"Can I Be A Witness: Stax Southern Groove" by VARIOUS ARTISTS – Featuring Little Milton, Eddie Floyd, R.B. Hudmon, Eric Mercury, The Soul Children, The Nightingales, The Sweet Inspirations, Jean Knight, The Emotions, Major Lance, Jeanne & The Darlings, Members of Con-Funk-Shun and more (September 2021 UK Ace/Kent Soul CD Compilation – Nick Robbins Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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"...Trouble I Had..."

In my chequered past as a dodgy reviewer of sorts, I've done all four volumes of the huge Stax Singles Box Sets in track-by-track details and every one of the 'Stax Remasters' series of singular CDs (as well as other Kent-Soul compilations). Southern Soul Grooves and I'm a happy bunny too. So I got more than a little hot under the Covid-19 matching collar, tie and mask ensemble when I heard of this wee September 2021 CD beauty. 

11 new Stax tracks - yum city - and if it’s not too offensive (or dangerous) to raise my white-privileged hand at a Labour party conference - count me in mama. Lots to witness, so let's have at the Southern Soul Groove details...

UK released Friday, 24 September 2021 - "Can I Get A Witness: Stax Southern Groove" by VARIOUS ARTISTS on Ace/Kent Soul CDKEND 507 (Barcode 029667104029) is a 20-Track CD compilation with 11 Previously Unreleased Tracks that plays out as follows (72:57 minutes):

1. Bad Water - PREVIOUSLY UNISSUED (Probably recorded 1971, a cover of The Raeletts' US 45-single A-side issued October 1970 on Tangerine TRC-1014 – July 1971 UK as The Raelettes on Tangerine 6121 002, A-side)

2. Can We Talk This Over - EDDIE FLOYD (First issued on the 1998 UK CD compilation "5000 Volts Of Stax" on Stax CDSXD 116)

3. How Can I Be A Witness - R.B. HUDMON (September 1975 US 45-Single on Truth TRA-3230, B-side of "If You Don't Cheat On Me (I Won't Cheat On You)")

4. Love Is Taking Over (August 1973 Us 45-single on Enterprise ENA-9080, A-side)

5. Burning On Both Sides - THE NIGHTINGALES (PREVIOUSLY UNISSUED)

6. Forever And A Day - MEL & TIM (August 1974 US 45-single on Stax STN-0224, B-side to "That's The Way I Want To Live My Life" - also on the 1973 "Mel & Tim" US LP on Stax STS 5501)

7. I Wanna Make Up (Before We Break Up) - MAJOR LANCE (April 1972 US 45-single on Volt VOA-4079, A-side)

8. You Ain't Playin' With No Toy - THE SOUL CHILDREN (PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED)

9. I Got To Be Myself - THE RANCE ALLEN GROUP (April 1973 US 45-single on The Gospel Truth GTA-1208, A-side - also on the 1973 US LP "Brothers" on Gospel Truth GTS-3502 - March 1976 UK LP on Stax STX 1034)

10. Passing Thru/World Keeps Turning - FREDERICK KNIGHT (PREVIOUSLY UNISSUED 'Extended Version' of "Passing Thru" issued June 1974 as a US 45-single on Truth TRA-3202, A-side - this mix runs to 10:54 minutes)

11. Ain't Enough Hours - THE EMOTIONS (PREVIOUSLY UNISSUED)

12. Changes - JEANNE & THE DARLINGS (first issued in 1998 on "5000 Volts Of Stax" on Ace/Stax CDSXD 116)

13. Slow Down - THE NIGHTINGALES (PREVIOUSLY UNISSUED)

14. Soul Groove - ART JERRY MILLER (PREVIOUSLY UNISSUED)

15. Don't Fight The Feeling - THE SWEET INSPIRATIONS (PREVIOUSLY UNISSUED)

16. Three's A Crowd - THE TEMPREES (PREVIOUSLY UNISSUED)

17. Helping Man - JEAN KNIGHT (July 1972 US 45-single on Stax STA-0136, A-side)

18. True Love Don't Grow On Trees - VEDA BROWN (first issued on the Judy Clay/Veda Brown CD compilation "The Stax Solo Recordings" on Ace/Kent Soul CDKEND 302 in 2008)

19. The Natural You - OLLIE & THE NIGTINGALES (PREVIOUSLY UNISSUED)

20. Leaning On Your Undying Love - SHACK (PREVIOUSLY UNISSUED)

NOTES: 

Tracks 7, 14, 17, 19 and 20 in MONO, all others are STEREO  

Tracks 1, 5, 8, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 19 and 20 are PREVIOUSLY UNISSUED (11 in total) 

Long-time collaborator with Ace and Kent Soul - DEAN RUDLAND provides the typically in-depth and knowledgeable liner notes while Audio Engineer whizz NICK ROBBINS does his magic again with the Master Tapes. The 16-Page booklet gives a track-by-track breakdown by Soul aficionado Rudland whilst siding all that info with promo photos of The Soul Children, The Emotions, The Rance Allen Group, Jeanne & The Darlings, The Temprees and a cool cover shot of Stax stalwarts Isaac Hayes and Eddie Floyd enjoying a natter. And already noted - eleven of the twenty tracks are UNISSUED which is a hefty chunk. It's typically cool stuff from Ace Records of the UK.  

The listen is very Seventies Stax rather than 60ts – some of the titles veering into Strings and Funk and hints of the burgeoning Disco scene – but most are more mellow than that – downbeat as they say in dance circles. It opens with a great Little Milton find – his unreleased cover version of "Bad Water" written by Jackie DeShannon, Jimmy Holiday and Randy Myers and first issued late 1970 by Ray Charles' lady backing group The Raeletts (or Raelettes as they were known in the UK). That's followed by Eddie Floyd using Con-Funk-Shun as his backing band for "Can We Talk This Over" – itself unissued until the "5000 Volts Of Stax" British CD compilation in 1998. A 'baby let me talk to you this morning' song where Eddie has been a bad boy and is pleading for mercy – "Can We Talk This Over" is produced by Al Bell in his inimitable flick-guitar Funky fashion (a grower that sounds stunning too).  

The compilation's title track "How Can I Be A Witness" is a gorgeous shuffler that was hidden away as a B-side on an obscure Truth Records 45 in late 1975 - a very clever and warm upbeat inclusion. Little black and white children playing together act as the positivity theme to the chipper "Love Is Taking Over" - Eric Mercury sounding convincing in front of those Memphis strings and brass as he sings of giant steps being taken to see hate banished (it don't live here no more). Perhaps less convincing is the strained Funk of "Burning On Both Ends" - The Nightingales givin' it some "...baby your love is so electrifyin'..." - the second of the Previously Unreleased (fabulous production values though). I know there are those who worship at the feet of this Stax Seventies Vocal Group, so they'll be thrilled to see that Ollie Hoskins and The Nightingales feature two mores time on this CD and again in unreleased form - "Slow Down" and "The Natural You".

A very cool Stax dancer comes in the shape of the Fuzz Guitar/Bass Funk of Major Lance's "I Wanna Make Up (Before We Break Up)" where the Major wants to tighten up with his baby before emotional catastrophe strikes his happy home (dig that 1972 distorted keyboard solo that tail-ends this great inclusion). On any other day "You Ain't Playin' With No Toy" by The Soul Children would have been a hit - its unreleased 'Mr. Big Stuff' groove later reworked by writer Mack Rice into a US A-side for the Treasures in 1976 on Mercury 73838. The Rance Allen Group have their fans and they'll enjoy "I Got To Be Myself" - a tune The Staple Singers returned to with great effect in 1981 on their "This Time Around" LP on Stax. 

The near eleven-minutes of "Passing Thru..." has its moments of brilliance when the 'Extended Version' kicks in about 3:26 minutes, but soon looses its complicated way towards the end. Speaking of dodgy ends, one of the singers in The Emotions literally starts giggling towards the finish of "Ain't Enough Hours" only to say 'this is terrible' as she realises she's not put in her best performance. Towards the second half of the CD we get obscure cuts - one by Keyboardist Art Jerry Miller (a regular player with Willie Mitchell and Ike Turner) whose "Soul Groove" sounds like Burt Bacharach goes Stax goes rude Blaxsploitation - a quite cool and funky instrumental. Far funkier is the down and dirty groove of "Three's A Crowd" where an unreleased chune by The Temprees laments the lady's penchant for more than one baby (this sucker will fill a dancefloor near you soon). 

Amongst the others are Jean Knight's "Helping Man" from 1972, Veda Brown's funky "True Love Don't Grow On Trees" and the clavinet dancer "The Natural You" by Ollie & The Nightingales - but you can unfortunately hear why they were canned - good but not really great. 

Missing the full five-star mark more times than a body would like, there is still much on "Can I Be A Witness: Stax Southern Groove" to be savoured. And CDKEND 507 is a very timely reminder that even in September 2021 – decades and decades after the event – and just like the Motown label - such was the magnificence of their songwriter/artist roster - Stax Records the label still seems to have riches to offer the faithful. Dig in and enjoy...