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"...Freedom
Songs..."
For a group with
such staggering longevity, fame and beloved status amongst fans, contemporaries
and everyone else in and outside of the music business for that matter - THE
STAPLE SINGERS have had gapping CD sinkholes in their voluminous catalogue that
have remained stubbornly unplugged. Until now that is...
The first part of
their career proper on Riverside Records USA is roughly covered by the 4CD set
"Four Classic Albums Plus Singles" issued 2016 on Real Gone Music
RGMCD214 (Barcode 5036408180728) giving fans four full albums between 1961 and
1964 along with many non-album 45s. Their more famous Stax Records Soul and
Funk period between 1968 and 1975 has had individual album releases galore as
well as two whole remastered CDs devoted to it on the gorgeous-sounding
"Faith & Grace" 4CD Book Set issued in 2015 (that beautiful
looking book set came complete with a repro 7” single attached to the front and
covered a wide range of output from 1953 to 1976 – see separate review). Which
brings us to this - the fermenting-their-sound spaces in-between...
Issued by
SoulMusic Records of the UK (a label imprint for the mucho respected Cherry
Red) and offering up a huge six albums worth and more of Gospel, R&B and
Soul across 3CDs – the 65-songs of 2018's "For What It's Worth..."
gives three of their period LP platters their digital debut - "Pray
On" (1965), "For What It's Worth" (1967) and "What The
World Needs Now Is Love" (1968). There is also an airing for their only non-album
B-side from the period "Power Of Love" - a flip to their thematically
fitting cover of The Youngbloods everybody-love-each-other hit "Let's Get
Together" in 1968 on Epic 5-10294. In short – this is a Staple fan's
Christmas Cracker and I for one am so glad it's finally been realised. Here are
the messages of love...
UK released
Friday, 12 October 2018 (19 Oct 2018 in the USA) - "For What It's Worth:
The Complete Epic Recordings 1964-1968" by THE STAPLE SINGERS on SoulMusic
Records SMCR51758X (Barcode 5013929087507) offers six albums and one 7"
single B-side (65 Tracks all in Mono except Tracks 11 to 21 on Disc 3)
Remastered across 3CDs and plays out as follows:
CD1 (67:12
minutes, 23 Tracks):
1. More Than A
Hammer And Nail
2. He's Got The
Whole World In His Hands
3. My Jesus Is
All
4. This Train
5. Praying Time
6. Be Careful Of
Stones That You Throw
7. Samson And
Delilah
8. Nobody's Fault
But Mine
9. Mary Don't You
Weep
10. As An Eagle
Stirreth Her Nest
11. Do Something
For Yourself
12. Amen (From
"Lillies Of The Field") - Tracks 1 to 12 are the album
"Amen!" issued 1965 on Epic LN 26132 (Mono)
13. It's Been A
Change
14. Waiting For
My Child
15. How Great
Thou Art
16. Wish I Had
Answered
17. The Tramp On
the Street
18. When Was
Jesus Born?
19. Pray On
20. Glory, Glory
Hallelujah!
21. The Lord's
Prayer
22. Had No Room
23. John Brown -
Tracks 13 to 23 are the album "Pray On" released 1966 on Epic LN
26237 (Mono)
CD2 (72:16
minutes, 21 Tracks):
1. Freedom
Highway
2. What You Gonna
Do
3. Take My Hand
Precious Lord
4. When I'm Gone
5. Help Me Jesus
6. We Shall
Overcome
7. When The
Saints Go Marching In
8. The Funeral
9. Build On That
Shore
10. Tell Heaven
11. He's All
Right - Tracks 1 to 11 are the album "Freedom Highway: Live At Chicago's
Nazareth Church" released 1965 on Epic LN 26163 (Mono)
12. Why? (Am I
Treated So Bad)
13. King Of Kings
14. Step Aside
15. If I Could
Hear My Mother Pray Again
16. What Are They
Doing? (In Heaven Today)
17. Will The
Circle Be Unbroken?
18. I've Been
Scorned
19. I'm Gonna
Tell God (About My Troubles)
20. My Sweet Home
21. Move Along
Train - Tracks 12 to 21 are the album "Why" released 1966 on Epic LN
26196 (Mono)
CD3 (60:52
minutes, 22 Tracks):
1. For What It's
Worth
2. Father Let Me
Ride
3. Deliver Me
4. He
5. If I Had A
Hammer
6. Are You Sure
7. Wade In The
Water
8. I'm The Light
Of The World
9. Jacob's Ladder
10. Good News -
Tracks 1 to 10 are the album "For What It's Worth" released 1967 on
Epic LN 26332 (Mono)
11. What The
World Needs Now Is Love
12. Don't Let Nobody
Turn You Around
13. A Place In
The Sun
14. I Wonder Why
15. Let That Liar
Alone
16. Let's Get
Together
17. Crying In The
Chapel - Mavis Staples
18. Downward Road
19. A Hard Rain's
Gonna Fall
20. Nothing Lasts
Forever - Mavis Staples
21. People Get Ready
- Tracks 11to 21 are the album "What The World Needs Now Is Love"
released 1968 on Epic BN 26373 (Stereo)
22. Power of Love
- (Mono Non-Album B-Side to "Let's Get Together", a US 45 released on
Epic 5-10294 in February 1968)
The clamshell-box
houses three singular card sleeves, the artwork to two albums on each with the
discography details for both on the rear. A 16-page booklet with new BOB FISHER
liner notes gives an excellent and in-depth history of the Staples transition
period from all-out Gospel holy-rollers down at the local Baptist Church to
Folk Revival festival faves singing Bob Dylan covers and Freedom Songs in a
Soul and R&B way. There is even Blues here with Pops trademark warbling
guitar and the SIMON MURPHY Remasters are excellent.
A joyful listen I
never thought I'd ever hear – lovers of Gospel, Soul, Righteous R 'n' B and
Right On Funk will find many goodies here to discover and enjoy. Dig in and
spread the word I say…and well done to all at Soul Music for a top job done…
