VA - Whatever You Want Bob Crewe's 60s Soul Sounds [2022]

R&B

VA - Whatever You Want Bob Crewe's 60s Soul Sounds [2022]

Whatever You Want, Bob Crewe's 60s Soul Sounds is one of those compilations that quietly reveals a world behind the familiar story of 1960s pop and soul. The name that ties it together is Bob Crewe, widely known for his work with Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons, yet this set steps slightly to the side of that narrative and lets the soul material speak in its own rhythm. The twenty-four tracks were issued in 2022 on the Kent label, gathering recordings Crewe wrote or produced during the mid-1960s for a wide circle of singers and studios.

Voices like Ben E. King and Chuck Jackson appear early, reminding you how naturally Crewe’s songwriting could move between church-rooted soul and polished New York studio arrangements. As the disc unfolds, the atmosphere widens. Tracey Dey, Dee Dee Sharp, and Barbara Lewis bring lighter textures that feel connected to the Brill Building world, while the mid-section introduces tougher edges. Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels inject a burst of teenage urgency, and the appearance of James Carr adds a deeper southern weight. None of it feels scattered, the pacing moves naturally between moods, showing how many corners of the soul landscape Crewe’s productions touched. The final stretch leans into reflection. Walter Jackson and Kiki Dee bring warmth and restraint before the Time Keepers close the set with “3 Minutes Heavy”, a brisk, optimistic dancer that leaves the door open rather than sealing the story shut.

This compilation becomes less about a producer’s résumé and more about a moment in the mid-sixties when pop craft and soul feeling often shared the same studio floor. The songs sit comfortably beside one another, waiting for the listener to notice how those worlds overlap. Whether approached track by track or in one uninterrupted sitting, Whatever You Want simply lays out the evidence and lets the listening unfold from there. (B)

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Track list

01 Hal Miller & The Rays - An Angel Cried 2:27

02 Jerry Butler - Whatever You Want 2:27

03 Ben E. King - The Beginning of Time 2:44

04 Chuck Jackson - Another Day (mono LP version) 2:08

05 High Keys - Pistol Packin' Mama 2:37

06 Tracey Dey - Long Time, No See 2:39

07 Shirley Matthews & The Big Town Girls - (You Can) Count on That 1:56

08 Dee Dee Sharp - Deep Dark Secret 2:54

09 Kenny Lynch - My Own Two Feet 2:30

10 Barbara Lewis - Pushin' A Good Thing Too Far (mono single version) 2:45

11 Hal Miller - Blessing in Disguise 2:54

12 George 'n' Sonny Sands - Down By The Ocean 2:58

13 Kenny Wells - Isn't it Just A Shame 2:41

14 Frankie Valli - (You're Gonna) Hurt Yourself (mono single version) 2:30

15 Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels - You Get Your Kicks (mono single version) 3:08

16 Lainie Hill - Time Marches On 2:31

17 Dey & Knight - Sayin' Something 3:20

18 Four Seasons - I'm Gonna Change 2:51

19 Lynne Randell - Stranger in My Arms 2:35

20 Walter Jackson - Everything Under The Sun 2:22

21 James Carr - Sock it to Me-Baby! 2:06

22 Kiki Dee - I'm Going Out (The Same Way I Came In) 2:44

23 Billie Dearborn - You Need Me to Love You 2:24

24 Time Keepers - 3 Minutes Heavy 3:00

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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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