Rob Jones reviews soul records from his vinyl collection.
Sugar and Sweet - You Don't Have to Cry (circa 1964)
A recommended if somewhat obscure old R&B belter which seems to have a hugely fluctuating price range nowadays on any of its releases. I've seen it on a couple of other labels (PEP and Morton) and there's also a black S S J label release, plus another version by Baby Lloyd on the old Wolfie label called 'I Refuse to Cry'.
Suzy Wallis - Tell Him (1966)
When it comes to blue-eyed soul, in my opinion Suzy Wallis is up there with the best of them and I've noticed that her records have been featured by internet soul DJs in their radio shows recently, which is great. What isn't so great is that very little seems to have been published about her, so here's a bit of info: Raised in Saint Louis, Missouri, Suzanne Wallach began her career in television at the age of 11 with a show called Suzy's Playroom. She was a gifted guitarist who appeared on numerous variety shows. Having met Lorne Greene who was also a singer, but better known for his portrayal of Ben Cartwright in the TV series Bonanza (and often credited for her discovery), Suzanne moved to Las Vegas with a name change at his behest to become one of his opening acts. This was where she connected to several top songwriters and even later became a backing vocalist for the Beach Boys.
Although her 'Kisses on Paper' recording seems to be the preferred song among the aforementioned internet soul radio DJs, the song I've featured here has always been the best for me. Suzy only recorded three records for the RCA label, but to my ear this one is the best of the bunch. 'Tell Him' brings out the finest qualities of her amazing voice and I've always been proud to have it in my collection. Listen out for a very soulful performance by the Girlfriends who were Suzy's backing vocalists.
T.I.M. Love - The Lively One (1967)
This was actually J Vincent Edwards who underwent a name change in the US due to potential confusion with a well known actor of the time.
This traditional sounding old soul dancer was also released in the UK as Vince Edwards on United Artists. The flip side of 'I Can't Turn Back Time' (another goodie) on both labels, although I personally prefer this side.
Tempos - Sad, Sad Memories (1966)
Often confused with the earlier Pittsburgh Tempos, this band hailed from Los Angeles, a melting pot of musical talent in the 1960s. The first copy I ever had of this was the later Canterbury label 1967 release as the flip side of 'Countdown Here I Come' and as good as that storming dancer is, I've always preferred this. I believe 'Countdown' received some regional airplay in the US at the time, only to fade into obscurity before its revival here in the UK, where it became so in demand it was quite heavily bootlegged.
'Sad, Sad Memories' was released twice on the Soultown label, but I've always favoured this one as it has the fantastic instrumental on the flip side.
Temptations - Check Yourself (1961)
Although 'Check Yourself' received quite substantial local airplay and became a regional hit around the Detroit area, the song never found national success. The general consensus at the time considered it to be defiantly uncommercial with a structure which sounded like several distinct songs strung together. Co-written by Berry Gordy, Otis Williams, Melvin Franklin, and Elbridge 'Al' Bryant, 'Check Yourself' now stands as a fascinating artifact from Motown's musical infancy when the Temptations were still a struggling band several years before finding major success with 'The Way You Do The Things You Do' in 1964.
Perhaps more recognizable for rare soul fans however, would be Gene Chandler's 1962 version. Released as the B-side of 'Forgive Me' (Vee Jay 511), it became hugely popular on the UK soul scene decades later and just like the original, Gene’s version of 'Check Yourself' was never a major commercial hit, perhaps being completely overshadowed by his massive chart-topper 'Duke of Earl'.
I've included both demos here in the videos below as a couple of recommended records for your vinyl collection. Look out for the Miracle demo and stock copy variants which feature different font styles due to being pressed at different plants. From a collector's perspective it doesn't seem to make much difference really, but there are three Miracle label variants of the single as far as I know: MR-12, MIR 12, and MR 12, although I believe MR-12 was the first demo with the matrix identifying it as the primary RCA pressed promotional run before the others were pressed at the Columbia Records Terre Haute plant for Midwest distribution - well, that's what they taught us at school anyway. 😄
Miracle label discography:
1961 MIR 01: Jimmy Ruffin - Don't Feel Sorry For Me c/w Heart
1961 MIR 02: Little Eva and Her Band - When I Needed You c/w Continental Strut
1961 MIR 03: Gino Parks - Blibberin' Blabbi' Blues c/w Don’t Say Bye Bye
1961 MIR 04: Andre Williams - Rosa Lee (Stay Off The Bell) c/w Shoo-Doo
1961 M5: The Temptations - Oh Mother Of Mine c/w Romance Without Finance
1961 M6: The Valadiers - Greetings (This Is Uncle Sam) c/w Take A Chance
1961 MIR-7: The Equadors - Someone To Call My Own c/w You’re My Desire
1961 M8: Pete Hartfield - Love Me c/w Darling Tonight
1961 MIR-9: Joel Sebastian - Angel In Blue c/w Blue Cinderella
1961 MIR-11: Freddie Gorman - The Day Will Come c/w Just For You
1961 M10: Don McKenzie - Whose Heart (Are You Gonna Break Now) c/w I'll Call You
1961 MIR-12: The Temptations - Check Yourself c/w Your Wonderful Love
Wilson Pickett and the Falcons – You're on My Mind (1962)
Sometimes overlooked by collectors, 'You're on My Mind' dates from Wilson Pickett's early years with the Falcons before he became a major star in his own right and it goes some way to demonstrate the transition period between 1950s doo-wop and the emerging soul sound of the early 1960s. The line-up included Wilson Pickett (who replaced Joe Stubbs in 1960), Eddie Floyd, Mack Rice, Willie Schofield and Lance Finney. I've included this particular song here as an example of an important piece of early soul history which perfectly captures the era when the Falcons were helping to shape the soul genre. Interestingly, some databases erroneously list the writers of this song as Schofield/Finney, but as you can see from this original copy, the writer was actually Bob Hamilton.