The Stars Of Spring - Various Artists - Kent 45 EP

The Stars Of Spring

Various Artists (see below)

Kent Soul 

LTDEP 023

Release Date : 28th September 2018

Track listing

Side 1 

It's The Same Old Story - Act I
Just What The Doctor Ordered - Garland Green
 

Side 2

Close My Eyes - Millie Jackson

Starvin' - Winfield Parker

A Limited Edition of 1000, Kent release notes from the time follow...

 
Label notes

Spring records have put a bounce back Into the New York B soul scene. Hits from Millie, Joe, Garland, Act 1 and friends have seen us shake up the charts, even across the sea in jolly old England.     
D Raeford Gerald aka Ray Godfrey is the brains behind many spring successes, including Act 1 whose magnificent album track 'It's The Same Old Story' appears on 7-inch vinyl for the first time.
Garland Green's beautiful 'Just What The Doctor ordered' was a belated master tape find originally Issued on a UK LP way back In 1990.   
We are always spoilt for choice with Millie Jackson l decided to throw the spotlight on a lesser-known gem, 'Close My Eyes'. It Is as fine an example of her early soul sound as you will hear full of brio and packed with pizzazz.
Our east coast neighbors down In Philly came up with veteran soul man Winfield Parker's 'Starvin" for us. With Phil Hurtt, D B Bunny Sigler and producer Jimmy Bishop involved, we were guaranteed a great groove and so it was.   
Enjoy this bijou musical presentation and look out for much more from Spring in the coming months.   

 Side One 
1.    IT'S THE SAME OLD STORY • ACT I 3.06 
(Raeford Gerald, Douglas Nordli, Cleveland Parker, Roger Terry) Spring LP 6704 "Act I" (1974) 
Produced by Raeford Gerald for Guardian Productions. 

2.    JUST WHAT THE DOCTOR. ORDERED• GARLAND GREEN 3.25
Garfield Green) Kent LP 097 "The Spring Sides" (1990) 
Produced by Brad Shapiro at Criteria Studios, Miami, Florida in 1973. 

Side Two 
1.    CLOSE MY EYES• MILLIE JACKSON 3.10 
(Billy Nichols) Spring LP 5706 "It Hurts So Good" (1973) Arranged by Mike Lewis. Produced by Raeford Gerald. 

2.    STARVIN' • WINFIELD PARKER 2.52 
(Phil Hurtt, Bunny Sigler) Spring 126 (Edit) (2018) 
Produced by Jimmy Bishop, Phil Hurtt & Bunny Sigler for Mighty Productions. Arranged by Roland Chambers. 
Stereo except *Mono 

The spotlight turns on Spring Records for the latest in our series of limited edition vinyl EPs drawn from the catalogues of iconic US soul imprints – a cute snapshot of a renowned label whose priority was great soul productions by the best talent.

Spring ran from 1967 to the mid-80s and was very successful. We have included megastar Millie Jackson with a track from her second LP, the bouncy and irresistible ‘Close My Eyes’. It is a swinging, uptempo number that will now get its deserved dancehall spins on a DJ-friendly 7-inch.

Millie had around 20 albums on the label, while the mysterious and un-photographed Ray Godfrey-produced group Act 1 managed just one, but what a terrific record it was. Here we present one of its highlights, ‘It’s The Same Old Story’, on a conveniently sized disc for 45 collectors and top soul spinners to enjoy again.

For soul fans Garland Green’s emotive vocals are up there with the best. His Spring sessions, with producer Brad Shapiro in 1973, yielded the superb (but unreleased at the time) ballad ‘Just What The Doctor Ordered’, only previously available on vinyl on a Kent LP in 1990.

Winfield Parker is another name for the connoisseurs. ‘Starvin’’ was the follow-up to his only hit, a 1971 remake of ‘S.O.S. (Stop Her On Sight)’. Although musically its equal, and way more progressive, it was to be his final 45 on the illustrious label. Its funk guitar-influenced production has made it a favourite among younger rare soul fans in recent years.

ADY CROASDELL

By Ady Croasdell

Listen to two of the 4 tracks above