Randy Cozen's Top 100 (6T's Rhythm & Soul Special Part 1)

I'll never understand why bootleggers never picked on this 'list'. Through the pass of time this 'list' upgraded to a nearly legendary status among mods and soul fanatics and with a good reason, and remains even today a mystery why not officially and properly compiled by someone? Anyway, let's try take things from the start...

Who is Randy Cozens?

Even if you are an epidermic soul listener, there's no way to not know who Randy Cozens was. A familiar ace face to Britain's mod crowd and co-founder of the 6T's Rhythm & Soul Club, along with Ady Croasdell, today people refers to him as a legendary pioneer of the Northern Soul scene. Like many music fanatics around the world, Randy's 'habit' was to make up tapes with his favorite songs and gave them with one and only purpose. To make people dance and have a good time with these selections. 

'The List' 

Once upon a time was a now defunct music paper that called, "Sounds". Randy as the legend says, was sending constantly letters to this sheet urging the mods of the day to try found their roots in the music of their forefathers. At the time mods had their idols in punk-mod bands like the Jam. Soul and Rhythm & Blues had been forgotten by these crowds. Finally, 'Sounds' ask him to make a Mod Top 100 list with gems of his tastes, in no particular order. Randy came out with this and it was published with the Bank Holiday issue of Sounds in August of 1979. That list was the kiss of life in the decadent then Northern Soul scene and even in our days is something like pyx for starters in the magic world of Soul music.

PS: Actually, this Top100 isn't 100% a Soul scroll. It contains 97 Rhythm & Soul tracks, 2 Ska and 1 red herring to prevent collectors' claiming they own all 100!

So here it is:

1. What’cha Gonna Do About It – Doris Troy (Atlantic)

2. So Far Away – Hank Jacobs (Sue)

3. Come See About Me – Nella Dodds (Pye Int)

4. Hole In The Wall – George Stone (Stateside)

5. Que Sera Sera- The High Keys (London)

6. Getting Mighty Crowded – Betty Everett (Fontana)

7. I Don’t Wanna Fuss – Sugar Pie Desanto (Pye Int)

8. Walking The Dog – Rufus Thomas (London)

9. Hold What You Got – Joe Tex (Atlantic)

10. Time Is On My Side – Irma Thomas (Liberty)

11. I Can’t Believe What You Say – Ike And Tina Turner (Sue)

12. The Drifter – Ray Pollard (UA)

13. Any Day Now – Chuck Jackson (Stateside)

14. The Monkey Time – Major Lance (Columbia)

15. La De Da, I Love You – Inez And Charlie Foxx (Sue)

16. The Cheater – Bob Kuban And The In Men (Stateside)

17. I’m In Your Hands – Mary Love (King)

18. The Jerk – The Larks (Pye Int)

19. I Had A Talk With My Man – Mitty Collier (Pye Int)

20. Oh No Not My Baby – Maxine Brown ((Pye Int)

21. Gotta Have Your Love – The Sapphires (HMV)

22. Everybody Needs Somebody To Love – Solomon Burke (Atlantic)

23. La La La La La – The Blendells (Reprise)

24. Ride Your Pony – Lee Dorsey (Stateside)

25. Selfish One – Jackie Ross (Pye Int)

26. Tired Of Being Lonely – The Sharpees (Stateside)

27. El Watusi – Ray Barretto (Colombia)

28. Treat Her Right – Roy Head (Vocallion)

29. Who’s Cheating Who? – Little Milton (Chess)

30. Out Of Sight – James Brown (Phillips)

31. Mercy Mercy – Don Covay (Atlantic)

32. Open The Door To Your Heart – Darrell Banks (Stateside)

33. A Little Piece Of Leather – Donnie Elbert (Sue)

34. Go Now – Bessie Banks (Red Bird)

35. Searching For My Love – Bobby Moore (Chess)

36. You Can’t Sit Down – Phil Upchurch Combo (HMV)

37. The Duck – Jackie Lee (Fontana)

38. Doctor Love – Bobby Sheen (Capitol)

39. She Blew A Good Thing – The American Poets (London)

40. Watch Your Step – Bobby Parker (Sue)

41. Love Ain’t Nothin’ – Johnny Nash (Pye Int)

42. Randy – Earl Jean (Colpix)

43. Rancid Polecat – Ian And The Clarks (Liberty)

44. Oowee Baby I Love You – Fred Hughes (Fontana)

45. A Touch Of Venus – Sandy Wynns (Fontana)

46. Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood – Nina Simone (Phillips)

47. Ain’t Love Good, Ain’t Love Proud – Tony Clark (Pye Int)

48. I’ve Got A Woman – Jimmy McGriff (Sue)

49. Candy – The Astors (Atlantic)

50. Smokie Joe’s La La – Googie Rene Combo (Atlantic)

51. Mr Bang Bang Man – Little Hank (London)

52. It’s Rough Out There – Jerry Jackson (Cameo)

53. Oh How Happy – Shades Of Blue (Sue)

54. Ain’t Nobody Home – Howard Tate (Verve)

55. Dimples – John Lee Hooker (Stateside)

56. Long After Tonight Is Over – Jimmy Radcliffe (Stateside)

57. Twine Time – Alvin Cash (Stateside)

58. Lipstick Traces – The O’Jays (Liberty)

59. Let The Good Times Roll – Bunny Sigler (Cameo Parkway)

60. There’s Nothing Else To Say Baby – The Incredibles (Stateside)

61. Peaches And Cream – The Ikettes (Stateside)

62. What’s Wrong With Me Baby – The Invitations (Stateside)

63. Hole In The Wall – The Packers (Pye Int)

64. Finders Keepers – Gloria Jones (Stateside)

65. Nothing Can Stop Me – Gene Chandler (Stateside)

66. See You At The Go Go – Dobie Gray (Pye Int)

67. Love Makes The World Go Round – Deon Jackson (Atlantic)

68. Cool Jerk – The Capitols (Atlantic)

69. The In Crowd – Ramsey Lewis Trio (Chess)

70. Rescue Me – Fontella Bass (Chess)

71. 60 Minutes Of Your Love – Homer Banks (Liberty)

72. Sweetest Thing This Side Of Heaven – Chris Bartley (Cameo)

73. A L’il Loving Sometimes – Alexander Patton (Capitol)

74. You’ve Got To Pay The Price – Al Kent (Track)

75. Make Me Yours – Bettye Swann (CBS)

76. The Pain Gets A Little Deeper – Darrow Fletcher (London)

77. Talk Of The Grapevine – Donald Height (London)

78. Always Something There To Remind Me – Lou Johnson (London)

79. Steal Away – Jimmy Hughes (Pye Int)

80. Yes I’m Ready – Barbara Mason (London)

81. Gee Whiz – Carla Thomas (Atlantic)

82. My Girl Sloopy – The Vibrations (London)

83. Gypsy Woman – The Impressions (HMV)

84. You Don’t Know Like I Know – Sam And Dave (Atlantic)

85. I’ll Take Good Care Of You – Garnett Mimms (UA)

86. Nothing Takes The Place Of You – Toussaint McCall (Pye Int)

87. The 81 – Candy And The Kisses (Cameo)

88. Mr Pitiful – Otis Redding (Atlantic)

89. This Can’t Be True – Eddie Holman (Cameo)

90. You Got Too Much Going For You – Jimmy Beaumont (London)

91. Help Me – The Spellbinders (CBS)

92. Higher And Higher – Jackie Wilson (Coral)

93. That’s Enough – Rosco Robinson (Pye Int)

94. I Wanna Be – The Manhattans (Sue)

95. Spring – Birdlegs And Pauline (Sue)

96. Peace Of Mind – The Magnificent Men (Capitol)

97. Hey-Sah-Lo-Nay – Mickey Lee Lane (Stateside)

98. Mercy – Willie Mitchell (London)

99. Gypsy Woman – Derek And Patsy (Island)

100. Dr Kitch – Lord Kitchener (Jump Up)

A Final Note 

As i said many times on my previous posts i can not see myself as a collector but as a music fanatic. I do have a large amount of these tracks (specifically 58 of the 100) but not all. For this reason the tracks behind the links above, are in various bit rates and not in the usually 320 Kbps that this blog accustomed his visitors. I promise you if i ever got them all, to do it myself . I'd like to thank from the bottom of my SOUL this guy/gal who gathered all these gems and upload them for our pleasure!

Part 1 (1 - 25) 

Part 2 (26 - 50) 

Part 3 (51 - 75) 

Part 4 (76 - 100)