"A Step in The Right Direction: Singles, Demos, BBC Live, 1983-1984" by THE TRUTH (2016 Cherry 3CD Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

"...No Stone Unturned..."

Arising out of the ashes of two British R&B bands – Dennis Greaves of Nine Below Zero and Mick Lister of The Stowaways formed The Truth in 1982 – aligning themselves with Mod Revivalists like Paul Weller's The Style Council and Kevin Rowland's Dexy's Midnight Runners. A bidding war ensued and they went with Formation Records (a part of the Warners Group) – where they promptly pumped out three hugely revered sevens before being dropped (the Formation album never materialised). The Truth then signed with I.R.S. Records and released three LPs proper in 1985, 1987 and 1989 ("Playground", "Weapons Of Love" and "Jump").

This rather stunning and in-depth mini box set from those pioneering chappies over at CHERRY RED has decided however to concentrate solely on their FORMATION RECORDS beginnings and all that surrounded it. You therefore get the first three singles (45s and 12s) with some demos and a whopping two whole discs full of incendiary live concerts from 1983 and 1984 – all of it spread across three fully kitted-out CDs. There's a lot of Mod good stuff to contend with - so once more unto the short haircuts, tight shirts and white boys with big dreams of black music...

UK released 22 January 2016 (29 Jan 2016 in the USA) – "A Step in The Right Direction: Singles, Demos, BBC Live, 1983-1984" by THE TRUTH on Cherry Red CDTRED675 (Barcode 5013929167537) is a 58-Track Mini Box Set with a 20-Page Booklet and 3CDs that play out as follows:

Disc 1 – THE SINGLES (53:36 minutes):

1. Confusion (Hits Us Everytime)

2. Me And My Girl

Tracks 1 and 2 are the A&B-sides of their debut UK 7" single released June 1983 on WEA/Formation TRUTH 1

3. A Step In The Right Direction

4. Beat Generation

5. What You Want Me To Say

6. Second Time Lucky

Tracks 3 to 6 are A&B-sides of their 2nd UK 7" single – a 4-Track EP released August 1983 on WEA/Formation TRUTH 2E. Producers Steve Jolley and Tony Swain wrote the A-side - the other three are Truth originals. See also Track 13...

7. No Stone Unturned

8. Flesh And Fantasy

Tracks 7 and 8 are the A&B-sides of their 3rd UK 7" single released August 1984 on WEA/Formation YZ1

9. Don't Tell Me

Track 9 is the 2nd B-side to the 'red' vinyl UK 12" single for "No Stone Unturned" released August 1984 on WEA/Formation YZ1T

10. Love A Go-Go (Live)

11. From The Heart (Live)

12. Nothing's Too Good For My Baby (Live)

Tracks 10 to 12 are the B-side of the 12" single for "Confusion (Hits Us Everytime)" on WEA/Formation TRUTH 1T (the two A-sides are tracks 1 and 2). The B's were recorded 27 March 1983 in The Marquee, London. "From The Heart" is a Truth original song - but "Love A Go-Go" is a cover of a 1967 US 7" single on Westwood W 12367 by THE LIME – while "Nothing's Too Good For My Baby" is a cover of a 1966 Stevie Wonder 7" single on Tamla T 54130 written by Smokey Robinson (with others). The A-side (Track 1) and the three B-sides (Tracks 10 to 12) were also issued as double x 7" single pack on TRUTH 1F.

13. I Get So Excited (Live) – 3rd B-side on the August 1983 UK 12" Single for "A Step In The Right Direction" on WEA/Formation TRUTH 2T

BONUS TRACKS:

14. Come On (Demo)

15. If I Ever Find Love (Demo)

16. Instrumental (Demo)

17. Look My Way (Demo)

18. Sweet Sensation (Demo)

Tracks 14 to 18 are PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED

Disc 2 – LIVE AT THE BBC (73:58 minutes):

In Concert at the Paris Theatre, London 19 Nov 1983

1. Exception Of Love

2. Listen To What I Say

3. Always On My Mind

4. Is There A Solution?

5. Beat Generation

6. The Sweetest Feeling

7. You Play With My Emotions

8. Second Time Lucky

9. A Step In The Right Direction

10. I Just Can't Seem To Stop

Live at Goldiggers, Chippenham (Broadcast 14 Jan 1984)

11. Confusion (Hits Us Everytime) (excerpt)

12. Exception Of Love

13. Listen To What I Say

14. Always On My Mind

15. Is There A Solution?

16. No Stone Unturned

17. A Step In The Right Direction

18. Second Time Lucky

19. It's A Miracle

20. You Play With My Emotions

21. I Just Can't Seem To Stop

22. Flesh And Fantasy

All Tracks PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED

Disc 3 – LIVE AT THE MARQUEE (62:24 minutes):

1. Love A Go-Go

2. Listen To What I Say

3. Me And My Girl

4. Out Of Darkness

5. Always On My Mind

6. Is There A Solution?

7. Confusion (Hits Us Everytime)

8. You Play With my Emotions

9. What You Want Me To Say

10. It's A Miracle

11. Don't You Just Know It

12. Come On

13. I Just Can’t Seem To Stop

14. Nothing’s Too Good For My Baby

15. Reach Out I'll Be There

16. I'm In Tune

BONUS TRACKS:

17. Ain't Nothing But A House Party (Live)

18. I Get So Excited (Live)

All Tracks PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED

Compiled by the mighty JOHN REED (with his ever-impressive knowledge and passion for the music) - the outer slipcase, three 5" card sleeves (all with different live shots) and 20-page colour booklet with liner notes from LOIS WILSON (of Mojo Magazine) is all very tastefully laid out (and tactile too). Lois features interviews with principal band members Dennis Greaves and Mick Lister while the text is peppered with memorabilia from the period – badges, 7" single picture sleeves, press reviews, trade adverts, set lists, concert posters and tickets (supporting The Kinks in Aylesbury) and even live shots from The Marquee gigs. It looks and feels very Mod revivalist and obviously has had input from the band. SIMON MURPHY has done the Remasters at Another Planet and everything rocks along like a 60ts Soul gig. These CDs sound great...

From the get-go you're hit with the Dexy's comparisons. The very British Pop Soul of "Confusion (Hits Us Everytime)" comes at you like Haircut One Hundred finding a pile of Stax singles in Dennis Greaves' sister's house. On both it and "Me And My Girl" – the Bass is right up there in the mix (I often thought the B-side better than the more popular A). "A Step In The Right Direction" is so Style Council it might actually fall over Paul Weller and Mick Talbot's untied shoelaces. Far better for me is the Monkees-happy flipside "The Beat Generation" – a song that like The Clash's "Train In Vain" makes you just want to dance and throw undignified Eighties shapes despite the possible jail-sentence they might elicit. Again you get big Slap Bass with "What You Want Me To Say" - the song sounding clean and punchy (the Steve Jolley and Tony Swain production is very polished).

Of the live stuff – it becomes apparent pretty quickly that The Truth were 'tight' as a band onstage – rip-roaring with palatable passion through British Mod Soulful takes of The Equals hit "I Get So Excited" – all the studio restraints of the band lost. Hot like Graham Parker's Rumour or Elvis Costello's Attractions - they goad the crowd to sing-a-long to the wickedly good "Love A Go-Go" (which they do enthusiastically). Live staples like "Exception Of Love", "Always On My Mind", "It's A Miracle" and "You Play With My Emotions" would eventually turn on the first I.R.S. LP "Playground" in 1985 (I.R.S Records MIRF 1001) - while the bopping "Out Of The Darkness" would become a flipside for the first I.R.S. single "Exception Of Love" (IR 103).

Featuring half-decent studio quality - sonically the 'demos' are in far better shape than I thought they would be. "Come On" pounds out of the speakers with intent easily capturing their combustible 'live' excitement - while "If I Ever Find Love" could be The Jam circa “The Gift”. The tape announces 5 October 1982 as the recording date for the imaginatively entitled "Instrumental" which is – em – an instrumental. The tape source is a tad wobbly for sure but it still sounds good (great guitar and rhythm). 'Pretty' is the word to describe "Look My Way" - while "Sweet Sensation" returns to Organ and Drums with a bopping vengeance.

It's hardly surprising Cherry Red have used two whole CDs to give fans the band in a 'live' context – because this is where they 'rock'. There's plenty of space and oomph in Paris Theatre recordings where Greaves sounds not unlike a very musical Joe Jackson on the lovely "Always On My Mind". The live version of "Sweet Sensation" takes the crowd by storm – bopping like some joyful Tamla seven – very cool and very tight. The audio on the Goldiggers gig drops a fraction it has to be said but even after three decades the whole concert still feels fresh – "Is There A Solution?" and the ballad "It's A Miracle" coming off best.

Fans are going to love this release and wonder what could have been had Formation Records gotten that album out. Well done to Cherry Red for keeping the truth...

"Love Wars/Radio M.U.S.C. Man" by WOMACK & WOMACK (2015 Robinsongs Expanded 2CD Remaster) - A Review for Mark Barry...

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"...Good Times..."

A smart CD reissue by Robinsongs of the UK (part of Cherry Red) – two popular Soul/Funk albums by Cecil & Linda Womack from 1983 and 1985 on two Remastered CDs with a duo of bonus versions for the big hit "Love Wars" added on as Bonus Tracks. Here are the Womack friendly details...

UK and USA released August 2015 – "Love Wars/Radio M.U.S.C. Man" by WOMACK & WOMACK on Robinsongs WROBIN1CDD (Barcode 5013929950122) offers 2LPs with 2 Bonus Versions onto 2CDs and plays out as follows:

Disc 1 (56:29 minutes):

1. Love Wars

2. Express Yourself

3. Baby I'm Scared Of You

4. T.K.O.

5. A.P.B. [Side 2]

6. Catch And Don't Look Back

7. Woman

8. Angie

9. Good Times

Tracks 1 to 9 are the album "Love Wars" – released December 1983 in the USA and UK on LP and CD Elektra Records 960 293-1 and 960 293-2. It peaked at 34 in March 1984 on the American R&B charts.

BONUS TRACKS:

10. Love Wars (Extended Vocal)

11. Love Wars (Instrumental Dub)

Tracks 10 and 11 are the A&B-sides of a December 1983 US 12" Single on Elektra 0-66987. Track 10 was issued as UK 12" single in April 1984 on Elektra E 9799 (T) with the album track "Good Times" as its B-side.

Disc 2 (42:53 minutes):

1. No Relief

2. Maze

3. Night Rider

4. Eyes

5. Radio M.U.S.C. Man [Side 2]

6. Love's Calling

7. Strange And Funny

8. Romeo & Juliet (Where You Are?)

9. Here Comes The Sun

Tracks 1 to 9 are the album "Radio M.U.S.C Man" – released July 1985 in the USA on Elektra Records 60406-1 (LP) and 9 60406-2 (CD). Released June 1985 in the UK on Elektra EKT 6 (LP) and 960 406-2 (CD). Peaked on the US R&B album charts at 51.

The 12-page booklet features detailed liner notes from LOIS WILSON of Mojo Magazine while the ALAN WILSON Remasters were carried out at Western Star Studios. Originally Produced by STEWART LEVINE (Simply Red, The Crusaders and many others) – both albums have huge polish and feature long who’s who of famous session players – Abraham Laboriel and Nathan East on Bass, Neal Larsen and Bobby Lyle on Keyboards, Lennie Castro and Paulinho Da Costa on Percussion while Cecil Womack played Guitars (brother of Bobby Womack) and Linda shared Keyboards and duet vocals (daughter of the legendary Sam Cooke). The Audio on these CDs is sweet and full – tracks like their rather lovely version of "Angie" shine and don't have too much of that awful 80s over-production (on the first album at least).

Their debut album "Love Wars" album has great Womack & Womack originals – "Love Wars", "Baby I'm Scared Of You" (both singles) and "Woman" being amongst the standouts. Cover versions include "Angie" (Rolling Stones) and "Good Times" (Bobby Womack) - while they co-wrote "Love T.K.O" with ace Keyboardist Eddie "Gip" Nobel for Teddy Pendergrass when they were part of the Philadelphia International songwriting teams (Pendergrass had a huge hit with it in1980 – their version is called "T.K.O."). One of the albums hidden nuggets is "Express Myself" – a funky sweetheart of a tune where they found a great groove, message and smash it with gorgeous duet vocals. "Catch And Don't Look Back" is the kind of catchy 80s Soul Funk that hooks you – gives it some slap bass – harmony vocals and 'do's and don'ts' lyrics – and you're quickly won over. And a big prize for collectors and Funk lovers will be the rare B-side "Instrumental" of "Love Wars" which takes that wicked groove and only uses occasional vocal choruses (included her as one of the two Bonus Mixes). At just short of seven minutes – it makes for a very sexy listen indeed.

Their 2nd platter suffers to some degree with that 'drum sound' thing so many mid-80s productions had – that dull thud and whack of a Soulless machine. It kind of undoes good Funk grooves like "Maze" but is actually a good part of the smooth "Night Rider" which we thought was so cool at the time. "Eyes" has a sweet smooch too – loverman in his palace or lurve. There's an ill-advised wishy-washy cover of "Here Comes The Sun" by The Beatles – but far, far better is the Lionel Richie groove of "Strange And Funny" – probably the best melody on the album.

The first album is a bit of an unsung hero frankly – but platter number two is undone by the times and the need for 'that sound'. Still with the great remasters and those cool bonus tracks and a good price thrown in for a double – it’s recommended - and as a must buy for fans...

This review and hundreds more like it are available in my SOUNDS GOOD Music Books Series available to download (over 2000 e-Pages worth) in my SOUL, FUNK and JAZZ FUSION Book at the following link...