The Best Of Hayley Cd Review by Eddie Hubbard

Hayley Records - The Best of Hayley CD by Eddie Hubbard

Hayley records is an independent record label from the Midlands UK , specialising in unearthing unreleased and rare 60’s, 70’s and 80’s Soul recordings , especially from Detroit . After over a decade of releasing quality CD compilations and limited edition ‘ 45’s they finally present “ The best of Hayley “ which contains 16 mouthwatering tracks plus one “ hidden “ bonus track !!

The first two tracks are covers of old classics ,“ Show and tell “ [ the old Al Wilson side ] is given a more uptempo treatment , performed by Deep Soul giant Charles Brimmer , and easily a match for the original , perhaps even better ? Next we have a brilliant version of Tony Clarke’s “ The entertainer “ , by Motown evergreen Jimmy Ruffin , with most of the Funk brothers in attendance , a simply stunning update .

The next three tracks are real desert island tracks for me , all deeply soulful ballads , which really hit the spot .Marvin Gaye is still missed so much by everyone , the tribute song “ Thank you Marvin “ performed by Tim Carter is the perfect tribute to a sadly lost mega talent . “ You’ve gotten to me “ by Karen Pree is beautiful slow burner , with the delicious Ms Pree delivering this song in brilliant fashion . Loretta Kendricks “ My feelings keep getting in the way “ is a fantastic song rescued from the vaults .

Clarence Jackson had many quality sides released in Detroit , here we can enjoy “ I miss you “ from the 80’s ,a quality track with an insistent beat . Another sadly recently deceased Artist is Emanuel Lasky , during the 70’s he actually shared a house with Marvin Gaye and “ A different kind of different “ is the result of this creative pairing , a superb lilting side which wouldn’t sound out of place on a Marvin Gaye or Leon Ware album .

“ Thinking of you “ by Tim Murray was a popular dancer during the late 80’s early 90’s period , here we have the superior original by it’s songwriter Melvin Davis , a legend in his own right of course .Superlatives fail me when listening to Almeta Latimore’s “ These Memories “ simply one of the finest 70’s tracks ever , I’ll personally never forget her live performance of this stunning song , another desert island disc . Sweet James Epps of The Fantastic 4 has a highly collectable ‘45 in” Love at first sight “ on the tiny Motor -pool logo , here is the original version performed by the legendary JJ Barnes , which begs the question which ,is the best version ? Make your own mind up , I really can’t decide .

Another legendary track from the 70’s is “ I wonder why “ by the mysterious Sy Hightower , an ultra soulful vocalist who has this track included on this CD , an amazing record in every way . Stevie Wonder’s “ Contract on love “ is a popular early dancer on the Northern scene , here we have a modern update by Dathan Jones , with production by the legendary Cindy Scott , a very creditable version . Karen Pree makes her second appearance on this CD with the the uptempo dancer “ Can’t help loving the one who’s loving me “ this track is scheduled to be released on a ‘ 45 soon , sure to be a dance floor monster methinks .

Next up is the mysterious Thunderbird Sound ,with a stunning instrumental “ In heaven and on earth “ , rumoured to be The Funk Brothers moonlighting in Ohio , this track is indeed full of all the essential ingredients that made the Funk brothers such a hot studio outfit .

Cut at the same session as “ Sliced tomatoes “ The Just Brothers “ Honey “ is a storming vocal dancer rescued from the vaults by Hayley records and rebuilt from scratch , a great record in the traditional sense of Rare Detroit Soul .

From the same time frame as the Charles Brimmer track which opened this CD , comes an amazing dancer from the legendary Lynn Varnado with “ Ain’t that something “ a wonderful Clay McMurrey production that bridges the divide between Northern and Modern Soul .

And that should have been the end of the CD , already an essential purchase , but if you leave the CD running after the last track , after a couple of minutes an amazing unissued unknown duet ,performs a killer version of Omar Chandlers “ You come from heaven “ .A real surprise to the listener which takes this compilation to another level , a must buy compilation .

Eddie Hubbard 2008

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Further info and ordering details on this release can be found on the Hayley Records website via link below

http://www.hayleyrecords.co.uk