Mike

Another fine release from Kent this month - for this release the focus is on Jerry Williams... Blame It on the Dogg: the Swamp Dogg Anthology 1968-1978 CATALOGUE NUMBER CDKEND 293 A few clips from the ace records site article... Over the years, soul music has thrown up its share of characters and one such, definitely larger than life and indeed than his physical stature, is Jerry Williams Jr, better known as Swamp Dogg. Outrageous, outspoken, opinionated and one of the nicest guys you could meet, Swamp loves his music doubtless more than he loves the music business, an institution to which he has contributed more than his fair share of classics, many of which have gone unrecognised beyond a select - but ever-growing - coterie of fans. As an artist, songwriter and producer, Swamp’s mark on soul music has been indelible and, in “Blame It On The Dogg” we get two dozen tracks that show him in his multiple guises. By the 1968 date that launches this CD, Jerry Williams Jr was 25 and already a veteran of the business as an artist, label owner, producer and writer. The earliest example here of his work is the Dynamo release of Inez & Charlie Foxx’s Count The Days, cut while the man himself was pacted to the parent Musicor label. A relatively short-lived stay, he moved on to Botanic and Atlantic - with further examples of his work featured here - as he told In The Basement magazine in 1998. [At Musicor] “I co-produced the Toys, Exciters, Tommy Hunt, Inez & Charlie Fox... then I got fired for taking Gene Pitney out of his bag. So I met up with Don Gardner who was setting up Botanic Records and was given the A&R position that night. Three weeks’ later I was Vice President and a stockholder. I signed Gary US Bonds immediately and Little Charles & the Sidewinders. Botanic expanded very rapidly and went out of business the same way. I called Henry Allen at Atlantic and made an artist/producer pact, cutting the Commodores, Patti LaBelle & the Bluebelles, C & the Shells and the Drifters. ... ---Some of Swamp’s greatest achievements have been with female vocalists, with whom he has seemed to have a particular affinity - although it has been suggested that his working relationship with Ruth Brown (represented here with Stop Knocking) was something of a love/hate one, with emphasis on the latter. Iin 1998 he commented that he and songwriting partners, Charlie Whitehead and Gary U.S. Bonds, were all raised by strong women, which assisted in getting into a female mindset. “When I write about women I’m writing with my aunts, my mother, my grandmother and everybody. How they felt, how they acted...” The strong distaff tracks by Eleanor Grant are seeing the light of day for the first time and ex-Independent Helen Curry’s take on Shu-Doo-Pa-Poo-Poop was cut for Swamp’s Sweetheart label, just one of two outings from the venture. The title of the CD here uses the word “Blame” but it could as easily have been substituted by “Praise”. More please! David Cole Editor of "In The Basement" click the below to view the full article http://www.acerecords.co.uk/content.php?page_id=59&release=7740 avialable from usual outlets amazon link below http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0012EBU9S/wwwacerecordc-21 Tracklisting: 01 ON YOUR WAY HOME C & the Shells 02 SHE'S A HEARTBREAKER Gene Pitney 03 SHIPWRECKED Jerry Williams 04 HE'S GONE Patti La Belle & the Blue Belles 05 I NEED A WOMAN OF MY OWN Tommy Hunt 06 (1-2-3-4-5-6-7) COUNT THE DAYS Inez & Charlie Foxx 07 YOUR BEST FRIEND The Drifters 08 YOUR MAN Jerry Williams 09 I'M GLAD YOU'RE BACK Gary US Bonds 10 PLEASE OPEN UP THE DOOR Little Charles & the Sidewinders 11 RUN RUN ROADRUNNER Jerry Williams 12 WHAT'S SO WRONG WITH YOU LOVING ME Kenny Carter 13 DON'T TRUST A WOMAN Slick 'n' the Family Brick 14 STRAIGHT FROM MY HEART Swamp Dogg 15 TOUCH ‘EM WITH LOVE ZZ Hill 16 WHO'S TO BLAME Obe Jessie & the Seeds of Freedom 17 DON'T THROW YOUR LOVE TO THE WIND Swamp Dogg 18 PLEA #3 (IS IT TRUE BOY?) Eleanor Grant 19 COMPLICATION #4 Arthur Conley 20 SHU-DOO-PA-POO-POOP (LOVE BEING YOUR FOOL) Helen Curry 21 THE OTHER WOMAN Eleanor Grant 22 STOP KNOCKING Ruth Brown 23 GOD BLESS Wolfmoon 24 ROCKIN' YOUR BABY NOW Eleanor Grant

Out on Monday! Kents latest includes the much awaited Luther Ingram - Baby Dont you weep track! That floor filling track seeing the light of day for the first time is enough for a news item by itself, when you add that its rubbing shoulders with a large handfull of quality tracks as it breaks through the doors then it does look like this release from kent is one that goes straight on the must buy list. info from Ace Records tip top site The third of Kent’s ventures into the world of R&B dance music goes one step further into the world of musical categories by including tracks suited to the Belgian Popcorn scene. This genre of music grew up in the early 70s when like the UK’s Northern Soul scene, the hip teenagers of their day preferred the original dance music of the 60s to the records that were coming out of the US and UK at that time. The big difference was that their favourite records weren’t “on the fours” beat, sub-Motown sounds, but had a more mid-tempo, dance rhythm that they could slow jive to; as in Nappy Brown’s 1961 Savoy recording ‘Coal Miner’ on this CD. Though that record would not have been issued in Belgium, or indeed anywhere else in Europe, these intrepid record hunters scoured mail order lists and took trips to the US to find such gems, which in turn gave the DJs with the new discoveries kudos and the admiration of their small band of fanatical followers. Davenport and Cooley’s song ‘Fever’ is often taken as the blueprint for the successful Popcorn sound and at least three (coincidentally all previously unissued) such influenced songs are present from Boyce Cunningham, Harold Atkins and the recently christened Mr A N Other. These are all black or at least black sounding vocals from R&B stables Frisco, Downey and Old Town, and as this is their debut, they will cause much interest around central Western Europe where the Popcorn world still turns. In the mid 80s when Northern Soul’s accepted beats became more varied, many sounds originally played on the Popcorn scene like Sam Fletcher’s ‘I’d Think It Over’ were then spun on the Northern scene too. That co-operation and cross pollination between collectors and scenes has continued so much, that erstwhile Northern fans have been converted into full-on Popcorn believers. The more dated of these sounds, to Northern Soul ears, have been programmed into the New Breed R&B club scene, which often earns itself a separate room at Northern venues, but the biggest records often cross over onto the main Northern dance floors. This CD is still aimed primarily at that late 50s / early 60s R&B crowd and has avoided the poppier excesses of the Popcorn scene which has featured records by Petula Clark, The Ames Brothers and Tommy Dorsey’s Orchestra at its nadir. The opening track will make all lovers of black music from the golden age happy, if not delirious. For some five or more years I have been spinning Luther Ingram’s unissued master tape version of Fred Bridges and Harrison Smith’s ‘Oh Baby Don’t You Weep’ at Northern Soul and R&B clubs all over Europe. Virtually from the very first spin it has been a success and has gone on to acquire “massive” status. Many people will buy this CD for the compelling vocals and insistent rhythm of this opening track alone; some may not even care what the other 23 tracks are. New Breed R&B is a relatively recent era and style to have collectors and connoisseurs shine the spotlight on it, so the chances of finding obscure releases, unissued master tapes and acetates of this style of music is still high. Paul Clifton’s ‘She Wobbles When She Walks’ on the tiny Teen Post label is a very high quality R&B recording that combines a tough R&B approach to a catchy pop song. This now popular formula is also followed on here by Gene Burks, Billy Bland and Lena Calhoun among others. The grittier end of the soul spectrum is provided by Goldwax’s Barbara Perry whose ‘A Man Is A Mean Thing’ has to be heard to be believed. It features a tempo acceleration midway through the recording that Jeremy Clarkson would be stunned by. Barbara Brown, Albert Washington and the Charmaines also give us tough, uptempo soul productions which are ideal for the dancefloor, while the myth of Mr Dynamite’s James Brown inspired opus ‘Sh’mon’ is finally nailed. More previously unreleased material comes from Gladys Tyler whose ‘Someone Else Has Taken My Place’ has been played from acetate by top, pioneering, R&B DJ Roger Banks for nearly ten years now. Another Gladys, this time Ms Bruce, comes up with a newly discovered R&B track with the moody ‘I've Got a Feeling For You Baby’ which will please fans who love to dance to something new. 60s R&B tracks include Banny Price’s in-demand ‘You Love Me Pretty Baby’ which now fetches up to £250 a copy, while Marry/Merry Clayton’s very rare first 45 ‘I’ve Got My Eyes On You’ has a price tag in excess of that. It was the musical quality, popularity and scarcity of these discs that elevated them to such a high priced status. Other straight blues records come from BB King with the interestingly titled ‘Beautician Blues’ and the unissued King James ‘Whatcha Gonna Do’ a hip variation on ‘What’d I Say’. Eugene Church, Vernon Green and Terry & Jerry’s contributions are mainstream late 50s R&B which suit today’s club goers to a Tee. That must make the original blues aficionados smile, though this compilation shows they should not rest on their laurels; the New Breed is already here. By Ady Croasdell track listing 1. Oh Baby Don't You Weep - Ingram, Luther 2. She Wobbles When She Walks - Clifton, Paul 3. You Love Me Pretty Baby - Price, Banny 4. Mata Hari - Ivey, Chet 'Poison' 5. I've Got A Feeling For You Baby - Bruce, Gladys 6. I'm Gonna Start A War - Barbara & The Browns 7. Sh'mon - Mr. Dynamite 8. Shirley Jean - Burks, Gene 9. Too Young - Cunningham, Boyce 10. Big Ben - Atkins, Harold 11. Coal Miner - Brown, Nappy 12. Tumbling Down - Tom Tumbleweed 13. Beautician Blues - King, B.B. 14. Jack Of All Trades - Church, Eugene 15. I Idolize You - Charmaines1. Oh Baby Don't You Weep - Ingram, Luther 2. She Wobbles When She Walks - Clifton, Paul 3. You Love Me Pretty Baby - Price, Banny 4. Mata Hari - Ivey, Chet 'Poison' 5. I've Got A Feeling For You Baby - Bruce, Gladys 6. I'm Gonna Start A War - Barbara & The Browns 7. Sh'mon - Mr. Dynamite 8. Shirley Jean - Burks, Gene 9. Too Young - Cunningham, Boyce 10. Big Ben - Atkins, Harold 11. Coal Miner - Brown, Nappy 12. Tumbling Down - Tom Tumbleweed 13. Beautician Blues - King, B.B. 14. Jack Of All Trades - Church, Eugene 15. I Idolize You - Charmaines 16. Man Is A Mean Mean Thing - Perry, Barbara 17. First Love Baby - Calhoun, Lena & The Emotions 18. I've Got My Eyes On You - Clayton, Marry 19. I'm The Man - Washington, Albert 20. What'cha Gonna Do - King James 21. Just Like Yesterday - Simon, Joe 22. Mama Julie - Terry & Jerry 23. Doing The Mule - Bland, Billy 24. Lover's Prayer - Green, Vernon & The Medallions 16. Man Is A Mean Mean Thing - Perry, Barbara 17. First Love Baby - Calhoun, Lena & The Emotions 18. I've Got My Eyes On You - Clayton, Marry 19. I'm The Man - Washington, Albert 20. What'cha Gonna Do - King James 21. Just Like Yesterday - Simon, Joe 22. Mama Julie - Terry & Jerry 23. Doing The Mule - Bland, Billy 24. Lover's Prayer - Green, Vernon & The Medallions info and clips from ace records http://www.acerecords.co.uk buy now at amazon link