SOUL
VA - After Hours, Northern Soul Masters Vol. 1-3 [2002-2005] (3 x CDs)
This trilogy is a masterclass in Northern Soul curation, three double LPs drawn from the vaults of Atlantic, Atco, Loma, Reprise, and Warner Bros., compiled by Richard Searling and remastered by Giovanni Scatola. Spanning 1964 to 1974, each volume offers a distinct emotional arc, sequenced with care and pressed to vinyl with collector-grade fidelity.
Volume 1 sets the tone with Alice Clark’s “You Hit Me (Right Where It Hurts),” followed by deep soul and uptempo gems from Darrell Banks, Barbara Lewis, and Linda Jones. Volume 2 leans into gospel fire and Memphis grit, opening with The Apollas’ “Mr Creator” and featuring standout cuts from Wendy Rene, Joanie Sommers, and The Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band. Volume 3 is the most eclectic, balancing cinematic tension and proto-feminist energy with rarities from Carl Hall, Delilah Keenebruew, and Sister Sledge.
Across all three volumes of After Hours, rarities are the lifeblood of the listening experience. Not just deep cuts verified soul sides that slipped through the cracks of commercial success but thrived in the underground. Many tracks were issued on regional labels like Kimtone, Inferno, and Breakthrough, often in limited pressings that now command collector attention. From Delilah Keenebruew’s “Bright Lights” to The Voice Box’s “I Want It Back (Your Love),” each selection is remastered with care, preserving the analog grit of the original 45s. Even the more familiar artists, Ben E. King, Linda Jones, Sister Sledge, are represented by lesser-known recordings that reveal new emotional layers. These volumes offer a tactile connection to the rarest grooves of the Northern Soul canon.
Across all three volumes, the selections are fully validated no bootlegs, no filler. Each track earns its place, whether it’s a dancefloor burner or a spiritual lament. For archivists and soul devotees, After Hours is a definitive portrait of Northern Soul’s emotional depth and rhythmic fire. (B)
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Track lists
Vol. 1
01 Alice Clark - You Hit Me (Right Where it Hurt Me) 2:53
02 Ike & Tina Turner - Somebody (Somewhere) Needs Me 2:36
03 David & Ruben - I Love Her So Much it Hurts Me 2:13
04 Harvey Averne Dozen - Think it Over 2:37
05 Darrell Banks - Angel Baby (Don't You Ever Leave Me) 2:53
06 Larry Laster - Go for Yourself 2:34
07 Barbara Lewis - I Remember The Feeling 2:31
08 Ben Aiken - Satisfied 2:36
09 Blossoms - That's When The Tears Start 2:25
10 Ambassadors - Good Love Gone Bad 2:46
11 Linda Jones - My Heart Needs A Break 2:47
12 Deon Jackson - Ooh Baby 2:36
13 Coasters - Crazy Baby 2:01
14 Astors - In The Twilight Zone 2:43
15 Tami Lynn - I'm Gonna Run Away From You 2:48
16 Ella Fitzgerald - Get Ready 2:34
17 Lou Ragland - Since You Said You'd Be Mine 3:15
18 Dynells - Call on Me 2:07
19 Patterson Singers - How Can You Say That Ain't Love 2:50
20 Bobby Womack - Find Me Somebody 3:01
21 Barbara Lynn - This is The Thanks I Get 2:23
22 Bobby Wilson - Feels Good 2:01
23 Johnny Copeland - Sufferin' City 2:32
24 Esther Phillips - Just Say Goodbye 2:21
25 Hal Frazier - After Closing Time 2:35
Vol. 2
01 Apollas - Mr. Creator 2:40
02 Mike Post Coalition - Afternoon of The Rhino 2:20
03 Ben E. King - I Can’t Break The News to Myself 2:32
04 Linda Jones - Just Can’t Live My Life 2:30
05 Marvellos - Something's Burnin' 2:42
06 Joanie Sommers - Don’t Pity Me 2:46
07 Archie Bell and The Drells - Here I Go Again 2:08
08 Marketts - Stirrin' Up Some Soul 2:23
09 Vala Reegan & The Valarons - Fireman 2:43
10 Percy Sledge - Baby Help Me 2:36
11 Esther Phillips - Catch Me I'm Falling 2:37
12 Watts 103rd. Street Rhythm Band - The Joker (On A Trip Thru The Jungle) 3:07
13 Soul Brothers Six - Thank You Baby for Loving Me 2:54
14 Lorraine Ellison - I Got My Baby Back 2:18
15 Charles Thomas - Man With The Golden Touch 2:34
16 Barbara Lynn - Take Your Love and Run 2:53
17 Embers - Where Did I Go Wrong? 2:20
18 Stovall Sisters - Yes to The Lord 2:04
19 Wendy Rene - Bar-B-Q 2:27
20 Leslie Uggams - Don’t You Even Care 2:04
21 Mary Wells - Keep Me in Suspense 2:41
22 Delights Orchestra - King of The Horse 2:15
23 Patti Labelle & The Bluebelles - You Forgot How to Love 2:25
24 Bobby Sheen - Something New to Do 2:33
25 Valerie & Bobby Capers - West 4th Street 2:26
Vol. 3
01 Carl Hall - Mean it Baby 2:38
02 Pointer Sisters - Send Him Back 2:38
03 Drifters - You Got to Pay Your Dues 2:34
04 Linda Jones - A Last Minute Miracle 2:36
05 Tony & Tyrone - Please Operator 2:49
06 Darlene Love - Too Late to Say You're Sorry 2:25
07 Cajun Hart - Got to Find A Way 3:07
08 Deliah Keenebruew - Bright Lights 2:36
09 Jimmy Hughes - Slippin' Around With You 2:51
10 Sister Sledge - Love Don't Go Through No Changes on Me 3:20
11 Cliff Nobles - My Love is Getting Stronger 2:51
12 Plus 4 - Happiest Girl in The World 2:45
13 Archie Bell & The Drells - A Thousand Wonders 1:52
14 Mary Wells - Can't You See (You're Losing Me) 2:46
15 Soul Brothers Six - I'll Be Loving You 2:19
16 Three Degrees - Contact 2:33
17 Life - Tell Me Why 2:55
18 Teen Turbans - We Need to Be Loved 2:14
19 Innocent Bystanders - Frantic Escape 2:18
20 Roy Redmond - Ain't That Terrible 2:32
21 Voice Box - I Want it Back (Your Love) 2:57
22 Big Guys - Hang My Head and Cry 2:13
23 Willie Tee - I Want Somebody (To Show Me The Way Back Home) 2:31
24 Al Perkins - Nothing is Impossible 2:14
25 Barbara Lynn - You're Losing Me 2:18
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Music weaves itself into the fabric of our emotions, dances through the corridors of memory, and whispers to the soul of who we are. Sharing these stories deepens the connection, turning the experience into something timeless and profound.
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