"A Man Needs A Woman" by JAMES CARR – September 1968 US Second Studio LP on Goldwax Records in Stereo, January 1969 UK LP on Bell Records in Stereo - features Duet Vocals with Betty Harris On One Song (March 2003 UK Ace/Kent Soul 'Expanded Edition' 24-Track CD Reissue – Rob Keyloch and Duncan Cowell Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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"...Hurt So Good..."

This typically fabulous Kent Soul CD takes the second and last proper 60ts album of Soul Hero James Carr (the 11-track "A Man Needs A Woman" was issued September 1968 in the States on Goldwax Records in Stereo) and adds on a further 13 Bonus Cuts to make up a 24-Track 'Expanded Edition' CD.

The five extra songs that appeared on the UK 16-track LP issued by Bell Records in January 1969 are represented here by Tracks 12 to 16 - another seven here are from Japanese reissue LPs and US CD compilations originally issued between 1977 and 1995 (Tracks 17 to 23) - and it even throws in a new Previously Unreleased Goldwax Recording for 2003 – a cover version of the Johnny Cash monster "Ring Of Fire" in Stereo.

March 2003's CDKEND 215 actually more than doubles the original American 11-Track LP - and all of it dripping with Southern Soul class (hurt so good indeed). Soul boys and girls love their heroes and this third installment for Ace Records of James Carr's joyous output is clearly a labour of love for them - Tony Rounce's stunning liner notes all but popping out a prayer mat at the end of every paragraph. And truly, with this man's effortlessly soulful renditions - it's easy to hear why. Let's get down with the man who many reckoned always got the best take on the first take...

UK released 31 March 2003 - "A Man Needs A Woman" by JAMES CARR on Ace/Kent Soul CDKEND 215 (Barcode 029667221528) offers his second studio album from 1968 (USA) in a Remastered Expanded Edition form and plays out as follows (61:22 minutes):

1. A Man Needs A Woman [Side 1 US and UK LP]
2. Stronger Than Love
3. More Love
4. You Didn't Know It But You Had Me
5. A Woman Is A Man's Best Friend
6. I'm A Fool For You
7. Life Turned That Way [Side 2 US and UK LP]
8. Gonna Send You Back To Georgia
9. The Dark End Of The Street
10. I Sowed Love And Reaped A Heartache
11. You've Got My Mind Messed Up
Tracks 1 to 11 are his second studio album "A Man Needs A Woman" - released September 1968 in the USA on Goldwax GW-3002 in Stereo as an 11-Track LP (see 12 to 16 below for the British LP). Track 6 "I'm A Fool For You" is a duet with BETTY HARRIS

12. A Losing Game
13. A Message To Young Lovers
14. Let It Happen
15. You Gotta Have Soul
16. You Hurt So Good
Tracks 12 and 13 are the last two tracks on Side 1 of the 16-track British LP for "A Man Needs A Woman" - released January 1969 in the UK on Bell Records MBLL 113 (Mono) and Bell Records SBLL 113 (Stereo) - the STEREO mixes are used for all 16 tracks on this CD except Track 7 which is in MONO. Tracks 14, 15 and 16 appeared on Side 2 of the British LP after "I Sowed Love And Reaped A Heartache" and with "You Got My Mind Messed Up" as the last song on Side 2.

17. I Can't Turn You Loose
18. Let's Face Facts
19. Who's Been Warming My Oven
20. Please Your Woman
21. Your Love Made A U-Turn
22. The Lifetime Of A Man
23. Tell Me My Lying Eyes Are Wrong
24. Ring Of Fire
Tracks 17, 18 and 22 first appeared on the 1977 Japanese LP "Freedom Train" on Vivid Sound VG 3006
Tracks 19 and 20 first appeared on the 1991 Japanese Expanded CD reissue for "You Messed My Mind Up" on Vivid Sound VGCD-002
Tracks 21 and 23 first appeared on the 1995 US CD "The Complete James Carr, Volume II" on Goldwax GWX 47776
Track 24 is PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED in STEREO (2003)
All tracks in STEREO except Tracks 7 and 17 to 23 in MONO

SINGLES:
Ten of these 24 cuts were also issued as US 45s (in Mono) as follows:

You Got My Mind Messed Up b/w That's What I Want To Know
February 1966 US 45 Single on Goldwax 302
Only the A-side is here, Track 11

The Dark End Of The Street b/w Lovable Girl
December 1966 US 45 Single on Goldwax 317
Only the A-side is here, Track 9

Let It Happen b/w A Losing Game
May 1967 US 45 Single on Goldwax 323
Tracks 14 and 12

Gonna Send You Back To Georgia b/w I'm A Fool For You
August 1967 US 45 Single on Goldwax 328
Tracks 8 and 6

A Man Needs A Woman b/w Stronger Than Love
December 1967 US 45 Single on Goldwax 332
Tracks 1 and 2

Life Turned Her That Way b/w A Message To Young Lovers
July 1968 US 45 Single on Goldwax 335
Tracks 7 and 13

The 16-page booklet features new liner notes from COLIN DILNOT (penned February 2003) with further 'project' notes from TONY ROUNCE - a name every Soul lover trusts. There are some colour repro shots of those uber-desirable Goldwax US 45 labels (323, 328, 332 and 335), a 1967 Otis Redding headlining poster with James Carr on the bill and some colour photos of the classy Soul Man in May 1996 doing live shows with guitarist Johnny Rawls. The Audio comes from ROB KEYLOCH transfers and remixes with DUNCAN COWELL Remasters and kicking is the only word to use.

Carr could boogie with the best of them (Wilson Pickett and Clarence Carter over on Atlantic), a fantastic funky groove in cuts like "A Losing Game" and "Stronger Than Love" - but its the torch ballads that he reaches the heights of Otis and Solomon Burke - storming renditions of the classic "The Dark End Of The Street" and the piano church crawl of "A Woman Is A Man's Best Friend" where the brass fills ache alongside his shimmering performance.

Ace's Trevor Churchill worked at Bell Records in 1968 and 1969 and it was he UK Soul fans can thank for the 16-track British LP. Clever Trev stuck on five bonus cuts – including killers like the 'break your little heart' of "A Message To Young Lovers", the looky-here guitar-and-horns bopper of "You Gotta Have Soul" and the mid-tempo 'I keep hanging around when I know I should go' smooch misery of "You Hurt So Good" (we hear you brother). Amongst the various compilations tracks are goodies too like a cover of Otis Redding's "I Can't Turn You Loose" – a pleader in the shape of the 'you got to be strong' "Let's Face Facts" and a jaunty "Tell Me My Lying Eyes Are Wrong" where our hero drops into a bar on the way home only to find his woman in a dress that invites more than appreciative advances from another man (oh dear). The unreleased Stereo cover of the Johnny Cash classic "Ring Of Fire" is probably the weirdest and worst cut on here. But even if its obvious as to why it was left in the can – it's a small glitch in an otherwise faultless compilation.

James Carr passed in January 2001 – dogged by Bi-Polar problems and demons – a man who should have a huge star. Well with quality reissue labels like Ace and their Kent Soul imprint – the man and his musical legacy carries on. Beautiful stuff and how…

"The Young Tradition/So Cheerfully Round/Galleries/Chicken On A Raft EP" by THE YOUNG TRADITION – Albums from 1966, 1967 and 1968 on Transatlantic Records in Stereo and a Bonus 1967 EP - featuring Peter Bellamy, Royston Wood and Heather Wood with guests Dave Swarbrick, Sandy Denny and Dolly Collins (only on the "Galleries" LP) (22 July 2013 UK Beat Goes On Reissue – 3LPs onto 2CDs with a Bonus 3-Track EP – Andrew Thompson Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

"...Mediaeval Mystery Tour..."

Making available once again to a 2013 digital audience - this fantastically good twofer compilation gives us three ludicrously hard-to-find 60ts Acapella Folk Albums (originally on Transatlantic Records in the UK) and even throws in an EP from 1967 that I've never seen across any counter in any collector's shops anywhere.

Musically were in ye olde Englande territory where men are men and sheep worry and they do it looking cool and with a young buck attitude. There's many minstrels, serving maids, pretty ploughboys, poaching henrys, old misers (are there any other kinds), pigs who do a dance when you hit them with a shovel and fisherman dirges and sea shanties to wade through. So let's don our Carnaby Street garb and have at the watercress...

UK released 22 July 2013 - "The Young Tradition/So Cheerfully Round/Galleries/Chicken On A Raft EP" by THE YOUNG TRADITION on Beat Goes On Records BGOCD 1103 (Barcode 5017261211033) offers 3LPs remastered onto 2CDs with a Bonus 3-Track EP and plays out as follows:

CD1 (72:05 minutes):

1.  Byker Hill [Side 1]

2. The Bold Fisherman

3. Betsy The Serving Maid

4. Henry The Poacher

5. The Lyke Wake Dirge

6. The Banks Of Claudy [Side 2]

7. The Innocent Hare

8. Dives And Lazarus

9. Derry Down Fair

10. The Truth Sent From Above

11. Pretty Nancy Of Yarmouth

Tracks 1 to 11 are their debut album "The Young Tradition" – 1966 UK LP on Transatlantic TRA 142.

NOTE: Although the American album had the same title and artwork, the September 1967 US LP of "The Young Tradition" on Vanguard VRS-9246 (Mono) and Vanguard VRS-79246 (Stereo) was in fact a composite compilation of tracks from the first and second LPs. 

If you want to sequence the 14-track US LP "The Young Tradition" from these CDs, use the following songs...

Side 1: The Innocent Hare, Lake Wyke Dirge, Byker Hill, Knight William And The Shepherd's Daughter, The Truth Sent From Above, The Single Man's Warning, The Banks of Claudy

Side 2: Derry Down Fair, The Foxhunt, The Hungry Child, Pretty Nancy Of Yarmouth, Watercress-O, The Old Miser, The Whitsuntide Carol

12. Daddy Fox [Side 1]

13. The Season Round

14. The Bold Dragon

15. Watercress-O

16. The Old Miser

17. The Foxhunt

18. Knight William [Side 2]

19. The Single Man's Warning

20. The Pretty Ploughboy

21. The Hungry Child

22. The Whitsuntide Carol

Tracks 12 to 22 are their second studio album "So Cheerfully Round" - 1969 UK LP on Transatlantic TRA 155 (no US issue)

CD2 (50:15 minutes):

1. Intro: Ductia [Side 1]

2. The Barley Straw

3. What If A Day

4. The Loyal Lover

5. Entracte: Stones In My Passway

6. Idumea

7. The Husbandman And The Servingman

8. The Rolling Of The Stones

9. The Bitter Withy

10. The Banks Of The Nile

11. Wondrous Love [Side 2]

12. Mediaeval Mystery Tour

13. Divertissement: Upon The Bough

14. Ratcliff Highway

15. The Brisk Young Widow

16. Interlude: The Pembroke Unique Ensemble

17. John Barleycorn

18. The Agincourt

Tracks 1 to 18 are their third and final studio album "Galleries" - 1968 UK LP on Transatlantic TRA 172 and in the USA on Vanguard VSD-79295 in Stereo. It was reissued in June 1973 in the UK as "Galleries Revisited" (same tracks) on Transatlantic TRA SAM 30. The reissue highlighted that Dolly Collins arranged "What If A Day" and that both Dave Swarbrick and Sandy Denny were on the track "Interlude: The Pembroke Unique Ensemble".

19. Chicken On A Raft [Side 1]

20. Randy Dandy-O

21. Shanties (4 Tracks): Fire Maringo/Hanging Johnny/Bring 'Em Down/Haul On The Bowline

Tracks 19 to 21 are the 6-track 1967 UK "Chicken On A Raft" EP on Transatlantic Records TRA EP 164

THE YOUNG TRADITION was:
PETER BELLAMY with HEATHER and ROYNSTON WOOD - All Three Acapella Vocals for the first two LPs, played instruments for some of album number three - "Galleries"
Guests on the "Galleries" album - Sandy Denny, Dave Swarbrick, Dolly Collins, Chris Hogwood, Arrangements by Bert Jansch and John Renbourn on "Mediaeval Mystery Tour"

The outer card slipcase adds these BGO releases a touch of the special while the 20-page booklet is impressively chunky with fantastically detailed new liner notes from JOHN O’REGAN. The first half of the booklet repro’s the liner notes of each original album that explained in knowledgeable and witty tongue the history of the largely Acapella songs – so you get a huge swath of info as well as visuals. There is little hiss apparent as the three voices harmonize in that ‘nowt lad’ old England way and when the songs come accompanied by a lone acoustic guitar – the audio is gorgeous. These are beautiful transfers and for those used to the crackly original LPs – the clarity will come as a shock.

The debut album is stark reminder of the power of English Male and Female voices – three harmonizing as they sing lyrics about fire and fleet and candle neat in "The Lyre Wake Dirge". We hear of Royston sing about the poor in "Dives And Lazarus" and a marriage to a sailor for "Pretty Nancy Of Yarmouth" who couldn’t be true to her man away on the wide ocean blue. In truth, you either love this finger-in-the-ear kind of stark Folk or you don’t – but if you do – what a treat.

Album number two opens with more ordinary folk filling soft pillows with thoughts of true love in "The Season Round" and spending tuppence-a-basket on "Watercress-O". A wee squawler is born to a hassled young lad in "The Single Man's Warning" - but his wife is gossiping instead of making him dinner when he staggers home from a hard day's graft.

The third album finally introduced a Guitar, Whistle, concertina, tambour - and part of accompanying group The Early Music Consort turned out to have future Fairport Convention and Fotheringay leading lights Dave Swarbrick (Fiddle and Mandolin) and Sandy Denny (Piano) amidst their ranks (they are on "Interlude: The Pembroke Unique Ensemble"). Future Harvest Records recording star Dolly Collins is in there too playing something called a Portative Organ (I think its on the instrumental "Medieval Mystery Tour"). It makes songs like "The Barley Straw" feel so much fuller. The "Galleries" album also allowed each a solo performance – Heather Wood on "What If A Day" and "The Rolling Of The Stones", Peter Bellamy on "Ratcliff Highway" and Royston Wood on "Brisk Young Widow". They even went in for some faux scratchy 78” Blues with the cleverly disguised "The Loyal Lover". Fotheringay fans will recognize "The Banks Of The Nile" (maybe Sandy heard it here first) and Traffic fans their "John Barleycorn". The "Galleries" is accomplished and feels like the album the first two were trying to be.

For sure three whole albums of ye olde Acapella English Folk by THE YOUNG TRADITION may be too much for even the committed – but its beautifully rendered and if you're a fan – an absolute must own…

"Woodsmoke And Oranges/Jack-Knife Gypsy" by PAUL SIEBEL – February 1970 and March 1971 on Elektra Records David Bromberg, Richard Greene, Weldon Myrick, Buddy Emmons, Ralph Schuckett and Russ Kunkel with Bernie Leadon (of The Flying Burrito Bros and Eagles) and Doug Kershaw (August 2004 UK Elektra/Warner Strategic Marketing Reissue – 2LPs onto 1CD Plus One Bonus Track - Bill Inglot and Dan Hersch Remaster) - A Review by Mark Barry...

"...Long Afternoons..."

A little like Fred Neil – New Yorker PAUL SIEBEL made a couple of rather gorgeous but commercially unsuccessful albums and then left the industry abruptly.

This truly beautiful sounding CD for Siebel is part of the 2 Classic Elektra Albums Series that started in late 2001 and continued into the summer of 2004 (see list below). The series primarily gathered together two rare Elektra Records Folk albums from the Sixties and Seventies onto 1CD (including some Blues and Country acts too). Paul Siebel's two lone albums "Woodsmoke And Oranges" (1970) and "Jack-Knife Gypsy" (1971) are firmly in the Country Rock vein with occasional flourishes of Folk Tunes and singer-songwriter Rock. Both have been compared both vocally and stylistically to Bob Dylan's "Nashville Skyline" from 1969 where the Bobster embraced Country Music big time – and that’s an accurate comparison. Let’s get to the nasal details...

UK released August 2004 – "Woodsmoke And Oranges/Jack-Knife Gypsy" by PAUL SIEBEL on Elektra/Warner Strategic Marketing 8122 76507-2 (Barcode 081227650728) is part of the 2 Classic Elektra Albums CD Reissue Series of Remasters and breaks down as follows (77:15 minutes):

1. She Made Me Loose My Blues

2. Miss Cherry Lane

3. Nashville Again

4. The Ballad Of Honest Sam

5. Then Came The Children

6. Louise [Side 2]

7. Bride 1945

8. My Town

9. Any Day Woman

10. Long Afternoons

Tracks 1 to 10 are his debut album "Woodsmoke And Oranges" – released February 1970 in the UK and USA on Elektra EKS 74064. Produced by PETER K. SIEGEL – all songs were written by Paul Siebel.

PAUL SIEBEL – Acoustic and 12-String Guitar

DAVID BROMBERG – Acoustic, Electric Guitar and Dobro

DON BROOKS – Harmonica (on "Then Came The Children")

RICHARD GREENE – Violin (on "Miss Cherry Lane" and "The Ballad Of Honest Sam")

JEFF GUTCHEON – Piano And Organ

WELDON MYRICK – Pedal Steel Guitar

GARY WHITE – Bass

JAMES MADISON - Drums

11. Jasper & The Miners

12. If I Could Stay

13. Jack-Knife Gypsy

14. Prayer Song

15. Legend Of The Captain’s Daughter

16. Hillbilly Child [Side 2 – see Note]

17. Pinto Pony

18. Miss Jones

19. Jeremiah’s Song

20. Uncle Dudley

21. Chips Are Down

Tracks 11 to 21 are his 2nd album "Jack-Knife Gypsy" – released March 1971 in the UK and USA on Elektra EKS 74081. Produced by ZACHARY – all songs were written by Paul Siebel.

Note: Side 2 of original UK and US vinyl LPs had the track running order as follows 21, 17, 16, 20, 18 and 19. For some unexplained reason the CD track list lines them up in a different configuration (as listed above).

PAUL SIEBEL – Rhythm Guitar And Vocals

BOB WARFORD and CLARENCE WHITE – Lead Guitars

JIMMY BUCHANAN – Violin and Viola

BUDDY EMMONS – Pedal Steel Guitar

DAVID GRISMAN – Mandolin

RALPH SCHUCKETT – Piano and Organ

BILLY WOLFE – Bass

RUSS KUNKEL – Drums

Other Sidemen – Paul Dillon, Peter Ecklund, Doug Kershaw, Peter Kuvashka, Bernie Leadon (of Dillard & Clarke, Flying Burrito Brothers and Eagles), Ralph Lee Smith and Gary White

BONUS TRACK:

22. Nervous (Take 5 - Previously Unreleased Outtake)

The card-wrap that accompanies all of these '2 Classic Elektra Albums' CDs lends the release a very classy feel. The 12-page booklet features most of the original artwork for these two rare early Seventies albums - the track lists, musician credits and a small essay on the reclusive singer by Peter Doggett of Record Collector magazine fame (author of several music books too). There’s even lyrics to "The Ballad Of Honest Sam" and "Louise" against the backdrop of colour photos. It’s nicely done. But the really big news for fans is a truly gorgeous remaster from original tapes by DAN HERSCH – an Engineer familiar to many collectors who’ve bought any Rhino CD reissue in the last 30 years. This CD sounds stupendous – clear, warm and never over-amped for the sake of it. When you play the two stunning acoustic-only tracks on "Woodsmoke And Oranges" – "My Town" and "Long Afternoons" – the audio can only be described as perfection.

The first album opens with the hick Country of "She Made Me Loose My Blues" with the Pedal Steel of Weldon Myrick to the fore. We get a little Randy Newman with "Miss Cherry Lane" which was actually put out as a single in the UK (B-side) in March 1970 on Elektra EKSN 45085 with "Bride 1945" on the A-side. Of all the Country tracks on here my personal fave is "The Ballad Of Honest Sam" – a song about a card cheat who fooled sad-eyed losers by appearing to be 'honest' (Siebel sounds identikit to Dylan on "Nashville Skyline" – a good thing in my book). Both the lovely "Louise" and "Any Day Woman" were covered by an 18-year old friend of Siebel – Bonnie Raitt (as well as others after her). But my crave on this superb debut album is the two acoustic-only tunes – "My Town" and "Long Afternoons" – both as gorgeous as Seventies singer-songwriter gets. "My Town" laments a friend who gave his life in Vietnam while "Long Afternoons" is a straight-up love-song about a lady with a kindly touch and "...soft brown hair in the sun on long afternoons..."

Despite the larger crew of musicians (some big names too) - the second LP is weaker in my eyes than the first. On the upside you get “Prayer Song” where he successfully mixes Pedal Steel with Richard Green strings – a lovely builder of a song. “Pinto Pony” jaunts along nicely too while “Chips Are Down” pours on the melodrama about being a man when the "chips are down". The Bonus Track turns out to be Take 5 of a song called "Nervous" - it's good but hardly great. In fact Siebel’s nasal whine and the over-reliance on Country Rock with Pedal Steel can make some of the songs seem repetitive – but that first album “Woodsmoke And Oranges” has magic on it more than once or twice - it really does. And with that gorgeous audio – and those powerfully humane lyrics - this CD reissue is a shoe-in to touch your heart more than you would guess. Dig in and enjoy...

Other titles in the '2 Classic Elektra Albums' CD series are:

1. David Blue (1966) / Singer Songwriter Project (1965) - DAVID BLUE

2. Tim Buckley (1966) / Goodbye And Hello (1967) - TIM BUCKLEY

3. The Paul Butterfield Blues Band (1965) / East West (1967) - THE BUTTERFIELD BLUES BAND

4. The Resurrection Of Pigboy Crabshaw (January 1968) / In My Own Dream (August 1968) - THE BUTTERFIELD BLUES BAND

5. Heads & Tails (March 1972) / Sniper And Other Love Songs (October 1972) – HARRY CHAPIN

6. A Maid Of Constant Sorrow (1961) / Golden Apples Of The Sun (1962) - JUDY COLLINS

7. Judy Collins No. 3 (1963) / The Judy Collins Concert (1964) - JUDY COLLINS

8. Wildflowers (1967) / Who Knows Where The Time Goes (1968) - JUDY COLLINS

9. Back Porch Bluegrass (1963) / Live!!!! Almost!!!! (1964) - THE DILLARDS

10. Earth Opera (1968) / The Great American Eagle Tragedy (1969) – EARTH OPERA

11. Judy Henske [Live] (1963) / High Flying Bird (1964) - JUDY HENSKE

12. The Incredible String Band (1966) / The 5000 Spirits Or The Layers Of Onions (1967) – THE INCREDIBLE STRING BAND

13. Blues, Rags & Hollers (1963) / Lots More Blues, Rags & Hollers (1964) – "SPIDER" JOHN KOERNER, DAVE "SNAKE" RAY & TONY "LITTLE SON" GLOVER

14. All The News That's Fit To Sing (1964) / I Ain't Marching Anymore (1965) - PHIL OCHS

15. Ramblin' Boy (1964) / Ain't That News (1965) - TOM PAXTON

16. Outward Bound (1966) / Morning Again (1968) - TOM PAXTON

17. Tom Rush (1965) / Talk A Little Walk With Me (1966) - TOM RUSH

18. Woodsmoke And Oranges (1970) / Jack-Knife Gypsy (1971) - PAUL SIEBEL