"The Brunswick Anthology" by BARBARA ACKLIN (September 2002 Brunswick 2CD Compilation - Ivan Joseph Goldberg Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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"…Here Is A Heart…"

Some Soul singers have a palatable sweetness to their delivery – at ease with either rapture or heartache and always capable of delivering a song performance that regularly renders even the most diehard fan weak at the knees. They make you smile. They move you pure and simple. Oakland’s Barbara Jean Acklin is one of those.

Her heyday at Brunswick Records between 1968 and 1973 has been reissued extensively in both Europe and Japan - albeit on now deleted and expensive CDs – but if you want a comprehensive one-stop that isn’t going to break the bank but still deliver on quality Remastered Audio – then 2002's "The Brunswick Anthology" has all the right curves. Here are the womanly details...

UK released September 2002 – "The Brunswick Anthology" by BARBARA ACKLIN on Brunswick BICD1002 (Barcode 5060029810221) is a 36-track 2CD set of Remasters and breaks down as follows:

Disc 1 (49:01 minutes):

1. Fool, Fool, Fool (Look In The Mirror) (1967 USA 7" single on Brunswick 55319, A)

2. I've Got You Baby (1967 USA 7" single on Brunswick 55355, A)

3. What The World Needs Now (Is Love Sweet Love) (from her 1968 US LP "Love Makes A Woman" on Brunswick BL 754137)

4. Come And See Me Baby (1968 USA 7" single on Brunswick 55379, B-side to "Love Makes A Woman")

5. Love Makes A Woman (1968 USA 7" single on Brunswick 55379, A)

6. Your Sweet Loving (1967 USA 7" single on Brunswick 55319, B-side of "Fool, Fool, Fool (Look In The Mirror)")

7. Yes I See Love (I Missed) (from her 1968 US LP "Love Makes A Woman" on Brunswick BL 754137)

8. Be By My Side (1969 USA 7" single on Brunswick 55399, B-side to "Am I The Same Girl")

9. Just Ain't No Love (1968 USA 7" single on Brunswick 55388, A)

10. Am I The Same Girl (1969 USA 7" single on Brunswick 55399, A)

11. Here Is A Heart (from her 1969 US LP "Seven Days Of Night" on Brunswick BL 754148)

12. Mr. Sunshine (Where Is My Shadow) (from her 1969 US LP "Seven Days Of Night" on Brunswick BL 754148)

13. Seven Days Of Night (1969 USA 7" single on Brunswick 755412, B-side of "A Raggedy Ride")

14. Love Had To Come To Stay (from her 1969 US LP "Seven Days Of Night" on Brunswick BL 754148)

15. You've Been In Love Too Long (from the 1970 US LP "Someone Else's Arms" on Brunswick BL 754156)

16. Show Me The Way To Go (1968 USA 7" single on Brunswick 55366, A, credited to GENE CHANDLER and BABARA ACKLIN)

17. Love Won't Start (1968 USA 7" single on Brunswick 55366, B-side to "Show Me The Way To Go", credited to GENE CHANDLER and BABARA ACKLIN)

18. From The Teacher To The Preacher (1968 USA 7" single on Brunswick 55387, A, credited to GENE CHANDLER and BARBARA ACKLIN)

Disc 2 (56:47 minutes):

1. Someone Else's Arms (1970 USA 7" single on Brunswick 755433, A)

2. After You (1969 USA 7” single on Brunswick 755421, A)

3. What's It Gonna Be (from her US LP "Someone Else's Arms" on Brunswick BL 754156)

4. More Today Than Yesterday (from her US LP "Someone Else's Arms" on Brunswick BL 754156)

5. Spinning Wheel (from her US LP "Someone Else's Arms" on Brunswick BL 754156)

6. I Did It (1970 USA 7" single on Brunswick 55440, A)

7. Make The Man Love You (1971 USA 7" single on Brunswick B 55447, B-side of "I Can't Do My Thing")

8. I Can't Do My Thing (1971 USA 7" single on Brunswick B 55447, A)

9. I'm Living With A Memory (1970 USA 7" single on Brunswick 55440, B-side to "I Did It")

10. Lady, Lady, Lady (1971 USA 7" single on Brunswick 55465, A)

11. I Call It Trouble (1972 USA 7” single on Brunswick 55486, A)

12. I'll Bake Me A Man (from the 1972 US LP "I Call It Trouble" on Brunswick BL 754187)

13. Portrait Of A Broken Heart (from the 1972 US LP "I Call It Trouble" on Brunswick BL 754187)

14. Stop, Look And Listen (1971 USA 7" single on Brunswick 55465, B-side of "Lady, Lady, Lady")

15. It's A Groovy Idea (from the 1972 US LP "I Call It Trouble" on Brunswick BL 754187)

16. Anywhere But Nowhere (1968 USA 7" single on Brunswick 55387, B-side to "From The Teacher To The Preacher", credited to GENE CHANDLER and BARBARA ACKLIN)

17. Will I Find Love (1969 USA 7” single on Brunswick 55405, B-side of "Little Green Apples", credited to GENE CHANDLER and BARBARA ACKLIN)

18. Little Green Apples (1969 USA 7" single on Brunswick 55405, A, credited to GENE CHANDLER and BARBARA ACKLIN)

The functional 8-page liner notes (no name provided) give a scant few pages to Barbara's history (born 1944 in Chicago, passed away 1998, she was married to Eugene Record of The Chi-Lites for some years) and basic track lists that can't even be bothered to offer you catalogue numbers (I've found them out myself for this review). 

But the Audio more than makes up for the lack of decent annotation. Although it doesn't say who did the transfers and remasters – if this double is based on the 2002 single-CD set "20 Greatest Hits" also on Brunswick – I'm certain the superb remastered sound comes courtesy of IVAN JOSEPH GOLDBERG who used original master tapes. Add to this the fact that Brunswick had the awesome talents of 5-time Grammy Winner BRUCE SWEDIEN as their Engineer – and classics like "Just Ain't No Love", "Love Makes A Woman" or "Am I The Same Girl" (a lyric version of "Soulful Strut" by Young-Holt Unlimited) – clobber you with truly fantastic audio quality. That backing rhythm of drums and piano punctuated by great brass fills – slinky keys – what a blast.

Across the two CDs you get all of the 7 hit entries she had on the American Billboard R&B charts – "Show Me The Way To Go" with Gene Chandler (No. 30 in March 1968), "Love Makes A Woman" (No. 3 in July 1968), "From The Teacher To The Preacher" with Gene Chandler (No. 16 in November 1968), "Just Ain't No Love" (No. 23 in December 1968), "Am I The Same Girl" (No. 33 in March 1969), "After You" (No. 30 in November 1969) and "I Did It" (No. 28 in October 1970). But the real joy for collectors here is those rare non-album B-sides running alongside choice LP cuts – the kind of stuff that rarely makes your usual compilation fodder. I'm digging ace flipsides like "Come And See Me", "Be By My Side" and "Make The Man Love You" that compliment cool album cuts like "What's It Gonna Be", the sophisticated "More Than Yesterday" from her 3rd Brunswick album "Somebody Else's Arms" and her wicked cover of the Blood, Sweat & Tears classic "Spinning Wheel" (written by Lead Singer David Clayton-Thomas).

It's also a blast to have both the famous A-side "Love Makes A Woman" nestle with its less famous B-side "Come And See Me Baby" on the same compilation – what a winning pair. Another joyous single that deserves more attention on the Northern Soul circuit is "After You" – a finger-clicking slice of pure 60ts Soul heaven. The groovy piano and organ backing that bedrocks "Just Ain't No Love" is typical of her material with Brunswick – upbeat, dancefloor friendly and irresistible. Downsides - the booklet is poor really when with a bit of effort it could have done her musical legacy the honours it deserves and Disc 1 could easily have included rare 7" singles like "A Raggedy Ride" or even a few choice album cuts from the 2nd LP "Seven Days Of Night" - but alas...

There is a single-disc 20-track variant available Stateside that I’ve also reviewed called (unimaginatively) "20 Greatest Hits". It came out February 2002 on Brunswick BRC 33011-2 (Barcode 646953301124 will locate the right issue) in the USA, runs to 59:04 minutes, has a functional 6-page inlay but more importantly enjoys that same great remastered-sound. In fact "20 Greatest Hits" is available online for less than four quid in places and would suffice if the double feels like too much of an outlay. But in truth - even as a casual buyer - I'd try to spend the few extra spondulicks – you’ll be 'so' glad you did.

It doesn’t take Mensa genius to work out that Brunswick Records housed some truly gorgeous Soul in its classy roster of artists (Jackie Wilson, Erma Franklin, Gene Chandler, Tyrone Davis and of course The Chi-Lites). And you would have to say that Barbara Acklin’s stay between 1967 and 1973 epitomises that with style.

"...Oh yes it's love...that makes a woman..." Succumb to the call people…

"20 Greatest Hits" by BARBARA ACKLIN (2002 Brunswick CD Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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"…Love Makes A Woman…"

"20 Greatest Hits" is probably not going to win an 'Original Title Of The Year' award at a Various Artists Prize-Winning convention any time soon – but this is one of those boring looking 'hits' sets that so works on the two fronts that matter – top track choices and great audio. The fire was burning indeed. Here are the womanly details…

US released February 2002 – "20 Greatest Hits" by BARBARA ACKLIN on Brunswick BRC 33011-2 (Barcode 646953301124) breaks down as follows (59:04 minutes):

1. Love Makes A Woman (1968 USA 7” single on Brunswick 55379, A)

2. Just Ain’t No Love (1968 USA 7” single on Brunswick 55388, A)

3. Am I The Same Girl (1969 USA 7” single on Brunswick 55399, A)

4. Fool, Fool, Fool (Look In The Mirror) (1967 USA 7” single on Brunswick 55319, A)

5. Portrait Of A Broken Heart (from the 1972 US LP “I Call It Trouble” on Brunswick BL 754187)

6. You’ve Been In Love Too Long (from the 1970 US LP “Someone Else’s Arms” on Brunswick BL 754156)

7. I Did It (1970 USA 7” single on Brunswick 55440, A)

8. After You (1969 USA 7” single on Brunswick 55421, A)

9. Stop, Look And Listen (1971 USA 7” single on Brunswick 55465, B)

10. Lady, Lady, Lady (1971 USA 7” single on Brunswick 55465, A)

11. Make The Man Love You (from the 1971 US LP “I Did It” on Brunswick BL 754166)

12. I Call It Trouble (1972 USA 7” single on Brunswick 55486, A)

13. Be By My Side (1969 USA 7” single on Brunswick 55399, B)

14. Yes I See Love (from her 1968 LP “Love Makes A Woman” on Brunswick BL 754137)

15. To Sir With Love (from her 1968 LP “Love Makes A Woman” on Brunswick BL 754137)

16. Someone Else’s Arms (1970 USA 7” single on Brunswick 55433, B-side of “Is It Me”)

17. It’s A Groovy Idea (from the 1972 US LP “I Call It Trouble” on Brunswick BL 754187)

18. From The Teacher To The Preacher (1968 USA 7” single on Brunswick 55387, A, credited to GENE CHANDLER and BARBARA ACKLIN)

19. I’ll Bake Me A Man (from the 1972 US LP “I Call It Trouble” on Brunswick BL 754187)

20. Show Me The Way To Go (1968 USA 7” single on Brunswick 55366, A, credited to GENE CHANDLER and BABARA ACKLIN)

The 6-page foldout liner notes by JIM DAWSON give an excellent and affectionate overview of her productive stay at Brunswick Records - but it’s the superb remastered sound done by IVAN JOSEPH GOLDBERG (from original tapes) that clobbers you. Brunswick had the awesome talents of 5-time Grammy Winner BRUCE SWEDIEN as their Engineer and when you rehear classics like “Just Ain’t No Love” or “Am I The Same Girl” (a lyric version of “Soulful Strut” by Young-Holt Unlimited) – the audio quality here is truly fantastic. That backing rhythm of drums and piano punctuated by great brass fills – slinky keys – what a blast.

Even though it includes all of the 7 chart entries she made on the American Billboard R&B charts - for a single-CD compilation you could argue that it’s playing time (like its title) lacks any real imagination. But the track choices are very clever and as you play through it – hugely satisfying as an overall listen. You get classy singles like “Love Makes A Woman” and the two hits she had with Gene Chandler – “From The Teacher To The Preacher” and “Show Me The Way To Go”, really ace flipsides like “Come And See Me” and “Be By My Side” running alongside cool album cuts like “To Sir With Love” (exclusive to this set, not on the 2CD “The Brunswick Anthology”).

It doesn’t take Mensa genius to work out that Brunswick Records housed some truly gorgeous Soul in its classy roster of artists (Jackie Wilson, Erma Franklin, Gene Chandler, Tyrone Davis and of course The Chi-Lites) - and you have to say that Barbara Acklin’s stay between 1967 and 1973 epitomises that with style.

A fab CD reissue – and unlike "The Brunswick Anthology" and "The Complete" which are now deleted and have acquired hefty price tags – this brill little set is still readily available for a reasonable price and wanting to bring love into your home. Succumb to its call…

"The Warner Brothers Year: Hits, Remixes & Rarities" by ASHFORD & SIMPSON (February 2008 Rhino 2CD Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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"…Have You Ever Tried It…"

In truth - songwriting giants (Nicolas) ASHFORD and (Valerie) SIMPSON probably need - no deserve - a 3 or 4CD box set to document their extraordinary contributions to Soul, Funk and Disco - especially in that halcyon decade of the Seventies.

But in lieu of that – this superbly remastered 2008 2CD set on Rhino will have to do. Here are the details for those elusive but tasty Promo-Onlys…

US released February 2008 – "The Warner Brothers Year: Hits, Remixes & Rarities" by ASHFORD & SIMPSON on Rhino R2 347964 (Barcode 081227995065) is a 2CD set of Remasters and breaks down as follows:

Disc 1 (75:42 minutes):

1. Over And Over (12" Disco Mix) (May 1977 USA Promo-Only 12" single on Warner Brothers PRO 648)

2. Everybody's Got To Give It Up (from the 1974 US LP "I Wanna Be Selfish" on Warner Brothers BS 2789)

3. On More Try (12" Disco Mix) (January 1976 USA Promo-Only 12" single on Warner Brothers PRO 676)

4. Have You Ever Tried It (from the 1973 US LP "Gimme Something Real" on Warner Brothers BS 2739)

5. Tried, Tested And Found True (12" Disco Mix) (May 1977 USA Promo-Only 12" single on Warner Brothers PRO 648)

6. Send It (from the September 1977 USA LP "Send It" on Warner Brothers BS 3088)

7. Top Of The Stairs (from the September 1977 USA LP "Send It" on Warner Brothers BS 3088)

8. Don't Cost You Nothing (12" Disco Mix) (December 1977 USA Promo-only 12" single on Warner Brothers PRO 706)

9. It Seems To Hang On (12" Disco Mix) (July 1978 USA Promo-Only 12" single on Warner Brothers PRO 748)

10. Found A Cure (12" Disco Mix) (June 1979 USA Promo-only 12" single on Warner Brothers DWBS 8874)

11. Nobody Knows (12" Disco Mix) (October 1979 USA Promo-Only 12" single on Warner Brothers PRO-A-837)

12. Love Don't Make It Right (12" Disco Mix) (June 1980 USA Promo-Only 12" single on Warner Brothers PRO-A-884)

13. Stay Free (from the August 1979 US LP "Stay Free" on Warner Brothers 3357)

14. Bourgie Bourgie (from the September 1977 USA LP "Send It" on Warner Brothers BS 3088)

Disc 2 (All Remixes Done in 2008, 77:04 minutes):

1. Found A Cure (A Tom Moulton Mix, 10:34 minutes)

2. It Seems To Hang On (Tommy Musto Re-Touch, 8:28 minutes)

3. One More Try (Dimitri Re-Edit, 7:59 minutes)

4. Bourgie Bourgie (Joe Claussell's Classic Remix, 11:20 minutes)

5. Over And Over (Simphouse/M&M Mix, 9:01 minutes)

6. Stay Free (Dim’s The Missing Mix, 7:49 minutes)

7. Love Don't Make It Right (Joey Negro Mix)

8. Tried, Tested And Found True (Simphouse/M&M Soulful Mix, 7:38 minutes)

9. Stay Free (Dim's Club Mix, 7:44 minutes)

The 16-page booklet (inside a 3-way foldout hard card sleeve) has liners notes by DAVID NATHAN, a Producer’s Note about the 12" singles from JOHNNY "D" DeMARIO and PAUL SIMPSON, with further reminiscences in the final few pages from Ashford & Simpson themselves. 

RICK EESIG did the remasters in New York and the audio quality is fantastic – crowd-pleasers like "Have You Ever Tried It" sounding so fresh and alive. As you can also see from the track list on Disc 1 – lots of those elusive American Promo-only 12" Mixes make their debut on CD here. Take the piano-boogie of "Tried, Tested And Found True" – the Disco Mix runs to 5:28 minutes – and not say a pointless 9 or ten minutes. It has string and brass breaks throughout and a huge rhythm section that threatens at times to overtake the whole song – and yet the remaster allows the lot to shine.

The punch off the fabulous and technically brilliant instrumental "Bourgie Bourgie" is the same – it’s six minutes of sweetness feeling lush and sexy and properly funky in a way that only Seventies Soul seemed to be. Even by 1979 and “Stay Free” – they still seemed relevant and the title-track has a gorgeous Anthony Jackson bass line (listening to Chic a lot I dare say). Eric Gale's funky guitar flicks on "Found A Cure" (another winner from the "Stay Free" album) are very clear too as is that great string/brass backing. More hooky melodies kick in with the monster “Love Don’t Make It Right” – a tune that used to slay the dancers whenever I DJ'd it back in the nightclub day. And I love that effortless funk they got on "It Seems To Hang On" (easy to see why Rhino also issued this as a 4 x 12" single set – DJs wanting those grooves so bad).

Of the remixes I went straight for the huge eleven minutes of "Bourgie Bourgie" and although it mostly works – it kind of overstays its welcome a tad no matter how much I love it (a clever update from Claussell nonetheless). The same applies to "Over And Over" – the mix dominating instead of the melody – drum machine sounds etc. Joey Negro's take on "Love Don't Make It Right" ups the pace and features a faster funky backing track - but again you can't help feel that the original got it just right. The most successful one here for me is Dimitri's re-working of "One More Try" – still funky with Elliott Randall and Eric Gale's guitar work peaking through all the time to great effect (Elliott Randall did the stunning guitar work on Steely Dan's "Reeling In The Years" back in 1972). 

As I said earlier - someone needs to get a proper Box Set together for ASHFORD and SIMPSON – more tracks from 1980's "A Musical Affair" – the Side 4 studio stuff from the 1981's "Performance" double live and more. 

But in the meantime there is this to savour – even if it has started to accumulate a rather nasty price tag since deletion. Despite the fact that you probably won’t play much of Disc 2 – Disc 1 is worth every funky remixed cent. Recommended...

"Ducks Deluxe/Taxi To The Terminal Zone" by DUCKS DELUXE - 1974 and 1975 UK Albums on RCA Victor Records featuring Sean Tyla (January 2002 UK Beat Goes On Records (BGO) Compilation - 2LPs onto 2CDs - Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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CLASSIC 1970s ROCK and POP - Exceptional CD Remasters  

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"...We Sang The Songs We Loved..."

Ah Pub Rock - I was a devotee and truth be told - still am.

Sean Tyla's wonderful and fondly remembered DUCKS DELUXE signed to RCA Records in 1973 and promptly pumped out two Seventies Rock 'n' Roll/Pub Rock albums one year apart - the superb and criminally overlooked "Ducks Deluxe" debut in February 1974 followed the next year in February 1975 by the Dave Edmunds Produced "Taxi To The Terminal Zone" - a title taken from a lyric in Chuck Berry's 1964 classic "Promised Land" - a song Edmunds had covered himself back in 1972 on his Regal Zonophone LP "Rockpile". And that's where this wicked little British Beat Goes On twofer CD set comes swaggering in. Here are the boppin' beers and barstools...

UK released January 2002 - "Ducks Deluxe/Taxi To The Terminal Zone" by DUCKS DELUXE on Beat Goes On BGOCD 539 (Barcode 5017261205391) offers 2 albums Remastered onto 2CDs and plays out as follows:

Disc 1 "Ducks Deluxe" - 44:24 minutes:

1. Coast To Coast [Side 1]

2. Nervous Breakdown

3. Daddy Put The Bomp

4. I Got You

5. Please, Please, Please

6. Fireball

7. Don't Mind Rocking Tonite [Side 2]

8. Hearts On My Sleeve

9. Falling For That Woman

10. West Coast Trucking Board

11. Too Hot To Handle

12. It's All Over Now

Tracks 1 to 12 are their debut album "Ducks Deluxe" - released February 1974 in the UK and USA on RCA Victor LPL1 5008. Produced by DAVE BLOXHAM - it didn't chart. Tracks 1 and 5 written by Nick Garvey, Tracks 3, 6, 9, 10 and 11 written by Sean Tyla, Tracks 4 and 8 written by Martin Belmont with Track 7 co-written by Martin Belmont and Nick Garvey – Track 2 is an Eddie Cochran cover version while Track 11 is a cover of a Valentino's 1964 single written by Bobby Womack.

Disc 2 - "Taxi To The Terminal Zone" - 38:10 minutes:

1. Cherry Pie [Side 1]

2. It Doesn't Matter Tonite

3. I'm Crying

4. Love's Melody

5. Teenage Head

6. Rio Grande [Side 2]

7. My My Music

8. Rainy Night In Kilburn

9. Woman Of The Man

10. Paris 9

Tracks 1 to 10 are their second studio album "Taxi To The Terminal Zone" - released February 1975 in the UK on RCA Records SF 8402. Produced by DAVE EDMUNDS (he also plays Pedal Steel Guitar on "Rio Grande" and Rhythm Guitar on "Paris 9") - it didn't chart. Tracks 2, 6, 9 and 10 written by Sean Tyla, Track 1 co-written by Martin Belmont and Sean Tyla, Tracks 3 and 7 written by Nick Garvey, Track 4 written by Andrew McMasters and Track 5 is a Flamin' Groovies cover version.

DUCKS DELUXE was:

SEAN TYLA - Lead Vocals, Rhythm and Wah Wah Guitar and Keyboards

MARTIN BELMONT - Lead Guitar and Lead Vocals

NICK GARVEY - Bass Guitar and Lead Vocals

TIM ROPER - Drums and Backing Vocals

ANDREW McMASTER - Keyboards and Vocals for the "Taxi To The Terminal Zone" LP only

The 8-page inlay may look like a slight affair but with liner notes from original band member MARTIN BELMONT illuminated the history of almost every song - it's actually a hugely informative read. There’s a black and white photo of the four-piece band beneath the text and see-through CD trays – but not a lot else. As with so many of these early BGO releases - there is no mastering credits but with the material licensed from BMG - I'm suspecting these are quality ANDREW THOMPSON Remasters because the audio on this is Ace. The Dave Edmunds Produced second LP in particular sounds fabulous (the plaintive ballad "I'm Crying" for instance) - done at his own Rockfield Studios in Wales in late 1974.

The "Ducks Deluxe" self-titled debut is a winner I return to again and again - the kind of album you play to death - side after side. It even gets better as the years-pass and the grey hairs accumulate while the grey matter dissipates. A count-in asks if the kids are ready to Rock 'n' Roll in "Coast To Coast" - a snotty number that is a huge fave amongst fans. It was an obvious kick-ass single so RCA rush-released Nick Garvey's punky rocker in November 1973 (RCA 2438) with the non-album "Bring Back That Packard Car" on the flip-side. Damn shame someone didn't think to include that rarity as a Bonus Track here. There follows a truly cool version of Eddie Cochran's "Nervous Breakdown" - another show-stopper and one the blessed Eddie would surely have approved of. The bare but utterly brilliant "Daddy Put The Bomp" is the kind of simplistic tune about Rock 'n' Roll that eats its way into your heart - Texas and Swamps and Ladies and Eddie singing "Summertime Blues" again. Belmont admits to a Stax Records obsession in the decidedly Otis-sounding "I Got You". He rightly acknowledges the horn section 'The Sons Of The Jungle' who were George Larnyah on Tenor Sax, Peter Van Der Puij on Baritone Sax and Eddie Quansah on Trumpet - they play also on "Falling For That Woman" and are also on the Toots and The Maytals classic "Funky Kingston". Side 1 comes bopping to a finish with the 1964 Beatles strum of "Please, Please, Please" and probably their most popular raver - "Fireball" - Belmont revealing that the chordal guitar is probably based on "Sweet Jane" from the Velvet's 1970 "Loaded" album.

Side 2 opens with another snotty roar - the manic "Don't Mind Rocking Tonite" - another American homage that also features Bob Andrews of Brinsley Schwarz on keyboards (he also contributes the same to "West Coast Trucking Board" and "Too Hot To Handle"). Belmont gives short shift to his own "Hearts On My Sleeve" but I like its Rockpile feel. A cigarette being lit opens the second big ballad - the slow and soulful "Falling For That Woman" - the kind of great Soul-Rock song you want a band to play in a pub with a just few pints taken and the emotions oiled enough to flow like a river as the singer digs in - recalling his foolish fall for a lady that return the compliment. I love this song and the Remaster is great. The side comes to an end with three goodies - the very Band-sounding "West Texas Trucking Board" where Bob Andrews anchors the story-song with a superb swirling organ sound. It's followed by the slightly out-of-place clavinet-funk of "Too Hot To Handle" where Ducks Deluxe have been listening to too much Ace and not absorbing Paul Carrack's knack for Soul properly. But it ends on a high - a cover of the 1964 Valentino's classic "It's All Over". Written by Bobby Womack - it is of course more closely associated with The Rolling Stones who sort of made it their own. Great album, great finish...

I can still remember the sting of LP number 2 - somehow it felt flat compared to the debut - lack of good song. It's actually hard to nail down why it doesn't quite lift off - but being Ducks Deluxe - there are plenty of moments well worth owning. Nick Garvey used to roadie equipment for the American Rock 'n' Roll ravers The Flamin' Groovies so DD's cover of their "Teenage Head" was a perfect fit. Tyla does his best Bob Dylan Texas Outlaw voice for "Rio Grande" aided and abetted by Edmunds who plays a mean Pedal Steel behind that 'Blonde On Blonde' organ throughout (saddle up boys). At last we get what feels like some half decent Pub Rock in "My My Music" – the great piano boogie (Andrew McMaster) matching the lyrics about a band that rocks all night playing the music he wants to hear. Trivia fans should note that Wilco Johnson of Dr. Feelgood is apparently amidst the hand-clappers – not that you'd recognise it! Belmont doesn't rate his ballad "Rainy Night In Kilburn" but I actually like the music – with a different vocalist it might have lifted off better. McMaster's lone contribution "Love's Melody" is insanely catchy - predating by a good two to three years the New Wave sound of '77 and '78 that would dominate literally hundreds of English 45s in those explosively creative years.

Both Nick Garvey and Andy McMaster would jump ship after album number two failed - leaving to form The Motors who would go on to have a huge hit with "Airport" in June 1978 on Virgin Records. The band hired in Mick Groome on Bass to replace the lost boys and recorded one final Four-Track EP called "Jumping" for the French label Sky Dog in 1975 - and again a damn shame it wasn't included here as obvious Bonus Tracks material on Disc 2 when there was plenty of room. Tyla would of course form Tyla's Gang and pump out more Rock 'n' Roll/Punky tunes – often providing winners for Dr. Feelgood (check out the Tyla retrospective "Pool Hall Punks: The Complete Recordings 1976-1978" on Esoteric Recordings from August 2016) - while the Ducks Deluxe sound legacy would lead on to Elvis Costello and The Attractions, Graham Parker and The Rumour and the Nick Lowe/Dave Edmunds vehicle Rockpile to name but a few.

For sure the second platter lets the side down somewhat as does the absence of Bonus Cuts on both CDs that would have lifted this release so high. But as I re-listen to "It Don't Matter Tonite" on "Taxi" and "Fireball" on "Ducks Deluxe" - I'm reminded of and transported back to sweaty heaving pubs and Dr. Feelgood and The Kursaal Flyers and Brinsley Schwarz and of course Ducks Deluxe.

And that's the kind of Teenage Nervous Breakdown I like. Thanks for the memories boys...

"The Albums" by GEORDIE - 1973 Debut, 1974, 1976, 1978 and 1981 Albums featuring Brian Johnson later with AC/DC (May 2016 UK Cherry Red/7T's 5CD Mini Box Set Of Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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"...Keep On Rockin'..."

With Brian Johnson's downer-departure from AC/DC in 2016 for health reasons uppermost in fans minds - it's probably a good time to revisit his humble Newcastle beginnings with the rockin' British band GEORDIE. And this is the place to do it...

2016's "The Albums" on Cherry Red's '7T's' label offshoot offers you five CDs in 5" Card Repro Sleeves housed in a natty clamshell Mini Box Set with a beautifully annotated 16-page booklet. You get Geordie's three British studio albums on EMI – the debut "Hope You Like It" from March 1973, the second "Don't Let The Name Fool You" from April 1974 and finally (with the original line-up) "Save The World" from August 1976. The other two are an after-the-band-had-split compilation LP called "No Good Woman" issued by EMI Sweden in 1978 with outtakes, re-recordings and stragglers - and finally a fifth disc called "Brian Johnson and Geordie Revisited" that features later re-records.

The first, third and fourth albums all come with Bonus Tracks (see details below) - while the fifth compilation is eleven 1973 tracks re-visited by Brian Johnson and Vic Malcolm in early 1980 just before Johnson joined AC/DC as their new lead singer (replacing the horrible loss of Bon Scott). A version of those re-recordings was issued on Red Bus Records in many territories after Johnson's global success with the Australian rockers and their mega "Back In Black" album of July 1980 – CD5 even containing what appears to be Previously Unreleased Versions - songs only available here.

There is a ton of detail to get through so let's have at it leggies...

UK released 20 May 2016 (27 May 2016 in the USA) - "The Albums" by GEORDIE on Cherry Red/7T's GLAMBOX160 (Barcode 5013929056008) is a 5CD Mini Box Set of Remasters in 5" Repro Card Artwork that plays out as follows:

Disc 1 - "Hope You Like It" - 59:00 minutes:

1. Keep On Rockin' [Side 1]

2. Give You Till Monday

3. Hope You Like It

4. Don't Do That

5. All Because Of You

6. Old Time Rocker

7. Oh Lord [Side 2]

8. Natural Born Loser

9. Strange Man

10. Ain't It Just Like A Woman

11. Geordie's Lost His Liggie

Tracks 1 to 11 are their debut album "Hope You Like It" - released March 1973 in the UK on EMI Records EMC 3001 and June 1973 in the USA on MGM Records SE-4903 (with different cover art). Produced by ELLIS ELIAS and ROBERTO DANOVA - it didn't chart in either country. All songs written by Vic Malcolm except Track 11 which is a UK Traditional song arranged by the band.

BONUS TRACKS:

12. Francis Was A Rocker - non-album UK 7" single B-side to "Don't Do It" released 27 September 1972 on Regal Zonophone RZ 3067

13. Can You Do It

14. Red Eyed Lady - tracks 13 and 14 are the non-album A&B-sides of a UK 7" single released 1 June 1973 on EMI Records EMI 2031

15. Electric Lady

16. Geordie Stomp - tracks 15 and 16 are the non-album A&B-sides of a UK 7" single released 10 August 1973 on EMI Records EMI 2048

17. Black Cat Woman - non-album A-side to a UK 7" single released 23 November 1973 on EMI Records EMI 2100 (B-side is the LP track "Geordie's Lost His Liggie")

Disc 2 - "Don't Be Fooled By The Name" - 38:57 minutes:

1. Goin' Down [Side 1]

2. House Of The Rising Sun

3. So What

4. Mercenary Man

5. Ten Feet Tall [Side 2]

6. Got To Know

7. Little Boy

8. Look At Me

Tracks 1 to 8 are their second studio album "Don't Be Fooled By The Name" - released April 1974 in the UK on EMI Records EMA 7764 (no US release). Produced by ELLIS ELIAS and ROBERTO DANOVA - it didn't chart in either country. All songs written by Vic Malcolm except "Goin' Down" which was co-written with Brian Johnson and "House Of The Rising Sun" which is a Traditional made famous in Pop by The Animals

Disc 3 - "Save The World" - 51:12 minutes:

1. Mama's Gonna Take You Home [Side 1]

2. She's A Teaser

3. Goodbye Love

4. I Cried Today

5. You Do This To Me

6. Save The World

7. Rocking Horse [Side 2]

8. Fire Queen

9. She's A Lady

10. Light In My Window

11. Ride On Baby

12. We're All Right Now

Tracks 1 to 12 are their third studio album "Save The World" - released August 1976 in the UK on EMI Records/Red Bus EMC 3134 (no US release). Produced by ELLIS ELIAS, ROBERTO DANOVA and PIP WILLIAMS - it didn't chart in either country.

BONUS TRACKS:

13. I Can't Forget You Now

14. I Can't Give It Up - tracks 13 and 14 are the non-album A&B-sides of a Brian Johnson solo UK 7" single released January 1976 on EMI Records EMI 2373

15. Rockin' With The Boys Tonight

16. Treat Her Like A Lady - tracks 16 and 15 (note order) are the non-album A&B-sides of a Brian Johnson with Geordie German 7" single released 1980 on Red Bus Records PB 5769 (its picture sleeve is shown on Page 14 of the booklet)

Disc 4 - "No Good Woman" - 52:08 minutes:

1. No Good Woman [Side 1]

2. Going To The City

3. Wonder Song

4. Rock N Roll Fever

5. Ain't It A Shame

6. Give It All You Got [Side 2]

7. Show Business

8. You've Got It

9. Sweet Little Rock N Roller

10. Victoria

Tracks 1 to 10 are the album "No Good Woman" - released 1978 in France on EMI 2S 068 60773 and in Sweden on EMI Records 7C 062-60793.  Produced by GEORDIE, PETER YELLOWSTONE and JEFF CALVER - it features five unreleased songs by the original line-up with the other five by a new version of the band led by original guitarist Vic Malcolm (he sings vocals on the title track).

BONUS TRACKS:

11. Dollars Deutsche Marks Silver & Gold

12. I Remember - tracks 11 and 12 first appeared 2000 in Sweden as Previously Unreleased songs on the CD Remaster of "Good Woman" on Landmark Records LMK-15014-2

13. Don't Do That (Remix)

14. Keep On Rockin' (Remix) - credited to Geordie (featuring Brian Johnson) - tracks 13 and 14 are 1973 recordings newly remixed as the A&B-sides of a UK 7" single released 13 February 1981 on Red Bus Records RBUS 58

Disc 5 - "Brian Johnson And Geordie" - 40:33 minutes:

1. Ten Feet Tall

2. Can You Do It

3. Keep On Rockin'

4. Fire Queen

5. Hope You Like It

6. Goin' Down

7. Strange Man

8. Natural Born Loser

9. Give You Till Monday

10. Ain't That Just Like A Woman

11. Black Cat Woman

The original issue of the vinyl LP "Brian Johnson And Geordie" was issued 1981 in several territories around the world - Germany on Red Bus ZL 28431, France on Barclay 960 031 (same artwork as presented on the card sleeve) and in the USA with different artwork on MCA Records MCA-5234. In all areas it was a 10-track album that was sequenced as follows:

Side 1:

1. Natural Born Loser [Track 8, Disc 5]

2. Mercenary Man [Track 4, Disc 2]

3. Goin' Down [Track 6, Disc 5]

4. Treat Her Like A Lady [Track 16, Disc 3]

5. Hope You Like It [Track 5, Disc 5]

Side 2:

1. Keep On Rockin' [Track 3, Disc 5]

2. Ten Feet Tall [Track 1, Disc 5]

3. Rockin' With The Boys [Track 15, Disc 3]

4. Don't Do That [Track 13, Disc 4]

5. Fire Queen [Track 4, Disc 5]

As you can see from the LP above - the 11-track CD reissue "Brian Johnson And Geordie Revisited" presented here bears little resemblance to the original 10-track 1981 vinyl and there's no explanation in the booklet or on the card sleeve as to why - only to say that all the tracks on Disc 5 are re-recordings done by Brian Johnson in 1980 before he departed for AC/DC. As there appears to have never been a CD reissue of the 1981 album until now – the re-recordings of "Can You Do It", "Strange Man", "Give You Till Monday", "Ain't That Just Like A Woman" and "Black Cat Woman" can therefore be considered Previously Unreleased on this 2016 version (unless someone advises otherwise).

The glossy clamshell box is pretty and the card repro sleeves cool - but it's the 16-page booklet that wows. Almost all of the inner pages are festooned to the right with blocks of eight rare 7" single picture sleeves from around the world - that's eight per page - a serious collection of rarities indeed! MIKE GENT offers up great liner notes on the frustrating history of the band who charted four UK singles (many more in Europe) - acknowledging that none of the three LPs did any real business which eventually saw a disillusioned Brian Johnson quit to become a car-repair man (thinking his shot at Rock 'n' Roll fame was over - how wrong was he). Centering the text are those UK EMI labels for 45s like "All Because Of You" (peaked at No. 13), "Can You Do It" (peaked at No. 9), "Electric Lady" (peaked at No. 6) and "Black Cat Woman" (didn't chart). As well as pictures of the band (Brian Johnson on Vocals, Vic Malcolm on Guitar, Tom Hill on Bass and Brian Gibson on Drums) - there's a very tasty two-page centre spread of original sheet music, a cardboard cut-out of the London Routemaster Red Bus would send their bands out on tour in and more picture sleeves not seen in the principal text. Although the inner gatefold for "Don't Be Fooled By The Name" isn't reproduced on the card sleeve (a minor blip) - each CD is a picture disc of the cover art and with the fab colour booklet - you'd have to say that some real effort was put in here.

JAMES BRAGG did the mastering (no sources or venue given) and the audio rocks on all of them. I’m fairly sure (even though it doesn’t say so) that the first three studio albums are the 7T’s CD reissues done by TIM TURAN at Turan Mastering in 2007 and 2008 - nice and punchy without being over trebled. Let's get to the music...

In hindsight the weedy title “Hope You Like It” complete with its sappy ribbon and bow artwork was hardly the toughest of statements for a debut Rock album. But having said that the March 1973 LP opens well with a namecheck for the then undiscovered John Miles in the lyrics of the restless Nazareth-sounding boogie of "Keep On Rockin’". You hear the range of Johnson’s great voice in "Give You Till Monday" and there’s more than a hint of Suzi Quatro and her RAK recordings with Chinn and Chapman on the hooky guitar-rock of "Hope You Like It".

As far back at late September 1972 "Don't Do That" became Geordie’s debut 45 issued on the EMI subsidiary Regal Zonophone. RZ 3067 had the non-album "Francis Was A Rocker" as its B-side (Track 12 on Disc 1) and after a two-month crawl finally charted in November 1972, peaking at No. 32 (a good start). The irritatingly Glam Rock "All Because Of You" (complete with cod Beatles aahs) became their second UK 7” single on EMI 2008 in February 1973 with the album cut "Ain't That Just Like A Woman" on the flip-side. Catchy as a cold – it broke the Top Ten in the UK settling at No. 6. There’s even traces of Prog and Sabbath in the relentless "Strange Man" where some dude in a dress terrorises the dancefloor and the streets of Newcastle. Far better is the rocking "Ain't It Just Like A Woman". And I genuinely wasn’t expecting much of the stand-alone 45s - but all three singles "Can You Do It", "Electric Lady" and "Black Cat Woman" have guitar-driven boogies that would have done proud by any 7” on Polydor Records by their nearest comparison Slade.

For me the second album "Don't Be Fooled By The Name" is the best of the bunch - a definite Nazareth "Razamanaz" vibe creeping into the St. James Infirmary of "Goin' Down" and "Ten Feet Tall" (better production values too) while there's a great Juicy Lucy guitar boogie to "So What". The band suddenly sound ‘huge’ on "Mercenary Man" and Johnson contributes an early writing credit to the Pop-Rock of "Got To Know". Not even the decidedly saucy sleeve art for "Save The World" get the LP into the charts - but that doesn't stop tunes like the rocking "Mama's Gonna Take You Home" and the brassy "She's A Teaser" being good. But terrible tracks like the cod reggae of "I Cried Today" and the half-hearted Arrows pop of "You Do This To Me" are terrible. The double-dose of crappy pop in "I Can't Forget You Now" and "I Can't Give It Up" (a stand-alone single) is embarrassing compared to the Rock on LP No. 2. 

The "No Good Woman" album tries to go back to basics with The Knack-like boogie of "Going To The City" where Brian sounds like Bob Seger. Brought in to replace Johnson - Dave Ditchburn has a half decent Rush type set of pipes for the decidedly Proggy "Wonder Song" where Geordie sound at times like Uriah Heep. There's bad hiss on "Ain't It A Shame" and "Show Business" sounds like bad Queen. Better is the guitar-chug of "You Got It". The remix of "Don't Do It" is awful and just sounds wrong while the re-do of "Keep On Rockin'" isn't a whole lot better. The posthumous "Brian Johnson and Geordie" sees all the best Geordie tracks with huge echoed drums added into the Eighties mix while a floating synth tries to make them topical sounding. At times it feels like Van Halen rejects from the 1984 album with stuff like "Fire Queen" reaching for its inner Bon Jovi – and not in a good way.

In truth there's a lot of very dated cack on album numbers 3 and 4 with 5 being unlistenable in places - too much of it doing a massive disservice to the first two flushes of Geordie vinyl magic from 1973 and 1974. 

But there's also no doubt that 7T's and Cherry Red are to be praised for making this hard to find music available again to fans and newcomers alike - and in such a top class presentation too...