“Bring Back The Love: Classic Dells Soul” by THE DELLS [feat Terry Callier, Larry Wade, Bobby Miller and Charles Stepney] (1996 US MCA/Chess CD with Erick Labson Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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"...What A Day...Everything's Going My Way..."

First appearing in February 1996 - "Bring Back The Love: Classic Dells Soul" is a US-only CD compilation that gives us 14 Primo Sixties & Seventies tracks by Illinois' wonderful Soul/Vocal Group THE DELLS covering their recording output from early 1969 to late 1974 on the Chess label imprint - Cadet.

All tracks are lovingly remastered by one of Universal's top engineers ERICK LABSON (has handled huge swathes of the Chess/Cadet/Argo catalogue to great effect) and the 12-page booklet has affectionate and informative liner notes by ANDY McKAIE and contributions from two of the group members - McGill and Barksdale.

"Bring Back The Love: Classic Dells Soul" by THE DELLS on MCA/Chess CHD-9360 (Barcode 0076732936023) features 5 Cadet albums and some of the singles issued off them and it breaks down as follows (52:11 minutes):

1. The Glory Of Love [January 1971 US 7" single on Cadet 5679, A]

2. Oh What A Day [January 1970 US 7" single on Cadet 5663, A] (lyrics above)

3. I Can't Do Enough [March 1969 US 7" single on Cadet 5636, A]

4. Darling Dear

5. Strung Out Over You

6. A Little Understanding [July 1970 US 7" single on Cadet 5672, B-side to 12]

7. Bring Back The Love Of Yesterday [1974 US 7" single on Cadet 5703, A, 1st issue of 5703]

8. If You Move I'll Fall

9. Doe Anybody Know I'm Here [January 1969 US 7" single on Cadet 5631]

10. If You Really Love Your Girl (Show Her)

11. Be For Real For Me

12. Long Lonely Nights [July 1970 US 7" single on Cadet 5672, A - see also 6]

13. I'm Not Afraid Of Tomorrow

14. Sweeter As The Days Go By [October 1974 US 7" single on Cadet 5703, B-side to "Learning To Love You Was Easy (It's So Hard Trying To Get Over You)", 2nd issue of 5703]

Tracks 3 and 9 are from the US LP "Always Together" released January 1969 on Cadet LPS-822

Tracks 1 and 6 are from the US LP "Love Is Blue" released August 1969 on Cadet LPS-829

Tracks 2, 4, 12 and 13 are from the US LP "Like It Is, Like It Was" released February 1970 on Cadet LPS-837

Track 8 is from the US LP "The Dells" released in November 1973 on Cadet LP-50046

Track 5 is from the US LP "The Dells Vs The Dramatics" released in March 1974 on Cadet LP-60027

Tracks 7, 10, 11 and 14 are from the US LP "The Mighty, Mighty Dells" released in September 1974 on Cadet LP-60030

For these recordings THE DELLS were:

Marvin Junior (Baritone Lead), Chuck Barksdale, Verne Allison, Michael "Mickey" McGill and Johnnie Carter

If you already own the stunning 2CD set "Standing Ovation" compilation from 2007 (39 songs with equally wonderful remasters - again by Erick Labson), the good news is that there's only 2 duplicates - ""Strung Out Over You" and "Bring Back The Love Of Yesterday". 

Another draw is the involvement of CHARLES STEPNEY in 8 of the songs. Along with songwriter BOBBY MILLER, Stepney arranged and conducted the sessions at Cadet for luminaries such The Rotary Connection, Terry Callier, Ramsey Lewis and Minnie Riperton's first solo LP "Come Into My Garden". A sort of a Phil Spector of Soul - Stepney was a bit of a genius really and is a big name in small circles (see also my reviews for "Occasional Rain" and "What Color Is Love" by Terry Callier and The Dells double mentioned above).

These Dells albums are now increasingly hard to find - and most of the tracks are also elusive on the CD format.

A lovely compilation then - and even though the playing time should have been bumped up way over the seventy-minute mark, the superb quality of the remasters makes up for it.

"Bring Back The Love/Classic Dells Soul" is great soul music in great sound. Classic indeed…

“The Virgin Book Of TOP 40 CHARTS” – A Review. A Good Reference Source & A Great Trip Down Memory Lane...

A huge number of artists in this book are part of my Series "SOUNDS GOOD: Exceptional CD Remasters 1970s Rock And Pop" Download Book available to buy on Amazon to either your PC or Mac (it will download the Kindle software to read the book for free to your toolbar). Click on the link below to go my Author's Page for this and other related publications:

                       http://www.amazon.co.uk/-/e/B00LQKMC6I

When I got this long and brill 1053-page paperback (with an introduction by DAVID McALEER), I hardly knew where to start...the detail is gargantuan.

It contains every Top 40 UK Singles chart beginning at 10 March 1960 and ending at 3 January 2009 (US customers should note this is ONLY UK charts).

“The Virgin Book Of TOP 40 CHARTS” breaks down like this…
To the far left is the chart position (1, 2, 3 etc), then to the right of that is a column that gives you 'last week's chart position' - which allows you to trace back when the record first showed up on the charts. The title of the song is in BLOCK CAPITOLS while the artist is standard print so you can differentiate quickly and easily which is which. It then gives you the label (Capitol, HMV, RAK, Bell, Polydor etc), but unfortunately not the catalogue number (you need the Guinness Book of British Hit Singles for that). It is updated to 2009 - which the Guinness one isn't.

Another real ace is a track-by-track index in the rear; say you want to check on "Give Me The Night" by GEORGE BENSON - it tells you look at the week ending 2/8/80 which is when it first charted - you know exactly where to locate it - very handy. The final column to the far right gives you the number of weeks it’s been on chart (3, 7 etc).

Browsing through the years if of course half the fun. You notice stuff. There were an awful lot of Number 1’s that were truly awful – and seemed to stay there for an eternity. It’s also interesting to notice that despite having actually lived when "Ride A White Swan" by T.REX first hit the charts in October 1970 - there are titles in that week and the subsequent weeks that I don't remember at all (and some you'd rather forget).

I then figured I'd try to set up some of these Top Forty lists in iTunes on my computer. I chose a week from 1970, 1971, 1972 and 1973 - and I found to my astonishment that even with 46,000 songs at my disposal (don't ask!), I only had about half in each list. Many are elusive on CD still.

Downsides - there's no pictures at all to break the monotony - and all those dry lists have little to accompany them by way of text on the changing face of music and the charts - like the Guinness books do (there are a few pages at the beginning on Chart statistics). But it’s still a fantastic reference source. And long overdue too.

I got my copy for just under seven on-line - despite its official twenty-pound price tag.

A great blast from the past - and highly recommended.

"Original Album Classics" by ARGENT [feat Rod Argent] (2009 Epic/Legacy 5CD Mini Box Set Of Remasters/Card Repro Sleeves) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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"…A Man Who's Lost…He's Alone…He Bears The Cost…" 

Hardly the most beautiful of objects to behold – five skinny singular Repro Album Sleeves slotted into an outer hard card box with zero info other than track lists. Still – it does at least bring together Rod Argent’s best music from the Seventies in one usable lump (and it sounds pretty damn good too). Unfortunately this particular Box Set in Sony's ongoing series of 5/3CD album reissue sets has been deleted many years now and subsequently acquired a bit of a price tag. So here are the details, tragedies and the heads held up…

Released March 2009 - "Original Album Classics" by ARGENT is a 5CD Mini Box Set on Epic/Legacy 88697445472 and breaks down as follows...

Disc 1 is "Argent" (40:39 minutes):

1. Like Honey

2. Liar

3 Be Free

4. Schoolgirl

5. Dance In The Smoke

5. Lonely Hard Road [Side 2]

6. The Feeling Is Inside

7. Freefall

8. Stepping Stones

9. Bring You Joy

Tracks 1 to 10 are their debut album issued in 1970 in the UK on CBS S 63781 and in the USA on Epic BN 26525

Disc 2 is "Ring Of Hands" (42:52 minutes):

1. Celebration

2. Sweet Mary

3. Cast Your Spell Uranus

4. Lothiorien

5. Chained [Side 2]

6. Rejoice

7. Pleasure

8. Sleep Won’t Help Me

9. Where Are We Going Wrong

Tracks 1 to 9 are their 2nd album issued in 1971 in the UK on Epic S 64190 and on Epic KE 30128

Disc 3 is "All Together Now" (41:42 minutes)"

1. Hold Your Head Up (Album Version)

2. Keep On Rollin’

3. Tragedy (Album Version)

4. I Am The Dance Of Ages

5. Be My Lover, Be My Friend [Side 2]

6. He’s A Dynamo

7. Pure Love: (i) Fantasia (ii) Prelude (iii) Pure Love (iv) Finale

Tracks 1 to 7 are their 3rd album issued in April 1972 in the UK on Epic S EPC 64962 and in the USA on Epic KE 31556

Disc 4 is "In Deep" (45:24 minutes):

1. God Gave Rock And Roll To You

2. It’s Only Money (Part 1)

3. It’s Only Money (Part 2)

4. Losing Hold

5. Be Glad [Side 2]

6. Christmas For The Free

7. Candles On The River

8. Rosie

Tracks 1 to 8 are their 4th album issued in 1973 in the UK on Epic S EPC 65475 and in the USA on Epic KE 32195

Disc 5 is "Nexus" (42:10 minutes):

1. The Coming Of Kohoutek

2. Once Around The Sun

3. Infinite Wanderer

4. Love

5. Music From The Spheres

6. Thunder And Lightning [Side 2]

7. Keeper Of The Flame

8. Man For All Reasons

9. Gonna Meet My Maker

Tracks 1 to 9 are their 5th album issued in 1974 in the UK on Epic S EPC 65924 and in the USA on Epic KE 32573

Each card repro is a single sleeve - the UK gatefold artwork for "Argent", "Ring Of Hands" and "All Together Now" (including its 4-page insert) is NOT reproduced on these issues; while the "Nexus" title uses the 'US' artwork, which is different to the UK issue. However, Sony/Legacy has the full details and booklets for each title downloadable from www.musicmadesimple.info

As you can see from the song numbers listed above, none of the CDs contain extra tracks - in particular the 7" single edits of "Hold Your Head Up" and "God Gave Rock And Roll To You" or the unique US mixes of their first 2 singles "Liar" and "Rejoice". You have to buy those separately and they're all available on a USA 2008 18-track Epic CD compilation called "Greatest - The Singles Collection" (it's also available via an iTunes download).

It doesn't say who's remastered what or where, but the sound is good overall - superb in some places ("All Together Now") - but unfortunately only mediocre in others. For instance, "In Deep" and "Nexus" got lumped together as 2 albums on one CD a few years ago which received bad reviews - in particular to do with its mastering (some even suggesting that vinyl was used). That's not the case on these versions of those two albums - tracks like "Losing You" from "In Deep" and "Once Around The Sun" and "Man For All Reasons" from "Nexus" (lyrics above) all have quite patches in them - but there's no clicking or popping here. What there is a certain kind of top-end muddiness - I think it's inherent to the way they were recorded. I'm afraid I've found a lot of Legacy issues like this (not all of course) - they're good - but hardly great.

And in that Seventies progressive kind of a way, some of the music is of course horribly dated too, but other portions of it (especially the excellent first 2 albums) is truly superb 70's rock well worth re-discovering.

Overall - a fairly good way of acquiring now quite pricey albums on original vinyl - and a revelatory jaunt down a not-so-familiar rock path... 

PS: Other artists in the “ORIGINAL ALBUM CLASSICS” Series are [FIVE DISC SETS]…

1.    The Allman Brothers Band

2.    Jeff Beck

3.    George Benson

4.    Big Audio Dynamite

5.    Blood, Sweat & Tears

6.    Blue Oyster Cult

7.    Pierre Boulez

8.    The Brecker Brothers

9.    The Byrds

10. Johnny Cash

11. Cheap Trick

12. Stanley Clarke

13. Cypress Hill

14. Miles Davis

15. Duke Ellington

16. Earth, Wind & Fire

17. Agnetha Faltskog [Frida of Abba]

18. Rory Gallagher

19. Hall & Oates

20. The Isley Brothers [see REVIEW]

21. The Jacksons

22. Jefferson Airplane

23. Jefferson Starship

24. Judas Priest

25. Kansas

26. Carole King

27. Kris Kristofferson

28. Mario Lanza

29. The Mahavishnu Orchestra

30. Henri Mancini

31. John McLaughlin

32. Thelonious Monk

33. Mott The Hoople

34. Willie Nelson

35. Harry Nilsson

36. Ted Nugent

37. Dolly Parton

38. Poco

39. Prefab Sprout

40. Elvis Presley

41. The Psychedelic Furs

42. Lou Reed

43. Lou Reed Vol.2

44. Sonny Rollins

45. Santana Box 1

46. Santana Box 2

47. Joe Satriani

48. Nina Simone

49. Lonnie Liston Smith

50. Patti Smith

51. Smokie

52. The Stranglers

53. Steve Vai

54. Various - Carols For Christmas

55. Various – The Joys Of Christmas

56. Weather Report

57. John Williams

PPS: 2010 sees the introduction of THREE DISC SETS in the Series from…

1.    Jennifer Brown

2.    Agnetha Faltskog [Frida of Abba]

3.    Fleetwood Mac

4.    Journey

5.    Scorpions

6.    Simon & Garfunkel

7.    The Walker Brothers

“My Feeling For The Blues” by FREDDIE KING. A Review of his US-Only 1970 Album on Cotillion Records Reissued By Repertoire on CD in 1991.

"…One Day We Have Ham And Bacon…And The Next Day…Ain’t Nothin’ Shakin’…"

The mid to late Sixties was a strange and difficult time for many Blues men – most were without contracts, forgotten and under-appreciated - then the Blues boom happened (particularly in the UK) and many had their careers kick-started again. Freddie King was no exception.

His last album had been for Federal in 1964, but with a new lease of life on the mighty Atlantic label, he produced two much revered LPs in rapid succession. The first was “Freddie King Is A Blues Master” released in 1969 on SD 9004 and then this peach - “My Feeling For The Blues” on Cotillion SD 9016 released in early 1970.

This 1991 Repertoire CD (REP 4170-WZ) is a straightforward transfer of that second 11-track album (36:03 minutes).

Ace saxophonist KING CURTIS produced the record - with all arrangements by Atlantic’s newest soul protégé DONNY HATHAWAY (except “Woke Up This Morning” which was Arranged by King Curtis).

The musicians for the sessions were:
Lead Guitar & Vocals – FREDDIE KING
Rhythm Guitar – CORNELL DUPREE
Tenor Saxophones – GEORGE COLEMAN and FRANK WESS
Tenor & Baritone Saxophones – TREVOR LAWRENCE and WILLE BRIDGES
Trumpets – ERNIE ROYAL and MARTIN BANKS
Piano – GEORGE STUBBS
Bass – JERRY JEMMOTT
Drums – KEVIN RICE
“What’d I Say” features Bass Marimba and Sax Solo by KING CURTIS
“You Don’t Have To Go” and “The Things I Used To Do” feature Harmonica by HUGH McCRACKEN

The 3-way foldout inlay has a brief but informative history of King’s career by BERND MATHEJA that is sided on Page 3 by a selected Discography. Although licensed from East West, it doesn’t advise who remastered what – but the sound quality is great nonetheless – clean, muscular and so enjoyable. Repertoire as a label has always had a good reputation when it comes to transfers.

Side 1 opens with the down and dirty “Yonder Wall” which not surprisingly for the date it was recorded name-checks men coming home from the Vietnam War. It’s followed by a cracking Freddie King instrumental called “The Stumble” – the kind of cool boppin’ blues tune that turns up on those hip compilations you read about. “I Wonder Why” and “Stormy Monday” (BB King and Jimmy Witherspoon covers) get the brassy treatment like “Yonder Wall” to great effect, while Side 1 ends with a wonderful take on Willie Mabon’s “I Don’t Know” with the bass really forward and funky in the mix.

Side 2 opens with a version of Ray Charles’ “What’d I Say” that builds like the Atlantic original did, which is followed by one of my favourites, a fabulous soulful take on Jimmy Witherspoon’s standard “Ain’t Nobody’s Business What We Do” (lyrics above). It’s followed by a superb harmonica driven shuffle, a cover of Jimmy Reed’s “You Don’t Have To Go” which features Freddie giving it some funky blues – such a cool number. The pace is then expertly changed to another “…my baby is gone…” song, a cover of B.B. King’s “Woke Up This Morning” with punchy brass fills (you can hear Hathaway’s soulfulness in a lot of the arrangements).

This album has been reissued subsequently in 2008 by another company but apparently the sound isn’t the greatest; the only other stop is the July 2009 Bear Family Box Set called “Taking Care Of Business” that covers everything from 1956 through to 1973 across 7 CDs and a Hardback Book - a Christmas treat I feel certain I’m going to allow myself.

Born in 1934, Freddie King suffered a heart attack at a concert in December 1976 and passed away two days later. Name-checked by hosts of luminaries like Eric Clapton and Peter Green, on hearing this totally forgotten peach of an album, it’s easy to see why this bluesman is remembered with such affection.

A nice CD and worth seeking out - next stop the bank-manager and Bear Family’s stupendous box set…