Rare Soul from one of the greatest Rare Souls
DomJazzSoul | London, England | 07/10/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Only few soul artists are great songwriters and great performers in their own right. Sam Dees is from this breed and this CD showcases this to full effect. Sam is another one of those rare soul artists who has never got the recognition he deserves, a la Leon Ware, as a performer.
Although many of these tracks are demo recordings, with just Sam, his piano and drums you still get some great soul that is stripped down to the bare essentials, and these tracks are essential. Those in the know and lucky enough will own a copy of his superlative 1975 debut Album on Atlantic 'The Show Must Go On'. 3 tracks from that album are here in different but still excellent versions, namely Good Guys, Come Back Strong, and the immortal Worn Out Broken Heart. Also of note is his heartfelt rendition of Cry To Me, of whom Loleatta Holloway's version is more well known, unsurprising as many of Sam's great tracks have been written for and recorded by others, but few can sing Sam's songs like the man himself. If you're into soul, or if you're not, you need this album and I can bet you'll be on the trail for the follow-up as well scouring the racks for, as Sam says, The Show Must Go On..."
Love Me Some Sam Dees! He's Pure Soul.
Oliver Penn | New York City | 10/13/2007
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Talk about "overlooked!" His name should be the definition you find in the dictionary when you look up that word. He's one of the unsung heros of soul music.
This is the man who wrote some of Loleatta Holloway's best songs, including "Cry To Me" and "Worn Out Broken Heart," also "You've Been Doing Wrong For So Long" for Thelma Houston, "Mess On Your Hands" for Millie Jackson, "Love All the Hurt Away" for Aretha Franklin and "Right in the Middle of Falling in Love" for Bettye LaVette.
I stumbled upon one of his albums ("The Show Must Go On") in a record store and bought it on a whim. What a pleasant surprise when I heard his voice and the SOUL that enveloped me. I was hooked. What a singer, what a stupendous voice. His style of singing is obviously steeped deeply in black church music: gospel, which he sings with grit and passion. For the connoisseurs of soul, Sam Dees is THE MAN."
Track Listings (23) - Disc #1