Another classic from the inexhaustable vaults of Chess...
gordon@ruraltel.net | 01/24/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Man, I can't get enough of sixties Chicago soul, and no one did it better than Chess. Sure, they had Etta James, but the story doesn't end there. They issued many records that didn't get the exposure they deserved when they were released, but they sure sound great today. This collection, only available as an import, is a great sounding, seminal collection of mostly obscure Chess soul. Don't miss it."
More greatest hits you've never heard
Andre M. | Mt. Pleasant, SC United States | 01/07/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This collection is filled with breathtakingly beautiful tunes (even the uptempo ones) from Chess records during the 1960s. One can only wonder why these songs were not better known, but the good folks at England's Kent records have justly brought them to light.
"Ain't No Big Thing" by the Radiants is a sweet midtempo groove featuring the lovely leads of each of the singers. I recall hearing this one once on a late-night radio show as a child, but not since then. Jackie Ross' "Jerk and Twine" is one of those wonderful songs that you could sit and listen to as well as dance to. Andy Mack's "Do You Wanna Go" is a nice late-doo-wopper and Etta James does a lesser-known number that's more R&b than her typical barrelhouse blues (as is also the case with the Little Milton number).
But the truly breathtaking tune that makes you wonder where it's been all your life is "Temptation About to Get Me" by the (actually unrelated) Knight Brothers. You will listen in awe at this number and like much of this CD, you will not be able to listen to it just once.
It says much about the quality of Soul Music in it's prime years that wonderful records like this (mostly regional hits that you would not likely have heard if you didn't have access to Chicago's WVON-AM or at British dance clubs) were often lost in the shuffle in the midst of other really good songs. As Jay Butler, the "Pied Piper" of Charleston's WPAL-AM used to say, "God Bless Rhythm and Blues!" After hearing this CD, you'll agree."
When r&b was r&b!!
J. Hoffman | dover, pa. United States | 07/06/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"this small collection of soul gems is a great example of when r&b was r&b. this socalled digittal music today could not even hold a candle up to one of these great tunes & even their not so great tunes.with fabulous hits like, the entertainer by:tony clarke,temptation bout to get me by:the knight brothers,ain't no big thing by:the radiants,searching for my love by:bobby moore & the rhythm aces,sitting in the park by:billy stewart,everthing to me by:donnie elbert,hurt so bad by: ramsey lewis,mama didn't lie by:jan bradley,go away little boy by:marlena shaw,soul of the man by::fontella bass,i had a talk with my man by:mitty collier,two in the morning by:spooner's crowd.keep up the fabulous work chess records!! love,peace&soul,j.h.52757 god bless!!"
Another winner!
Mark R. Van Wagenen | Elgin, Illinois USA | 08/20/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I recently bought the Chess Club Rhythm & Soul collection and thought it was great. I went ahead and got this one hoping it would come close to Rhythm & Soul. It more than succeeded.
This one is a little tighter than Rhythm & Soul; forays into jazz and blues are essentially absent here. Indeed, "Uptown Soul", according to the liner notes, was defined as sophisticated R & B you found at the downtown clubs where you got dressed up to attend.
Most of the songs are great, but many were never big hits, or really got any airplay at all. Chess' "Uptown" as a genre never attained the kind of acceptance the Motown, Stax or Atlantic did, apparently because Chess never really went out to create such a style of music. You will have to be willing to undertake the thrill of discovery on some of the selections in all liklihood, but it's worth it. Many hard-to-find winners and only a few clunkers.
Going through the selections:
"The Entertainer"--Tony Clarke--good soul harmonies on this leadoff track from 1965. It achieved most of its success in the UK.
"Love Ain't Nothin'"--Johnny Nash: an early recording of his from 1964; you can hear his distinctive voice and the reggae beat that would better define his career later. Good tenor sax bridge.
"Jerk & Twine"--Jackie Ross: Nice dance fad song by this doe-eyed young singer with the sweet, innocent voice.
"Oh What A Feeling"--James Phelps: this song did nothing when it ws first released, which is hard to understand. He's a former gospel singer with a husky voice. Uptempo tune with nice horn backing.
"Ain't No Big Thing"--The Radiants: The vocal switch-off was said to be inspired by the Impressions and followed later by groups like the Temptations. The Radiants were one of Chess' bigger R&B bands back when this track was released in 1965.
"Sitting In the Park"--Billy Stewart: Maybe the best-known selection on this CD. He's sitting in the park waiting for his girl to show up; a theme also done well by the Chi-Lites a few years later in "Have You Seen Her". Just beautiful.
"Temptation 'Bout to Get Me"--Knight Brothers: slow ballad with plaintive soul harmonies and another good horn backing. They sound a little like the Righteous Brothers in this 1965 recording. Another track that did nothing at all back in the day, but sounds good now.
"Everything To Me"--Donnie Elbert: Unless you like falsetto a la Lou Christie; you might want to pass on this one. Nothing special.
"Nothing But You"--The Chessmen: The Chessmen? This appears to be a nothing but a bone thrown to Marshall Chess, who created the group. It didn't do anything upon its release in 1966, but in this case I can see why. It will remind you of the Temp's "My Girl".
"I Won't Need You"--Gene Chandler: Chicago-born Chandler nails it with his "highly subtle nuances in delivery" according to the liner notes and the sting and horn backing.
"Wear It On Our Face"--The Dells: A big act for Chess in the late '60s were the Dells, who had a hit with this uptempo 1968 recording.
"Do You Wanta Go"--Andy Mack & the Carltons: an Impressions-type upbeat tune that only had limited play limited to the Washington DC area when it was released; again underscorting the vagaries of the music industry. It should've done much better.
"Pushover"--Etta James: She was moving into aggressive, horn-backed soul by the time "Pushover" was released, and her big, strong voice can certainly handle it. Etta was Chess' first big soul star. The tune itself bounces along to a mashed-potatoes beat.
"Believe In Me Baby"--Little Milton: although not certainly as fun as his other hit "Grits Ain't Groceries", he belts it out as well here as on anything else he's done.
"Searchin For My Love"--Bobby Moore & the Rhythm Aces: Moore's voice may remind you of Sam Cooke's, which isn't a bad thing.
"I Had A Talk With My Man"--Mitty Collier: this was her first hit for Chess; a secularized version of a gospel tune from her earlier days. This is a slow ballad that doesn't fully utilize her great contralto, but it nice enough to dance to.
"I Believe She Will"--Eddie & Ernie: good horn intro for this otherwise nondescript recording from 1967; apparently this had more success in the UK than it did in the US for this New York duo.
"So Much Love"--Maurice & Mac: The duo best-known for "You Left the Water Running" applies their Sam & Dave-style soul harmonies in this pleasant little ditty.
"Hurt So Bad"--Ramsey Lewis--You can never go wrong with Ramsey Lewis; even on a tune as lightweight as "Hurt So Bad"
"Here You Come Running"--Sugar Pie De Santo: You wouldn't think someone as little as 4'11" Sugar Pie would have such a big, rich voice, but here you go. Another mashed-potatoes style dance tune.
"Mama Didn't Lie"--Jan Bradley--written by Curtis Mayfield; this recording by the 19-year-old singer made an appearance in John Waters' 1988 film "Hairspray"
"Go Away Little Boy"--Marlene Shaw: I didn't like the original version of the Steve Lawrence tune, and what little merit the tune had was totally demolished by Donnie Osmond in the '70s. But Marlena Shaw does what she can with this tune with this cocktail-lounge version, with piano by Ramsey Lewis. Shaw is very talented, but a better song selection could have been made, IMO.
"The Soul of A Man"--Fontella Bass: This was the flip of her hit "Rescue Me". Pretty soul ballad.
"Two in the Morning"--Spooners Crowd: Interesting instrumental wraps up the CD. Done by a group of sessionmen with a backing tape of a crowd talking, suggesting, along with the name of the record, a late-night bar.
Worth it if you're adventerous and like old-time Chicago-style R&B.
Track Listings (24) - Disc #1