"Women's Love Rights/I Can't Make It Alone/Two Sides Of Laura Lee…Plus" by LAURA LEE - Nov 1971, Nov 1974 and (January 2010 UK - February 2010 USA Edsel Compilation - 3LPs Remastered onto 2CDs Plus Extras) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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"…If You Can Beat Me Rockin' (You Can Have My Chair)…"

This superb 2CD overview of US soul singer Laura Lee was released January 2010 in the UK (February 2010 in the USA) on Edsel EDSD 2050 (Barcode 740155205034) and is part of a series of reissues Edsel are doing to extensively cover Holland-Dozier-Holland's Invictus and Hot Wax labels. 

EDSD 2050 features her 3 albums for H-D-H in their entirety plus rare 45-Single sides as Bonus Tracks and much improved liner notes too. A lotta great womanly righteous Soul and it breaks down as follows...

Disc 1 (71:29 minutes):

1. Women's Love Rights [Side 1]

2. Wedlock Is A Padlock

3. I Don't Want Nothing Old (But Money)

4. (Don't Be Sorry) Be Careful If You Can't Be Good

5. Love And Liberty

6. It's Not What You Fall For, It's What You Stand For

7. Since I Fell For You (Parts 1 & 2) [Side 2]

8. Two Lovely Pillows

9. That's How Strong My Love Is

10. Her Picture Matches Mine

Tracks 1 to 10 are her entire album 1st album "Women's Love Rights", released November 1971 in the USA on Hot Wax HA 708 and September 1972 in the UK on Hot Wax SHW 5006

11. I Can't Make It Alone [Side 1]

12. Don't Leave Me Starving For Your Love

13. We've Come Too Far To Walk Away 

14. I Need It Just As Bad As You (Single And Album Version)

15. (If You Want To Try Love Again) Remember Me

16. Mirror Of Your Soul

Tracks 11 to 16 are 6 of the 8 tracks from her 3rd album "I Can't Make It Alone", released November 1974 in the USA on Invictus KZ 33133 - NO UK ISSUE

17. Since I Fell For You (Mono Promo-Only Single Edit, 1974 on Hot Wax (no catalogue number)

18. I Need It Just As Bad As You (Unedited Version) (Originally released on the 2CD compilation "Love's Rights And Wrongs – The Best Of Laura Lee" released 1997 in the UK on Sequel/Deep Beats CD DEEPD 025)

NOTE: Two tracks were duplicated on her 2nd and 3rd albums - they are "Every Little Bit Hurts" and "Crumbs Off The Table". Edsel have put them on Disc 2 in their proper sequence for the "Two Sides Of Laura Lee" album, however, if you want to sequence the 8-tracks of her 3rd album "I Can't Make It Alone" in proper order, then it runs as follows... 

Side 1 is Tracks 11 to 13 on Disc 1 + Track 3 on Disc 2

Side 2 is Track 2 from Disc 2 + Tracks 14 to 16 from Disc 1

Disc 2 (55:07 minutes):

1. At Last (My Love Has Come Along) [Side 1]

2. Crumbs Off The Table (Album Version)

3. Every Little Bit Hurts

4. Guess Who I Saw Today

5. If You Can Beat Me Rockin' (You Can Have My Chair) [Side 2]

6. Workin' And Lovin' Together

7. Rip Off

8. When A Man Loves A Woman

9. If I'm Good Enough To Love (I'm Good Enough To Marry)

10. You've Got To Save Me

Tracks 1 to 10 are her entire 2nd album for the label "Two Sides Of Laura Lee", released 1972 on Hot Wax HA 714 and March 1973 in the Uk on Hot Wax SHW 5009

NOTE: the US and UK LPs of "Two Sides Of Laura Lee" had 9 Tracks and not 10

To sequence it from this 2CD set use the following songs on Disc 2

Side 1: Tracks 1, 3, 4 and 2

Side 2: Tracks 5, 6, 7, 8 and 10

The odd song out is "If I'm Good Enough To Love..."

11. Crumbs Off The Table (Single Re-Edit) - November 1972 US 7" 45-Single on Hot Wax HS 7210 - its B-side was "You've Got To Save Me" (Track 10 on Disc 2)

12. I'll Catch You When I Fall

13. I Can't Hold On Much Longer - Tracks 12 and 13 are the A&B sides of an August 1973 US 7" single on Hot Wax HS 7305 (both tracks are non-album)

14. Since I Fell For You (Mono Commercial Single Edit) - Mono Promo-Only US 7" from February 1972 on Hot Wax HS 7201

Using the album cuts and the six bonus tracks across the 2CDs, you can now also sequence her entire US Hot Wax 7" singles output as follows...

1. "Wedlock Is A Padlock" b/w Her Picture Matches Mine", Hot Wax HS 7007, January 1971

2. "Women's Love Rights" b/w "Wedlock Is A Padlock", Hot Wax HS 7105, August 1971

3. "Love And Liberty" b/w "I Don't Want Nothing Old (But Money)", Hot Wax HS 7111, December 1971

4. "Since I Feel For You" b/w "I Don't Want Nothing Old (But Money)", Hot Wax HS 7201, February 1972

5. "Rip Off" b/w "Two Lovely Pillows", Hot Wax HS 7204, June 1972

6. "If You Can Beat Me Rockin' (You Can Have My Chair)" b/w "If I'm Good Enough To Love (I'm Good Enough To Marry)", Hot Wax HS 7207, October 1972

7. "Crumbs Off The Table" b/w "You've Got To Save Me", Hot Wax HS 7210, January 1973 [Note: A was originally a hit for The Glass House (another HDH act) in September 1969 on Invictus IS 9071]

8. "(If You Want To Try Love Again) Remember Me" b/w "If I'm Good Enough To Love (I'm Good Enough To Marry)", Hot Wax HS 7302, 1973

9. "I'll Catch You When You Fall" b/w "I Can't Hold Out Much Longer", Hot Wax HS 7305, August 1973 [Note: both A&B are non-album tracks]

Remastered by PETER RYNSTON at TALL ORDER, the sound quality is great - alive and jumping out of your speakers. The 20-page booklet has very detailed liner notes by soul expert TONY ROUNCE who also provides photos of those rare 7" singles and LP labels - it's brilliantly informative and researched with both affection and care (his top class work features on most of Edsel's soul releases). 

The music is upbeat floor-filling soul with a message of breaking free, standing up for yourself and street smarts. Track after track is great stuff. One of my all time favourites and a criminally forgotten gem is her declaration to other women about her loving prowess in the brilliantly funky single "If You Can Beat Me Rockin' (You Can Have My Chair)"  - expect to see it in a movie any day now. 

At less than six pounds on-line - this 2CD set is a whole lot of great Seventies soul for not a whole lot of wedge (even as an import in other countries). Check it out and enjoy...

"The 8th Day…Plus… + I Gotta Get Home…Plus" by THE 8TH DAY - Debut LP from April 1971 and Second Album from August 1972 on Invictus Records (September 2009 UK Edsel 2CD Compilation of Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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After the song-writing partnership of Holland-Dozier-Holland (Edward-Lamont-Brian) left Motown in the late Sixties, they set up the INVICTUS and HOT WAX labels in the States featuring hot new soul acts like Chairman Of The Board, Freda Payne, Parliament, The Honey Cone, Ruth Copeland, Laura Lee etc.

Part of a slew of UK releases covering all those acts and both of those labels (see list below) - "The 8th Day...Plus + I Gotta Get Home...Plus" by THE 8TH DAY on Edsel ESCD 2068 (Barcode 740155206635) is a superbly presented 2CD Anthology of the H-D-H band fronted by the fantastically expressive vocals of MELVIN DAVIS.

This UK September 2009 remastered 2CD set gathers up both of their rare early Seventies albums, non-album single sides and other related tracks and play out as follows...

Disc 1 (48:26 minutes)

1. She's Not Just Another Woman

2. You've Got To Crawl (Before You Walk)

3. Too Many Cooks (Spoil The Soup)

4. La-De-Dah

5. Eeny-Meeny-Miny-Mo (Three's A Crowd)

6. Just As Long

7. I Can't Fool Myself

8. I'm Worried

9. I've Come To Save You

Tracks 1 to 9 is their debut US album "The 8th Day", April 1971 on Invictus ST 7306

BONUSES:

10. She's Not Just Another Woman (April 1971 USA 7" single mix on Invictus IS 9087 (it's B-side is the album track "I Can't Fool Myself" - Track 7)

11. Eeny-Meeny-Miny-Mo (Instrumental) - it turns up re-titled as "Get Your House In Order" which was issued in 1974 as the instrumental B-side to "Sittin' On A Time Bomb (Waitin' For The Hurt To Come)" by LEE CHARLES on Invictus ZS7 1260 (both tracks were non-album)

12. If I Could See The Light In The Window

13. If I Could See The Light In The Window (Instrumental) (Non-Album A&B of their 3rd US 7" single released December 1971 on Invictus IS 9107)

Disc 2 (50:36 minutes):

1. I Gotta Get Home (I Can't Let My Baby Get Lonely)

2. Cheba

3. Good Book

4. Anything

5. Rocks In My Head

6. Faith

7. Get Your Mind Straight

8. Heaven Is There To Guide Us

Tracks 1 to 8 is their 2nd US album "I Gotta Get Home (I Can't Let My Baby Get Lonely)", April 1972 on Invictus ST 9809

Track 9 is "You Made Me Over", a 1973 USA 7" solo single by MELVIN DAVIS on Invictus ZS7 1259

Tracks 10 and 11 are "I'm Worried (Single Edit)" and "Just As Long (Single Edit)", non-album shortened versions of tracks from "The 8th Day" LP issued in 1972 as a MELVIN DAVIS solo single on Invictus IS 9115

Track 12 is "It's Instrumental To Be Free", a non-album B-side to "You've Got To Crawl (Before You Walk)" issued September 1971 on US 7" single Invictus IS 9098

Track 13 is "Free Your Mind" - it's a remix of "It's Instrumental To Be Free" (Track 12) and it appeared as the B-side of the UK 7" single "Love Machine" by THE POLITICIANS on Hot Wax HWX 114

The 16-page booklet has affectionate and informative liner notes by noted British soul lover and expert TONY ROUNCE while the remastered sound by ALCHEMY is warm, clear and gorgeous to the ear (surprisingly free of hiss).

Their debut album opens with a lethal one-two sucker punch - "She Not Just Another Woman" and "You Gotta Crawl (Before You Walk)" - 20 seconds into either and you're hooked. It's easy to see why both reached number 3 on the US R'n'B charts in 1971. This is truly fabulous Seventies soul with one foot still in the Sixties vibe; it's The Temptations - it's Stevie - it's Jackie Wilson on Brunswick with a little RCA Sam Cooke thrown in. It sounds like a reinvigorated Motown hit-making machine with a point to prove - the arrangements, the tight band, the wonderful brass fills that make your feet tap - all topped by the killer vocals of Northern Soul favourite MELVIN DAVIS (who toured as recently as Summer 2009 to rapturous applause by soul lovers hungry for the real deal). Then just as you're about to pigeonhole The 8th Day as a H-D-H singles-machine, you get the stunning seven and a half minutes of "Just As Long" - as lovely a soul ballad as you're ever likely to hear - that starts out almost as an instrumental and then builds - so sweet.

Niggles - the liner notes for Disc 2 have IS 9098 as 9090 and IS 9115 as 9117 - both miscredited in the booklet - and collectors will know that there's a 7" single edit of "You Gotta Crawl" which lops off 15 seconds from the album version that could have been put on here, but it's a minor exclusion.  Besides - prior to the availability of the Net - and as someone who's worked in second-hand records shops for nearly 20 years - I can count on one hand the number of times I've actually seen copies of these rare US LPs and singles.  What a treat to have them all finally presented to us - and in such a cool way too.

Great stuff Edsel - love it, love it, love it - recommended big time.

PS: other titles in this series are:

1. CHAIRMEN OF THE BOARD - Give Me Just A Little More Time Plus... (Featuring bonus albums by GENERAL JOHNSON and HARRISON KENNEDY) (Edsel EDSD 2053, 2CDs)

2. CHAIRMEN OF THE BOARD - Bittersweet + Skin I'm In + Bonus Album by DANNY WOODS Aries  (Edsel EDSD 2055, 2CDs)

3. RUTH COPELAND - Self Portrait + I Am What I Am albums Plus... (Edsel EDSD 2067, 2CDs)

4. HOLLAND-DOZIER-HOLLAND - Love & Beauty - The Complete Invictus Masters (Edsel EDSD 2056, 2CDs)

5. PARLIAMENT - Osmium Plus... (Edsel EDSS 1031, 1CD)

6. FREDA PAYNE - Band Of Gold + Contact  + The Best Of + Reaching Out (Edsel EDSD 2054, 2CDs)

PPS: for those who want to go deeper into the Invictus and Hot Wax labels, Sequel Records of the UK released a huge number of related CDs in 1999 featuring artists not covered in this 2009 reissue series - some of those names are 100 Proof Aged In Soul, Flaming Ember, The Politicians, The Glass House, Barrino Brothers, Eloise Laws and several cool Various Artist compilations like "Invictus Chartbusters"