"...Meet Me In
Church..."
For sure in 2019 - and even
if they are from original master tapes as stated on the artwork - Remasters
from January 1992 are 'old'. But that doesn't stop this barnstorming Solomon
Burke twofer anthology (released July 1993 in the UK) from doing exactly what
it says on the lame-suit lid – hitting you in the Solar Plexus and making a
"Home In Your Heart".
Longstanding Audio Engineer
and Associate to US reissue label giant Rhino Records - TED JENSEN did these
transfers back in the day as I said and I've always loved the way they sound -
full of life and oomph and that storming live-in-the-studio Sixties feel. Then
throw in the fact that you get a whoop-ass 41 slices of primo Atlantic Records
Soul (34 singles and 7 album tracks to be exact-a-mundo) and I'm Goodbye Baby
(Baby Goodbye). And Burke had 21 children! There's a lot on here, so let's get
to the prayer books and have those remorseful tear ducts a-flowing people
'cause I feel a sin coming on (Lord have mercy)...
UK released July 1993 -
"Home In Your Heart: The Best Of Solomon Burke" by SOLOMON BURKE on
Rhino/Atlantic 8122-70284-2 (Barcode 081227028428) is a 41-Track 2CD Anthology
of 1992 Remasters that plays out as follows:
Disc 1 (57:35 minutes):
1. Home In Your Heart
(February 1963 US 7"single on Atlantic 45-2180, B-side of
"Words" - A-side is Track 8 on Disc 1)
2. Down In The Valley (May
1962 US 7" single on Atlantic 45-2147, A-side - B-side is Track 4 on Disc
1)
3. Looking For My Baby (July
1964 US 7" single on Atlantic 45-2241, B-side of "Everybody Needs
Somebody To Love" - A-side is Track 18 on Disc 1)
4. I'm Hanging Up My Heart
For You (May 1962 US 7" single on Atlantic 45-2147, B-side - A-side is
Track 2 on Disc 1)
5. Cry To Me (January 1962
US 7" single on Atlantic 45-2131, A-side - B-side isn't on this
compilation)
6. Just Out Of Reach (Of My
Two Open Arms) (August 1961 US 7" single on Atlantic 45-2114, A-side -
B-side isn't on this compilation)
7. Goodbye Baby (Baby
Goodbye) (April 1964 US 7" single on Atlantic 45-2226, A-side - B-side is
Track 15 on Disc 1)
8. Words (February 1963 US
7" single on Atlantic 45-2180, A-side - B-side is Track 1 on Disc 1)
9. Stupidity (July 1963 US
7" single on Atlantic 45-2196, B-side of "Can't Nobody Love You"
- A-side is Track 13 on Disc 1)
10. Send Me Some Loving
(from the 1963 US album "If You Need Me" on Atlantic SD 8085 in
Stereo)
11. Go On Back To Him
(December 1962 US 7" single on Atlantic 45-2170, A-side)
12. Baby (I Wanna Be Loved)
(from the 1962 US album "Solomon Burke's Greatest Hits" on Atlantic
SD 8067 in Stereo)
13. Can't Nobody Love You (July
1963 US 7" single on Atlantic 45-2196, A-side - B-side is Track 9 on Disc
1)
14. Got To Get You Off My
Mind (February 1965 US 7" single on Atlantic 45-2276, A-side)
15. Someone To Love Me
(April 1964 US 7" single on Atlantic 45-2226, B-side to "Goodbye Baby
(Baby Goodbye)" - A-side is Track 7 on Disc 1)
16. You're Good For Me
(October 1963 US 7" single on Atlantic 45-2205, A-side)
17. Dance Dance Dance
(August 1965 US 7" single on Atlantic 45-2299, B-side of "Someone Is
Watching" - A-side is Track 10 on Disc 2)
18. Everybody Needs Somebody
To Love (July 1964 US 7" single on Atlantic 45-2241, A-side - B-side is
Track 3 on Disc 1)
19. Tonight's The Night (May
1965 US 7" single on Atlantic 45-2288, A-side)
20. Baby, Come On Home
(December 1965 US 7" single on Atlantic 45-2314, A-side)
21. If You Need Me (March
1963 US 7" single on Atlantic 45-2185, A-side)
22. The Price (October 1964
US 7" single on Atlantic 45-2259, A-side)
Disc 2 (57:53 minutes):
1. Get Out Of My Life Woman
(from the 1968 album "I Wish I Knew" on Atlantic SD 8185 in Stereo)
2. Save It (from the 1968 album "I Wish I
Knew" on Atlantic SD 8185 in Stereo)
3. Take Me (Just As I Am)
(June 1967 US 7" single on Atlantic 45-2416, A-side - B-side is Track 13
on Disc 2)
4. When She Touches Me (October
1966 US 7" single on Atlantic 45-2359, A-side - B-side is Track 17 on Disc
2)
5. I Wish I Knew (April 1968
US 7" single on Atlantic 45-2507, A-side - B-side is Track 14 on Disc 2)
6. Party People (February
1968 US 7" single on Atlantic 45-2483, A-side)
7. Keep A Light In The
Window (January 1967 US 7" single on Atlantic 45-2378, A-side - B-side is
Track 16 on Disc 2)
8. I Feel A Sin Coming On
(March 1966 US 7" single on Atlantic 45-2327, A-side)
9. Meet Me In Church (June
1968 US 7" single on Atlantic 45-2527, B-side of "Save It")
10. Someone Is Watching
(August 1965 US 7" single on Atlantic 45-2299, A-side - B-side is Track 17
on Disc 1)
11. Detroit City (November
1967 US 7" single on Atlantic 45-2459, A-side - B-side is Track 18 on Disc
2)
12. Shame On Me (from the
1968 album "I Wish I Knew" on Atlantic SD 8185 in Stereo)
13. I Stayed Away Too Long
(June 1967 US 7" single on Atlantic 45-2416, B-side of "Take Me (Just
As I Am") - A-side is Track 3 on Disc 2)
14. It's Just A Matter Of
Time (April 1968 US 7" single on Atlantic 45-2507, B-side of "I Wish
I Knew (How It Would Feel To Be Free)" - A-side is Track 5 on Disc 2)
15. Since I Met You Baby
(from the 1968 album "I Wish I Knew" on Atlantic SD 8185 in Stereo)
16. Time Is A Thief (January
1967 US 7" single on Atlantic 45-2378, B-side of "Keep A Light In The
Window Until I Get Home" - A-side is Track 7 on Disc 2)
17. Woman, How Do You Make
Me Love You Like I Do (October 1966 US 7" single on Atlantic 45-2359,
B-side of "When She Touches Me" - A-side is Track 4 on Disc 2)
18. It's Been A Change
(November 1967 US 7" single on Atlantic 45-2459, B-side of "Detroit
City" - A-side is Track 11 on Disc 2)
19. What'd I Say (from the
1968 album "I Wish I Knew" on Atlantic SD 8185 in Stereo)
The 22-page booklet has
illuminating and often-hilarious liner notes by GERI HIRSHEY on the
larger-than-life Burke of whom it was said could sing to soften or arouse on a
dime. The famous Atlantic Records albums "I Wish I Knew" and
"Rock 'N Soul" are given full pages and there's a hugely detailed
track-by-track Sessionography where you'll spot names like King Curtis and Sam
Taylor (Saxophones), Eric Gale, Reggie Young, Billy Butler, Joe South and Jimmy
Johnson (Guitars) with Spooner Oldham (Organ) - creamy company indeed. The track
list at the rear even gives you Master Tape Numbers and US R&B and Pop
chart positions. To the music...
"...You laughed...you
called me my personal clown in front of your friends...you cost me..." -
pity poor Solomon as he wails like a man with a nail in his head never mind his
shoe on "The Price" - typical melodrama where he does all but weep
and ask the Lord for mercy (can't unfortunately help but think that he's heard
these calls before from butter-wouldn't-melt in his mouth Solomon). I'd have to
say that the Bear Family "Sweet Soul Music - 1961" Remaster for
"Just Out Of Reach (For My Two Empty Arms)" is far better than what's
on offer here - but that doesn't stop it from being wickedly period. Even
better is the sexy shuffle of "Got To Get You Off My Mind" where
Solomon's gal has only gone and found someone new and better (so it ain't so
papa) - Sam Taylor and Charles Brown punching out those boppin' horns.
But the beauty of this
vaults-trawl is that it gives you deeper stuff than obvious compilation cuts
like "Cry To Me" and the titular "Home In Your Heart" - dig
those 1968 shimmy-shaker LP tracks on Disc 2 like "Save It" (when
Solomon gets home he’s gonna have needs) and his call-and-response version of
the Ray Charles classic "What’d I Say" – an overdone tune that he
brings something new to (Bobby Emmons giving it a bit of Ray on the electric
piano while Reggie Young (who only passed this year) plays cool guitar licks.
He gets preachy and down with Gospel-Soul on fantastic smoochers like "Meet
Me In Church", the quarrelling song "Shame On Me" and the
pleader "I Stayed Away Too Long". The intro to "Detroit
City" might be a tad hissy but those Joe South and Jimmy Johnson guitar
flicks keep things interesting, whilst legendary kit-man Roger Hawkins anchors
the brass chugging along to the backbeat like they were to the musical manor
born. Burke even keeps up with changing times by covering the Staples Singer
educational-call-to-arms stomper "It's Been A Change" - pleading with
Washington to open their ears.
A fabulous wealth of Soul,
Gospel, Boogie and damn it – sexiness! "...All of the time I keep saying,
I'm gonna quit you, but, but, but..." - Solomon stammer-sings on
"Woman, How Do You Make Me Love You Like I Do" – bemoaning his dreadful
and not in the least bit self-inflicted lovelorn fate (easy on that man woman).
Grooviest sounds around and then some...
