UK collection. The Kent Ballads CD series covers the whole soul era and most genres of ballads. This compilation has a particularly impressive 20 year span between the mournful, New Orleans-recorded Turquinettes track from 1962 and Nightchill's early 80s, quiet storm, groove; complete with electronic instrumentation. Both of those tracks were unissued until now and there are 10 recordings that failed to make it to vinyl. Several of those are of such quality they could easily have been R&B hits. Carlson Oliver's 'Stay Away' is a very strong recording from a guy who had just two 45s released on Douglas and sang with the Ike Turner Review. Though a solo performance, it has a resemblance to the Knight Brothers' 'Temptation's 'Bout To Get Me'; good news all around. 'Apartment # 9' by Little Johnny Hamilton is as intense and raw a blues ballad, a la 'I Found A Love', as will ever be heard. Two other tracks in that area are the unissued Julius Wright's 'Lonely Girl' and the Excello killer 45 by Joe Mayfield - 'How's Things With You'. J J Jackson & The Jackaels were a West Coast outfit led by June Jackson and the unissued Brent recording is a melodic, well-produced big city vocal group number that would surely have sold well on release. Other previously unheard highlights come from Nashville's criminally under-recorded Peggy Gaines, the Exotics with 'Nobody But You' - a super-soulful Excello recording - and Jerry Washington, whose 'I Don't Need Nobody' is as good as any of his issued Excello masterpieces. Some of the issued singles aren't that easy to pick up. Eddie Parker's 'Crying Clown' in particular: $10,000 + for an original in good nick. You could knock a zero off that for Eddie Whitehead's 'Give This Fool Another Try' or just enjoy it from master tape on this CD. Ray Pollard's lead vocal features on the sad, tuneful 'After He Breaks Your Heart' and shows why he is so very highly rated. Lee Williams & The Cymbals, Dori Grayson, Mary Love and John Edwards have some of their best down-tempo offerings included to showcase their talents. Lorraine Chandler gives us the title track, which, having recently appeared on a Detroit dance-based CD, may have passed some soul fans by. The stunning cover photo is of Alice Clark whose GWP production 'Heaven's Will' is a real tour-de-force.
1. Stay Away - Carlson Oliver 2. I Don't Need Nobody - Jerry Washington 3. I Love You More - Lee Williams ; the Cymbals 4. Lost Without You - Lorraine Chandler 5. Don't Let Her Make Me Cry - J J Jackson ; the Jackaels 6. After He Breaks Your Heart - the Wanderers 7. Lonely Girl - Julius Wright 8. Nobody But You - the Exotics 9. I Can Fix That for You - Dori Grayson 10. Everybody Knows - Peggy Gaines 11. I Give a Damn - Johnny Watson 12. You're Messing Up a Good Thing - John Edwards 13. Sure Thing - Nightchill 14. Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight - Ty Karim 15. Heaven's Will - Alice Clark 16. How's Things with You - Joe Mayfield 17. Apartment # 9 - Little Johnny Hamilton 18. King for a Day - Danny White 19. Crying Clown - Eddie Parker 20. The Last One to Be Loved - Lou Johnson 21. Give This Fool Another Try - Eddie Whitehead 22. Lonely Girl - Soul Brothers 23. Take Another Look - the Turquinettes 24. The Price - Mary Love
