Birth of Soul: Special Detroit Edition 1961-64

by N/A

Overview

To the average listener, Detroit means one thing with regard to '60s soul: Motown. While it's difficult to ignore the seismic impact of Motown, it wasn't the only thing happening in the Motor City, as Ace's 2017 compilation Birth of Soul: Special Detroit Edition proves. Collecting 24 sides recorded between 1961 and 1964 -- six of these weren't released at the time, all but one making their debut here -- Birth of Soul: Special Detroit Edition focuses on an era when the Motown sound was yet to crystallize, so there isn't a uniformity of styles here. Instead of the big bouncing beat of Tamla, most of the music glides along smoothly, filled with cool rhythms, slick harmonies, and nimble arrangements. The touchstone for the collection is Barbara Lewis, who is heard at the outset with 1963's "Think a Little Sugar," a song that has some echoes of her big hit "Hello Stranger" and has many cousins here, including Priscilla Page's "My Letter" and Laura Johnson's "I Know How It Feels." The featured male singers also work a similar uptown sophistication on their tracks, but the collection also finds space for uptempo dance numbers by vocal harmony groups, sleek updated R&B, and early work from Richard "Popcorn" Wylie, Norman Whitfield's Sonnettes, Martha & the Vandellas' first incarnation as the Del-Phis, and the Donays, whose original version of "Devil in His Heart" was later popularized by the Beatles. Combined, this shows how rich Detroit soul and R&B were outside of the confines of Berry Gordy, Jr.'s empire, and this music sounds as alive and vital as some of the second-string singles coming out of Motown during the early '60s. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date:	04/14/2017
Label:	Kent
UPC:	0029667079228
Rank:	118020

Tracks

1. I Cried for My Last Time  - Thelma Gordy  - Quinton Kimble  -  Sonnettes
2. Think a Little Sugar  - Riley Hampton  - Barbara Lewis
3. Come Back to Me  - Melvin Davis  - Dave Hamilton  - Lee Rogers  - Wanda William
4. I'm a Lonely Guy  - , Jake Jr. Hammonds  - Johnnie Mae Matthews  -  Shaw
5. Just One More Time  - J.J. Barnes  - Jimmy Barnes  - Fred Brown
6. Everything's Gonna Be Alright  - Fred Brown  - Leonard Frieson  - Joseph Hunter  - Leon Peterson
7. You Lied  - Wilbur Harbert  - Marva Josie  - Robert Sanders
8. Here I Am  - Bettye LaVette  - Jack Thomas  - John Thornton
9. My Letter  - Janie Bradford  - Priscilla Page  - Popcorn Wylie  - Richard Wylie
10. I Know How It Feels  - Robert Bateman  - Janie Bradford  - Brian Holland  - Laura Johnson  - Richard Wylie
11. Oh Baby  -  Falcons  - James Gibson  - Carlis Monroe  - Mack Rice
12. Tears Running and Falling from My Eyes  - Dave Hamilton  - James Lately
13. Wedding Bells  - Melvin Davis  - Dave Hamilton
14. Til the End of Time  - George Washington  - Gino Washington  - Tom Withers
15. Shakin' Fit  - Ronald Davis  -  Pyramids  - William Saunders
16. It's Easy  - Tony Clarke
17. That's No Way to Spend My Time  - Cara Bell  - William Garrett  -  Pen-etts  - George Penney
18. Devil in His Heart  -  Donays  - Richard Drapkin
19. Don't You Know (How You Thrilled Me When You Kissed Me)  - Clara Bell  -  Charmaine  -  Charmaine  - William Garrett  - Dave Hamilton  - Mike Hanks
20. Why  - Maron McKenzie  -  Volumes
21. It Never Happened Before  - Clara Bell  - William Garrett  - Dave Hamilton  - Mike Hanks  - Geraldine Hunt
22. Can't We Get Together (One More Time)  - Dave Hamilton  - Harry Reid
23. Answer Me  - Cara Bell  - Vivian Collins  - William Garrett  - Mike Hanks
24. Nosey Folk  -  Del-Phis  - Joseph Hunter  - Martha Reeves

Album Credits

Performance Credits

The Sonnettes   Primary Artist
Laura Johnson   Primary Artist
La Wanda William   Primary Artist
Timmy Shaw & the Sternphones   Primary Artist
The Pyramids   Primary Artist
James Lately   Primary Artist
The Pen-etts   Primary Artist
Charmaine   Primary Artist,Primary Artist
Harry Reid   Primary Artist
Melvin Davis   Primary Artist
Bettye LaVette   Primary Artist
Leon Peterson   Primary Artist
Barbara Lewis   Primary Artist
The Donays   Primary Artist
Geraldine Hunt   Primary Artist
The Volumes   Primary Artist
Gino Washington   Primary Artist
The Falcons   Primary Artist
J.J. Barnes   Primary Artist
Marva Josie   Primary Artist
The Del-Phis   Primary Artist
Tony Clarke   Primary Artist
Priscilla Page   Primary Artist
Vivian Collins   Primary Artist
Ady Croasdell   Compiled
Graham Finch   Compiled
Mike Hanks   Director
Riley Hampton   Conductor

Technical Credits

Fred Brown   Composer,Producer,Arranger
Joseph Hunter   Composer
George Penney   Composer,Producer
George Washington   Composer
Leonard Frieson   Composer
Carlis Monroe   Composer
Michael Salter   Cover Photo
Brian Holland   Composer
James Gibson   Composer
Popcorn Wylie   A&R
Ronald Davis   Composer
James Lately   Composer
Thelma Gordy   Composer
Maron McKenzie   Composer
William Saunders   Composer
Jaffa   Package Design
Robert Sanders   Composer
Melvin Davis   Composer
Sir Mack Rice   Composer
Mike Hanks   Arranger,Composer
Tom Withers   Producer
Riley Hampton   Arranger
Barbara Lewis   Composer
Janie Bradford   Composer
Robert Bateman   Composer
Johnnie Mae Matthews   Composer
Martha Reeves   Composer
Richard Wylie   Composer
Jimmy Barnes   Composer
Duncan Cowell   Mastering
William Garrett   Composer
Dave Hamilton   Composer,Producer
J.J. Barnes   Arranger,Producer
Lee Rogers   Composer
Marva Josie   Composer
Richard Drapkin   Composer
Jack Thomas   Composer
John Thornton   Composer
Tony Clarke   Composer
Cara Bell   Composer
Graham Finch   Liner Notes
Jake Hammonds, Jr.   Composer
Quinton Kimble   Composer
Wilbur Harbert   Composer
Clara Bell   Composer