Rob Jones reviews soul records from his vinyl collection.
Loading Zone - Danger Heartbreak Dead Ahead (1968)
Although this particular tune may not be familiar to you at first, it's certainly worth a listen as you will hear from the video.
Released back in March 1968, this obscure and relatively unknown version of the old Marvelettes classic can be found lurking on the flip side of 'Don't Lose Control (Of Your Soul)'. The band came from Oakland, California and consisted of Paul Fauerso (keyboards and vocals), Linda Tillery (vocals), Peter Shapiro (guitar), Steve Dowler (guitar), Bob Kridle (bass) and George Newcom (drums).
Liberty Belles - Shing-a-Ling Time (1967)
Jay Boy was the go-to label for tunes like this when I was around 13 or 14 years old, which has always made them impossible to part with later in life as they hold so many great memories of those early years, so I've often ended up with two copies of the same tune having later tracked down the originals when we all got a bit more clued up. I know of three different Shout demos of this one and at least a couple of different Shout issues. Also released on the Bang label in France and the Philippines, it's a great old dancer with the excellent 'Just Try Me' on the flip side. The Liberty Belles were Dianne Christian, Terry Whittier and Marva Sasso. Dianne Christian had previously been a singer with the Darlettes and the Chic-Lets before helping to form the Liberty Belles in 1967.
Marion James - I'm The Woman for You (1967)
Marion James (Mary Agnes Childress) was born in Nashville, Tennessee on October 8th 1934. She came from a musical family and began to sing when was just 5 years old. Heavily influenced by her mother's record collection and the blues singers who appeared in the Vaudeville shows of the time, Marion was singing in churches by the age of 12 before becoming interested in a solo career singing R&B. By 1962 she was billed as "The Great Miss Marion James with Her Famous Continentals”, and in 1966 she achieved major commercial success with the top-ten hit 'That’s My Man' on the Nashville-based Excello Records label.
Although Marion had achieved relatively early stardom and international success, she never forgot her roots and always went out of her way to help other singers and musicians and was often referred to as Nashville's Queen of the Blues. Her voice was quite unique and I think that's clearly demonstrated in this 1967 release on the Nashville K & J Records label which is my personal favourite of all her songs. Marion passed away in January 2016 at the age of 81, but her musical legacy lives on.
Moving Violation - Spinnin' Top (1974)
A somewhat forgotten but amazing old '70s record with plenty of soul appeal. The band originally formed in Cleveland while attending Patrick Henry Junior High School with members Mark Anthony (lead singer), Ulysses Barnes, Enos Scott and Ronald Sims. After recording several singles as the Elements for Saru Records in the early 1970s, they changed their name to the Moving Violation and released 'Spinnin' Top' on Atlantic, changing their name again in the late 1970s to Sonlight. There are a couple of different US demos of this, the other one being the Monarch pressing which is quite easily identified by the different font style and a the 'ST-A-28772-MO' on the middle left of the label. Perhaps not as desirable to collectors as this one, but what a tune on any label design!
Norvells - Why Do You Want to Make Me Sad (1967)
A quality if somewhat underrated Chicago tune which can still be found relatively cheaply. Also released on the Janis label.
Penny Carter – We Gotta Try Harder (1966)
The second of only two records Penny Carter made on the Verve label and an absolutely brilliant tune with an authentic soul classic feel which I've played on the radio on more than one occasion. Penny was a former member of the Masterettes before they changed their name to the Exciters.
R B Hudman - Yo-Yo (1968)
A belting version of the 1966 Billy Joe Royal classic on Columbia (or CBS here in the UK) and it's certainly worth checking out if you don't have it. Robert Hudman (real name Hudmon) would have been about 14 when he recorded this version, but sadly his career was cut short when he died in 1995 at the age of just 41.