VA - Masterpieces Of Modern Soul Vol. 01 - Vol. 05 [2003 - 2019] (5 x CD's) + Vol. 06

SOUL

VA - Masterpieces Of Modern Soul Vol. 01 - Vol. 05 [2003 - 2019] (5 x CD's) + Vol. 06

I love soul music from the 1960's and 1970's, but I had no idea that there was this "conflict" between fans of Northern Soul and Modern Soul. A bit silly, if you ask me. Good soul music is timeless, no matter which year it was recorded, and this compilation has plenty of very obscure but excellent examples of the power of soul music, no matter if you call "Modern" or something else. This is a fantastic set of CD's.

Vol. 01     This is the first volume in their "Masterpieces of Modern Soul" series anf features the rarest & best 45's currently big on the 'Modern' scene. Artists include Millie Jackson, 22 tracks including many making their first appearance.  Kudos to the crate diggers at Kent and Ace for finding some extremely rare and very pleasing soul music from the 1970's, and a handful of tracks from the 80's too. (Amazon)

Vol. 02     These two dozen tracks are rare soul recordings spanning the late 1960's to the early 80's, some of them previously unreleased, and some of them not first issued until the 90's or 2000's though the bulk of them are from the 70's.  It's sort of like what a subscription-only radio service might play if they had dedicated "Deep Tracks" programming for 70's soul, very much capturing the feel of 70's soul trends without presenting any familiar songs. Clipped funk riffs, soaring strings, good-natured singing, modest wah-wah guitar, affable gospel-funk-flavored songwriting, and cooing group harmonizing all crop up. (Amazon)

Vol. 03     The third installment in this popular series. Ace / Kent has accustomed us to productions compiled with passion by real experts, proposed in a very well-kept graphic format and accompanied by exhaustive and exciting notes, but here it surpasses itself. To my great joy, the choices of this third volume of an already stupendous series sometimes lash towards the almost "disco" part of modern soul, making the discovery of the track list even more exciting and surprising, especially towards the end. The curator - top soul DJ and passionate collector and expert - Ady Croasdell has once again rediscovered seven long-forgotten inches and gave birth to unpublished recordings that remained for decades in the archives of the small US labels that had produced them. With the result of making the "modern" northern soul scene alive and pulsating, to the delight of those who love to discover hidden pearls with an oblique charm ...(Amazon)

Vol. 04     Kent's fourth volume of Modern Soul sides is a particularly splendid affair. The four-year gestation period is a reflection of the scarcity of these tracks and the gradual increase in the percentage of masters that were not issued at the time of recording to a staggering 70% tells us it's what's in the tape box that counts nowadays. Kent feature the Garland Green rap version which only came out on the 1990 Kent LP by accident! Compilation and notes by Ady Croasdell. I don't know how they do it but yet again the team at KENT have produced a solid gold winning combination of 23 terrific slabs of old skool soul performed by amazing vocalists. Mostly obscure recordings and 2nd/3rd tier artists. Such a great series.. (Amazon)

Vol. 05     Full of exclusive gems like the Mighty Whites' unreleased master 'Given My Life' from Los Angeles which would eventually see life in an inferior recording by Brotherhood on MCA in 1978. It's been played on acetate across Europe and is widely admired. A more modern version of 'Rainmaker', as popularised on Kent LP's in the 80's, is featured by Detroit's C. J. & Co. And that city also provides a fabulous groove on 'Ride The Disco Train', a never-heard-before secular update of the ever-popular Tolbert Family gospel 45. Jazzman Leon Thomas reminds us that Northern Soul clubs weren't all baggies and spins with his ever-popular shuffler 'L. O. V. E. ', while Major Lance's 'That's The Story Of My Life' is a 70' s record that features the best of the classic soul sound. Millie Jackson's 'I'll Continue To Love You' also belies it's release date, in this case 1976 but sounding almost 1969; fast feet needed here. Some social commentary features on Lee Porter's now in-demand Memphis waxing 'Nobody's Doin' A Doggone Thing'. It's the digital debut for Ray Dahrouge's excellent first session on the Street People which yielded two terrific sides and this unreleased gem. Eddie Floyd's unissued Stax outing was featured on a long-deleted CD but deserves a re-listen now the edit is more apt, as is the case with Eon's LP track which stretched on fine on their solo CD but benefits from a short back and sides here. John Edwards' original of Corey Blake's 'How Can I Go On Without You' is well-known but has never made a Masterpieces set, while Loleatta Holloway's catchy and unusual 'Mrs So And So's Daughter' also receives an edit and re-run. Dave Hamilton's Detroit stable takes us into the 80s with the little-known Felicia Johnson cut 'Franchise On Love' and New Experience's unissued 'I Believe'. A surprise sleeper is Will Hatcher's 'What Is Best For Me Is Better For You' which has been overshadowed by it's brilliant flip 'Who Am I Without You Baby'; this comes close to matching it after a few plays - a real grower. There's a brand-new version of 'I Ain't Giving Up', the song Ray Godfrey wrote for both Joe Simon and Millie Jackson, by the man himself, and Part 2 of Herman Davis' two-stepper 'Gotta Be Loved' debuts on CD. (Amazon)

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Pt.1    Pt.2     +   Vol. 06 

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Track lists

Vol. 01

01 Debra Johnson To Get Love You've Got To Bring Love 2:30

02 Millie Jackson Don't Send Nobody Else 3:21

03 Houston Outlaws Ain't No Telling 3:24

04 Mayberry Movement Two Wrongs Don't Make A Right 3:10

05 Ted Taylor Fair Warning 3:02

06 Sam Nesbit Chase Those Clouds Away 2:37

07 Millionaires I'm The One Who Loves You 3:43

08 Idris Muhammad I'm A Believer 5:18

09 Mary Love Comer Come Out Of The Sandbox 4:13

10 Jean Shy What Can I Do, I'm So In Love With You 3:32

11 Jacqueline Jones A Frown On My Face 3:03

12 Four Tees One More Chance 2:47

13 Vernon Garrett To Be A Part Of You 2:30

14 Tender Loving Care Love Me Baby 2:40

15 Ronnie Walker You've Got To Try Harder (Times Are Bad) 3:01

16 Lynn Vernado Second Hand Love 3:04

17 Pretenders I Call It Love 3:57

18 Gil Billingsley I'm Me Just Me 4:17

19 Denise La Salle Here I Am Again 3:24

20 Garland Green Come Through Me 3:04

21 Al Christian I'm A Lonely Man 2:41

22 Lou Pride Bringin' Me Back Home 3:39

Vol. 02

01 Grover Mitchell What Hurts 2:54

02 Johnny Watson It's Better To Cry 2:49

03 Ty Karim Lightin' Up 3:15

04 Pretenders A Broken Heart Cries 3:02

05 Ovations feat Louis Williams I'm In Love 2:39

06 Betty Fikes The Fool Who Used To Live Here 2:47

07 Bobby Burn aka Bobby Wilburn I'm A Dreamer 2:15

08 Darrow Fletcher Hope For Love 3:29

09 Higher Feelings I Wanna Stay High On You 3:33

10 Freddie Hubbard & Jeanie Tracy You're Gonna Loose Me 3:43

11 Laura Lee Your Song 3:27

12 Mayberry Movement I Can See Him Loving You 3:38

13 Brenda Wayne More Than Just Somebody I Know 3:29

14 Minits Still A Part Of Me 2:33

15 Towana & The Total Destruction Wear Your Natural, Baby 3:05

16 Unknown Artist All In My Mind 2:59

17 Pacesetters Lovin' 3:56

18 Radiations That's The Way Our Love Is 2:38

19 Checkmates Ltd Take All TheTime You Need 3:50

20 Chargers You Gotta Be A Lady 2:59

21 Act 1 I Don't Want To Know What You Do To Me 3:00

22 Garland Green Always 4:47

23 Lynn Varnado Staying At Home Like A Woman 2:50

24 California Playboys Double Love 5:07

Vol. 03

01 7 Days Unlimited Trying Part 2 2:46

02 Art Gentry This Is My Chance 3:13

03 Candi Staton One More Hurt 2:42

04 Hesitations Go Away 2:54

05 Marshall McQueen Jr Any Fool Can Feel It 3:59

06 Melvin Sparks featuring Jimmy Scott I've Got To Have You 2:53

07 Nightchill I Don't Play Games 4:14

08 Gloria Lucas You Won't Be True 2:26

09 Rose Batiste The Feeling Is Gone 3:28

10 Tommy Tate If You Got To Love Somebody 3:17

11 Eddie Billips & The CCC's Shake Off That Dream 3:32

12 Crusaders You Pay For Love 2:50

13 Jimmy Carpenter (Marriage Is Only) A State Of Mind 2:55

14 Dorando Didn't I 3:27

15 Barbara & The Browns Pity A Fool 2:52

16 Pat Livingston Sugar Love 3:03

17 Betty Gouche What More Can I Ask For 3:01

18 Charles Russell It Ain't Easy 3:25

19 Jesse 'Ed' Davis I Never Could Have Made It 3:08

20 Tommy Bush Stop And Think 3:08

21 Eddie Hill I Am So Thankful 3:13

22 Sweeteens So Much Love To This 3:33

23 Loleatta Holloway This Man's Arms 3:43

Vol. 04

01 Garland Green Just Loving You (Rap Intro) 3:11

02 Darrow Fletcher No Limit 3:16

03 Greg Perry It Takes Heart 3:36

04 Natural Resources If There Were No You 3:29

05 Luv Co Don't Send Nobody Else 3:35

06 Street People Baby, You Got it All 2:30

07 Jesse Johnson & Chocolate Fudge There Will Never Be Another You 2:48

08 Billy Cee & the Freedom Express Don't Matter to Me 3:28

09 Herman Davis Gotta Be Loved 2:45

10 Elaine Armstrong Tears Begin to Fall 2:34

11 Toussaint McCall I'll Laugh Till I Cry 2:49

12 Obrey Wilson Daddy Please Stay Home 3:18

13 New Experience Never Felt This Way Before 5:02

14 Ovations Feat Louis Williams You're My Little Girl (Edited Version) 3:44

15 Pretenders It's Everything About You (That I Love) 3:41

16 Gail Anderson We Communicate 3:52

17 Viola Wills I've Got News for You 3:01

18 Dramatics Don't Lose What You Got (Trying to Get Back What You Had) 3:24

19 Cesar See Saw Affair 3:23

20 Elayne Starr Night After Night 3:27

21 George Soule Midnight Affair 3:21

22 Alvin Robinson I've Never Been in Love 2:38

23 Fox Fire Featuring Johnny Adams You Amaze Me 6:41

Vol. 05

01 Mighty Whites Given My Life 4:04

02 Leon Thomas L-O-V-E 2:53

03 C.J. & Co Rainmaker 4:17

04 John Edwards How Can I Go On Without You 2:58

05 Street People Your Momma Had A Baby 3:03

06 Independents Lucky Fellow 3:34

07 Eddie Floyd Can We Talk It Over (Edit) 2:33

08 Will Hatcher What Is Best For Me Is Better For You 2:27

09 Major Lance That's The Story Of My Life 2:53

10 Millie Jackson I'll Continue To Love You (Edit) 2:10

11 Loleatta Holloway Mrs So And So's Daughter (Edit) 2:16

12 Felecia Johnson & T.S.B. Inc. Franchise On Love 3:29

13 Ty Karim & George Griffin Keep On Doin' Whatcha' Doin' Pt 1 4:27

14 Moderations Ride The Disco Train 4:08

15 Foxfire Feat. Johnny Adams A Star In The Ghetto 3:38

16 Lee Porter & Peaceful Persuasion Nobody's Doin' A Doggone Thing 2:38

17 Chet Ivey & His Fabulous Avengers Dose Of Soul 3:07

18 Ray Godfrey I Ain't Givin' Up 2:00

19 Eon We'll Go On (Edit) 3:05

20 Headliners I'll Live My Life Loving You 2:54

21 Herman Davis Gotta Be Loved Pt 2 2:49

22 Reggie Milner Hello Stranger 3:02

23 New Experience Feat. Elayne Starr I Believe 3:13

24 Freddie Scott I Guess God Wants It This Way 3:27

Vol. 06

01 Janice Wake Up Smiling 4:11

02 Joe Graham Higher Than High 3:34

03 Ronnie Mcneir Let's Make A Move 3:18

04 Exportations Second Time Around 3:58

05 Dee Ervin You Make Me Happy 3:17

06 Three Pieces If Only I Could Prove To You 3:58

07 Elayne Starr Must Have Had Company 4:08

08 Margie Joseph Nobody 2:37

09 Jean Shy What Tomorrow Brings 2:56

10 Karen Sanders Group You Could Have Tried 3:01

11 George Semper Doo Doop Dee Deep Doot Doo 2:16

12 Phillip Mitchell I'll See You In Hell First  (Alternate Take) 3:00

13 Joe Hinton You And Me Baby 2:46

14 Jackie Dee Who  (Long Version) 4:40

15 Second Re$surrection You Done Let Daylight Catch You 3:24

16 Cynic I Want You 4:50

17 Foxfire (7) Featuring Johnny E. Adams Don't Play Me Cheap 3:09

18 Maggabrain Have A Good Time 4:03

19 Hodges, James & Smith Wishful Thinking 2:44

20 Melanie Burke I Can't Turn You Down 4:08

21 Ramona King Happy Times 2:58

22 Betty Everett Bedroom Eyes 3:52

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