Masterpieces Of Modern Soul Vol 6 - Kent Cd

Masterpieces Of Modern Soul Vol 6 - Various Artists - CDKEND 512

The latest volume in our acclaimed Masterpieces Of Modern Soul series

Release Date 29 July 2022

Clip of the release notes from Ady Croasdell via Ace Records follows below...

The latest volume in our acclaimed Masterpieces Of Modern Soul series is as strong as ever and drips with brand new, old recordings. An amazing 12 tracks are previously unheard and a further two are very different versions of already popular numbers.

Some rare-soul household names have new material featured on here. Ronnie McNeir hits a wicked dance groove with ‘Let’s Make A Move’ and Dee Ervin offers a superbly soulful ‘You Make Me Happy’ – sure to become a modern classic. The lesser-known Joe Graham’s ‘Higher Than High’ is already halfway there, thanks to advance plays in Europe from DJ Dave Thorley. It’s from an Atlanta session around 1976, in-between his Chant and later Hotlanta releases. Jean Shy is a highly-thought of artist who recorded firstly in Chicago and later in L A. ‘What Tomorrow Brings’ was cut in the latter city, under the auspices of Kent Harris; it’s a very classy midtempo jazz-infused number. Ramona King had her best-known records in the 60s but ‘Happy Times’ was recorded in the Bay Area’s GSR studios in the 70s and is a laid-back gem.

We’ve drifted into the late 70s / early 80s disco sound with numbers found on tape that were just crying out to be heard. Joe Simon cut the unknown group Cynic on ‘I Want You’ at Spring early in 1982. Detroit’s Exportations very catchy ‘Second Time Around’ and the equally fast, funky and fantastic ‘Have A Good Time’ by Atlanta’s Maggabrain were laid down in the late 70s as was Fox Fire’s ‘Don’t Play Me Cheap’. The early 80s is the likely era for Melanie Burke’s ‘I Can’t Turn You Down’ – which, like the McNeir and Hodges James & Smith offerings, were Mickey Stevenson productions made in L A.

1. WAKE UP SMILING - Janice
2. HIGHER THAN HIGH – Joe Graham (previously unissued)
3. LET'S MAKE A MOVE – Ronnie McNeir (previously unissued)
4. SECOND TIME AROUND – The Exportations (previously unissued)
5. YOU MAKE ME HAPPY - Dee Ervin (previously unissued)
6. IF ONLY I COULD PROVE TO YOU – The 3 Pieces
7. MUST HAVE HAD COMPANY – Elayne Starr (previously unissued)
8. NOBODY - Margie Joseph
9. WHAT TOMORROW BRINGS – Jean Shy
10. YOU COULD HAVE TRIED - Karen Sanders Group
11. DOO DOOP DEE DEEP DOOT DOO –  George Semper (previously unissued)
12. I'LL SEE YOU IN HELL FIRST (ALTERNATE TAKE) – Phillip Mitchell (previously unissued)
13. YOU AND ME BABY - Joe Hinton (previously unissued)
14. WHO – Jackie Dee (previously unissued)
15. YOU DONE LET THE DAYLIGHT CATCH YOU – Second Re$Surrection
16. I WANT YOU – Cynic (previously unissued)
17. DON'T PLAY ME CHEAP –Foxfire featuring Johnny E Adams (previously unissued)
18. HAVE A GOOD TIME - Maggabrain (previously unissued)
19. WISHFUL THINKING - Hodges, James & Smith
20. I CAN'T TURN YOU DOWN – Melanie Burke (previously unissued)
21. HAPPY TIMES – Ramona King (previously unissued) (ALEC PALAO MIX)
22. BEDROOM EYES - Betty Everett

Can listen to two tracks above