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"...Precious Love..."
Now here's something well tasty for lovers of classic American Sixties Soul – the A&B-sides of fourteen Garnet Mimms singles gathered together in one place for the first time.
Everything about this CD release smacks of quality – gorgeous audio –
equally sweet presentation coupled with the real deal - classy, moving and
uplifting music. For me "Looking For You" is already a contender for
SOUL REISSUE OF THE YEAR 2015. Here are the details to make you "Cry
Baby"...
UK released 30 March 2015 –
"Looking For You: The Complete United Artists and Veep Singles" by
GARNET MIMMS on Ace/Kent-Soul CDTOP 423 (Barcode 029667242325) will allow fans
to sequence his singles as follows (77:01 minutes):
US and UK SINGLES – [7] =
track number
1. Cry Baby [1] b/w Don't
Change Your Heart [2]
October 1963 USA 7" single
on United Artists UA 629
October 1963 UK 7" single on
United Artists UP 1033
2. Baby Don't You Weep [3]
b/w For Your Precious Love [4]
November 1963 USA 7" single
on United Artists UA 658
December 1963 UK 7" single
on United Artists UP 1038
3. Tell Me Baby [5] b/w
Anytime You Want Me [6]
February 1964 USA 7" single on
United Artists UA 694
April 1964 UK 7" single on
United Artists UP 1048
4. A Quiet Place [7] b/w One
Girl [8]
May 1964 USA 7" single on
United Artists UA 715
5. Look Away [9] b/w One
Woman Man [10]
October 1964 USA 7" single
on United Artists UA 773
6. A Little Bit Of Soap [11]
b/w I'll Make It Up To You [12]
1964 USA 7" single on United
Artists UA 796
7. It Was Easier To Hurt Her
[13] b/w So Close [14]
1965 USA 7" single on United
Artists UA 848
May 1965 UK 7" single on
United Artists UP 1090
8. Welcome Home [15] b/w
Everytime [16]
1965 USA 7" single on United
Artists UA 868 – WITHDRAWN
9. Everytime [16] b/w That
Goes To Show You [17]
1965 USA 7” single on United
Artists UA 887
10. Looking For You [18] b/w
More Than A Miracle [19]
1965 USA 7” single on United
Artists UA 951
11. I'll Take Good Care Of
You [20] b/w Prove It To Me [21]
March 1966 USA 7” single on
United Artists UA 995
March 1966 UK 7” single on
United Artists UP 1130 with “Looking For You” as the B-side
12. It's Been Such A Long
Way Home [22] b/w Thinkin' [23]
June 1966 USA 7" single on
Veep V 1232
August 1966 UK 7" single on
United Artists UP 1147
13. My Baby [24] b/w Keep On
Smilin’ [25]
September 1966 USA 7” single
on Veep V 1234
September 1966 UK 7” single
on United Artists UP 1153 with “It Won’t Hurt (Half As Much) as the B-side (not
on this compilation)
14. All About Love [26] b/w
The Truth Hurts [27]
February 1967 USA 7" single
on Veep V 1252
February 1967 UK 7" single
on United Artists UP 1172
Notes:
Tracks 1 to 4, 7 and 8
credited to GARNET MIMMS & THE ENCHANTERS
All other tracks credited to
GARNET MIMMS
All tracks are in STEREO
except 22 and 26 – which are MONO
Track 28 is from the USA
Stereo LP "As Long As I Have You" on United Artists UAS 6396 and the
A-side of a rare French 45 from 1964 on United Artists 35012
There is a British 45 of
"As Long As I Have You" released July 1967 on United Artists UP 1186
coupled with a cover of The Beatles' "Yesterday" as its B-side – but
both cuts are Live Versions from the 1967 UK-only LP "Live" on United Artists
ULP 1174 (Mono) and SULP 1174 (Stereo) and not the Studio Version.
The 16-page booklet is the
usual visual gourmet of American and British 45’s repro’d on almost every page
– complimented by in-studio snaps of the great Songwriter and Producer Jerry
Ragovoy working with Garnet and the Enchanters. There are rare American Picture
Sleeves – Billboard Trade Adverts and Reviews – even a colour photo of Garnet
looking pensive in Central London in 1971 (wondering where all those Northern
Soul royalties went). Speaking of the UK and the affection Mimms is held in
here - despite any Top 50 chart action – the British side of United Artists
believed in Mimms so much that they released a staggering 10 singles between
October 1963 and July 1967 (with a further 3 on Verve up to 1968) and three
full albums into the bargain (see Discography attached to this review in the
comment section). Relistening to them now – it seems cruel that none took to
the charts.
Long-standing go-to Soul Man
TONY ROUNCE provides the affectionate and informative liner notes – quite right
stating that Garnet is a long overdue contender for induction into the Rock
& Roll Hall Of Fame. The remasters carried out by expert Engineer DUNCAN
COWELL are exceptionally good. With all but two tracks in glorious STEREO – the
punch off these beautiful slices of Soul is full on – tingly indeed.
It opens with the
game-changer "Cry Baby" which virtually introduced torch-song Soul
with its huge production values and melodrama pleading – Mimms sounding like an
equal to Jackie Wilson (a compliment most Soul singers would take any day of
the week). Despite the strength of his second heartbroken release "Baby
Don’t You Weep" (another Jerry Ragovoy penned pleader) – US DJs took to
the Jerry Butler cover version of "For Your Precious Love" on the
B-side which made it chart at 9 on the American R&B charts in November 1963
with the A reaching only 11. And it's easy to hear why – it's just beautiful –
and presented here in glorious Stereo, packs an emotional wallop that transcends the 50
years plus since it was released.
Things go into a dancer
shuffle with the clapping hands of "Tell Me Baby" - but again it’s
the torch song B-side "Anytime You Want Me" that impresses more – his
vocals soaring like Jackie on a roll. Things go shuffling Sam Cooke with Johnny
Dollar trying to get away from the man next store with a radio in "A Quiet
Place". Songwriting heroes Bert Berns and Jerry Ragovoy provide the
walking-down-the street ache in both "One Girl" and "Look
Away". His cover of The Jarmels "A Little Bit Of Soap" feels too
poppy by far - but Production values soar on the chipper "Everytime"
with a melody and hook that’s not a million miles away from "It's
Alright" by The Impressions.
His pairing of the Northern
Soul dancer "Looking For You" with the beautifully delivered ballad
"More Than A Miracle" are seen by Soul collectors and connoisseurs as
the pinnacle of his masterful art (both sides penned by Ragovoy with Doc Pomus
sharing a credit on the B-side). Beauty and double-sided genius crop up yet
again on "I’ll Take Good Care Of You" b/w "Prove It To Me".
While "I’ll Take Good Care Of You" is undeniably hissy in places – it
has so much emotion going on - that you’re swept away in the passion of it all.
Countering the smooch of the A-side - cool groove of the month goes to its
flip-side "Prove It To Me" – a really wicked mover. Janis Joplin
covered both "Cry Baby" and "My Baby" on her magnificent
“Pearl” album in 1971 – tapping into Garnet’s impassioned delivery for both
cuts. And on it goes through to "As Long As I Have You" – a fantastic
floor-filling stepper including here as a sort of CD bonus because it turned up
(not in his native America) but in France on an uber-rare United Artists 45
that now commands big bucks.
So there you have it – class
from start to finish. Ace Records of the UK have reissued some corkers in their
time with the Kent-Soul imprint – but "Looking For You: The Complete
United Artists & Veep Singles" by Garnet Mimms will surely be up there
for years to come.
Well done to everyone
involved for treating the man and his music with the respect and affection they
both deserve...
ACTUAL TRACK LIST
1. Cry Baby (August 1963 USA
7" single on United Artists UA 629, A)
2. Don't Change Your Heart (August
1963 USA 7" single on United Artists UA 629, B-side to "Cry Baby")
3. Baby Don’t You Weep
(November 1963 USA 7" single on United Artists UA 658, A)
4. For Your Precious Love
(November 1963 USA 7" single on United Artists UA 658, B-side to "Baby Don't
You Weep")
5. Tell Me Baby (February
1964 USA 7" single on United Artists UA 694, A)
6. Anytime You Want Me
(February 1964 USA 7" single on United Artists UA 694, B-side of "Tell Me
Baby")
7. A Quiet Place (May 1964
USA 7" single on United Artists UA 715, A)
8. One Girl (May 1964 USA 7" single on United Artists UA 715, B-side to "A Quiet Place")
9. Look Away (October 1964
USA 7" single on United Artists UA 773, A)
10. One Woman Man (October
1964 USA 7" single on United Artists UA 773, B-side to "Look Away")
11. A Little Bit Of Soap
(1964 USA 7" single on United Artists UA 796, A)
12. I'll Make It Up To You
(1964 USA 7" single on United Artists UA 796, B-side of "A Little Bit Of Soap")
13. It Was Easier To Hurt
Her (1965 USA 7" single on United Artists UA 848, A)
14. So Close (1965 USA 7"
single on United Artists UA 848, B-side to "It Was Easier To Hurt Her")
15. Welcome Home (1965 USA
7" single on United Artists UA 868, A -WITHDRAWN)
16. Everytime (1965 USA 7" single on United Artists UA 868, B –WITHDRAWN – eventually issued as the A of
UA 887)
17. That Goes To Show You
(1965 USA 7" single on United Artists UA 887, B-side of "Everytime")
18. Looking For You (1965
USA 7" single on United Artists UA 951, A)
19. More Than A Miracle
(1965 USA 7" single on United Artists UA 951, B-side of "Looking For You")
20. I'll Take Good Care Of
You (March 1966 USA 7" single on United Artists UA 995, A)
21. Prove It To Me (March
1966 USA 7" single on United Artists UA 995, B-side to "I'll Take Good Care Of
You")
22. It's Been Such A Long
Way Home (June 1966 USA 7” single on Veep V 1232, A)
23. Thinkin' (June 1966 USA
7" single on Veep V 1232, B-side to "It's Been Such A Long Way Home")
24. My Baby (September 1966
USA 7" single on Veep V 1234, A)
25. Keep On Smilin' (September
1966 USA 7" single on Veep V 1234, B-side of "My Baby")
26. All About Love (February
1967 USA 7" single on Veep V 1252, A)
27. The Truth Hurts
(February 1967 USA 7" single on Veep V 1252, B-side of "All About Love")
28. As Long As I Have You
(from the 1964 USA Stereo LP "As Long I Have You" on United Artists UAS 6396
and French-Only 1964 7" single on United Artists 35012, A)
