Shrine Records - Rare Soul Sides: Washington DC 1965-1967 - 7 x 45 Box Set

A 7 x 45 Box Set from Kent Records containing 14 sides worthy of single releases.

Barbara Long’s great, but elusive, Shrine recording - issued on sister-label Jet Set - deservedly leads off the package and is coupled with the previously CD-only ‘Take It From Me’ by the mysterious Traci – an early tape find. Like Barbara Long, the Epsilons ‘Mind In A Bind’ was issued just after the label folded and sneaked out on Washington’s Hem imprint. It is re-released for the first time as a 7” with their ‘Mad At The World’ debuting as a UK 45. The same scenario applies to the Cautions’ marvellous mid-tempo single ‘Watch Your Step’. We have coupled it with their ever-in-demand ‘No Other Way’; long deleted from its 2009 repress.

Despite Shrine’s reputation for dance tracks, one of the labels most-revered recordings is the beautiful Tippie & The Wisemen ballad ‘Wait Til I Get There’. That previously unissued number came out on the first Horace’s LP in 1990. A decade later Ady Croasdell found the tape of their ‘I Wouldn’t Mind Crying’ in the Universal Studios vaults in Hollywood. This pleased the song’s writer Eddie Singleton who hadn’t heard this particular favourite of his since the recording date. Sidney Hall (of the Enjoyables) cut the impassioned beat ballad ‘I’m A Lover’ as a solo act; it has its first UK 45 release here. We have coupled it with the catchy, raucous groove of the incredibly rare Cavaliers Shrine 45 ‘Do What I Want’. this has improved audio from its previous releases.

The Prophets gorgeous harmony ballad ‘Huh Baby’ gets its first 45 re-release too and we have put a slightly alternate version, found in the tapes, of ‘If I Had One Gold Piece’, the original B side. Finally, another Shrine-recorded Jet Set 45 by Jimmy Armstrong ‘I Won’t Believe It Till I See It’ makes its Kent debut, along with his killer blues ballad ‘It’s Gonna Take Time’ which has never been released before.

Seven new Shrine 45s, complete with an attractively packaged box containing rarely seen photos; soul heaven!

Ady Croasdell

Track listing

Side 1
01   We Called It Love - Barbara Long
02   Take It From Me - Traci
Side 2
01   Mind In A Bind - The Epsilons
02   Mad At The World - The Epsilons
Side 3
01   Watch Your Step - The Cautions
02   No Other Way - The Cautions
Side 4
01   Wait Till I Get There - Tippie & The Wisemen
02   I Wouldn't Mind Crying - Tippie & The Wisemen
Side 5
01   I'm A Lover - Sidney Hall
02   Do What I Want - The Cavaliers
Side 6
01   Hush Baby - The Prophets
02   If I Had (One Gold Piece) - The Prophets
Side 7
01   I Won't Believe It Til I See It - Jimmy Armstrong
02   It's Gonna Take Love - Jimmy Armstrong

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