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"…Let Your Loss Be Your Lesson…"
"The Complete Stax Singles" by LITTLE MILTON probably won't win any 'original title of the year' awards any time soon - but it does what it says on the tin - and in remastered audio style.
More importantly, it made available to fans (in 1995 that is) of both Little Milton and Stax Records, large chunks of missing catalogue numbers (especially on the flipsides) and a hunk of Soul that's both forgotten and deserves reappraisal. There's so much to enjoy on this CD, there really is - here are the back street details...
UK released January 1995 - "The Complete Stax Singles" by LITTLE MILTON on Ace/Stax CDSXD 106 (Barcode 029667910620) plays out as follows (74:31 minutes):
1. If That Ain't A Reason (For Your Woman To Leave You) - 1971 USA 7" on Stax STA-100, A
2. Mr. Mailman (I Don't Want No Letter) - 1971, Stax STA-100, B
3. I'm Living Off The Love You Give - 1971 USA 7" on Stax STA-111, B
4. That's What Love Will Make You Do - 1971, Stax STA-111, A
5. Before The Honeymoon - 1973 USA 7" on Stax STA-124, B
6. Walking The Back Streets And Crying - 1971, Stax STA-124, A
7. I'm Gonna Cry A River - 1972 USA 7" on Stax STA-141, A
8. What It is - 1972, Stax STA-141, B
9. Rainy Day (Extended Version) - 1972 USA 7" Stax STA-148, A
10. Lovin' Stick - 1972, Stax STA-148, B
11. Who Can Handle Me Is You - 1973 USA 7" on Stax STA-174, B (A-side was a reissue of "What It Is")
12. Tin Pan Alley - 1973 USA 7" on Stax STA-191, A
13. Sweet Woman Of Mine, 1973, Stax STA-191, B (also B-side to STN-0238 in May 1975, see Track 18)
14. Behind Closed Doors - 1974 USA 7" on Stax STA-210, A
15. Bet You I Win - 1974, Stax STA-210, B
16. Let Me Back In - 1974 USA 7" on Stax STA-229, A
17. Let Your Loss Be Your Lesson - 1974, Stax STA-229, B
18. If You Talk In Your Sleep (Extended Version) – May 1975 USA 7" on Stax STN-238, A ("Sweet Woman Of Mine" was its B-side)
19. How Could You Do It To Me (Extended Version) – November 1975 USA 7" on Stax STA-252, B-side to Track 20
20. Packed Up And Took My Mind (Extended Version) – November 1975, Stax STA-252, A-side (B-side is Track 19)
The 6-page fold-out inlay has details on each single release by JOHN RIDLEY including a few photos of those American yellow Stax labels. NICK ROBBINS did the remasters from original analogue tapes and the Audio is superb - really punchy - well-produced Soul with loads of depth - the usual bang-up job from Ace.
With a moniker that suggested Blues rather than Soul - Mississippi's James Milton Campbell nonetheless saw four of his eleven Stax 45's hit the American Billboard R&B charts - "That's What Love Make You Do" in February 1972 rose to 9, his radical reworking of Charlie Rich's "Behind Closed Doors" made 31 in May 1974, "Let Me Back In " rose to 38 in December 1974 while his final Stax showing was a version of Elvis Presley's "If You Talk In Your Sleep" which stalled at 34 in July 1975. Not that he was a stranger to chart success prior to 1972 - Little Milton had managed a huge 16-track hit run at Checkers Records from 1962 right up until 1971 when he signed to Stax. A further lone hit "Friend Of Mine" followed after his Stax run on Glades Records 1734 in March 1976.
Musically his Stax period is part Albert King (talking beginnings followed by Soulful tunes with guitar), pleading loverman Johnnie Taylor and part dancefloor boogie like Rufus Thomas. Winners include the very Bluesy "Walking The Back Streets And Crying", two wicked flips in the Clarence Carter feel to "What It Is" and the slink-funk of "Lovin' Stick". The languid "Packed Up And Took My Mind" sees him so close in Stax style to Albert King its scary - while the funky "Let Your Loss Be Your Lesson" reminds me of Bobby Bland circa "Dreamer" and "His California Album". Most of it is pleasingly cool too.
"The Complete Stax Singles" has been deleted years now and unfortunately acquired a price tag that often hurts. But if you can get a copy and until something better comes along - don't hesitate - jump in and enjoy...
