The Complete Goldwax Singles

by James Carr

Overview

All 28 songs from Carr's 1964-1970 Goldwax singles are here, which is enough to make it a fair bid for a good best-of compilation, although it doesn't have everything he recorded. About half of the songs on this British import are not on the most well-known American CD compilation of Carr's work, The Essential James Carr, and those tracks are consistent with the level of his other Goldwax recordings, although they don't include anything on the level of "The Dark End of the Street" or "Pouring Water on a Drowning Man." This disc is particularly valuable for filling in some of his earliest 1964-1966 sides, which have a very slightly poppier and more up-tempo bent than his most esteemed songs. "That's What I Want to Know"'s groove is pretty Motown-ish, for instance, while "I Can't Make It" and "Only Fools Run Away" have Marvelettes-like chirping in the background. The 1970 funk update of "Row, Row Your Boat" isn't much to cheer about, though. There are plenty who will argue the point, but this doesn't quite live up to Carr's billing as the greatest '60s deep soul singer; Otis Redding (who Carr resembles in some respects) was better, and others had better and more imaginative material. It's good, certainly, and recommended to fans of artists like Redding who are looking for similar stuff that doesn't get played on the radio anymore. ~ Richie Unterberger

Product Details

Release Date:	11/13/2001
Label:	Kent
UPC:	0029667220224
Rank:	75443

Tracks

1. The Dark End of the Street
2. These Ain't Raindrops
3. A Man Needs a Woman
4. Life Turned Her That Way
5. Freedom Train
6. Pouring Water on a Drowning Man
7. Everybody Needs Somebody
8. That's the Way Love Turned Out for Me
9. To Love Somebody
10. You've Got My Mind Messed Up
11. I'm a Fool for You
12. A Losing Game
13. Stronger Than Love
14. Lovable Girl
15. Forgetting You
16. Love Attack
17. She's Better Than You
18. Coming Back to Me Baby
19. That's What I Want to Know
20. Talk, Talk
21. I Can't Make It
22. Only Fools Run Away
23. You Don't Want Me
24. Lover's Competition
25. Row, Row Your Boat
26. Gonna Send You Back to Georgia
27. Let It Happen
28. A Message to Young Lovers

Album Credits

Performance Credits

James Carr   Primary Artist

Technical Credits

Dave "Jam" Hall   Composer
Bob McDill   Composer
Boz Scaggs   Composer
James Carr   Composer
Larry Rogers   Composer
D. McCormick   Composer
Spooner Oldham   Composer
Ry Cooder   Composer
Hound Dog Taylor   Composer
Mack Vickery   Composer
Johnnie Mae Matthews   Composer
Joseph Chambers   Composer
Quinton Claunch   Composer,Producer
O.B. McClinton   Composer
George Jackson   Composer
Barry Gibb   Composer
Harlan Howard   Composer
Dan Penn   Arranger,Composer
Chips Moman   Arranger,Composer
D.K. Baker   Composer
David Hall   Composer
Johnny Bristol   Composer
Robin Gibb   Composer
Roosevelt Jamison   Composer
Rudolph V. "Doc" Russell   Composer,Producer
Dolly Greer   Composer
Drew Baker   Composer
Charles Eldred   Composer
Denny Weaver   Composer
Dave Godin   Liner Notes
Clarence Shields   Composer
Dani McCormick   Composer
Earl Cage   Composer
Stan Kesler   Mixing Engineer
Steve Bogard   Composer