Ballads, The – I Can’t See Your Love Pt.1 / Pt.2 45 (Deptford Northern Soul Club) 7″ Vinyl

A classic Vee-Jay side from 1965 that originally sneaked out on the Bay Area Wee label. The original goes for around £100, the second Wee press for £75, while the Vee-Jay version is 50 quid a throw. That said, copies are few and far between these days.

Featuring an upbeat, brass-powered Temptations-like harmony with a call and response, a deep sax wail and a piano motif pushing it forward towards a glorious middle eight that breaks into a Gospel roll out.

Powered by Ric-Tic-like drum rolls; a euphoric soulful classic split into two essential parts.

The Ballads were a four-piece from Oakland, across the bridge from San Francisco, featuring Freddie Hughes who would later sign to Wand. The band themselves almost made it, charting in ’68 with the Willie Hutch-produced ‘God Bless Our Love’, but this earlier recording is the business.

Both sides remastered from the original sound source.