When last we met Mr. Keene, on 2013’s Excitement at Your Feet, he displayed unerring taste in cover songs, and a knack for applying his own sound without obscuring the sources. Two years later he’s back with a new set of original songs, and while the covers album left Keene to write this album from scratch – no leftover material and no jump-starting a return to the studio with a resurrection of an earlier work – the album builds on both his trademark sound, and his sojourn through other people’s songbooks. Keene’s guitars and vocals have never sounded better, and the overall mood of the album retains the irrepressible excitement of early works like Places That Are Gone.
Those who miss the tactile pleasure of holding an album cover, or even reading the relatively microscopic copy of CD booklets, are likely to break out in a wide smile when they first heft this collection. The four discs are housed in a hard-bound 127-page book that’s stuffed with striking artist photos, label reproductions and detailed song notes by author and journalist Bill Dahl. And all of that is in service of an expertly-curated collection of rare soul sides that stretch from 1963 through 1973. Collections of this magnitude can be as exhausting as they are exhilarating, but by gathering singles from a variety of labels, and organizing them into four themed discs, the programs flow more like a crowd-pleasing jukebox than the well-curated anthology at the set’s heart. Even better, by mating obscurity with quality, every track becomes both a surprise and a delight.
These discs are stuffed, clocking in at nearly five hours of music. Disc 1 surveys urban soul from the major markets of New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Detroit and Los Angeles. Disc 2 focuses on vocal groups, disc 3 on southern soul, and disc 4 on funkier sounds. The roster mixes well-known and obscure artists, but even in the case of famous names, the sides are not likely the ones you know. Betty LaVette’s “Almost,†Ike & Tina’s “You Can’t Miss Nothing That You Never Had,†Kenny Gamble’s “Hard to Find the Right Girl,†Candi Staton’s “Now You’ve Got the Upper Hand,†Betty Wright’s “Mr. Lucky,†Eddie Floyd’s “Hey Now,†Carla Thomas’ “Every Ounce of Strength,†and Margie Joseph’s “Show Me†all suffered the same lack of circulation and chart renown as their more obscure set-mates. Even the familiar “Love on a Two-Way Street†is rendered here in the obscure Lezli Valentine All Platinum B-side that marked the song’s debut.
Country singer’s ‘70s and ‘80s Warner Brothers hits
Margo Smith was a country singer whose career began with a self-titled 1975 album on 20th Century Fox, and the top ten single “There I Said It.†Varese picks up her story the following year, when the closing of 20th Century Fox’s Nashville division precipitated a move to Warner Brothers. She debuted on Warner with a cover of the Brotherhood of Man’s chirpy Eurovision Song Contest winner, “Save Your Kisses For Me.†Her singles see-sawed between country and pop, with “Take My Breath Away†employing steel, fiddle and a forlorn vocal that showed off Smith’s talent for blue notes and hair-raising yodels. The follow-on, “Love’s Explosion,†had double-tracked vocals and soaring strings that were closer to bubblegum than country.
Singer-songwriter dreams 50s twang and 60s pop with Raul Malo
Canadian singer-songwriter Whitney Rose found a kindred spirit in the Mavericks’ Raul Malo. Malo produced, added vocals, and brought along several of his bandmates to give Rose’s sophomore effort an eclectic pop-country feel. Rose shades more to the female vocalists of the 1960s than Malo’s operatic balladeering, but the slow-motion twang of the guitars works just as well on Rose’s originals as it does with the Mavericks. Her self-titled debut hinted at retro proclivities, but Malo and guitarist Nichol Robertson really lay on the atmosphere, and Rose blossoms amid tempos and backing vocals that amplify the romance of her material.
Even the upbeat numbers provide room for Rose to warble, and she tips a primary influence with a cover of the Ronettes “Be My Baby.†Interpreting one of the greatest pop singles of all time is a tricky proposition, but Rose and Malo make the song their own with a slower tempo that emphasizes the song’s ache over its iconic beat, and a duet arrangement that has Malo moving between lead, harmony, backing and counterpoint. Similarly, Rose’s cover of Hank Williams’ “There’s a Tear in My Beer†is turned from forlorn barroom misery to a wistful memory that won’t go away. Burke Carroll’s steel guitar provides a wonderful, somnolent coda to the latter, echoing Rose’s spellbound vocal.
The opening “Little Piece of You†is both a love song and a statement of musical purpose as Rose sings of crossing lines and open minds, and the arrangement uses rhythm and vocal nuances that echo country’s Nashville Sound. She writes cleverly, leaving the listener to decide if “My First Rodeo†is about a relationship, sex or a breakup. The same is true for “The Last Party,†whose forlorn emotion could be the result of a breakup or a more permanent end. The vocal waver and rising melody of “Only Just a Dream†reveals uncertainty, but Rose finally gives in with “Lasso,†turning her doubts into commitment.
Nicolette Larson’s first and biggest hit, 1978’s “Lotta Love,†is surprisingly unrevealing of her bona fides. Produced by Ted Templeman, it’s smooth, contemporary pop that evidences none of the roots music that had been Larson’s metier as a backing and duet vocalist. Her work with Commander Cody, Emmylou Harris, Guy Clark, Rodney Crowell, Billy Joe Shaver and Neil Young didn’t portend the horns, strings and flute of “Lotta Love.†Most pop radio listeners probably didn’t even realize that the single had been written by Young (and released on Comes a Time), or were aware of Larson’s earthier contributions to other artists’ records.
The album’s second single, Jesse Winchester’s “Rhumba Girl,†added a touch of funk, with crisp drums and horns, electric piano and flavorful percussion, but the third single, “Give a Little,†veered again to the middle of the road. The album held some deeper charms, including a stellar cover of the Louvin Brothers’ “Angels Rejoice†and a sweet, if somewhat sedate take on Sam Cooke’s “You Send Me.†Her second album, In the Nick of Time, leaned almost completely on the crystalline production sounds of the late ‘70s, highlighted by a duet with Michael McDonald on “Let Me Go, Love,†the upbeat “Dancin’ Jones,†and the mid-tempo Karla Bonoff-penned “Isn’t It Always Love.â€
And so went her next two albums, with synthesizers added to the title track of 1981’s Radioland, Linda Ronstadt adding harmonies on Annie McLoone’s “Ooo-eee,†and Larson finding a deep groove on Allen Toussaint’s “Tears, Tears and More Tears.†1982’s All Dressed Up & No Place to Go capped Larson’s pop career (as well as her time with Warner Brothers), after which she shifted to contemporary country music. Backed in large part by Andrew Gold (as was Linda Ronstadt on several of her most iconic works), Larson’s cover of “I Only Want to Be With You†gained some radio play (charting at #53), and Lowell George’s “Two Trains†gave her another funky pocket in which to sing.
The original recordings, but not the original mono singles
It took Chicago’s Buckinghams five tries to crack the singles chart. Their second single, a 1966 cover of James Brown’s “I’ll Go Crazy,†bubbled under, but their fifth release, “Kind of a Drag†raced up the Billboard chart to sit in the top spot for two weeks in February 1967. The group continued to chart through 1969, with their last entry, “It’s a Beautiful Day,†creeping up to #126. In between, they clicked with four more pop icons in 1967, “Don’t You Care,†“Mercy, Mercy, Mercy,†“Hey Baby (They’re Playing Our Song†and “Susan,†and posted several lower-charting singles – all of which are included here – on the charts.
The Buckinghams built their initial success with six superb singles and an album on the Chicago-based U.S.A. Records label. The album was released in both mono and stereo, but the singles, which were aimed at AM radio, were released only in mono. Varese has included all six of the A-sides, but, as has generally been the case for the Buckinghams in the digital age, the less impactful stereo mixes are used. Apparently Sony (who owns the recordings) wouldn’t or couldn’t produce the mono masters. And that’s a shame, as the wide stereo mixes dissipate much of the energy conjured by the hot mono singles. Also a question mark is the last of the group’s U.S.A. singles, “Summertime,†which is offered at the album’s 3:53 length, rather than the single’s reported 2:17 edit. Perhaps only the DJ single was edited, but if so, it would have made a nice inclusion.
The group moved to Columbia Records, where they produced three albums and nine singles, the latter of which are included here, again in stereo. The one novelty among the Columbia material is an edited version of the hit “Susan.†Originally issued with a thirty-second instrumental freakout inserted by the group’s producer, the single was reissued in edited form, and it’s the latter that’s included here. Beyond the hits scored for Columbia, the group had several fine singles that charted lower or not at all, including “Back in Love Again†(which turned up the following year as a “moldy oldy†on Chicago’s Kiddie-A-Go-Go!), the bubblegum soul “Where Did You Come From,†light-psych “This is How Much I Love You†and two more non-LP sides.
Not so odd odds ‘n’ sods from superb Americana collective
The Continental Drifters publicity often hung on the renown of the Bangles’ Vicki Peterson, the Cowsills’ Susan Cowsill and the dB’s Peter Holsapple, but the music and musicianship of this collective was deeper and broader than its three most famous members. Among its riches were multiple lead vocalists, stellar instrumentalists, the contributions of multiple songwriters and the forge of collective musical sensibility. The group’s formation in Los Angeles and relocation to New Orleans magnified that rich bounty of talent in a confluence that drew both from West Coast and Southern roots.
Omnivore’s two-CD set offers a wealth of rare material that will gratify the band’s many fans. Disc 1 features early material, including from their import-only debut, demos and alternate mixes. At times, the group’s early recordings sound like the Band plugging Little Feat’s instruments into Buffalo Springfield’s amps in a Los Angeles club built in Mississippi. But you can also hear the melodic echoes of the Bangles and Cowsills in Susan Cowsill’s mesmerizing “The Rain Song,†deep soul in Carlo Nuccio’s organ-lined “Here I Am,†and heart-wrenching balladry in Ray Ganucheau’s “I Didn’t Want To Lie.†This was a band with no shortage of excellent original material or musical imagination.
Disc 2 focuses entirely on the band’s way with cover tunes, collecting tracks from tribute albums (including their entire Listen Listen EP tribute to Sandy Denny And Richard Thompson), European imports and live recordings. Their taste in covers was both exquisite and broad, including material from obvious sources like Gram Parsons, Lucinda Williams and Neil Young, and less obvious sources, like Tommy James (Alive and Kicking’s 1970 hit “Tighter, Tighterâ€), Brian Wilson (Surfin USA’s brilliant, bittersweet album track, “Farmer’s Daughterâ€), and William Bell (a country-harmony arrangement of Otis Redding’s “You Don’t Miss Your Waterâ€). Their multi-vocalist arrangements of “Dedicated to the One I Love†and “I Can’t Let Go†are dreamy and joyous.
A treasure trove for Steppenwolf and John Kay fans
Steppenwolf’s residual radio legacy – “Born to Be Wild†and “Magic Carpet Ride†– may fairly represent their brand of hard-rocking psychedelia, but it simultaneously over-represents their otherwise modest results as a singles band, and under-represents their enormous success as an album act. These two towering hits overshadow four years of gold-selling albums and a string of mid-charting singles that deserved a bigger stage. Real Gone’s two-disc set assembles Steppenwolf’s ABC/Dunhill A’s and B’s (except for “Monster,†which uses the full “Monster/Suicide/America†album track in place of the shorter single edit), alternate B-sides, and John Kay’s solo singles into a compelling recitation of the group’s lesser known singles and adventurous flipsides.
Beyond the two big hits, a few of the groups singles remain familiar. Their second release, a funky rock cover of Don Covay’s “Sookie Sookie,†failed to chart, but gained airplay on soul stations, their chilling take on Hoyt Axton’s “The Pusher†graced the opening scene of Easy Rider, and “Rock Me†closed out their top ten run in 1969. Nine more singles over the next couple of years brought some musical highlights, but only middling chart success, topped by 1969’s “Move Over.†AM radio was a big tent in the early ‘70s, and though there was still space for rock music, apparently the Doors, Who, Alice Cooper and Led Zeppelin had sharper commercial elbows than Steppenwolf. But even though the group’s singles stalled midway up the charts, their albums continued to sell and their popularity as a concert draw resulted in a gold-selling live LP.
The group’s B-sides often provided more musical reach than the A’s. Goldy McJohn’s signature organ provides an ominous underpinning, and John Kay’s gruff, bluesy vocal was well spent on producer Gabriel Mekler’s “Happy Birthday,†the original “Power Play†has a Dylan-esque meter and showcases then newly-added lead guitarist Larry Byrom, snappy horns were added to the instrumental B-side “Earschplittenloudenboomer.†and the arrangement turns acoustic for the string quartet backed “Spiritual Fantasy.†There’s was also a lengthy experimental instrumental, “For Madmen Only,†which was replaced as the B-side of Mars Bonfire’s “Ride With Me†by the more conventional “Black Pit.†The top sides had their adventurous moments, including the Kustom Electronics’ “The Bag†talk box used on “Hey Lawdy Mama†and a superb take on Hoyt Axton’s anti-drug “Snowblind Friend.â€
In 1972, Steppenwolf disbanded, and Dunhill retained John Kay as a solo artist. His work combined originals and covers drawn from a surprising range of sources, leading off with a heavy cover of Hank Snow’s “Movin’ On.†Kay also covered Hank Williams’ wounded “You Win Again,†Alan O’Day’s “Easy Evil†and Five Man Electrical Band’s “Moonshine (Friend of Mine).†Kay’s voice is easily recognized, but freed from the legacy of Steppenwolf’s “heavy metal thunder,†he finds resonance with Richard Podolar’s spacious and more gentle productions. The combination is particularly effective on Kay’s fine country, folk and soul-tinged originals “Walk Beside Me,†“Somebody†and “Nobody Lives Here Anymore.â€
Tommy Keene has never sounded better
