"…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)
