Northern Soul’s Classiest Rarities Volume 5 – Various Artists CD (Kent)

Nearly five years has elapsed since our last volume in this popular series and our latest CD reflects the continued success of funk-influenced dancers on the Northern Soul scene.

The obscure Atlanta-based Sho Biz label provides ‘Lover Man’ by the Soul Brothers in that style; this is by far the rarer of their two singles. Mel Davis’ ‘Just Another Smile’ first found favour on the Deep Funk scene but the solid beat enabled it to crossover to forward-thinking Northern venues in the same way that the Webb People’s ‘I’m Sending Vibrations’ has done. That Dave Hamilton track, produced in Detroit, is featured in an extended version with superb multi-track tape audio for the first time.

Other tape finds come from Nashville’s most important girl group, the Avons, whose original 60s version of Peggy Gaines’ ‘When The Boy That You Love’ is femme soul unsurpassed. The Bay Area’s Jeanette Jones had yet another unissued soul stomper in the can at GSR studios and ‘Break Someone Else’s Heart’ will please her followers. J.J. Barnes has devotees stretching back forty years plus and the discovery of a third side, previously unreleased, from his classy Ring 45 will set Detroit collectors’ hearts aflutter. Southern fans will be thrilled to hear Clarence Reid’s version of Paul Kelly’s ‘You Don’t Know (You Just Don’t Know)’.

Big Northern hitters include Terri Goodnight’s ‘They Didn’t Know’ a super-rare stomper that has evaded most collectors for decades. Mary Saxton’s ‘Losing Control’ also commands top dollar, while classy Chicago numbers by the Steelers and Roy Wright aren’t remotely cheap. The relatively common ‘Wrong Wrong Wrong’ is flavour of the year again and picking up plays all over the scene. The Volumes’ ‘That Same Old Feeling’ is a quality Detroit 45 which could have been designed for this compilation, like the much cheaper but equally wonderful ‘Two Loves Have I’ by jazz giant Big Joe Turner. There are vocal groups, a hint of modern, a Wheel classic and piles of soul for collectors who appreciate the good stuff. – Ace Records