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!

(THERE'S) ALWAYS SOMETHING THERE TO REMIND ME - THE ORIGINAL!

Artist: Lou Johnson. Title: (There's) Always Something There To Remind Me. Label: London. Format: 7". Country of of issue/origin: UK. Cat. No.: HLX 9917. Year: 1964.

Today's dig from the collection spotlights this '64 offering from Lou Johnson.  The A Side is the original version of "(There's) Always Something There To Remind Me" - and a UK hit for Sandie Shaw.  The song was penned by Burt Bacharach & Hal David and (like most of their songs in the 60's) demoed by Dionne Warwick - whose own version was issued in 1968.  The backing vocals are the so-called super sessioners - namely Doris Troy, Dee Dee Warwick, and Cissy Houston, and you can certainly hear Doris Troy and Dee Warwick on this one. Bacharach was intent on pushing this version as a potential hit here in the UK even bringing Lou Johnson over to promote the song, only for it be gazumped by Sandie Shaw's manager Eve Taylor getting her signing's version out before the Johnson original - a practice common with UK acts issuing their cover before the US original versions.  And guess who had the hit?

The flip side is a rather good N. Soul flavoured track in the shape of "Wouldn't That Be Something".  Although not having quite the dancefloor impact of Lou Johnson's subsequent 'Unsatisfied' issued the following year, this is still a bit of good 'un.  Valuewise, a mint copy of this is worth in the region of £25.