Tag Archives: Collectors’ Choice

Waylon Jennings: Folk Country / Waylon Sings Ol’ Harlan

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Superb early RCA Waylon Jennings two-fer

Much is made of Waylon Jennings’ declaration of artistic independence and the outlaw country movement that flowed from it, but his company-produced pre-outlaw albums for RCA hold many charms of their own. Recording with both his own band and Nashville studio pros, and often backed by a female chorus, the music hasn’t the earthier charms of his later work, but his voice held a youthful innocence yet to be tinged by rebellion, and his songs, from Nashville songwriters and his own pen, are often memorable. Collectors’ Choice’s two-fer pairs his 1966 RCA debut Folk Country with his fourth RCA album, 1967’s Waylon Sings Ol’ Harlan.

The first of the two includes the chart hits, “Stop the World (and Let Me Off)” and Jennings’ original “That’s the Chance I’ll Have to Take.” Harlan Howard and Don Bowman provide the bulk of the album’s non-originals, with Jennings crooning through a broken heart on the former’s “Another Bridge to Burn” and stridently demanding attention on the latter’s “I Don’t Mind.” Producer Atkins gives the country a folky edge with touches of 12-string, tambourine and harmonica. Jennings may have come to feel that Nashville’s studio productions were a straightjacket, but at this early point in his career he really digs in and makes the best of what’s offered to him.

The two-fer’s second album highlights Jennings’ affinity for the works of Harlan Howard with a dozen works from the legendary songwriter’s catalog. A few of these songs were already iconic hits for Ray Price, Johnny Cash, Ray Charles and Buck Owens, but Howard’s writing is sufficiently rich to warrant multiple interpretations. Jennings takes “Heartaches by the Number” upbeat with twangy guitars that provide a more bemused outlook than Price’s sorrowful 1959 single. His take on “Busted” is not as spare as Cash’s nor as jazzy as Charles’ versions, “Foolin’ Around” is fuller than Buck Owens’ 1962 version, and “Tiger by the Tail” crosses Owens’ original with the rhythm of Johnny Rivers’ cover of “Memphis.” Waylon Sings Ol’ Harlan didn’t launch any hits, though Charlie Rich would score with “She Called Me Baby” seven years later and other tunes were recorded by everyone from Wynn Stewart to the Kingston Trio.

Both albums feature enthusiastic vocals by Jennings and the high-fidelity recording of RCA’s Nashville studio. Folk Country was reissued in 1998 by Razor & Tie but has been out of print for several years. Waylon Sings Ol’ Harlan makes its domestic CD debut here. Collectors’ Choice’s two-fer includes an eight-page booklet with full-panel reproductions of both album covers – front and back – and new liner notes by Colin Escott. You can find this same material (and a whole lot more) on Bear Family’s The Journey: Destiny’s Child, but unless you’re planning to soak up Jennings’ entire catalog, this domestic two-fer is the best way to introduce yourself to Jennings’ pre-outlaw years. [©2010 hyperbolium dot com]

Jackie DeShannon: Me About You / To Be Free

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JackieDeShannon_MeAboutYouToBeFreeSophisticated DeShannon albums from ’68 and ’70

Jackie DeShannon is a singer-songwriter whose songs generally overshadowed her singing. Her version of Burt Bacharach and Hal David’s “What the World Needs Now is Love” etched her name on the upper reaches of the charts in 1965, and her own “Put a Little Love in Your Heart” notched a second commercial favorite in 1969. But other than these two worldwide hits, her albums and singles typically languished in the lower regions of the U.S. pop charts. Her albums for Imperial ranged from early teen-oriented pop to adult contemporary, and 1968’s Me About You marked a step toward the latter. DeShannon mixed personal originals with delicate, intimately interpreted covers of songs from John Sebastian, Tim Hardin, Jimmy Webb and Van Dyke Parks. The arrangements (by Jack Nitzsche, Nick De Caro, Kirby Johnson and Arthur Wright) are inventive and moving, but the West Coast production occasionally leaves DeShannon’s voice sticking out from the instrumentation.

Even as DeShannon found a more sophisticated sound, her lyrics often looked back, as on the original “Splendor in the Grass,” and her choice of pop covers, such as the Lovin’ Spoonful’s “Didn’t Want to Have to Do It” and the Turtles’ “Me About You,” tied in to her earlier period of songwriting and hit making. What’s really interesting, though, is how DeShannon contemporized this material, and how her growing maturity led to the bigger reach of 1969’s Laurel Canyon and Put a Little Love in Your Heart (each available separately), and this disc’s second feature, 1970’s To Be Free, her last for Imperial. To Be Free was the album that followed the massive success of “Put a Little Love in Your Heart,” and it used the same production team. The songs, however, are mostly DeShannon’s, and the arrangements largely by Rene Hall. Hall’s work with Marvin Gaye and Ray Charles, and backing vocals by Vanetta Fields (Ikettes) and Clydie King (Raelettes) are the foundation of the album’s soul-meets-adult-contemporary sound.

The album opens with the funky bass, sharp horns and sweet strings of “Livin’ on the Easy Side,” and the sly “It’s So Nice” is sung like an early Prince song. The introspective and observational lyrics anticipate the singer-songwriter breakthrough of 1971’s Tapestry, though the slick production hasn’t the earthiness delivered by Lou Adler for Carole King. DeShannon’s eight originals are complemented by a medley of the Supremes “You Keep Me Hangin’ On” and Little Anthony and the Imperials’ “Hurt So Bad,” and there’s a deeply felt, gospel-flavored cover of Leonard Cohen’s “Bird on the Wire.” The album’s single, “Brighton Hill” reached #10 on the adult contemporary chart with its warm lyric of satisfaction. This two-fer CD’s lone bonus is an over-orchestrated cover of Tim Hardin’s “Reason to Believe” that won’t make you forget Rod Stewart’s 1971 hit (nor Hardin’s 1965 original); but it’s largely superfluous amid these two fine albums. [©2009 hyperbolium dot com]

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Jackie DeShannon: New Arrangement

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JackieDeShannon_NewArrangementMid-70s MOR pop from songwriting legend

Early on, the world of pop music developed a division of labor that typically separated writing from performing. With the advent of the folk revival, the arrival of self-contained groups like the Beatles and the emergence of the singer-songwriter movement, many talented singers were afforded the opportunity to step out from behind their songwriting desks. DeShannon fits into this history as a writer whose songs became hits for others (“When You Walk in the Room,” “Come and Stay With Me,” “Break-a-Way,” and others), and whose hits as a singer (“What the World Needs Now is Love” and “Put a Little Love in Your Heart”) only raised her performing profile in short bursts of stardom.

DeShannon wrote and recorded throughout the 1960s and 70s, scoring her last major songwriting hit with Kim Carnes’ “Bette Davis Eyes.” Her original version of that song, in a strutting, swing-styled arrangement is included on this 1975 album, her last for a major label. Produced by Michael Stewart, who’d worked with John Stewart, Billy Joel and Kenny Rankin, the music sets sail for the middle of the road, with studio pros like Waddy Wacthel and Larry Knechtel laying on the slick mid-70s sounds. Brian Wilson and then-wife Marilyn join the backing chorus on the lazy dream “Boat to Sail,” a song that caught Richard Carpenter’s ear for a cover on the Carpenters 1976 LP A Kind of Hush.

Blues and soul influences are heard in the flute and vibes of “Sweet Baby Gene,” gospel tinge of “I Wanted it All,” and horn chart of “Over My Head Again,” and steel guitar legend Buddy Emmons adds some real Nashville twang to “Bette Davis Eyes” and “Queen of the Rodeo.” The latter suggests a fruitful road DeShannon might have travelled (and one Kim Carnes’ later traveled herself) to Music City. Aside from the pair of country tunes, the most effective track is the closing cover of William Smith’s ballad “Dreamin’ as One.” Intimately produced with a quiet guitar and choir-like backing vocals, the track has aged better than its album-mates.

Collectors’ Choice’s reissue adds five bonus cuts to the original eleven, highlighted by the soulful session track “Pure Natural Love.” Also included are the non-charting 1976 single “All Night Desire” and its flip side “Fire in the City,” and a pair from the same session, with the love song “Deep into Paradise” besting the mid-tempo dance number “Somebody Turn the Music On.” On her last album for a major label DeShannon continued to prove herself a compelling writer and vocalist, but Stewart’s arrangements often fail to ignite these performances. [©2009 hyperbolium dot com]

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Jackie DeShannon: Jackie DeShannon

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JackieDeShannon_JackieDeShannonStellar singer-songwriter’s debut caught in the folk revival

Jackie DeShannon’s renown as a songwriter (“When You Walk in the Room,” “Don’t Doubt Yourself Babe,” “Come and Stay With Me,” “Bette Davis Eyes,” “Break-a-Way”) has generally overshadowed her hits as a singer (“What the World Needs Now is Love” and “Put a Little Love in Your Heart”). But despite her lack of broad commercial success as a performer, she recorded numerous singles (including a superb pre-Searchers version of “Needles and Pins”) and albums that suggest a few breaks could have turned her into a bigger singing star. Her husky voice is well suited to a range of material, including country, R&B, pop, folk, folk-rock and singer-songwriter balladry.

This debut album from 1963 followed a string of non- and low-charting singles, including a barely-top-100 cover of “Faded Love.” Without a hit single upon which to hang the album, with the folk revival in full swing, and with DeShannon lobbying for an album of Bob Dylan songs, Liberty agreed to three Dylan tunes and a mix of contemporary and traditional folk songs. Of the three Dylan covers, her impassioned take of “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right” is the strongest and unmarred by the backing vocals deployed on the other two. In addition to Dylan’s own work, DeShannon covers a song closely associated with (but not written by) Dylan, “Baby, Let Me Follow You Down.”

Other folk revival favorites covered here include the Weavers’ “If I Had a Hammer,” Peter, Paul & Mary’s “Puff (The Magic Dragon),” and Bob Gibson’s celtic waltz “Betsy From Pike.” More interesting is Bobby Darin’s woeful “Jailer Bring Me Water” sung full-throated and backed by hand-clap percussion and a broken and desperate rendition of “500 Miles.” Jack Nitzsche employs guitars, bass, banjo and harmonica throughout, and the heavily strummed 6-strings of “Oh Sweet Chariot” perfectly frame DeShannon’s folk-gospel testimonial.

DeShannon’s folk roots carried through to her rock and pop songwriting. The chime in the Searchers’ “When You Walk in the Room” came from DeShannon’s original, and her contribution to the Byrds debut album sprang from the same well. As for her own debut, there are some fine performances, and DeShannon’s voice is always worth hearing, but the all-covers format reveals little of the greatness she’d achieve as a singer-songwriter. Fans should pick this up this first-time-on-CD release, but those new to DeShannon’s catalog should start with a greatest hits or an anthology of others singing her songs. [©2009 hyperbolium dot com]

Jay and the Americans: The Complete United Artists Singles

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JayAndTheAmericans_CompleteSinglesExhaustive collection of ‘60s vocal group’s singles

Jay and the Americans had an unusually long chart run for a pop vocal group, racking up ten top-40 hits, and many lower charting entries, over the course of nine years. Having sprouted from roots in 1950s doo-wop, the group was signed to United Artists by Leiber & Stoller who quickly had them cut a Drifters-styled cover of West Side Story’s “Tonight.” This first outing was a respectable local hit in New York, but it was their second single, “She Cried,” that established them on the national charts, peaking at #5 in 1962. Unusually, just as the group was finding its commercial footing, lead singer John “Jay” Traynor left to get a “real job.” Replaced by David “Jay Black” Blatt, the group continued to ride the charts through the rest of the decade.

The newly fronted group hit again with the Brill Building sound of Mann & Weil’s “Only in America.” Written as a social criticism for the Drifters, and rewritten as a satire when Atlantic balked, the song became an optimistic anthem in the hands of Jay & The Americans. Originally released as the B-side to “Dawning” (which stiffed), the song rose to #5 after radio jocks began flipping the single. It wasn’t the last time the group would have a hit B-side, as 1964’s “Come a Little Bit Closer” and 1965’s Roy Orbison-esque “Cara Mia,” the group’s top charting singles, both started life as flipsides. As musical innovation swirled throughout the 1960s, the group tasted additional styles but never really abandoned their traditional vocal roots. Their last major hit, 1969’s #6 “This Magic Moment,” brought them back full-circle to their Brill Building roots with a cover of the Drifters’ 1960 single.

Throughout the 1960’s Jay and the Americans remained a step out-of-time. They hung on to their doo-wop inspired sound long after the genre had faded from pop’s main stage, stuck with orchestrated, theater-inspired vocals as the British Invasion pushed the guitar up front, and returned to their Brill Building roots just in time for the nostalgia wave of the late ‘60s. For each commercial breakthrough, however, there were several formulaic reiterations or nondescript follow-ups that failed to capitalize on or sustain the group’s chart success. Their early years with Leiber & Stoller gave way to successful years with UA house producer Gerry Granahan, and ended with a stream of less sympathetic producers and songwriters.

After a clutch of four top-20s in 1965 and a #25 cover of Roy Orbison’s “Crying” in 1966, the group hit a drought in 1967 and 1968. The revolving door of producers and songwriters picked up speed, pushing the group outside their comfort zone with a mish-mash of commercially failed attempts to find workable contemporary grooves, including baroque pop and the rock-funk “Shanghai Noodle Factory.” The latter, courtesy of shared producer/songwriter Jimmy Miller, turned up as a cover on Traffic’s Last Exit album! Jay Black released a solo cover of the Johnny Mathis hit “What Will My Mary Say” in 1967, but with his voice so defining the group at that point, the absence of his band mates is hardly noticeable.

It wasn’t until the band’s fortunes ebbed to an all-time low that they shucked off external pressures to find a contemporary sound. They regrouped to self produce the 1969 album Sands of Time, which reworked twelve of their favorite songs from the original doo-wop era. Three singles were spun from the album, with a terrific interpretation of the Drifters’ “This Magic Moment” climbing to #6, and enthusiastic covers of “When You Dance” and “Hushabye” charting lower. The group that had drifted out of doo-wop into the tumult of the 1960s had come back to its roots with a fresh injection of swagger and energy. Sadly, financial and personal hurdles would sink the group within a year, but not before having one last top-20 hit with a soaring 1970 cover of the Ronettes’ “Walking in the Rain.”

Casual listeners may be better off with the superb hits collection, Come a Little Bit Closer: The Best of Jay and the Americans, but the band’s fans will treasure the opportunity to hear all the lower- and non-charting singles along with their B-sides. Lesser-known highlights include the working man’s anthem “Friday,” written by Ellie Greenwich and her early songwriting partner Tony Powers, the horn-lined rocker “Goodbye Boys Goodbye (Ciao Ragazzi Ciao),” the folk-rock “If You Were Mine, Girl” and “Girl,” the baroque pop “(He’s) Raining in My Sunshine,” the uncharacteristically sharp-tongued “You Ain’t As Hip As All That Baby,” the light-psych “Gemini,” and the Phil Spector produced public service release “Things Are Changing.” The latter, with vocal coaching from Brian Wilson and sung to the melody of Wilson’s “Don’t Hurt My Little Sister,” was also waxed by the Blossoms and Supremes.

The group had artistic, if not commercial, success with original material as well, including the emotional ballad “Stop Your Crying,” the country-rock “(I’d Kill) For the Love of a Lady,” the vocal-psych “Learnin’ How to Fly,” and the A-side “Livin’ Above Your Head.” The latter’s original recording stalled on the charts but became a UK hit for the Walker Brothers. Collectors’ Choice’s 3-CD set pulls together sixty-six sides in crisp mono (just the way the AM radio gods intended) and adds a 20-page booklet filled with liner notes by Ed Osborne, release and chart details, and archival photos. It’s not all gold, but there are several tracks that match up to the group’s hits, and a great deal of excellent material that’s only been heard by those who own the original 7” singles. [©2009 hyperbolium dot com]

Little Richard: The Second Coming

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LittleRichard_SecondComingLittle Richard’s final album on Reprise finds New Orleans funk ‘n’ roll

After the Muscle Shoals swamp-rock of 1970’s The Rill Thing and the misfire mélange of ‘50s rock and ‘70s R&B on 1971’s King of Rock ‘n’ Roll, Richard third’s and final album for Reprise splits the difference. The rock ‘n’ roll sides, recorded with many of the New Orleans players who backed Richard’s 1950s sessions, are shorn of the dated neo-disco touches H.B. Barnum added to the preceding album, and though the grooves never cut as deep as the earlier Muscle Shoals session, there’s a good helping of funk here. Lee Allen provides fat sax tone, and Earl Palmer anchors the second line beats with greatest of ease.

Producer Bumps Blackwell’s work is more huskhy here than on his and Richard’s seminal mid-50s sides, mixing the funky jazz sounds of New Orleans with a bit of Stax soul. As on the Muscle Shoals sessions, Richard sounds comfortable, if not always as energized. “When the Saints Go Marching In” is ignited by Richard’s revival-pitch vocal and superb playing by both Palmer and Allen, and the funk continues on the mostly instrumental “Nuki Suki,” with Richard’s clavinet and the saxophone’s yelps giving way to short, lascivious vocal breaks.

A wah-wah-and-bass groove provides the foundation of “Prophet of Peace,” and the closing “Sanctified, Satisfied Toe-Tapper” is a seven-minute instrumental. The album’s most unusual track is a co-write with Sneaky Pete Kleinow, “It Ain’t What You Do, It’s the Way You Do It,” featuring Kleinow’s steel guitar. Richard and Blackwell’s original rock ‘n’ roll grooves show themselves on “Rockin’ Rockin’ Boogie” and “Thomasine.” While this isn’t as inventive or forward thinking as The Rill Thing, it’s a great deal more solid than King of Rock ‘n’ Roll, and deserved larger commercial success at the time. [©2009 hyperbolium dot com]

Little Richard: King of Rock ‘n’ Roll

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LittleRichard_KingOfRockNRollLittle Richard’s second Reprise album treads water

After his Reprise debut, 1970’s swamp-funk infused The Rill Thing, failed to garner commercial attention, Little Richard hooked up with mainstream producer H.B. Barnum and crafted an updated version of his 1950’s R&B-tinged rock ‘n’ roll sound. This is a more flamboyant and self-celebrating affair than its predecessor, from the album’s title track to the lengthy, self-aggrandizing introduction he gives himself on the cover of Hoyt Axton’s “Joy to the World.” Those who remember Richard’s television appearances in the 1970s (“Shut up!”) will recognize the character here.

As great as were the brassy, bass-heavy arrangements of The Rill Thing, Barnum’s production update doesn’t work. Richard’s belting vocals sound out-of-time against the flaccid, near-disco arrangements of “Joy to the World” and “Brown Sugar.” Better are the funky, hyperventilating reinterpretation of “Dancing in the Street” and the soul shout of “Midnight Special,” though here again the early ‘70s backing vocals are dated. Richard’s original “In the Name” is sung in a compelling croon, and “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry” works well in its Stax-styled arrangement.

The album’s closing cover of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Born on the Bayou” fits, but it reveals more about Richard’s impact on John Fogerty than it provides an opportunity to create something new. Richard sounds engaged, but his producer wasn’t able to craft a compelling showcase for his vocals, nor help him select material that offered the best vehicles for interpretation. After the electric jolt forward of The Rill Thing, this album is disappointing for its lack of new vision. [©2009 hyperbolium dot com]

Little Richard: The Rill Thing

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LittleRichard_RillThingStriking, swampy 1970 comeback from a rock ‘n’ roll icon

Had Little Richard’s rock ‘n’ roll career ended with his 1957 turn to the ministry, he’d still be remembered as a powerful, flamboyant singer who reeled off a string of unforgettable, incendiary singles for Art Rupe’s Specialty Records. His early ‘60s return to rock, fueled in part by attention from the British Invasion, resulted in some good sides in his signature style, but it wasn’t until his 1970 signing with Reprise that he really found an updated sound that made the most of his gospel power and rock ‘n’ roll fire.

Recorded in Muscle Shoals, the rhythm section on these sessions is propulsive and the electric guitars swampy. Richard’s gospel-based belting turns out to be a perfect fit for the solid rhythms, heavy bass lines and superb sax solos. A couple of tracks, notably Esquerita’s “Dew Drop Inn” (kicking off with the drum riff that opened “I Hear You Knockin’”), capture the abandon of Richard’s 1950s sides, but others, such as the album’s lead-off single, “Freedom Blues” and the Allman-styled blues “Two-Time Loser” are funkier and deeper in message.

Richard is in stellar voice throughout, adding a testifying edge to Travis Wammack’s swampy “Greenwood, Mississippi” and belting out the original “Spreadin’ Natta, What’s the Matter?” A New Orleans’ styled cover of “Lovesick Blues” is almost unrecognizable as the song Hank Williams took to the top of the charts, and the closing arrangement of the Beatles “I Saw Her Standing There” adds horns and a Southern sound. The album’s 10-minute title track is a Crusaders-styled instrumental with Richard on electric piano backed by horns, guitar and a punchy rhythm section.

Though the album received a great deal of critical praise at the time, it stiffed commercially, failing to chart and lobbing its two singles shy of the top-40. The world may not have been ready for the second coming of Little Richard, but as this reissue attests, he continued to be a vital singer, songwriter, pianist and arranger whose power and vision weren’t stuck in the past. Though he could have repeated his 1950s hits on the oldies circuit forever, he continued to more forward artistically, even if the market didn’t take notice. [©2009 hyperbolium dot com]

Gary Lewis & The Playboys: The Complete Liberty Singles

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garylewis_completelibertysinglesEndearing legacy of overlooked mid-60s pop hit maker

Despite major commercial success in 1965 and 1966, including a chart-topping debut, five top-five and ten top-twenty singles, Gary Lewis’ music career was all but over two years after it began. His 1967 induction into the army left his label to release stockpiled tracks and record Lewis on occasional leaves; by the time of his discharge a phalanx of bubblegum bands had taken his place in the hearts and minds of young listeners. Though Lewis’ initial connections may have been eased by the fame of his actor/comedian father, Jerry Lewis, it was an inviting personality and a dream team of writers, arrangers and producers that made his vocals the center of an incredibly compelling string of singles.

The Playboys began public life in 1963 with a summer gig at Disneyland. Lewis initially played drums and rhythm guitarist Dave Walker handled lead vocals. But once in the studio with producer Snuff Garrett, Lewis found himself up front singing the group’s first single, “This Diamond Ring.” Co-written by Al Kooper, the song was originally released as a low-charting R&B single by Sammy Ambrose, but re-imagined by Garrett it became an unforgettable dollop of earnest pop, with Lewis’ vocal thickened by double-tracking and dramatized by Hal Blaine’s tympani. The double-tracked vocals would become a group trademark, with the second voice often provided by session singer Ron Hicklin.

Lewis, Garrett and arranger Leon Russell became a hit-making machine throughout 1965 and into 1966 as they reeled off “Count Me In” (written by post-Holly Cricket Glen D. Hardin), “Save Your Heart For Me” (originally a Brian Hyland B-side), “Everybody Loves a Clown,” “She’s Just My Style,” “Sure Gonna Miss Her” (with superb flaminco guitar by Tommy Tedesco), “Green Grass,” “My Heart’s a Symphony,” and “(You Don’t Have To) Paint Me a Picture.” All are superbly written, arranged and produced, turning Lewis’ limited vocal range into loveable approachability. Even today it’s impossible to resist Lewis’ immensely charming performances.

Lewis’ hit singles still turn up on oldies radio and compilations, and the single-disc Legendary Masters Series collects all ten of his charting A-sides; what sets this collection apart is the inclusion of rarities, B-sides, and later non-charting singles, many of which are as good as the A’s. Lewis’ jingle for Kellogg’s, “Doin’ the Flake,” is a Freddy Cannon-styled rocker that was originally available for box tops, and the title song from his dad’s 1966 film “Way Way Out” was issued only as a promotional single. The B-sides harbor some typical flipside fodder, including go-go instrumentals (“Hard to Find,” “Tijuana Wedding” and “Gary’s Groove”), novelties (“Time Stands Still,” on which the Lewis slips into an imitation of his dad’s wacky voice), and the celebrity-impersonation filled “Looking for the Stars.”

But the B’s weren’t always throwaways. Early flips, mostly penned by Garrett and Russell, include the terrific Jan & Dean styled “Little Miss Go-Go,” the Robbs-like harmony rocker “Without a Word of Warning,” and the moody organ-backed “I Won’t Make That Mistake Again.” Each has deftly crafted hooks that memorably complement lyrics of summer love and autumnal broken hearts. The songwriting team of Sloan & Barri served up their trademark folk-rock sound on “I Don’t Wanna Say Goodnight,” complete with chiming 12-string and a Brill Building styled chorus. The 12-string is even better on the Searchers-styled “I Can Read Between the Lines.”

As 1966 turned into 1967, Lewis’ material started to slip. An unreleased cover of “Sloop John B” is a pleasant sing-along, but without the magic of earlier hits. Still, there were some lower- and non-charting A’s and B’s that had something to offer, including light-psych harmony-pop (“Where Will Words Come From”), country-soul (“The Loser (With a Broken Heart)”), and California production pop styled production (“Girls in Love” and “Jill”). Lewis’ bubblegum sound reemerged on “Ice Melts in the Sun” and “Let’s Be More Than Friends,” turned to Monkees-styled pop on “Has She Got the Nicest Eyes” and Partridge Family harmonies on “Hayride.” A cover of Brian Hyland’s “Sealed With a Kiss” managed to hit #19, but additional covers ( “C.C. Rider,” “Every Day I Have to Cry Some,” “Rhythm of the Rain,” “Great Balls of Fire”) had both middling artistic and commercial success.

Lewis’ hitch in the army kept him from touring in support of his releases, and discord between his lawyer and label scuttled any real promotion. As quickly as he’d established himself with the chart run of 1965-66, he found top-notch releases in 1967 ignored by a fickle pop market. His last single, the self-produced, Box Tops-styled “I’m on the Right Road Now,” sports a snappy horn-arrangement and soulful backing vocals, but the quality only heightened the irony of the title’s failure. The market had moved on and so did Lewis, releasing a couple of solo singles (one on Scepter, one on Epic) in the mid-70s, continuing to tour and remaining a popular draw on the oldies circuit to this day.

Collectors’ Choice pulls together forty-five Liberty 45s, all remastered in sterling quality from the original mono tapes. Ed Osborne’s excellent liner notes are supplemented by release and chart info, and collector/producer Andrew Sandoval supplies numerous picture sleeve reproductions. This is a terrific package for anyone who craves lovingly produced, effervescent 1960s pop, and especially for those who’d like to hear how Lewis was presented to the public during the 45’s last gasp of uncontested dominance. [©2009 hyperbolium dot com]

Paul Jones: Starting All Over Again

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pauljones_startingalloveragainFormer Manfred Mann vocalist resurfaces as a bluesman

If you lost track of Paul Jones after he sang Manfred Mann’s seminal British Invasion hits (“Do Wah Diddy,” “Pretty Flamingo,” “Sha La La”), or if you failed to reconnect with his lengthy tenure in the UK-based Blues Band, you’re in for a surprise. The husky R&B voice he brought to Mann’s early works has weathered lightly, and nineteen albums into his side gig as a bluesman (his main occupations have been actor and radio host) he’s returning to U.S. shores on reissue giant Collectors’ Choice’s first new music release. Produced by Carla Olson, the album is filled with terrific instrumental talent, including Austin guitarist Jake Andrews, keyboardist Mike Thompson and a horn section that includes Joe Sublett and Ernie Watts. Eric Clapton lends his guitar to Jones’ original “Choose or Cop Out” and a cover of Mel & Tim’s “Starting All Over Again,” and Percy Sledge (who is in terrific voice) teams with Jones on a superb horn-driven cover of “Big Blue Diamonds.”

Those who dug beyond Manfred Mann’s singles won’t be too surprised to find blues at the core of Jones’ solo work, supplemented by R&B and jazz flavors. Though he’s not the strutting youngster of 1964, he still shows the same adventurousness and complexity that separated Mann’s work from much of the British Invasion pack. In addition to straightforward blues numbers, he lends a jazz croon to “Gratefully Blue,” leans on the second-line funk of Little Johnnie Taylor’s “If You Love Me (Like You Say),” and pairs his harmonica with Mike Thompson’s roadhouse piano on Van Morrison’s “Philosopher’s Stone.” Jones picks up songs from a few surprising places, including “I’m Gone” from the Swedish retro garage-blues band The Creeps and “Need to Know” from British/Nigerian soul singer Ola Onabule.

Some of the album’s best tracks are found in the final quartet, starting with the Stax-styled gospel-soul “Still True” and the newly written acoustic country-blues “When He Comes.” The band’s instrumental chops are highlighted on “Alvino’s Entourage,” with drummer Alvino Bennett laying down a second-line groove and Jones, Andrews and Thompson each taking a solo. The closing “Big Blue Diamonds” opens with a rolling piano by Clayton Ivey, a terrific sax and trumpet horn chart, and a Fats Domino styled vocal by Percy Sledge. It’s hard to believe this was recorded in Los Angeles – hopefully Mr. Jones will get to the Crescent City for a follow-up. [©2009 hyperbolium dot com]

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