"Chess NORTHERN SOUL: 20 Tracks Hand-Picked by MOJO" by VARIOUS (August 2005 Universal/Chess/MOJO CD Compilation - Gary Moore Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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"…A Love Like Ours…Let's Wear It On Our Face…"

The respected and much-loved MOJO Magazine of the UK decided in 2005 to use their knowledge and compile a series of rather cool (and cheap) Chess Records CD compilations.

Four appeared using generic card digipak artwork with the '20 Tracks Hand-Picked By MOJO' logo in the bottom left corner - "Chess ORIGINALS" (actually has 25 tracks, total playing time of 70:08 minutes), "Chess SOUL SISTERS" (56:09 minutes), "Chess TEARJERKERS" (58:50 minutes) and this sweaty Saturday night playlist at 58:48 minutes - "Chess NORTHERN SOUL".

There was also a 15-track CD sampler of sorts that preceding the four themed comps called "Chess CLASSICS" which was given away with copies of the MOJO August 2005 magazine when it went on sale in July of that year. It came in a jewel case (no catalogue number nor barcode) and actually had several tracks not featured in the four comps but that are on other Chess CD Remaster compilations (acts like Chuck Berry, Do Diddley and so on).

When it comes to three CDs on classic Soul Music - of course Ace Records of the UK and their Kent-Soul label imprint have had this sort of comp down pat for nearly three decades and have been thrilling fans like me with further trawls in the digital age almost on a monthly basis. But I feel that the "Chess NORTHERN SOUL" entry is one of those fabulous little CD compilations that slipped through the cracks in a crowded reissue onslaught.

The MOJO magazine's respected Soul authority and uber-fan LOIS WILSON did the smart-choice compiling back in 2005 and I've always dug them as short but oh so sweet listens. And even now in September 2019, most are still available at a frankly laughable pre Brexit outlay (get them before the panic sets in and they shut down the emotional borders on us all). Time to grab the Johnson's sniffy talcum powder out, don your dancing pom-poms and rectify that unforgivable anomaly by your woefully out-of-touch wallet. Here comes the pleasure tome for those eager men in large legged pants...

UK released 25 August 2005 - "Chess NORTHERN SOUL: 20 Tracks Hand-Picked by MOJO" by VARIOUS ARTISTS is on Universal/Chess/Mojo 9830153 (Barcode 602498301531) and breaks down as follows (58:48 minutes):

1. Let's Wade In The Water - MARLENA SHAW (1966 USA 7" single on Cadet 5549, A)

2. It Ain't Necessary - MAMIE GALORE (1968 USA 7" single on St. Lawrence 1012, A)

3. Hold On - THE RADIANTS (1968 USA 7" single on Chess 2037, A)

4. Wear It On Our Face - THE DELLS (from the May 1968 US LP "There Is" on Cadet Records LPS-804)

5. A Love Reputation - DENISE La SALLE (1967 USA 7" single on Chess 2005, A)

6. Ordinary Joe - TERRY CALLIER (from the 1972 US LP "Occasional Rain" on Cadet Records CA 50007)

7. More Love, That's What We Need - THE GOSPEL CLASSICS (1968 USA 7" single on Checker 5050, A)

8. Leave It In The Hands Of Love - FONTELLA BASS (1966 USA 7" single on Checker 1131, B-side of "Recovery")

9. Landslide - TONY CLARKE (1965 USA 7" single on Chess 1979, A)

10. Sweeter Than The Day Before - THE VALENTINOS [featuring Bobby Womack] (1966 USA 7" single on Chess 1977, B-side of "Let's Get Together")

11. More And More - LITTLE MILTON (1967 USA 7" single on Checker 1189, A)

12. Peak Of Love - BOBBY McCLURE (1966 USA 7" single on Checker 1152, A)

13. Run For Cover - THE DELLS (from the May 1968 US LP "There Is" on Cadet Records LPS-804)

14. You Colored My Blues Bright - LITTLE MILTON (1966 USA 7" single on Checker 1162, B-side of "Feel So Bad")

15. Make Sure (You Have Someone Who Loves You) - THE DELLS (from the February 1969 US album "Always Together - The Dells Musical Menu" on Cadet LPS-822)

16. Boo-Ga-Loo Baby - TOMMY & CLEVE (1966 USA 7" single on Checker 1154, A)

17. Look At Me - TERRY CALLIER (1968 USA 7" single on Cadet 5541, A)

18. The Fugitive Kind - TONY CLARKE (1965 USA 7" single on Chess 1935, B-side of "Poor Boy")

19. I Can't Help Myself - THE GEMS (1964 USA 7" single on Chess 1908, A)

20. Wade In The Water - RAMSEY LEWIS (from the 1966 US LP "Wade In The Water" on Cadet Records LPS 774)

Compiled and annotated by LOIS WILSON - the oversized 16-page booklet (inside a gatefold card digipak) is a lovely thing to behold - insightful paragraphs on each of the songs - 7" single labels reproduced, black and white publicity shots and even a full-page repro in colour of the girl dancing by the sea on the American LP sleeve of "Wade In The Water" by Ramsey Lewis. Very nicely done...

Same as the other compilations in this series - long-time Audio Engineer GARY MOORE at Universal carried out the excellent remasters. The audio varies from source-to-source - incredible one moment and more than acceptable the next. But as with the "Soul Sisters" entry in this series - all of that gets blown out of the water by the sheer joy of the music (recorded well or not). And once again very clever song choices abound here 'hand-picked' by those canny bods at England's fabulicious MOJO magazine. You get snappy B-sides instead of overplayed A's combined with crowd pleasers like "Wade In The Water" and Tony Clarke's fantastic "Landslide" all nestling alongside rare album cuts and obscure groups (The Valentinos featured a young Bobby Womack).

The compilation begins and ends with a Northern Soul stalwart - Ramsey Lewis' "Wade In The Water" sung by Marlena Shaw first as a dancefloor invite - then bookended by his original piano//brass driven instrumental. Sounding like something out of a Sixties Bond movie - Mamie Galore's "It Ain't Necessary" was co-written by Jerry Butler and Produced by a Funk fave of mine - Monk Higgins. But as lovely as "Necessary" is - it gets trounced for me by the 3:25 minutes of talcum powder bliss that follows - "Wear It On Our Face" by THE DELLS. Produced and Arranged by Cadet's resident in-house genius CHARLES STEPNEY - it has everything a great Northern Soul Record should have - a driving dancing beat, impassioned vocals, brass fills complimenting clever string arrangements and a simply irresistible upbeat joy that makes your hip replacements itch. It's properly gorgeous stuff and actually makes me tearful at times (lyrics from it title this review).

And there you have it - so many great tunes you don't know and need to. "Chess Northern Soul" is the kind of CD compilation that has gotten lost in an overcrowded marketplace. Check it out peeps and remember - like Johnson's Baby Powder on a flabby bottom - be liberal with that dancing powder once you get this disc into your CD player - you hip-shaking mama's...

The Four Compilation Titles in the 20 August 2005 (UK)

UNIVERSAL/CHESS/MOJO CD Series are:

1. Chess ORIGINALS: 20 Tracks Hand-Picked By MOJO

(Universal/Chess/Mojo 9830156 – Barcode 602498301562)

2. Chess NORTHERN SOUL: 20 Tracks Hand-Picked By MOJO

(Universal/Chess/Mojo 9830153 – Barcode 602498301531)

3. Chess SOUL SISTERS: 20 Tracks Hand-Picked By MOJO

(Universal/Chess/Mojo 9830155 – Barcode 602498301555)

4. Chess TEARJERKERS: 20 Tracks Hand-Picked By MOJO

(Universal/Chess/Mojo 9830154 –Barcode 602498301548)

"Chess SOUL SISTERS: 20 Tracks Hand-Picked by MOJO" by VARIOUS (August 2005 Universal/Chess/Mojo CD Compilation – Gary Moore Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

"…Joyful Stuff…"

  

The respected and much-loved MOJO Magazine of the UK decided in 2005 to use their knowledge and compile a series of rather cool (and cheap) Chess Records CD compilations.

Four appeared using generic card digipak artwork with the '20 Tracks Hand-Picked By MOJO' logo in the bottom left corner - "Chess ORIGINALS" (actually has 25 tracks, total playing time of 70:08 minutes), "Chess NORTHERN SOUL" (58:48 minutes), "Chess TEARJERKERS" (58:50 minutes) and this girly love fest at 56:09 minutes - "Chess SOUL SISTERS".

There was also a 15-track CD sampler of sorts that preceding the four themed comps called "Chess CLASSICS" which was given away with copies of the MOJO August 2005 magazine when it went on sale in July of that year. It came in a jewel case (no catalogue number nor barcode) and actually had several tracks not featured in the four comps but that are on other Chess CD Remaster compilations (acts like Chuck Berry, Do Diddley and so on).

When it comes to three CDs on classic Soul Music - of course Ace Records of the UK and their Kent-Soul label imprint have had this sort of comp down pat for nearly three decades and have been thrilling fans like me with further trawls in the digital age almost on a monthly basis. But I feel that the "Chess SOUL SISTERS" entry is one of those fabulous little CD compilations that slipped through the cracks in a crowded reissue onslaught. Time to grab the Johnson's talcum powder out, don your dancing pom-poms and rectify that unforgivable anomaly by your woefully out-of-touch wallet. Here come the grooviest go-go gals...

UK released August 2005 - "Chess SOUL SISTERS: 20 Tracks Hand-Picked by MOJO" by VARIOUS ARTISTS on Universal/Chess/Mojo 9830155 (Barcode 602498301555) plays out as follows (56:09 minutes):

1. Seven Day Fool - ETTA JAMES (1961 USA 7" single on Argo 5402, B-side to "It's Too Soon To Know")

2. Yes, It's Good For You - KOKO TAYLOR (from the 1969 US LP "Koko Taylor" on Chess 1532)

3. Liberation Conversation - MARLENA SHAW (from the 1969 album "The Spice Of Life" on Cadet LPS-833)

4. Git Out - MITTY COLLIER (1967 USA 7' single on Chess 2035, A)

5. Dirty Man - LAURA LEE (1967 USA 7" single on Chess 2013, A)

6. Take Me For A Little While - JACKIE ROSS (1965 USA 7" single on Chess 1938, A)

7. Don't Knock Love - BARBARA CARR (1967 USA 7" single on Chess 1985, B-side of "Shake Your Head")

8. In Orbit - JOY LOVEJOY (1967 USA 7" single on Checker 1188, A)

9. Cheater Man - IRMA THOMAS (1967 USA 7" single on Chess 2010, A)

10. Don't Mess With The Messer - KOKO TAYLOR (1965 USA 7" single on Checker 1106, A)

11. Fire - ETTA JAMES (1968 USA 7" single on Cadet 5620, A)

12. I Don't Wanna Fuss - SUGAR PIE De SANTO (1964 USA 7" single on Checker 1093, A)

13. I Surrender - FONTELLA BASS (1966 USA 7" single on Checker 1137, A)

14. We Got Something Good - IRMA THOMAS (1968 USA 7" single on Chess 2036, B-side to "Good To Me")

15. It's How You Make It Good - LAURA LEE (1968 USA 7" single on Chess 2062, B-side to "Hang It Up")

16. My Babe - MITTY COLLIER (from the 1965 album "Shades Of A Genius" on Chess LPS-1492)

17. Tease Your Man - MITTY COLLIER (from the 1972 album "Basic Soul" on Chess CH 50018)

18. Rescue Me - FONTELLA BASS (1965 USA 7" single on Checker 1120, A)

19. Sally, Go 'Round The Roses - THE JAYNETTS (1963 USA 7" single on Tuff 369, A)

20. California Soul - MARLENA SHAW (1969 USA 7" single on Cadet 5638, A)

GARY MOORE at Universal carried out the excellent remasters that can dip and jump because of the time frame. For instance the relatively low-fi Northern Soul monster "In Orbit" by Joy Lovejoy isn't an audiophile recording by any means and is followed by the superb production values of "Cheater Man" by Irma Thomas - but the contrast of audio quality is blown out of the water by the sheer joy of the music - recorded well or not. And that's what I love so much about Chess compilations in general - even when someone is being done 'bad' by someone who should know better - the music transcends everything - it's irrepressibly joyful stuff. The 16-page oversized booklet has full-page plates of Etta James, Sugar Pie De Santo, Marlena Shaw and Laura Lee and even pictures the rare "New Look" Chess album by Fontella Bass on Page 7 in colour. Very tastefully done...

Clever song choices abound here - snappy B-sides instead of overplayed A's - combined with crowd pleasers like "Rescue Me" and "Dirty Man" - all sided by rare album cuts and obscure groups. "Soul Sisters" also prides itself in featuring the unsung heroes of Chess, Cadet and Checker like Laura Lee, Marlena Shaw, Koko Taylor and Mitty Collier to name but a few. Check out Marlena Shaw’s cover of the Ashford & Simpson classic "California Soul" – a B-side to "Looking Through The Eyes Of Love" on Cadet 5656. Both are winners from the fantastical Cadet records "The Spice Of Life" album – an LP I’ve featured in an e-Book I’ve done on Obscure Albums that deserve martyrdom. Any compilation that brings you to that artist and that wicked US LP in particular is already exuding class in my locker room.

The vibe is mostly uptempo - cracking dancers like "It's How You Make It Good" and "Git It" - storming Etta James giving it some shimmy on "Seven Day Fool". Lyrically these sassy ladies also have to deal with cheaters, backstabbers and men of a generally Don Draper shag-around lowlife disposition. Equally - when they're not chastising them - they've forgiving them their trespasses or singing their praises. It's all blindingly good fun as you can imagine - song after song just walloping you with quality and emotion - and so much of it from that unbelievable year - 1967. Even the obscurities are excellent - The Jaynetts (an early New York girl group) who got a lilting Soulful sound on their Tuff Records 1963 rarity "Sally, Go 'Round The Roses" (probably more by accident than design) - such a great tune.

A superb introduction to the Soulful side of a Blues/Rhythm 'n' Blues label - "Soul Sisters" should be the first of the four Chess Mojo titles you get. And it's online for peanuts too...nice...

The Four Compilation Titles in the 20 August 2005 (UK)

UNIVERSAL/CHESS/MOJO CD Series are:

1. Chess ORIGINALS: 20 Tracks Hand-Picked By MOJO

(Universal/Chess/Mojo 9830156 – Barcode 602498301562)

2. Chess NORTHERN SOUL: 20 Tracks Hand-Picked By MOJO

(Universal/Chess/Mojo 9830153 – Barcode 602498301531)

3. Chess SOUL SISTERS: 20 Tracks Hand-Picked By MOJO

(Universal/Chess/Mojo 9830155 – Barcode 602498301555)

4. Chess TEARJERKERS: 20 Tracks Hand-Picked By MOJO

(Universal/Chess/Mojo 9830154 –Barcode 602498301548)

"Chess TEARJERKERS: 20 Tracks Hand-Picked by MOJO" by VARIOUS (August 2005 Universal/Chess/MOJO CD Compilation) - A Review by Mark Barry...

"…Losers Weepers…"

The respected and much-loved MOJO Magazine of the UK decided in 2005 to use their knowledge and compile a series of rather cool (and cheap) Chess Records CD compilations.

Four appeared using generic card digipak artwork with the '20 Tracks Hand-Picked By MOJO' logo in the bottom left corner - "Chess Originals", "Chess Soul Sisters", "Chess Northern Soul" and this emotional little sniffler - "Chess Tearjerkers". There was also a 15-track CD sampler of sorts that preceding the four themed comps called "Chess Classics" which was given away with copies of MOJO August 2005 when it went on sale in July (that actually had several tracks not featured in the four but on other Chess CD Remasters).

The MOJO magazine's respected Soul authority and uber-fan LOIS WILSON did the smart-choice compiling and I've always dug them as short but oh so sweet listens. And even now in September 2019, most are still available at a frankly laughable pre Brexit outlay (get them before the panic sets in and they shut down the emotional borders on us all). Here are the aorta-wrenching details for the Tearjerkers set...

UK released 29 August 2005 - "Chess Tearjerkers" by VARIOUS ARTISTS is on Universal/Chess/Mojo 9830154 (Barcode 602498301548) and breaks down as follows (58:50 minutes):

1. Losers Weepers – ETTA JAMES (September 1970 USA 7" single on Cadet 5676, A)

2. He Will Break Your Heart – LAURA LEE (July 1968 USA 7" single on Cadet 2052, B-side of "Need To Belong")

3. You Left The Water Running – MAURICE and MAC (March 1968 USA 7" single on Cadet 1197, A)

4. Since I Fell For You – FONTELLA BASS (from the March 1966 US LP "The 'New' Look" on Checker Records LPS-2997 in Stereo)

5. Can't Make It Without You – FRED HUGHES (February 1968 USA 7" single on Cadet 5579, B-side of "Come Home Little Darlin")

6. Somewhere Crying - IRMA THOMAS (July 1967 USA 7" single on Chess 2010, B-side of "Cheater Man")

7. Only Time Will Tell - ETTA JAMES (January 1966 USA 7" single on Cadet 5526, A)

8. Temptation 'Bout To Get Me - THE KNIGHT BROTHERS (May 1965 USA 7" single on Checker 1107, A)

9. I Had A Talk With My Man - MITTY COLLIER (August 1964 USA 7" single on Chess 1907, A)

10. Nothing But Tears - MARLENA SHAW (from the 1967 US LP "Out Of Different Bags" on Cadet LPS 803 in Stereo)

11. Need To Belong – LAURA LEE (July 1968 USA 7" single on Chess 2052, A)

12. Without A Woman - KIP ANDERSON (August 1966 USA 7" single on Checker 1145, A)

13. You'll Never Know aka You'll Never Ever Know - FONTELLA BASS (August 1966 USA 7" USA single on Checker 1147, B-side of "Safe And Sound")

14. After The Laughter - GENE CHANDLER (April 1967 USA 7" single on Checker 1165, B-side of "To Be A Lover")

15. It's Mighty Hard - LAURA LEE (July 1967 USA 7" single on Chess 2013, B-side of "Dirty Man")

16. I'd Rather Go Blind - ETTA JAMES (October 1967 USA 7" single on Cadet 5578, B-side of "Tell Mama")

17. Have Pity On Me - BILLY YOUNG (May 1966 USA 7" single on Chess 1961, B-side of "You Left The Water Running")

18. Drown In My Own Tears - MITTY COLLIER (a Ray Charles cover from her 1965 US LP "Shades Of A Genius" on Chess LPS-1492 in Stereo)

19. Yours Until Tomorrow - IRMA THOMAS (Previously Unreleased July 1967 session at Fame Studios - first issued Japan 1984 on the LP "Down At Muscle Shoals" on Chess/P-Vine PLP 6013 - then August 1990 on the US CD compilation "Something Good/The Muscle Shoals Sessions" on Chess CHD 93004 - Barcode 076741300426 as one of two bonus tracks)

20. I Fooled You This Time - GENE CHANDLER (October 1966 USA 7" single on Checker 1155, A)

Compiled and annotated by LOIS WILSON - the oversized 16-page booklet (inside a gatefold card digipak) is a lovely thing to behold - insightful paragraphs on each of the songs - 7" single labels reproduced (Laura Lee and Etta James on Chess and Cadet), black and white and colour publicity shots of Gene Chandler, Fontella Bass and gorgeous colour shots of the Mitty Collier album "Shade Of A Genius" and Fontella's 1967 Cadet Records gem "Out Of Different Bags". Very nicely done...

Same as the other compilations in this series - long-time Audio Engineer GARY MOORE at Universal carried out the excellent remasters. The audio varies from source-to-source - incredible one moment and more than acceptable the next. But as with the "Soul Sisters" entry in this series - all of that gets blown out of the water by the sheer joy of the music (recorded well or not). And once again very clever song choices abound here 'hand-picked' by those canny bods at England's fabulicious MOJO magazine. You get deep LP cuts from Marlena Shaw and Fontella Bass, a Fame Studios unreleased cut by Irma Thomas that first surfaced in Japan in 1984, Curtis Mayfield songs like Laura Lee's take on "Need To Belong", overlooked B-sides instead of overplayed A's and all of it combined with talcum-powder crowd pleasers like Maurice & Mac's "You Left The Water Running" and the Etta James classic "I'd Rather Go Blind" that would become a future pluck-your-eyes-out cover version for England's Chicken Shack. Sung by Christine Perfect prior to her marrying John McVie and later becoming an integral part of Fleetwood Mac - Etta's "I'd Rather Go Blind" was in fact the 1967 flipside of the dancefloor killer "Tell Mama" – talk about a shifting moods double-whammy...

The compilation begins with a duo of heavy-hitter torch-song ladies giving it some serious bemoaning of their between-the-sheets misery – Etta walloping out Part 1 of "Losers Weepers" from 1970 and Laura Lee covering the fabulous Jerry Butler, Curtis Mayfield and Clarence Carter tune "He Will Break Your Heart" from two years earlier in 1968 (both were Cadet Records 45s in the States – the Lee track tucked away as a B-side). From that tasty starter – we get Maurice McAlister and Green McLauren ordinarily known as Maurice And Mac for the US R&B charts. Both formerly vocalists in The Radiants, their sexy shuffling 1968 variant of "You Left The Water Running" (a hit Barbara Lynn had had on Atlantic Records two years earlier) was a huge Northern Soul club-spin in Seventies Blighty and has subsequently become a mucho-placed entry on American LP and CD compilations (the Rhino "Soul Shots" LP series comes to mind as does their fabulous 6CD 1995 Single-Shaped Box Set "Beg, Scream & Shout! The Big ‘Ol Box Of 60s Soul")

Other hidden gems include the impassioned Fontella Bass version of "You'll Never Know" (the Oliver Sain song is actually credited as "You'll Never Ever Know" on the original American 45) - another 'standing in the shadows with tears streaming down my face' flip-side on the Chess Records subsidiary Checker or the identikit Otis Redding voice of Billy Young on the Tommy Roe song "Have Pity On Me" - an on-your-knees pleader to his gal for an emotional stay of execution (oddly enough I think our Billy did her wrong again).

Gospel man (Rev) James Cleveland scribed "It's Mighty Hard" and along with Cadet Concept leading light Charles Stepney (future Arranger for Terry Callier, Rotary Connection and The Dells) - they gifted Laura Lee a fantastic vehicle for her voice, even it was relegated to the B-side of the more catchy and controversial "Dirty Man" on the Plug Side. There's a genuinely eerie feel to "Without A Woman" - Kip Anderson prior to drug addiction, jail and rehabilitation - and as a counter to that - Gene Chandler possessing such a great expression as he pours on the heartbreak in the Billy Butler written "After The Laughter". And there's plenty more where that came from...

So there you have it - so many great tunes you don't know and need to. "Chess Tearjerkers" is the kind of Soul CD compilation that has gotten lost in an overcrowded marketplace but deserves rediscovery. My advice - shopping basket some Talcum Powder and a box of Kleenex and check this cool little misery guts out...

The Four Compilation Titles in the 20 August 2005 (UK)

UNIVERSAL/CHESS/MOJO CD Series are:

1. Chess ORIGINALS: 20 Tracks Hand-Picked By MOJO

(Universal/Chess/Mojo 9830156 – Barcode 602498301562)

2. Chess NORTHERN SOUL: 20 Tracks Hand-Picked By MOJO

(Universal/Chess/Mojo 9830153 – Barcode 602498301531)

3. Chess SOUL SISTERS: 20 Tracks Hand-Picked By MOJO

(Universal/Chess/Mojo 9830155 – Barcode 602498301555)

4. Chess TEARJERKERS: 20 Tracks Hand-Picked By MOJO

(Universal/Chess/Mojo 9830154 –Barcode 602498301548)