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Well here’s a shock for all you people that thought I was a Sixties dinosaur, you’ll find my name in the credits for this CD ! I’m not saying why though, you’ll have to guess at that. So what about the CD itself ? To be honest I think it’s great. There are some wonderful pieces of Soul music on this CD, a huge number of which are previously unreleased (Although several of them have seen release on other Kent CDs). Ady has got more of a Crossover feel to most of the tracks rather than the perceived sound of Modern Soul, which means they are quite palatable, and not the samey, samey, cornfield swaying in the wind kind of tempos, so ten out of ten from me.

If you are expecting ‘Sweet Soul Music’ repeated twenty four times you couldn’t be further from the truth. This is a CD that just oozes Southern Soul, across a variety of tempos that just sounds so good to my ears. Made available because Ace / Kent have access to the Fame Studios output, and that’s where most, if not all these tracks were recorded. Again ten out of ten.

Another CD from the Fame tape vaults, and sadly, I’m not overcome with elation. There’s nothing wrong with any of these tracks, and they are all previously unreleased, it’s just I’m not overly keen on George Jackson’s delivery. You can’t deny the quality of the tracks, or even begin to wonder why none of them were ever issued as completed tracks, but this will only visit the player occasionally.

Barbara Lynn – A Good Woman: The Complete Tribe & Jet Stream Singles 1966-1979 – Kent CDKEND362 

Nice And Easy / Movin' On A Groove / Take Your Time / Give Him His Freedom / Sugar Coated Love / I Warned You Baby / You Finally Got Your Good Thing Back / Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye / (Until Then) I'll Suffer / Take Your Love And Run / Disco Music / Call My Bluff Baby / I Don't Want A Playboy / Takin' His Love Away (Ain't Gonna Be Easy) / How You Think I Can Live With Somebody (After What I've Been Used To) / I'm A Good Woman / Running Back / You Left The Water Running / Until I'm Free / Watch The One (That Brings The Bad News) / Club A Go-Go / New Kind Of Love / You Better Quit It / I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry 

One of my favourite singers, and it’s about time she got the ‘Kent’ treatment ! Gathered here are all the recordings from the Tribe, and  Jet Stream lables with one from Starflite, and one from Copyright. Plus an additional five tracks that never got a release back in the late Sixties. Need I say more, it’s Barbara Lynn for God’s sake. Just buy it, you won’t be disappointed !

Etta James – Call My Name – Kent CDKEND360 

842-3089 (Call My Name) / You Took It / I Got You Babe / Do Right Woman, Do Right Man / Nobody Like You / It's All Right / Nobody Loves Me / I Worship The Ground You Walk On / Don't Pick Me For Your Fool / Slow And Easy / It Must Be Your Love / I Prefer You / I've Gone Too Far / You Got It / You Are My Sunshine / Almost Persuaded / The Soul Of A Man / Light My Fire / I'm So Glad (I Found Love In You) / Have Faith In Me / Miss Pitiful / That's All I Want From You / Happiness / Misty 

Etta James Losers Weepers  - Kent CDKEND361 

Take Out Some Insurance / Someone / Tell It Like It Is / W.O.M.A.N. / I Found A Love / The Man I Love / The Sound Of Love / Nothing From Nothing Leaves Nothing / You're The Fool / Tighten Up Your Own Thing / Losers Weepers / Hold Back My Tears / I Never Meant To Love Him / I Think It's You / I Got It Bad And That Ain't Good / Quick Reaction And Satisfaction / Never My Love / The Love Of My Man / Ease Away A Little Bit At A Time / Look At The Rain / For All We Know / Weepers 

Although Ace have released a huge amount of material by Etta James, somehow the Soul era albums have so far slipped through the net. So here are the first two, reproduced in all their glory, and of course both have bonus tracks as well (In fact as many bonus tracks as there were on the original albums). Again, as is usual with Kent, the bonus tracks include a variety of ‘B’ sides of singles that never reached an album, some tracks that were never released at the time of recording.  Copious liner notes just add to the whole package of both CDs.

Jackie Day – The Complete Jackie Day – Dig It The Most – Kent CDKEND359 

As Long As I Got My Baby / I Can't Wait / Naughty Boy / I Want Your Love / I Dig It The Most / What Kind Of Man Are You? / If I'd Lose You / Before It's Too Late / Get To Steppin' / Oh, What Heartaches / What's The Cost / Without A Love / What Happened / Step Aside / Guilty / You Are My Sunshine / Don't Fence Me In / What Kind Of Man Are You? (Alt) / Without A Love (Alt) / Free At Last 

Revered in the UK for a recording on the obscure Phelectron label that became an absolute monster on the dancefloors of the Northern Soul scene, Jackie Day also recorded other wonderful tracks. Some were dancers, and have been known for years (Particularly the Modern recordings) and some were only discovered on the studio tapes in the last couple of years. Kent have done their usual superb job here by compiling everything they could find by Jackie Day (Including eight previously unreleased tracks), and it shows what a great singer she is. Worth buying for the pristine sound quality on it’s own, never mind getting your hands on those unreleased tracks.

Bobby Marchan – Get Down Get With It- The Soul Sides 1963-67 – Kent CDKEND357 

Help Yourself / Someone To Take Your Place / Half A Mind / I Gotta Sit Down And Cry / Sad Sack / Meet Me In Church / Rockin' Pneumonia And The Boogaloo Flu / You Won't Do Right / I Feel It Coming / Shake Your Tambourine / Get Down With It / Gimme Your Love / I've Got A Thing Going On / I Just Want What Belongs To Me / Funny Style / Hello Happiness / What Can I Do (Pt 1) / What Can I Do (Pt 2) / There's Something About My Baby / Don't Worry About Tomorrow / Just A Little Bit / You Better Hold On / Too Late For Our Love / Just Be Yourself / Just To Hold My Hand / Everything A Poor Man Needs / Hooked / That's The Way It Goes 

Probably better known for the R & B sides he cut for Ace records in the late Fifties, Bobby Marchan carried on recording right through the Sixties, and that’s right where this CD is set. Following on from the Ace Years Bobby moved to the Fury label and cut some raw sides that edged across to the Soul side. By 1964, he was singing Soul, pure, gut wrenching Soul. Recorded for a variety of labels, both major and minor players, these tracks show what Bobby was capable of. And very capable he is indeed. A worthy addition to the Kent roster.