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"...All God's Children Got Soul..."
Always somehow second-tier to the likes of Marvin, Aretha and his own label mates Eddie Floyd and Isaac Hayes - William Bell's seriously classy output on Stax Records is due for ripe rediscovery.
I own and reviewed Ace's Volume 1 in this probable 3-parter series covering his 45-single stay at Stax - May 2020's "Never Like This Before: The Complete 'Blue' Stax
Singles 1961-1968" - Ace/Kent Soul CDTOP 510
(Barcode 029667105620) being a 28-Track all
Mono CD Compilation running to just under 76-minutes.
For Volume 2, we move from the 'Blue' label of Stax USA onto 'Yellow' and get just below 78-minutes this time (Volume 3 will probably deal with his duets with Judy Clay, Mavis Staples, Carla Thomas and Johnnie Taylor). For this CD release, I've provided both US and UK catalogue numbers for collectors. All of God's children got Soul, got no colour y'all. Let's get to the details...
UK released Friday, 24 February 2023 - "The Man In The Street: The Complete 'Yellow' Stax Solo Singles 1968-1974" by WILLIAM BELL on Ace/Kent Soul CDTOP 515 (Barcode 029667107426) is a 24-Track CD Compilation (21 in Stereo, 3 in Mono) that plays out as follows (77:38 minutes):
1. I Forgot To Be Your Lover
2. Bring The Curtain Down
November 1968 US 45-single on Stax STA-0015, A&B-sides
February 1969 UK 45-single on Stax STAX 110, A&B-sides (same)
6 February 1976 UK 45-single on Stax STXS 2038 reissued and paired "Happy" on the A-side (see Track 5) with "Bring The Curtain Down" on the B-side
3. My Whole World Is Falling Down
4. All God's Children Got Soul
April 1969 US 45-single on Stax STA-0032, A&B-sides
30 May 1969 UK 45-single on Stax 121, A&B-sides (same)
Note: In the UK "Every Day Will Be Like A Holiday" b/w "Ain't Got No Girl" was issued prior to "My Whole World..." as a British 45-single 21 March 1969 on Atlantic 584259 - both tracks are on Volume 1 "Never Like This Before"
5. Happy
6. My Kind Of Girl
June 1969 US 45-single on Stax STA-0038, A&B-sides
22 August 1969 UK 45-single on Stax STAX 128 with "Johnny, I Love You" on the B-side (not on either CD compilation)
7. Born Under A Bad Sign
8. A Smile Can't Hide (A Broken Heart)
October 1969 US 45-single on Stax STA-0054, A&B-sides
13 February 1970 UK 45-single with "Bring The Curtain Down" on the A-side (see Track 2) and "Born Under A Bad Sign" on the B-side. "A Smile Can't Hide (A Broken Heart) possibly contains Lead Guitar by Eddie Hinton
9. Lonely Soldier
10. Let Me Ride
July 1970 US 45-single on Stax STA-0070, A&B-sides
No UK release for either side
11. A Penny For Your Thoughts
12. 'Till My Back Ain't Got No Bone
May 1971 US 45-single on Stax STA-0092, A&B-sides
No UK release for either side - however, Stax Records UK issued "Winding, Winding Road" b/w "I Forgot To Be Your Lover" instead, 30 April 1971 on Stax 2025 025 ("I Forgot To Be Your Lover" is Track 1 on this CD, "Winding..." not on either CD volume)
13. All For The Love Of A Woman
14. I'll Be Home
September 1971 US 45-single n Stax STA-0106, A&B-sides
No UK release for either side
15. Save Us
16. If You Really Love Him
April 1972 US 45-single on Stax STA-0123, A&B-sides
21 July 1972 UK 45-single on Stax 2025 123 with "Lonely For Your Love" on the A-side with "Save Us" as the B-side
17. Lovin' On Borrowed Time
18. The Man In The Street
March 1973 US 45-single on Stax STA-0157, A&B-sides
No UK release for either side (for all further releases)
19. I've Got To Go On Without You
20. You've Got The Kind Of Love I Need
August 1973 US 45-single on Stax STA-0175
21. Gettin' What You Want (Losin' What You Got)
22. All I Need Is Your Love
February 1974 US 45-single on Stax STA-0198
23. Get It While It's Hot
24. Nobody Walks Away From Love Unhurt
July 1974 US 45-single on Stax STA-0221
NOTES:
All Tracks in STEREO except Tracks 7, 10 and 24
Compiled and annotated by Soul aficionado TONY ROUNCE (a long-time writer for Ace compilations), our Tone does his usual brilliantly informative track-by-track explanation in the 16-page booklet itself festooned with all those American 'yellow' label Stax 45s that collectors so adore. Fans will notice that Stax catalogue numbers featuring Judy Clay ("Private Number" and "My Baby Specialises"), Mavis Staples ("Love's Sweet Sensation"), Carla Thomas ("I Need You Woman") and multiple-artist releases with Johnnie Taylor and more are 'not' here - they're probably being lined up for a future-date Volume 3. The Audio is superlative right from the super-clean but full-sounding audio to the gorgeous 1968 Southern Soul feel to "I Forgot To Be Your Lover" on to the inner-city wah-wah funk of "Save Us" from 1972 - Remasters by expert Remaster maestro DUNCAN COWELL.
For me this compilation is all about one of my favourite subjects - B-sides that are better or just plain whomp the A. The sheer cultural joy of "All Of God's Children", the sexy Bluesy Soul of "A Smile Can't Hide (A Broken Heart)" where I think it's Eddie Hinton that rips out the most fantastic and unexpected guitar solo half way through and then the far better Presley-melodrama ballad "'Till My Back Ain't Got No Bone" (a co-write with Eddie Floyd) - walking through the city asking everyone have they seen his baby. The shimmering guitar and brass Funk of "I'll Be Home" is another good example - this time the legendary Eddie Hinton confirmed as the guitarist (shame he didn't share vocals). And while I can understand the social motivation of "Save Us" in 1972 as the A Plug Side - whole cities being drowned in drugs - I still prefer the impassioned straight-up Slow Soul of its flipside "If You Really Love Him".
Bell really does bring down the pace with the smooch of "Lovin' On Borrowed Time" - a love-trap captured-by-your-charms pleader where poor Will can't stay away from the arms of another man's wife (we're there for you Bill - stay strong - even if you have to sneak around). A co-write with Horace Shipp, Jr. - "The Man On The Street" is literally Bacharach-Soul - a song that remains moving because of its lyrics - broken folks signing-on-the-dotted-line - pushing forward those repayments to hopefully better days ahead. Stax made the right choice for 'A' with "I've Got To Go Without You" - a gorgeous slow-set song that's backed up with the rather aimless "You've Got The Kind Of Love I Need". By the time we reach 1974, the audio is amazing and William wants to warn us that your woman is looking good to other men on the street and if you're not on the emotional ball, you maybe gettin' what you want elsewhere, but you're "Losin' What You Got". In a nice twofer, the flip is equally good - sweet ladies backing up Bell's vocals for "All I Need Is Your Love" - a co-write with James McDuffe. And it comes to a close with more late-night smooch sides - "Get It While It's Hot" (Bill has been saving up his love) and "Nobody Walks Away From Love Unhurt" - both sides more-than-influenced by Marvin Gaye's 1973 bedroom rummages with "Let's Get It On" (the previous year).
"The Man In The Street: The Complete 'Yellow' Stax Singles 1968-1974" by William Bell isn't all magisterial for sure, but there's some fabulous and largely forgotten sides on this wickedly good CD compilation. Ace Records of the UK do these kinds of retrospectives so good and they have done it again here.
I've
stashed it alongside 2022's Volume 1 "Never Like This Before" and
will cast an affectionate eye on both in the years before the cataracts take
over...
