warner Brothers BS 2789)

3. On More Try (12" Disco Mix) (January 1976 USA Promo-Only 12" single on Warner Brothers PRO 676)

4. Have You Ever Tried It (from the 1973 US LP "Gimme Something Real" on Warner Brothers BS 2739)

5. Tried, Tested And Found True (12" Disco Mix) (May 1977 USA Promo-Only 12" single on Warner Brothers PRO 648)

6. Send It (from the September 1977 USA LP "Send It" on Warner Brothers BS 3088)

7. Top Of The Stairs (from the September 1977 USA LP "Send It" on Warner Brothers BS 3088)

8. Don't Cost You Nothing (12" Disco Mix) (December 1977 USA Promo-only 12" single on Warner Brothers PRO 706)

9. It Seems To Hang On (12" Disco Mix) (July 1978 USA Promo-Only 12" single on Warner Brothers PRO 748)

10. Found A Cure (12" Disco Mix) (June 1979 USA Promo-only 12" single on Warner Brothers DWBS 8874)

11. Nobody Knows (12" Disco Mix) (October 1979 USA Promo-Only 12" single on Warner Brothers PRO-A-837)

12. Love Don't Make It Right (12" Disco Mix) (June 1980 USA Promo-Only 12" single on Warner Brothers PRO-A-884)

13. Stay Free (from the August 1979 US LP "Stay Free" on Warner Brothers 3357)

14. Bourgie Bourgie (from the September 1977 USA LP "Send It" on Warner Brothers BS 3088)

Disc 2 (All Remixes Done in 2008, 77:04 minutes):

1. Found A Cure (A Tom Moulton Mix, 10:34 minutes)

2. It Seems To Hang On (Tommy Musto Re-Touch, 8:28 minutes)

3. One More Try (Dimitri Re-Edit, 7:59 minutes)

4. Bourgie Bourgie (Joe Claussell's Classic Remix, 11:20 minutes)

5. Over And Over (Simphouse/M&M Mix, 9:01 minutes)

6. Stay Free (Dim’s The Missing Mix, 7:49 minutes)

7. Love Don't Make It Right (Joey Negro Mix)

8. Tried, Tested And Found True (Simphouse/M&M Soulful Mix, 7:38 minutes)

9. Stay Free (Dim's Club Mix, 7:44 minutes)

The 16-page booklet (inside a 3-way foldout hard card sleeve) has liners notes by DAVID NATHAN, a Producer’s Note about the 12" singles from JOHNNY "D" DeMARIO and PAUL SIMPSON, with further reminiscences in the final few pages from Ashford & Simpson themselves. 

RICK EESIG did the remasters in New York and the audio quality is fantastic – crowd-pleasers like "Have You Ever Tried It" sounding so fresh and alive. As you can also see from the track list on Disc 1 – lots of those elusive American Promo-only 12" Mixes make their debut on CD here. Take the piano-boogie of "Tried, Tested And Found True" – the Disco Mix runs to 5:28 minutes – and not say a pointless 9 or ten minutes. It has string and brass breaks throughout and a huge rhythm section that threatens at times to overtake the whole song – and yet the remaster allows the lot to shine.

The punch off the fabulous and technically brilliant instrumental "Bourgie Bourgie" is the same – it’s six minutes of sweetness feeling lush and sexy and properly funky in a way that only Seventies Soul seemed to be. Even by 1979 and “Stay Free” – they still seemed relevant and the title-track has a gorgeous Anthony Jackson bass line (listening to Chic a lot I dare say). Eric Gale's funky guitar flicks on "Found A Cure" (another winner from the "Stay Free" album) are very clear too as is that great string/brass backing. More hooky melodies kick in with the monster “Love Don’t Make It Right” – a tune that used to slay the dancers whenever I DJ'd it back in the nightclub day. And I love that effortless funk they got on "It Seems To Hang On" (easy to see why Rhino also issued this as a 4 x 12" single set – DJs wanting those grooves so bad).

Of the remixes I went straight for the huge eleven minutes of "Bourgie Bourgie" and although it mostly works – it kind of overstays its welcome a tad no matter how much I love it (a clever update from Claussell nonetheless). The same applies to "Over And Over" – the mix dominating instead of the melody – drum machine sounds etc. Joey Negro's take on "Love Don't Make It Right" ups the pace and features a faster funky backing track - but again you can't help feel that the original got it just right. The most successful one here for me is Dimitri's re-working of "One More Try" – still funky with Elliott Randall and Eric Gale's guitar work peaking through all the time to great effect (Elliott Randall did the stunning guitar work on Steely Dan's "Reeling In The Years" back in 1972). 

As I said earlier - someone needs to get a proper Box Set together for ASHFORD and SIMPSON – more tracks from 1980's "A Musical Affair" – the Side 4 studio stuff from the 1981's "Performance" double live and more. 

But in the meantime there is this to savour – even if it has started to accumulate a rather nasty price tag since deletion. Despite the fact that you probably won’t play much of Disc 2 – Disc 1 is worth every funky remixed cent. Recommended...

"The Complete Atlantic Recordings" by BARBARA LYNN (October 2014 Real Gone Music/Rhino CD Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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"…Sure Is Worth It…" 

Now here's a very cool CD compilation from a relatively new reissue label on the block - the US-based REAL GONE MUSIC. This is my first purchase of their stuff and I have to say I'm more than impressed.

Soul fans will know that apart from Barbara Lynn's 12-track LP "Here Is..." on a Japanese import CD - her wonderful Soul stay with Atlantic Records has been hard to find to say the least. Real Gone Music (allayed with Soul Music Records and Rhino Custom Products) appear to have access to those elusive Atlantic Records tapes music lovers have been craving for decades. So - at last - fans get the real deal - all Barbara Lynn's work at Atlantic Records - and in fabulous Audio quality too.

The tracks are presented in recording date order on this CD - so it can be confusing working out what's what. In order to break it down in manageable chunks - I'm provided a track list and a Discography beneath that. Here are the Soulful details...

Released October 2014 - "The Complete Atlantic Recordings" by BARBARA LYNN on Real Gone Music/Rhino Custom Products/Soul Music Records RGM-0297 OPCD-8873 (Barcode 848064002970) is a CD compilation and pans out as follows (73:23 minutes):

1. This Is The Thanks I Get

2. Ring Telephone Ring

3. You'll Lose A Good Thing

4. Take Your Love And Run

5. Maybe We Can Slip Away

6. Sure Is Worth It

7. Only You Know How To Love Me

8. Until Then, I'll Suffer

9. You're Losing Me

10. Sufferin' City

11. Multiplying Pain

12. Why Can't You Love Me

13. Mix It Up Baby

14. He Ain't Gonna Do Right

15. Love Ain't Never Hurt Nobody

16. People Like Me

17. Unloved, Unwanted Me

18. You're Gonna See A Lot More (Of My Leaving)

19. Soul Deep

20. You Better Quit It

21. Nice And Easy

22. I'm A One Man Woman

23. (Daddy Hot Stuff) You're Too Hot To Hold

24. You Make Me So Hot

25. It Ain't Good To Be Too Good

ALBUM:

Fans can sequence her lone album for the label "Here Is Barbara Lynn" released July 1968 on Atlantic 8171 by using the following tracks:

Side 1: 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8

Side 2: 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 and 1

SINGLES:

Her eight Atlantic 45s were issued as follows - [9] = Track Number etc

1. This Is The Thanks I Get [1] b/w Ring Telephone Ring [2]

1968, Atlantic 45-2450

2. Why Can't You Love Me [12] b/w You're Losing Me [9]

1968, Atlantic 45-2513

3. Love Ain't Never Hurt Nobody [15] b/w You're Gonna See A Lot More [18]

1968, Atlantic 45-2553

4. People Like Me [16] b/w He Ain't Gonna Do Right [14]

1969, Atlantic 45-2585

5. Until Then, I'll Suffer [8] b/w Take Your Love And Run [4]

1971, Atlantic 45-2812

6. Nice And Easy [21] b/w I'm A One Woman Man [22]

1972, Atlantic 45-2853

7. (Daddy Hot Stuff) You're Too Hot To Hold [23] b/w You Better Quit It [20]

1972, Atlantic 45-2880

8. You Make Me So Hot [24] b/w It Ain't No Good To Be Too Good [25]

1973, Atlantic 45-2931

Track 17 "Unloved, Unwanted Me" was first issued on the UK CD compilation "The Girls Got Soul" on Ace/Kent Soul CDKEND 186 in 2000 while Track 19 "Soul Deep" is PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED

The 8-page booklet is good rather than great - it pictures lots of those Atlantic 45s, has detailed liner notes from noted writer and Soul lover DAVID NATHAN and not much else. It's a bit of a let down considering what Ace Records and Edsel regularly put out on UK reissues (RGM should up their game on this). But there's no disappointment on the Audio front - remastered by MIKE MILCHNER at SoundVision - the clarity and punch on offer here is fantastic.

Northern Soul monsters "Take Your Love And Run" and "Sure Is Worth It" (both very Motown) sound superb - guaranteed to see the talcum powder hitting the kitchen floor. The slow and Bluesy "(Until Then) I'll Suffer" and the brass/girly vocals pleader "He Ain't Gonna Do Right" both have small amounts of hiss on them but the atmosphere is HUGE so the lovely transfer has allowed them to breathe.

I had "You're Losing Me" on the "After Hours 3" CD compilation (another Northern Soul pleaser) and the mid-tempo "Nice And Easy" was on the first "You Better Believe It" CD compilation back in 2004. Things get guitar funky with "I'm A One Man Woman" while her cover of The Box Tops "Soul Deep" is a worthy Previously Unreleased find. There's a fabulous Sax throughout the R&B smoocher "You'll Lose A Good Thing" and a Staples Singers keyboard boogie feel to "Love Ain't Hurt Nobody".

A properly excellent reissue and one that's gonna have me reaching for more of the same. Speaking of which...

Similar 'Real Gone Music' titles to date are:

1. LINDA JONES - The Complete Atco-Loma-Warner Brothers Recordings

2. PATTI LaBELLE and THE BLUEBELLES - The Complete Atlantic Sides (2CDs)

3. BARBARA LEWIS - The Complete Atlantic Singles (2CDs)

4. BARBARA LYNN - The Complete Atlantic Recordings

5. JACKIE MOORE - The Complete Atlantic Recordings (Jan 2015)

6. BETTYE SWANN - The Complete Atlantic Recordings

7. THE SWEET INSPIRATIONS - The Complete Atlantic Singles (2CDs)

8. IRMA THOMAS - Full Time Woman: The Lost Cotillion Album

9. DEE DEE WARWICK – The Complete Atlantic Recordings (2CDs)

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"Syreeta/Stevie Wonder Presents Syreeta" by SYREETA [featuring STEVIE WONDER] (June 2004 US-Only Hip-O Select CD Compilation - 2LPs Remastered onto 1CD in Mini LP Packaging with an Ellen Fitton Remaster) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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70ts Soul, R'n'B, Funk, Jazz Fusion
Exceptional CD Reissues and Remasters  

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"…Walking In The Rain…"

Numbered to 5000 and released on Hip-O Select's own website in June 2004 and then given a Stateside commercial release that same year - this limited edition CD has long since been deleted and has acquired a bit of a hefty price-tag ever since.

US released June 2004 – "Syreeta/Stevie Wonder Presents Syreeta" by SYRETTA [featuring STEVIE WONDER] on Motown/Hip-O Select B0002543-02 offers up the first two of six LPs Syreeta Wright recorded for Motown in the Seventies and breaks down as follows (78:07 minutes):

1. I Love Every Little Thing About You [Side 1]

2. Black Maybe

3. Keep Him Like He Is

4. Happiness

5. She's Leaving Home [Side 2]

6. What Love Has Joined Together

7. How Many Days

8. Baby Don't You Let Me Lose This

9. To Know You Is To Love You

Tracks 1 to 9 are her debut album "Syreeta" released June 1972 in the USA on MoWest MW-113L and November 1972 in the UK on MoWest MWS 7001

[Tracks 1, 2, 4 and 7 are written by Stevie Wonder with 3, 8 and 9 co-written with Syreeta Wright. Tracks 5 and 6 are covers of The Beatles "She's Leaving Home" and The Temptations "What Love Has Joined Together" (written by Smokey Robinson)]

10. I’m Goin' Left [Side 1]

11. Spinnin’ And Spinnin'

12. Your Kiss Is Sweet

13. Come And Get This Stuff

14. Heavy Day

15. Cause We've Ended As Lovers [Side 2]

16. Just A Little Piece Of You

17. Waitin' For The Postman

18. When Your Daddy's Not Around

19. I Wanna Be By Your Side

20. Universal Sound Of The World (Your Kiss Is Sweet)

Tracks 10 to 20 are her 2nd LP "Stevie Wonder Presents Syreeta" released June 1974 in the USA on Motown M6-808S1 and September 1974 in the UK on Tamla Motown STML 11268 [Tracks 13, 15, 17, 18 and 19 are written by Stevie Wonder with 10, 11, 12, 14, 16 and 20 co-written with Syreeta Wright]

The gatefold card digipak is numbered in gold on the rear (a limited edition of 5000 worldwide) and features the artwork to "Syreeta" on the front cover with the rear sleeve of to the original LP pictured beneath the see-through tray on the inside. The 16-page booklet has the 2nd album artwork complete too with detailed recording and reissue credits and an essay on the releases by British Soul aficionado DAVID NATHAN (with contributions from Syreeta herself - sadly in the year before she died).

The sound quality is truly BEAUTIFUL - remastered from the first generation tapes by one of Universal's top engineers - ELLEN FITTON. She did all 14 of the extraordinary "Motown Complete Singles" Box Sets (Volumes 1 to 12B) as well as many, many other releases from Motown artists - Temptations, Smokey Robinson, Marvelettes, Four Tops (I've reviewed a myriad of other EF Remasters).

Married to Syreeta since 1970, both albums heavily featured Stevie Wonder's mercurial involvement in production, song contribution and playing - and both are so much the better for it (this was his 1972 to 1974 run-of-genius period - "Music Of My Mind", "Talking Book", "Innervisions" and "Fulfillingness' First Finale"). So it's also not surprising to find that his production values on these two records matched that of the highly produced "Innervisons" say - all swirling synths and funky beats with that wonderful Seventies feel. Ace guitarist BUZZY FENTON played on "Syreeta" while MINNIE RIPERTON sang backing vocals on "Stevie Wonder Presents Syreeta".

Both albums were critically acclaimed at the time, but the public didn't take to either in earnest giving them modest positions of 38 and 53 on the USA Billboard R 'n' B album charts (they made no inroads in Soul-mad Blighty). Which is strange because the lead off single from "Syreeta" was its strongest track - an edit of "To Know You Is To Love You". It's the albums only duet vocal between Stevie and Syreeta and was released Stateside on MoWest 5021 in July 1972. Its sound quality here is a real highlight. The cover of the Sgt. Peppers classic "She's Leaving Home" features a treated vocal by Stevie cleverly wrapped around layered backing vocals from her. Another goody on the debut is "I Love Every Little Thing About You" which Stevie had released on "Music Of My Mind" in March 1972 - but her later version is equally good - and very suited to her sweet vocals.

It's not all genius of course - the 2nd LP sports some dreadfully saccharine tracks like "Your Kiss Is Sweet" and "Waitin' For The Postman" (which features GC Cameron on duet lead vocals). But it redeems itself big time on the heartfelt "Cause We Ended As Lovers" (lyrics above) - a track I've loved for years and came to in a roundabout way. Jeff Beck did a stunning instrumental cover version of it on his brilliant 1975 "Blow By Blow" album - and I backtracked to find the lovely original. Another track where the romance and music do combine so sweetly is "Just A Little Piece Of You" - a bit of a forgotten Soul gem really.

To sum up - this is a lovely reissue with gorgeous sound quality - and while it's not all Godlike in terms of songs - the good stuff is well worth seeking out - even if it costs...