VA - Where Soul Begins...For Dancers Only [1982] + VA - For 'Dancers' Also [1983] (2 x CDs)

SOUL

VA - Where Soul Begins...For Dancers Only [1982] + VA - For 'Dancers' Also [1983] (2 x CDs)

Kent Records’ first two For Dancers volumes form a matched pair that helped define how UK collectors and club regulars rediscovered American soul in the early eighties. Released in 1982 and 1983, these LPs gathered mid‑sixties singles that had slipped through the cracks of mainstream R&B but carried the spark dancers recognised instantly: urgency, emotion and rhythm shaped for movement. Heard together, the two volumes trace the foundations of what would become a lasting dancefloor culture built on small‑label soul.

For Dancers Only sets the tone. Mary Love’s You Turned My Bitter Into Sweet opens with clarity and uplift, followed by Felice Taylor, Willie Hutch and Danny Monday, each offering polished West Coast soul with tight arrangements and heartfelt vocals. The Ikettes, The Marvellos and Jackie Day bring sharper edges, where punchy production and vocal blend create records built for floor energy. Side B moves into deeper textures, with Z.Z. Hill, Lowell Fulsom and Ike & Tina Turner adding grit and drive. The Saints and The Intentions close the set with tracks that balance speed and sway, capturing the feel of late‑night rooms where dancers pushed the tempo.

For Dancers Also continues the story with equal care. Mary Love returns, this time with Lay This Burden Down, a track that carries emotional weight without slowing the pace. Vernon Garrett, The Sweethearts and Yvonne Baker add urgency shaped by melody and rhythm, while Danny Monday and Mel Williams keep the momentum steady. Side B leans into rawer grooves from Booker T. Averhart & The Mustangs, The Other Brothers and Lowell Fulsom, before Jackie Day and Mary Love anchor the closing stretch with confident, resonant vocals.

Together, these two volumes preserve the moment when soul was direct, sincere and made for motion. Kent’s curation gave overlooked artists a second life and offered dancers a clear path into the heart of sixties soul. (B)

==========================================================

OR

===========================================================

Track lists

VA - Where Soul Begins...For Dancers Only [1982]

01 Mary Love - You Turned My Bitter Into Sweet 2:19

02 Felice Taylor - I Can Feel Your Love 2:52

03 Danny Monday - Baby, Without You 2:55

04 Willie Hutch - Your Love Had Made Me A Man 2:25

05 Ikettes - I'm So Thankful 2:44

06 Marvellos - In The Sunshine 3:02

07 Jackie Day - Before It's Too Late 2:39

08 Ike & Tina Turner - I Can't Believe What You Say 1:58

09 Z.Z. Hill - Gimme Gimme 3:07

10 Lowell Fulson - My Aching Back 2:44

11 Tami Young - Come Back Baby 1:44

12 Saints - I've Been Taken for A Ride 2:45

13 Intentions - Dancing Fast, Dancing Slow 2:27

14 Z.Z. Hill - Baby I'm Sorry 2:52

15 Mary Love - Let Me Know 2:50

VA - For 'Dancers' Also [1983]

01 Mary Love - Lay This Burden Down 2:37

02 Vernon Garrett - If I Could Turn Back The Hands of Time 2:29

03 Z.Z. Hill - You Just Cheat and Lie 2:30

04 Sweethearts - Beauty is Just Skin Deep 2:15

05 Yvonne Baker - My Baby Needs Me 2:57

06 Danny Monday - Good Taste of Love 2:35

07 Mel Williams - Can it Be Me 2:34

08 Jimmy Bee - Wanting You 2:11

09 Booker T. Avhart & The Mustangs - Take Your Shoes Off (Part II) 2:32

10 Other Brothers - Hole in The Wall 2:57

11 Lowell Fulson - Talkin' Woman 2:30

12 Willie Gauff & The Love Brothers - Everybody Needs Love 2:42

13 Vernon Garrett - Running Out 2:31

14 Johnny Otis Show - Country Girl 2:36

15 Jackie Day - What Kind of Man Are You? 2:48

16 Mary Love - I'm in Your Hands 2:33

=============================================================

=============================================================

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.

=============================================================

=============================================================