RAY'S MOVIN'! (THE GENIUS SINGS THE OTHER HANK)

Artist: RAY CHARLES; Title: I'M MOVIN' ON; Label: ATLANTIC; Format: 7"EP; 

Cat. No.: 21021; Year: 1961; Country: FRANCE.

Looking this time round at this 1961 French EP from the Genius himself - Ray Charles.

Side One kicks off with Ray's version of the Hank Snow tune "I'm Movin' On". The one thing that's noticeable to anyone that's familiar with the song is the version here has a different and slower train sound effect intro. As well as what seems like a slower tempo to the whole song.  Which makes me wonder if this is the original Mono single mix- and the better known version is the stereo LP mix.  Next up is the classic "I Believe To My Soul" which I first came to via The Animals version.  It's one of the few tracks that doesn't feature backing from the Raelets - all the voices you hear are Ray's.  Whether this was down to Ray falling out with Margie Hendrix (which happened on a regular basis by all accounts) I'm not sure - and perhaps that's who the song's written about.

Side Two opens with "You Be My Baby" - co-written by Ray alongside Doc Pomus and Mort Schuman is a bit of a good one! Featuring as it does that classic gospel inspired call-and response between Ray and the Raelets and a great tenor solo from Dave Fathead Newman.  The proceedings are rounded off with "My Bonnie" which is given the classic Ray Charles treatment - and again one that doesn't disappoint!

FOR BEN E. KING

Artist: BEN E. KING (feat. JIMI HENDRIX); Title: II'S ALL OVER; Label: ATLANTIC; Format: 7"; Cat. No.: AT 4007; Year: 1964; Country: UK

This is a post I've been meaning to do for a couple of weeks now - but've only just gotten round to, as a tribute to Soul legend and former Drifters frontman Ben E King who we lost recently.





Looking today at this 1964 release of his which features the classic Soul format of the period - big ballad A Side and more up-tempo B Side.  In this instance the A Side gives you "It's All Over" - co-written and produced by Bert Berns (using his Bert Russell moniker for the writing credit). It's another of those great slow-burning big soul ballads with some great backing vocals from the Sweet Inspirations (line-up around this time comprising Doris Troy, Dee Warwick, Cissy Houston, and possibly even Dionne herself).  Although not as well know as some of the better known Ben E King stuff - this is still well worth checking out.



As is the B Side - "Let The Water Run Down".  As already mentioned this is more up-tempo of the two sides on offer here.  Written again by Bert Berns as Bert Russell - and again with Doris Troy and Co. on backing vocals - it's another good one! And did I mention that the guitarist on this is none other than Jimi Hendrix? It's from that period when Hendrix did a lot of session work for Atlantic - alongside this he proivided the guitar-breaks on Don Covay's "Mercy, Mercy" as well the Isley's "Move Over And Let Me Dance" (which I've featured on a previous post a while back). An excellent track that's again well worth checking out!

MORE DRIFTING NORTHERN SOUL

Artist: THE DRIFTERS; Title: I'LL TAKE YOU WHERE THE MUSIC'S PLAYING; 

Label: ATLANTIC; Format: 7"; Cat. No.: 584152; Year: 1967; Country: UK

Carrying on with The Drifters' late 60's Northern Soul tunes - I'm looking at the next 2 singles released by Atlantic in the UK following on from the previous post.

First up is this stormer from 1967.  The A Side features the amazing "I'll Take You Where The Music's Playing" which has made it on CD as the title track of one Kent CDs focusing on Northern stuff released on Atlantic.  The track's written by Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich - and as already stated if you're not familiar with it already then I strongly urge you to go and check it out!  And (as far as I'm aware) this is the last Drifters track to feature production by Bert Berns.

 The flip side gives a Drifters classic from 1963 in the shape of the sublime "On Broadway".  Written by   Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil alongside producers Leiber & Stoller - and featuring Rudy Clark on vocals it really doesn't get any better than this!

Artist: THE DRIFTERS; Title: STILL BURNING IN MY HEART; Label: ATLANTIC;

Format: 7"; Cat.: No.: 584195; Year: 1968; Country: UK

Next up is this 1968 offering.  The A Side gives you "Still Burning In My Heart" written by Van McCoy with (I think) Sly Stone using his real name Sylvester Stewart.  It's another good one - and with a slight nod in the direction of Country, hence the use of the harmonica!  It's pretty good and well worth tracking down and having a listen to.

The flip side has the more uptempo psyche-tinged "I Need You Now" which has nod in the direction of Hendrix with it's nice bit of fuzz guitar on it.  Lead vocals on this occasion are handled by Bill Fredericks - and another slightly more obscure Drifters track that merits a listen.

SOME DRIFTING NORTHERN SOUL

Artist: THE DRIFTERS; Title: BABY WHAT I MEAN; Label: ATLANTIC; Format: 7"; 

Cat. No.: 584065; Year: 1967; Country: UK

Carrying on with the Northern Soul vibe from the previous post - looking today at this one in the genre from The Drifters.

 Released on UK Atlantic in 1967 "Baby What I Mean" is a good (and here I mean really good) uptempo offering from Johnny Moore and Co.  It's from that period of their career where the big hits of the early 60's were gone - but they were still knockout gems like this that although weren't massive sellers still did the business on the dance floor; especially those in the UK where these semi-obscure 45s suddenly got picked by the DJs in the Northern Soul clubs. And doubtless part of the reason why UK Atlantic reissued this along with a number of their other tracks in the early 70's - resulting in a lot of them getting back in to the UK charts and doing the business very nicely indeed!

The flip side gives you "Aretha", and I'm thinking pretty much one of the last things Bert Berns wrote (here alongside Jeff Barry) and produced for them before dying of a heart attack.  Song-wise it's another fine Drifters tune - more in the mid-tempo range, and although not quite in the same league as the A Side well worth a listen.  It's just a shame that both sides of this single didn't make it on to that excellent double CD compilation 'The Definitive Drifters' that Rhino issued in the early 00's, as their output from the latter half of the 60's is slightly under-represented.  Any plans out there for The Drifters - The Northern Soul Years'?

KIKI DOES NORTHERN

Artist: KIKI DEE; Title: WHY DON'T I RUN AWAY FROM YOU?; Label: FONTANA; Format: 7";
Cat No.: TF 669; Year: 1966; Country: UK

Today's single under the spotlight is the great bit of British Northern Soul from Kiki Dee - dating from the so called golden year for Northern Soul - 1966. And a decade before her breakthrough duet with Elton John. 

The A Side is Kiki's superb version of this Bert Berns penned tune "Why Don't I Run Away You?". Originally done by Tami Lynn on Atlantic - this is one of those songs from the period when the UK labels flew to the States to see what the US (labels more as often Atlantic) to see what they had that was about to be released, then getting the tracks back over here and getting ta UK cover version out before the original version was issued.  (And hopefully having a hit in the process!) The Tami Lynn version was actually a hit when in was reissued on Mojo in the early 70's - and one I remember hearing on the radio at the time.  The version here doesn't disappoint - and Kiki really gives in her all. Which shouldn't really comes a surprise considering her work with fellow soul fan Dusty Springfield. Plus Dusty's on backing vocals too!

The B Side's good too!  I'm more than happy to consider "Small Town" as Brit Northern Soul too, as it has the same feel - allbeit at a slower tempo.  Written by Les Reed it's an excellent showcase for Kiki's voice, and in a couple of places the arrangements put me in of the 'Barbarella' soundtrack.  As to whether Bob Crewe was a fan or aware of it I don't really know.  And like the A Side well worth a listen.