Hi!

Ace/Kent have released two interesting CDs.

Please find my review of the late 1960s/early 1970s Philly sounds compilation at

https://www.soulexpress.net/birthofphillysound.htm

and Reggie Young's first-ever solo album at

https://www.soulexpress.net/reggieyoung_foreveryoung.htm

Best regards

Heikki

 

Hi Heikki, thanks for the heads up. The Kent bandwagon shows no sign of letting up - not good for people desperately trying to set aside spending money for the holidays...

Re recommended books, I haven't read those recommended by Mr Rounce,  but I did read the Jackson book, also the more recent book by Bruce Hawes, which was very critical of Jackson, for reasons that aren't hard to to see if you've read it yourself. Jackson can barely contain his dislike of Kenny Gamble and by the end is calling him a "pseudo-intellectual", which for me tarnishes the book. Jackson seems to have done the research thoroughly and the story he tells is compelling, but if an editor had been able to restrain him the readers could have made up their own minds without being led like that. Bruce Hawes could have used an editor too, but only to allow his story to come through more clearly.

Hi Mickey!

Thank you for your very good comments.  When I reviewed that Jackson book in 2004 I also talked to some Philly music masters about it, and here are some of their answers:

Bobby Eli: "It is a very well written book.  I think that maybe they could have hit on a few more topics... They could have touched technical things like who did what and how certain things were done in the studio...  There were some inconsistencies in there" (meaning WMOT and Young Professionals).

Weldon A. Mcdougal III: "I think it's done well... I was impressed, when I was reading about Kenny Gamble's family.  I know Kenny Gamble's mother, but I never knew her name was Ruby."

On Gamble & Huff not granting the interviews for the book (which is a big minus, I think), Weldon says that "the way Kenny told me they're getting ready to write their own book.  They keep saying it, but it never comes out, because they're doing other work..."

Thom Bell: "A lot of times they want to keep things to themselves.  They might be planning to do a motion picrture on the sound of Philadelphia..."

You have a point, Mickey, but I like the book because there are a lot of things I didn't know and to which I can come back for research.  I'll be in touch with Bruce about this, too.

Best regards

Heikki