VA - The Specialty Story [1994] (5 x CDs)

SPECIALTY

VA - The Specialty Story [1994] (5 x CDs)

Label-owner Art Rupe was a savvy businessman who knew the black jukebox industry and what made it tick when he started his Specialty label in the late-'40s. This sumptuous five-disc box set contains a bevy of highlights from this seminal R&B/rock & roll label.

There are many retrospectives of early rock n'roll, but this is one of the best. Not only do you get Little Richard and Larry Williams, modestly represented so as to make room for all the other artists that Specialty had on their roster, but you also get the very first R&B record release, the Sepia Tones "Boogie" plus tunes from Roy Milton and his Solid Senders, Joe Liggins and his Honeydrippers & Jimmy Liggins & his Drops of Joy. The ladies are represented by Camille Howard, and the Blues Woman, Marion Abernathy. The liner notes reveal that Specialty also dabbled in country & western, jazz and gospel. It would be nice to see those selections get the same treatment. 

I can't say enough about this fantastic tribute to one of the cornerstone labels of the R&B/rock'n'roll era! Specialty owner Art Rupe deserves a spot at the same table as the Erteguns, Wexlers, Chess's and Sam Phillips as a founding father of the music. This 5 disc set gives all the highlights of the label's decade long run. Producer Billy Vera has compiled an essential box set. (Amazon)

This is simply wonderful! A box set that no lover of the real thing can be without. 

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Pt.1     Pt.2 

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Track lists

CD1

01 The Sepia Tones - Boogie #1 2:48

02 Blues Woman (marion Abernathy) - Voo-it! Voo-it! 2:46

03 Roy Milton & His Solid Senders - Milton's Boogie 2:50

04 Roy Milton & His Solid Senders - R.m. Blues 2:58

05 Jump Jackson Band - Rainy Day Blues 3:19

06 Blues Man (roosevelt Sykes) - Ice Cream Freezer 2:58

07 Roy Milton & His Solid Senders - True Blues 2:49

08 Joe Lutcher & His Society Cats - Rockin' Boogie 2:27

09 Roy Milton & His Solid Senders - Thrill Me 2:55

10 Jimmy Liggins & His Drops Of Joy - Teardrop Blues 2:57

11 Jimmy Liggins & His Drops Of Joy - Cadillac Boogie 2:38

12 Roy Milton & His Solid Senders - Keep A Dollar In Your Pocket 2:23

13 Camille Howard - X-temporaneous Boogie 2:05

14 Camille Howard - You Don't Love Me 2:13

15 Jim Wynn - Fat Meat 2:40

16 Roy Milton & His Solid Senders - Everything I Do Is Wrong 3:00

17 Roy Milton & His Solid Senders - Hop, Skip, Jump 2:34

18 Jimmy Liggins & His Drops Of Joy - Careful Love 2:33

19 Big Maceo - Big City Blues 2:32

20 Smokey Hogg - I Want A Roller 2:51

21 Roy Milton & His Solid Senders - The Hucklebuck 2:21

22 Camille Howard - Fiesta In Old Mexico 2:27

23 Joe Liggins & His Honeydrippers - The Honeydripper 3:08

24 Jimmy Liggins & His Drops Of Joy - Don't Put Me Down 2:55

25 Roy Milton & His Solid Senders - Information Blues 2:43

26 Joe Liggins & His Honeydrippers - Rag Mop 2:59

CD2

01 Joe Liggins & His Honeydrippers - Pink Champagne 3:02

02 Roy Milton & His Solid Senders - Junior Jives 2:37

03 Roy Milton & His Solid Senders - Where There Is No Love 2:49

04 King Perry & His Pied Pipers - Everything's Gonna Be Allright Tonight 2:26

05 Percy Mayfield - Please Send Me Someone To Love 2:54

06 Percy Mayfield - Strange Things Happening 2:50

07 Joe Liggins & His Honeydrippers - Little Joe's Boogie 2:51

08 Roy Milton & His Solid Senders - Oh Babe! 2:30

09 Percy Mayfield - Lost Love 2:56

10 Joe Liggins & His Honeydrippers - Frankie Lee 2:53

11 Percy Mayfield - What A Fool I Was 2:47

12 Camille Howard - Money Blues 2:30

13 Roy Milton & His Solid Senders - It's Later Than You Think 2:39

14 Roy Milton & His Solid Senders - T-town Twist 2:49

15 Roy Milton & His Solid Senders - I Have News For You 2:31

16 Percy Mayfield - Prayin' For Your Return 2:57

17 Amos Easton (bumble Bee Slim) - Strange Angel 2:39

18 Roy Milton And His Solid Senders - Best Wishes 2:42

19 Percy Mayfield - Cry Baby 2:51

20 Lil Greenwood - Love Will Make You A Slave 3:30

21 Lester Williams - I Can't Lose With The Stuff I Use 2:12

22 Four Flames - Wheel Of Fortune 2:39

23 Percy Mayfield - The Big Question 2:52

24 Lloyd Price - Lawdy Miss Clawdy 2:30

25 Roy Milton & His Solid Senders - So Tired 3:12

26 Roy Milton & His Solid Senders - Night And Day (i Miss You So) 3:01

CD3

01 Lloyd Price - Oooh Oooh Oooh 2:38

02 Lloyd Price - Restless Heart 2:35

03 Jesse & Marvin - Dream Girl 3:13

04 Lloyd Price - Tell Me Pretty Baby 2:17

05 Lloyd Price - Ain't It A Shame 2:42

06 Frank Motley & His Crew - Frantic 2:41

07 Alex Bradford - Too Close To Heaven 3:02

08 Swan Silvertones - I'm Coming Home 3:02

09 Pilgram Travelers - I've Got A New Home 2:29

10 Mercy Dee Walton - One Room Country Shack 2:49

11 Frankie Lee Sims - Lucy Mae Blues 2:32

12 Roy Milton & His Solid Senders - Early In The Morning 2:41

13 H-bomb Ferguson - She's Been Gone 2:24

14 Floyd Dixon - Hard Living Alone 3:04

15 Jimmy Liggins & His 3-d Music - Drunk 2:32

16 Little Temple & His 88 - I Ate The Wrong Part 1:56

17 Honeyboy - Bloodstains On The Wall 2:58

18 Marvin & Johnny - Baby Doll 2:23

19 Guitar Slim - The Things That I Used To Do 3:02

20 Earl King - I'm Your Best Bet Baby 2:21

21 Chosen Gospel Singer - No Room In The Hotel (feat. Lou Rawls) 2:22

22 John Lee Hooker - I'm Mad 2:47

23 Daddy Cleanhead - Something's Going On In My Room 2:13

24 Chimes - Zindy Lou 3:10

25 Soul Stirrers - One More River (feat. Sam Cooke) 3:12

26 Jesse Belvin - Where's My Girl 2:18

CD4

01 Tony Allen & The Champs - Nite Owl 2:45

02 Little Richard - Tutti Frutti 2:24

03 Ernest Kador - Eternity 2:13

04 Li'l Millet & His Creoles - Rich Woman 2:37

05 Clifton Chenier - Squeeze Box Boogie 1:58

06 Soul Stirrer - Touch The Hem Of His Garment (feat. Sam Cooke) 2:04

07 Little Richard - Long Tall Sally 2:09

08 Little Richard - Slippin' And Slidin' (peepin' And Hidin') 2:42

09 Arthur Lee Maye & The Crowns - Oh-rooba-lee 2:05

10 Arthur Lee Maye & The Crowns - Gloria 2:39

11 Bob Landers - Cherokee Dance (with Willie Joe & His Unitar) 2:33

12 Little Richard - Rip It Up 2:23

13 Little Richard - Ready Teddy 2:09

14 Vernon Green & The Phantoms - Sweet Breeze 2:04

15 Roy Montrell - (every Time I Hear That) Mellow Saxaphone 2:25

16 Little Richard - She's Got It 2:26

17 Little Richard - Heeby Jeebies 2:17

18 Wynona Carr - Should I Ever Love Again 2:39

19 Big Boy Myles & The Shaw-wees - Just To Hold My Hand 2:11

20 Little Richard - The Girl Can't Help It 2:31

21 Little Richard - All Around The World 2:27

22 Art Neville - Oooh-whee Baby 2:11

23 Larry Williams - Just Because 2:48

24 Little Richard - Lucille 2:25

25 Little Richard - Send Me Some Lovin' 2:20

26 Eugene Church - Open Up Your Heart 2:39

CD5

01 Clydie King - Our Romance 2:45

02 Little Richard - Jenny Jenny 2:04

03 Little Richard - Miss Ann 2:16

04 Larry Williams - Short Fat Fannie 2:25

05 Don & Dewey - Leavin' It All Up To You 2:10

06 Little Richard - Keep A-knockin' 2:17

07 Larry Williams - Bony Moronie 3:08

08 Rene Hall's Orchestra - Twitchy (feat. Willie Joe) 2:25

09 Sam Cooke - I'll Come Running Back To You 2:13

10 Little Richard - Good Golly, Miss Molly 2:11

11 Larry Williams - Slow Down 2:44

12 Larry Williams - Dizzy, Miss Lizzy 2:13

13 Don & Dewey - Justine 2:06

14 Little Richard - True Fine Mama 2:43

15 Little Richard - Ooh! My Soul 1:54

16 Jerry Byrne - Lights Out 1:53

17 Soul Stirrers - The Love Of God (feat. Johnnie Taylor) 2:11

18 Don & Dewey - Koko Joe 2:13

19 Little Richard - Baby Face 2:16

20 Roddy Jackson - There's A Moose On The Loose 2:11

21 Johnny Fuller - Haunted House 2:32

22 Larry Williams - She Said Yeah 1:51

23 Larry Williams - Bad Boy 2:18

24 Don & Dewey - Farmer John 2:30

25 Don & Dewey - Big Boy Pete 2:21

26 Little Richard - Bama Lama Bama Loo 2:13

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