"A Mighty Field Of Vision: The Anthology 1969-1993" by EDDIE HINTON (September 2005 Raven CD Remaster) - A Review by Mark Barry...

"…God Damn! I'm Feeling Free…"

Hailing from Jacksonville in Florida - in 1970 Eddie Hinton was a 26-year old white guy possessed of one the great unknown singing voices.

As an in-demand session man - his part Otis Redding, part Little Richard, part Bobby Womack rasp - came with a whole lot of gutsy feeling too. When he sang Rock music (especially if it had that soulful Alabama tinge) - like England's Frankie Miller, Terry Reid, Steve Gibbons and Eric Burdon - you sat up and took notice.

But it wasn't until 1978 that Hinton finally got his own solo album released - the terribly named "Very Extremely Dangerous" on Capricorn Records - now a hugely sought after item on both vinyl and CD. His recording career after that was tangled with releases of new and old material - and that's where this superb little Raven CD compilation comes in.

"A Mighty Field Of Vision: The Anthology 1969-1993" by EDDIE HINTON on Raven RVCD-206 (Barcode 612657020623) was released September 2005 in Australia and its 21-tracks break down as follows (74:37 minutes):

1. I Got The Feeling

2. You Got Me Singing

3. Concept World

4. Shout Bamalama [Otis Redding cover]

Tracks 1 to 4 from the 1978 album "Very Extremely Dangerous"

5. Just Like The Fool That I Was

6. Heavy Makes You Happy (Sha-Na-Boom-Boom) [Staple Singers cover]

7. Got Down Last Saturday Night

Tracks 5 to 7 from the 1995 album "The Coleman-Hinton Project", unreleased recordings from 1970 - only discovered and released after his death (July 1995)

8. My Searching Is Over

9. Sad And Lonesome

10. I Want A Woman

Tracks 8 to 10 from the 1986 album "Letters From Mississippi"

11. Here I Am

12. Sad Song

13. Three Hundred Pounds Of Hongry

14. What Would I Do Without You

Tracks 11 to 14 from the 1997 compilation "Hard Luck Guy", unreleased recordings from the 1970's and 1980's

15. Hymn For Lonely Hearts

Track 15 from the 2000 CD "Dear Y'all - The Songwriting Sessions", recorded 1980

16. Something Heavy

Track 16 from the 2000 CD "Playin' Around", recorded 1977

17. Everybody Needs Love

Track 17 from the 1986 album "From Letters From Mississippi"

18. Cry And Moan

19. Bottom Of The Well

Tracks 19 and 20 from the 1991 album "Cry And Moan"

20. Rock Of My Soul

21. Very Blue Highway

Tracks 20 and 21 from the 1993 album "Very Blue Highway"

The whole set has been put together by KEITH GLASS (who also provides the 12-page liner notes with album sleeves, rare photos etc) and the remastering has been done by WARREN BARNET at the Raven Lab and is uniformly excellent.

I've reviewed the full album of "Very Extremely Dangerous" elsewhere, so see that. The 3-tracks of "The Coleman-Hinton Project" are fabulous - loose like the Stones on 1972's Exile. They're not audiophile recordings, but man's there's a cool kind of soul there. The cover of The Staples Singers "Heavy Makes You Happy" is radically slowed down and re-worked, but in a really lovely way. The strange orchestral string quartet that opens "Got Down Last Saturday" suddenly gives away to a Little Feat "Roll Um Easy" acoustic intro - and some raw vocals and harmonica (lyrics above). Very, very cool...

The production values go right up for the 3 tracks from the "From Letters From Mississippi" set. "Sad And Lonesome" is a jaunty little tune that you'll find yourself playing again and again. It sounds not unlike what Springsteen did for Gary US Bonds on his "Dedication" and "On The Line" albums - Hinton's voice like Eighties Little Richard - gruff and soulful. The production values gets even more polished for the 4 tracks from "Hard Luck Guy" - yet another Otis Redding cover is revisited with the same joy as the original and doing Tony Joe White’s “Three Hundred Pounds Of Hongry” was a natural fit – a song from the pen of one fabulous and emotive voice - interpreted through another.

The downside - if you could call it that - was that although he wrote a lot of the material here and played large parts of the instrumentation - it was never killer enough to make an impact. Elvin Bishop had loads of albums out, but that one huge hit "Fooled Around (And Fell In Love)" brought him to 'everyone's' attention. Hinton never got that lucky - which is one of the crying shames of Rock and Soul history. But having said that - his personality and heart came through on every take.

This fantastic CD compilation has been a long-time coming and if you want to know why the "All-Music Guide" describes Eddie Hinton as "one of the great, unheralded white blues musicians of all time" - then here's the reasonably-priced place to start...

PS: this review is dedicated with affection to the memory of Barry Beckett who passed away in June of 2009...and see also my reviews for "Very Extremely Dangerous" (1997 Capricorn Classics CD) and "Cover Me: The EDDIE HINTON Songbook" by Various Artists (2018 Ace Records CD)

"Very Extremely Dangerous" by EDDIE HINTON - March 1978 US Album on Capricorn Records featuring Barry Beckett, Jimmy Johnson, Roger Hawkins and more (August 1997 US Capricorn Classics CD Reissue and Remaster) - A Review by Mark Barry...

"…It Feels All Right…"

Eddie Hinton's voice is part Otis Redding part Bobby Womack part Frankie Miller - and as you can imagine with credentials 'that' good - his guttural singing style is considered to be a thing of wonder among soul aficionados. Recorded in November 1977 at the Muscle Shoals Sound Recording Studio in Sheffield, Alabama and released in March 1978 on Capricorn CPN-0204 in the USA only - this obscure and criminally forgotten LP received good reviews at the time of release but produced poor sales. And it's been the very definition of 'lost masterpiece' ever since.

Sporting what has to be one of the worst titles for an LP ever - and an album cover that isn't much better - Eddie Hinton's "Very Extremely Dangerous" is a Soul-Rock LP on a label more associated with the Southern Boogie of The Allman Brothers, The Marshall Tucker Band and Elvin Bishop.

This August 1997 American CD Remaster of the album (Audio done by FRED MEYER) is a straightforward transfer of the 1978 LP and was part of Polygram's "Capricorn Classics" CD series on Capricorn 314 536 111-2 (Barcode 731453611122). But like the original vinyl LP - it too is now deleted and become equally rare and pricey (42:05 minutes).

1. You Got Me Singing [Side 1]

2. Concept World

3. I Got The Feeling

4. Shout Bamalama

5. Get Off In It

6. Brand New Man [Side 2]

7. Shoot The Moon

8. We Got It

9. Yeah Man

10. I Want It All

The session players for the album were:

EDDIE HINTON - Guitar, Piano & Vocals

BARRY BECKETT - Piano, Organ and Moog Synthesizer (also Produced)

JIMMY JOHNSON - Guitar

DAVID HOOD - Bass

ROGER HAWKINS - Drums

HARRISON CALOWAY - Trumpet

HARVEY THOMPSON - Tenor Saxophone

DENNIS GOOD - Trombone

RONNIE EADES - Baritone Saxophone

"You Got Me Singing", "I Got The Feeling", "We Got It" and "Yeah Man" are solo Hinton songs with ALVIN HOWARD co-writing on "Concept World", "Get Off In It", "Brand New Man" and "I Want It All". DAN PENN of the legendary Dan Penn/Spooner Oldham song-writing team co-wrote "Shoot The Moon" while "Shout Bamalama" is not surprisingly - an Otis Redding cover version.

Barry Beckett's production is typically accomplished and lovely (he was one of the founders of the Muscle Shoals Studios). His history in music is extraordinary - and apart from being on so many legendary sessions as to be ridiculous - he was also at the production helm of umpteen great albums - "Communiqué” by Dire Straits (their underrated 2nd album) and Dylan's "Slow Train Coming" to name but a few (with Jerry Wexler). Which brings me to Meyer's remaster combined with Beckett's top production values - it's produced a delicious finish on this CD - a lovely warm sound that's full and sweet.

The songs have a distinctly Southern feel - they range from mellow to funky and are most effective when they slow right down. The majestic soulful build of "I Got The Feeling" is typical - a slow soulful groove is found, licking guitar then backs it up and is sided by the legendary Muscle Shoals brass - all the while Eddie is wailing like Otis is in the room and he has to impress his mentor. The boppin' "Shout Bamalama" sounds Little Richard in party mode with the boys in the band having a ball. “Yeah Man” is fabulous too – a slinky little number that goes down like honey. But the album's gem for me is "Get Off Of It" which is almost Van Morrison in its mystical soulful vibe - it's just beautiful. It contains the album's title in its lyrics and is as successful a fusion of rock and southern soul as I've ever heard.

The downside is of course acquiring this peach. Most will baulk at the extortionate prices now being asked for this rare deletion (time for a re-issue Hip-O Select), but when you hear it - you'll understand why it's worth the wallet-full required.

Lovely stuff - and recommended big time...

PS: this review is dedicated with affection to the memory of Barry Beckett who passed away in June of 2009...and see also reviews for "Cover Me: The EDDIE HINTON Songbook" by Various Artists (2018 Ace Records CD) and "A Mighty Field Of Vision: The Anthology 1969-1993" (2005 Raven CD)

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"Cover Me: The EDDIE HINTON Songbook" by VARIOUS ARTISTS (October 2018 UK Ace Records CD Compilation - Duncan Cowell Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

"...Miss Him So..."

When I saw this Eddie Hinton 'Various Artists' CD Reissue on the October 2018 release schedule – I knew I'd have to own it. And jammy bugger that I am, I was right. Because those nubile sexpots over at Ace Records of the UK have once again nailed another nuclear-powered acupuncture needle into my already pin-cushioned musical dartboard of a heart.

So why only four stars - "Cover Me: The EDDIE HINTON Songbook" is not perfect by any means - one or two tunes are borderline twee while others are good rather than being great. It’s the kind of compilation you wish was a 5-star whopper but it just misses the mark. But make no mistake – this near 74-minute CD compilation is a wee little nugget anyway - never flashy – never too fast - just sweetly Rock-Soulful and defiantly Southern as it shuffles its sexy way through 24 lesser-heard songs penned by the Blessed Eddie and his friends - Marlin Greene, Donnie Fritts, Dan Penn and others – culminating with three solo. Let the gushing commence...

Who is EH and why should you love him? Imagine a cherub-faced Jon Voight in "Midnight Cowboy" with a character just as naive and you get a visual on Tuscaloosa's Eddie Hinton. A gifted guitar-player and songwriter taboot, he arrived aged just 24 into the creative bosom of the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section band in 1966 (affectionately known as The Swampers). Hinton’s slick licks and complimentary hooks would soon be adding that Southern Swing to wads of Soul and Soul-Rock recordings laid down in those halcyon years at Rick Hall's legendary Fame Studios in Alabama (Aretha Franklyn, Elvis Presley, The Dells, Percy Sledge, The Staple Singers and even Boz Scaggs were amongst a long list of those who benefitted).

As if this double-whammy of playing and songwriting wasn't enough – cute-looking Hinton then opened his mouth and sang - and out popped a white Otis Redding - literally. Legend has it that the normally sanguine Jerry Wexler of Atlantic Records was so awestruck at the singing voice he heard - Jerry immediately predicted a star would be born when Hinton finally stepped out from those session shadows into a front man position and made his solo pitch. In fact Hinton's raspy guttural vocal cross between Otis Redding and Little Richard in his Seventies Reprise Years had always been something of a well-kept secret amongst those in the know. But of course - it absolutely shouldn't have been.

And therein lies the tragedy. Things just always seemed to get in the way for the man and despite a late flourish with his first and only official solo LP – the sappily titled "Very Extremely Dangerous" on Capricorn Records in March 1978 - the label once famous for The Allman Brothers (Duane and Gregg covered one of his songs when they were The Hour Glass) folded within weeks of its release and Hinton's shot at fame went with it.

He died aged only 51 of a heart attack in 1985 from drug-and-drink related health issues which had dogged him for years just as he was beginning to be appreciated by UK and European Soul aficionados. Post - there have been at least four CD compilations across the subsequent decades covering demo recordings left behind with songs stretching back as far as 1967. Which brings us to this...

UK released Friday, 26 October 2018 (9 November 2018 in the USA) - "Cover Me: The EDDIE HINTON Songbook" by VARIOUS ARTISTS on Ace Records CDTOP 1535 (Barcode 029667092722) is a 24-Track CD compilation that plays as follows (73:45 minutes):

1. Breakfast In Bed - DUSTY SPRINGFIELD (February 1969 US 7" single on Atlantic 2606, B-side to "Don't Forget About Me" and on the "Dusty In Memphis" LP)

2. Down In Texas - OSCAR TONEY JR. (March 1969 US 7" single on Bell 776, A-side)

3. Cover Me - JACKIE MOORE (August 1971 US 7" single on Atlantic 2830, B-side to "Time")

4. A Little Bit Salty - BOBBY WOMACK (from the November 1976 US LP "Home Is Where The Heart Is” on Columbia PC 34384)

5. Sure As Sin - CANDI STATON (May 1972 US 7" single on Fame 91000, B-side of "In The Ghetto")

6. 300 Pounds Of Hongry - TONY JOE WHITE (from the April 1972 US LP "The Train I'm On" on Warner Brothers BS 2580)

7. Masquerade - DON VARNER (June 1967 USA 7" single on South Camp 7003, B-side to “Down In Texas")

8. Always David - THE SWEET INSPIRATIONS (from the August 1969 US LP "Sweets For My Sweet" on Atlantic SD 8225)

9. Poor Mary Has Drowned - BRICK WALL (July 1969 US 7" single on Capitol 2545, A-side)

10. It's All Wrong But It's Alright - EDDIE HINTON (1967 Recording released September 2000 on the UK Eddie Hinton CD compilation "Dear Y'All" on Zane Records ZNCD 1016)

11. Help Me Make It (Power Of A Woman's Love) - MINK DeVILLE (from the November 1981 US LP "Coup De Grace" on Atlantic SD 18311)

12. Save The Children - CHER (from the June 1969 US LP "3614 Jackson Highway" on Atlantic SD 33-298)

13. Every Natural Thing - ARETHA FRANKLIN (from the February 1974 US LP "Let Me Into Your Life" on Atlantic SD 7292)

14. If I Had Let You In - THE BOX TOPS (from the July 1968 US LP "Non Stop" on Bell Records BELL 6023)

15. Satisfaction Guaranteed - JUDY WHITE (December 1968 US 7" single on Buddah BDA 79, A-side)

16. Standing On The Mountain - PERCY SLEDGE (January 1972 US 7" single on Atlantic 2848, B-side of "Rainbow Road")

17. I Got The Feeling - THE AMAZING RHYTHM ACES (from the October 1980 US LP "How The Hell Do You Spell Rythum?" on Warner Brothers BSK 3476)

18. Home For The Summer - THE HOUR GLASS featuring Paul Hornsby with Gregg and Duane Allman (from the March 1968 US Stereo LP "Power Of Love" on Liberty LST-7555)

19. Lay It On Me - GWEN McCRAE (January 1971 US 7" single on Columbia 45320, A-side)

20. People In Love - LOU JOHNSON (April 1969 US 7" single on Cotillion 44026, B-side of "Don't Play That Song (You Lied)")

21. Where You Come From - BONNIE BRAMLETT (from the February 1975 US LP "It's Time" on Capricorn CP 0148)

22. Seventeen Year Old Girl - MICKEY BUCKINS & THE NEW BREED (July 1967 US 7" single on South Camp 7004, A-side)

23. Love Waits For No Man - AL JOHNSON (May 1967 US 7" single on South Camp 7002, B-side of "Bless Your Sweet Little Soul")

24. Where's Eddie - LULU and THE DIXIE FLYERS (May 1970 US 7" single on Atco 6749, B-side of "Hum A Song (From Your Heart)"

NOTES:

Tracks 7, 9, 10, 15, 16, 19, 20, 22 and 23 are in MONO - all others in STEREO

Tracks 2, 3, 5, 10, 15, 16, 18 and 23 co-written with MARLIN GREENE (Track 22 is a co-production only with MG)

Tracks 1, 6, 9, 14, 19 and 24 co-written with DONNIE FRITTS

Tracks 12 and 17 co-written with DAN PENN; Track 8 co-written with DAN PENN and WAYNE JACKSON

Track 20 co-written with Grady Smith; Track 21 co-written with JIM COLEMAN

Tracks 4, 11, 13 and 22 written by EDDIE HINTON

Helmed by long-time Ace Records associate, Soul Expert and Southern Soul aficionado TONY ROUNCE - the 24-page booklet is the usual feast of info and display. You get those tantalising promo photos of cool types like Bobby Womack, Judy White, Lou Johnson, and on Page 17, a spectacularly hip shot of the four gorgeous gals in The Sweet Inspirations with Cissy Houston (Whitney's mum) smiling at the top of the downwards body cascade. Rounce has broken down the song-by-song evaluations into writing partners (as pointed out in the NOTES above) and in between the text and pics of Gwen McCrae and Mink De Ville single and album sleeves - you get those US 45 label repros that make collector's hearts flutter just a little faster - Cotillion, Capitol, South Camp, Atco, Buddah, Bell, Fame etc. Mastering by DUNCAN COWELL is also great even when sources fluctuate as on those uber-rare-didn't sell-jack South Camp singles that I suspect may be dubbed off discs. Whatever you look at it - this is impressive stuff. To the actual music...

Not surprisingly the compilation opens strongly with a dip into Springfield's "Dusty In Memphis" LP called "Breakfast In Bed" - a slinky little Stereo crawl that sounds like the aftermath its title suggests - baby I'm tired, but I'm pleased, now make me some coffee and shut up. I immediately then race down to an album I played into the wall - "Coup De Grace" by Mink De Ville - a 1981 platter on Atlantic that held the gorgeous groove of "Help Me Make It (Power Of A Woman's Love)" – bliss - Hinton's song combined with the swagger of Willy De Ville's Southern Politician sipping mint juleps persona (succumb my buttery friends). Like many who are reading this - Dan Penn is a name that will have some of us step out of our chairs and genuflect in front of the computer - another Southern white boy with Soul in his (well) Soul. His co-write on "I Got The Feeling" is so typical of his church-organ crawl as Lead Vocalist Russell Smith of The Amazing Rhythm Aces literally sounds like an uncanny combo of both Penn and Hinton - sexy, sexy man. Although others may enjoy them, I found "Always David" by The Sweet Inspirations, Cher's "Save The Children" and Brick Wall's "Poor Mary Has Drowned" all a little too saccharine in their subject matters and creepy in delivery too (but I liked the genuine feeling in Lulu’s “Where’s Eddie” (she had a thing for him) and lyrics from the song title this review). And who among us brave troopers can resist Tony Joe White's fabulous groove in "300 Pounds Of Hongry" or Aretha getting into that funky-monkey motion-in-the-ocean shake she got when she recorded any damn thing at Atlantic - Hinton's neck-jerking "Every Natural Thing" a perfect fit for her. Al Johnson puts in a stormer too with "Love Waits For No Man" - the kind of angst-ridden rip-your-innards out song that is liable to have Northern Soul boys reaching a whole bottle of Kalms (not for the first time will herbal pharmaceuticals help them make it through the night). And on it goes... 

2018 sees the 50th Anniversary of all things 1968 - so we grey-haired grizzled grumblies are being bombarded with a wallet-depleting plethora of cultural touchstone reissue giants - Love's "Forever Changes" hit us in April - The Small Faces "Ogden's Nutgone Flake" came in October and on the 9th of November - we'll get wrist-spraining versions of The Beatles "White Album" and Hendrix's "Electric Ladyland" - worthy beasts one and all.

But spare a thought for this unassuming entry – this rather lovely musical CD.

As Eddie Hinton said 51 years ago in 1967 - it's all wrong but somehow it's all right. How prophetic and true. Recommended...and I miss him so...

"Loving & Free + I've Got The Music In Me" by KIKI DEE - November 1973 and October 1974 Albums (February 2015 UK Edsel/Rhino Compilation with 2008 Remasters - 2LPs Remastered onto 2CDs with Bonuses) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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"…Ain't Got No Trouble In Life..."

Back in June 2008 – EMI UK and Europe released six Kiki Dee albums (real name Pauline Matthews) onto 'Expanded Edition' CDs covering her catalogue output on Elton John's Rocket Records between 1973 and 1987 (Geoff Pesche Remasters done at Abbey Road).

Edsel have licensed four of those beautifully transferred titles and doubled them up onto two new 2CD releases for 2015 whilst tail-ending each set with bonus non-album single sides of interest to fans. The two missing titles issued in 2008 are "Angel Eyes" from 1987 on Columbia Records and an unreleased album called "Cage The Songbird" containing material from the Rocket Records period (finally issued 2008).

With those six EMI CDs now long-since deleted and acquiring nasty price tags in the meantime and with this particular issue featuring a hefty amount of exclusive Elton John/Bernie Taupin involvement – this new 2CD reissue in its card-wrap is both timely and welcome (not to mention beautifully presented). Here are the Loving and Free details...

UK released February 2015 (March 2015 in the USA) – "Loving & Free + I've Got The Music In Me" by KIKI DEE on Edsel/Rhino EDSK 7078 (Barcode 740155707835) is an 'Expanded Edition' 2CD Reissue with 2008 Remasters and breaks down as follows:

Disc 1 "Loving & Free" by KIKI DEE (55:12 minutes)

1. Loving & Free [Side 1]

2. If It Rains

3. Lonnie & Joseph

4. Travellin In Style

5. You Put Something Better

6. Supercool [Side 2]

7. Rest My Head

8. Amoureuse

9. Song For Adam

10. Sugar On The Floor

Tracks 1 to 10 are Kiki Dee’s debut album for Elton John's newly formed Rocket Records "Loving & Free" - originally issued on vinyl in November 1973 on Rocket PIGL 5 in the UK.

BONUS TRACKS:

11. The Last Good Man In My Life

12. Hard Luck Story

13. Everyone Should Have Their Way

14. Six Days On The Road

Two 45s came off the "Loving & Free" album at the time - with one other single issued 3 years later as a belated hit. First up was "Lonnie & Josie" b/w "Last Good Man In My Life" - with both tracks written by ELTON JOHN and BERNIE TAUPIN. Released in June 1973 on Rocket PIG 2 - it unfortunately went the same as her earlier singles and didn't chart. The B-side “Last Good Man In My Life” has long been sought after by collectors as a non-album JOHN/TAUPIN track unavailable anywhere else. Apparently it was an outtake from the "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" sessions. “Hard Luck Story” b/w “Everyone Should Have Their Way” was a stand-alone UK 7” single released March 1974 on Rocket PIG 10 (it didn’t chart either). The last bonus track turned up on the 2008 EMI CD and was Previously Unreleased at the time – a raucous cover of Dave Dudley's 1963 hit "Six Days On The Road" (and very good it is too).

The second 7" single finally hit pay dirt. "Amoureuse" b/w "Rest My Head" (both from the album) hit the UK shops in October 1973 on Rocket PIG 4 just before the album's release in late November. A beautiful song - it was an immediate hit with the public. Written by French singer VERONIQUE SANSON - its plaintive melody had lyrics added to it by the British composer GARY OSBOURNE. "Rest My Head" is a Kiki Dee original. "Amoureuse" peaked at Number 13 in the UK and introduced Kiki's great voice to the public. It really was a career-maker. Elton would put out his own version of his album contribution “Sugar On The Floor” as a B-side to “Island Girl” in September 1975 (DJM Records DJS 610).

The title track "Loving and Free" was finally released as a 4-track EP in a Picture Sleeve in September 1976 on Rocket ROKN 515 (sometimes referred to as the "Kiki Dee" EP). It followed on the back of the huge number 1 success of the "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" duet with ELTON earlier in June and July of that year. Its 4 tracks are: "Loving And Free", "Amoureuse", "I've Got The Music In Me" and "(You Don't Know) How Glad I Am". Why it wasn't released immediately after "Amoureuse" is anyone's guess?

Disc 2 - "I've Got The Music In Me" by THE KIKI DEE BAND (57:43 minutes):

1. I've Got The Music In Me [Side 1]

2. Someone To Me

3. Step By Step

4. Water

5. Out Of My Head

6. Do It Right [Side 2]

7. Little Frozen One

8. Heart And Soul

9. You Need Help

Tracks 1 to 9 are the album "I've Got The Music In Me" by The Kiki Dee Band – released October 1974 in the UK on Rocket Records PIGL 10

BONUS TRACKS:

10. Simple Melody

11. How Glad I Am

12. Peter

13. Once A Fool

Three 45s were released around the "I’ve Got The Music In Me" album – August 1974 saw "I've Got The Music In Me" b/w "Simple Melody" put out in the UK on Rocket PIG 12. It was a big hit and rose to 19 in the charts in September of that year (broke her on American Radio too). The flipside "Simple Melody" was non-album (hence a Bonus Track here) - while the second single (the stand alone) "How Glad I Am" b/w "Peter" fared less well and didn’t chart (released April 1975 in the UK on Rocket PIG 16). On 17 November 1975, Rocket went for attempt number three with the non-album "Once A Fool" (fourth bonus on CD2) as an A-side on Rocket Records ROKN 501 combining it with the Side 1 LP-Track "Someone To Me" on the B-side - but it didn't chart.

Looks - you have to say that the presentation here is top-class. There's a card wrap for starters that gives the reissue a classy feel – but the 32-page colour booklet is gorgeous. It amalgamates the CHRIS WHITE liner notes that came with the 2008 EMI issues (he sadly passed away in 2014 and Kiki pays him personal tribute in her own notes on Page 3) – adds in a collage of rare 7" picture sleeves from around the world (Japan, Europe etc), produces track-by-track annotation for the first album and lyrics for the second record (only) and of course had credits for the reissue. Although it doesn’t say it in the booklet – these are the Geoff Pesche remasters of 2008 (done at Abbey Road) mastered in 2014 by Phil Kinrade at Alchemy Mastering. The Audio Quality is beautiful – so clear and warm. Tracks like "Amoureuse" and "Loving & Free" (with its beautiful guitar work by PAUL KEOGH) now sound astonishing - a treat to hear.

"Loving & Free" had its 10 tracks famously produced by ELTON JOHN with his house band of DAVEY JOHNSTONE on Guitars, DEE MURRAY on Bass and NIGEL OLSSEN on Drums featuring on many of the songs. Elton himself provided Keyboards and Backing Vocals on seven out of the album's ten tunes and on the non-album B-side – Tracks 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10 and 11 on Disc 1). GERRY CONWAY and DAVE MATTACKS of FAIRPORT CONVENTION fame filled in the drums on other tracks with LESLIE DUNCAN of "Love Song" fame providing backing vocals on the superb Kiki original "If It Rains". "Travellin' In Style" is a FREE cover, "Song For Adam" is a JACKSON BROWNE cover introduced to Kiki by Elton, while she gives a very soulful rendition of "You Put Something Better Inside Me", a Gerry Rafferty/Joe Egan written STEALER'S WHEEL song. "Supercool" is the third exclusive JOHN/TAUPIN track - a rocker - though not as good as the better B-side "Last Good Man In My Life". B.J. COLE provides Pedal Steel Guitar on “Rest My Head”

The Kiki Dee Band that played on "I've Got The Music In Me" consisted of JO PARTRIDGE (Guitar), BIAS BOSHELL (Keyboards), PHIL CURTIS (Bass) and ROGER POPE (Drums). Partridge provided the song "Out Of My Head" while Boshell stumped up a whopping five – "I've Got The Music In Me", "Step By Step", "Do It Right", "Heart And Soul" and "You Need Help". Kiki brought three originals to the table – "Someone To Me", "Water" and "Little Frozen One". Of the Non-LP stuff – Kiki also wrote "Simple Melody" and "Peter" while Larry Harrison and Jimmy Williams wrote "How Glad I Am" and "Once A Fool" is a Brian Potter/Dennis Lambert song.

Boshell had worked with Folk-Rock cult group Trees on CBS Records, Guitarist Partridge had worked with Colin Scott, Philip Goodhand-Tate and Joan Armatrading while Bassist Curtis had played with Arthur Brown’s Kingdom Come, Spirit Of John Morgan and The Steve Gibbon’s band. Roger Pope was with Hookfoot and a regular member of Elton John’s Band. “I’ve Got The Music In Me” features CISSY HOUSTON and MARETHA STEWART on Backing Vocals with MIKE DEACON on Organ and String Arrangements by RICHARD HEWSON. Elton’s long-time Producing associate GUS DUDGEON did the honours at the desk. Musically the album is as strong as “Loving & Free” and hugely polished – songs like the ballads “Little Frozen One”, “Heart And Soul” and of course the title track being stands-outs.

A minor downside to this otherwise excellent reissue is that both "Lonnie & Josie" and "Amoureuse" were released in the States on MCA 40095 and 40157 respectively - and as advance radio promos, both singles sported a mono and stereo mix on either side. It's a damn shame that the exclusive "US Mono Mix" of each single wasn't included on here as bonuses when there was plenty of room. Niggles worth mentioning.

Other than that this is yet another exemplary Edsel reissue of music that deserves your renewed interest. You could of course argue that you simply buy the 2015 “Original Album Series” 5CD Mini Box Set for KIKI DEE and get five albums for a roughly a ten-spot. But I’d argue in favour of the extras and that amazing presentation (the second title on Edsel EDSK 7079 couples “Kiki Dee” from 1977 and “Stay With me” from 1979 – also with bonuses).

"...I will untangle myself...so I can be...loving and free..." - Kiki Dee sang in 1973 in earnest. Way to go Pauline...

KIKI DEE – UK 7" singles on Rocket Records

1. "Lonnie & Josie" b/w "Last Good Man In My Life" (both tracks written by ELTON JOHN and BERNIE TAUPIN) - released in June 1973 on Rocket PIG 2

2.  "Amoureuse" b/w "Rest My Head" - released in October 1973 on Rocket PIG 4

3. "Hard Luck Story" b/w "Everyone Should Have Their Way" was released in March 1974 on Rocket PIG 10

4. "I've Got The Music In Me" b/w "Simple Melody" was released August 1974 on Rocket PIG 12

5. "How Glad I Am" b/w "Peter" was released April 1975 on Rocket PIG 16

6.  "Don’t Go Breaking My Heart" b/w "Snow Queen" – 24 June 1976 on Rocket ROKN 512

7.  “The Kiki Dee EP” was released as a 4-track EP in a Picture Sleeve in September 1976 on Rocket ROKN 515. It followed on the back of the huge number 1 success of the "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" duet with ELTON earlier in June and July of that year. Its 4 tracks are: "Loving And Free", "Amoureuse", "I've Got The Music In Me" and "(You Don't Know) How Glad I Am"