Various Artists - Psychedelic Mod, Funky Prog, Acid Soul and Freakbeat (White Trash Soul 60s Psychotropia No.1)

 

OK, I've just made another compilation and I couldn't wait to share it, even though there are other posts already waiting in the pipeline. That's how excited I am! Having listened to a lot of acid jazz recently, I decided to compile a playlist of British bands and songs from the late '60s that undoubtedly influenced the creation and development of the genre in the early '90s. At least, from my point of view.

Anyway, by the time this booming decade was coming to an end, psychedelia was also in troubled waters, and musicians were looking for new sounds to take its place. Some turned to jazz, some amped up the blues, while others started heading in the direction of a more progressive sound, yet still funky. And quite many fearless musicians tried to combine all these elements to create something new. Most of them (if not all) were ex-mods already accomplished by the groove of black Americans and the mighty Hammond organ was now at the forefront, leading the way. Many of them mods also collaborated with each other in one or more bands, and many of those collaborations can be found here.This new sound had a grittier, nastier, smooth and manic at the same time overtone, with fuzz guitars polluting the area and rumbling organ and horns wailing all over.

Was it psychedelic mod, funky prog, acid soul or just another variant of what later was called freakbeat? Probably all of these and more! Sometimes it's tricky to put into words what you're hearing, but it's not hard at all to get excited about it and dance! I chose to stay in the old Albion because dealing with the US would have been a far greater challenge (Funkadelic, Betty Davis, etc.). See you soon! Cheers!!

1. Don't Want You No More - The Spencer Davis Group
2. My Friend Jack (Demo Version) - The Smoke
3. Anymore Than I Do - The Attack
4. Speak Your Mind - The Lion Tamers
5. Gone Is The Sad Man - Timebox
6. Your Love is Burning Me - Thane Russell & Three
7. Baby I Need You - Curiosity Shoppe
8. Jumping Jack Flash - Wynder K. Frog
9. Somebody Stole My Thunder - Georgie Fame
10. Emmaretta - Deep Purple
11. Egyptian Tomb - Mighty Baby
12. Don’t Be Afraid - Keef Hartley Band
13. Lola (Instrumental) - The Kinks
14. My Mind Can Ride Easy - Killing Floor
15. Indian Rope Man - Brian Auger & Julie Driscoll and The Trinity
16. Call You Liar, Liar - Satisfaction
17. Crazy Feeling - Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede
18. Pineapple & The Monkey - The Faces
19. Solar Level - Johnny Almond Music Machine
20. (If You Think You're) Groovy - P.P. Arnold & The Small Faces
21. My Time (Brass-Free Version) - The Pretty Things
22. It's a Crime - The Kirkbys
23. Eiderdown Clown - Scots Of St. James
24. In The Deep End - The Artwoods
25. Evil Woman - Guy Darrell
26. Which Way - The Sorrows
27. Big Boss Man - Dave Davani
28. Loot - Steve Ellis
29. I'm Alive - Don Fardon
30. The Cheat - Sutch Lord
31. Midway Down - The Creation
32. Follow Me - The Action
33. In a Broken Dream - Python Lee Jackson ft. Rod Stewart
34. Snowy Wood - John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers

Various Artists - Downtown Soulville, Mr. Fine Wine's Top 45s (WTS Soul No.8)

 

This is my first post of 2026, and it's already under difficult circumstances. I would like to wish each and every one of you a happy new year, but I can't see that happening. I mean, really now people of the US of A, what were you thinking when you elected this idiot, fascist, schizoid piece of shit? (MAGA loonies can kiss my arse. Don't bother leaving comments — you'll never see them posted, GET THE FUCK OUT OF THIS BLOG!). Anyway...

When it comes to soul music, no one can beat a Detroit native. Matt Weingarden - to his friends and fans, Mr Finewine - is a DJ and record collector renowned for his in-depth exploration of rare soul, funk and R&B 45s. It was the 'Downtown Soulville' show on WFMU that introduced me to obscure (or not) grooves more than two decades ago, and I'm not exaggerating when I say this guy's changed my life for better! 

I can't remember how or where I found a list of his most precious and beloved items, but I printed it out. This piece of paper was a map for what I was going to hear or chase over the next years. I've still got it, actually. I've put together this new collection using that old A4 wrapping in exactly the order in which he presented those 45s. So, if you're planning a party anytime soon, don't forget to bring this playlist along. Trust me! And make sure you'll send any fascist, racist scum to hell...

1. Downtown Soulville - Chuck Edwards
2. My Baby Likes To Boogaloo - Don Gardner
3. Peanut Duck - Marsha Gee
4. Your Sweet Love - Nelson Sanders
5. Don't Use Me - George Jackson
6. I'm Gonna Do It By Myself - Jimmy ‘The Preacher’ Ellis
7. You'll Always Be In Style - Sidney Barnes
8. From Now On - Nathaniel Mayer
9. Ride In My 322 - Spyder Turner
10. Moaning, Groaning, And Crying - Fuller Brothers
11. Quittin' Time - Big Maybelle
12. I'm Drunk And Real High - Ada Richards
13. Soul Dance Number 3 - Pervis Lavawn & The Commanders
14. Mellow Fellow - Etta James
15. Get Down With It - Bobby Marchan
16. Go Go Train - Jackie Paine
17. Hump Back - Eldridge Holmes
18. Souvenirs of a Heartbreak - Thelma Jones
19. You Were Meant for Me - Young Jessie
20. Soul Sister - Sam Dees
21. Welfare Cheese - Emanuel Laskey
22. Baby Do The Philly Dog - The Olympics
23. Rattlesnake, Baby, Rattlesnake - Joe Johnson
24. Oo-Ma-Liddi - J.J. Jackson
25. Loose Me Love - Virgie Till
26. That's My Girl - Dee Clark
27. The Queen - Big Ella
28. I'm Stuck On My Baby - Irene & The Scotts
29. Nerves Of Steel - Gino Parks
30. Soul Circle - Spot & The Blotters

Steve Cropper (1941-2025)

 

Steve Cropper: the MG, the Cobra, the Royal Spade, the Mar-key, the Blues Brother. A HUGE chapter in one of the greatest record labels ever as a co-writer, producer, and above all, lead guitarist for their legendary house band. An absolute giant! Come to think of it, it's incredible that 'Green Onions' was simply the result of a few guys goofing around in the studio. With a lethal Telecaster in hand, he has produced the most self-effacing, funky sounds ever, with metronome-crisp timing, deadly accurate chops, earth-moving bottom-line riffs and sharp, nasty little licks. So, in the name of Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, Link Wray, Johnny Thunders and Steve Cropper, let me preach one more time and tell you to keep all these Eric Claptons, Richie Blackmores and Stevie Ray Vaughans to yourselves. Here's to the lean, mean and understated fingers of the best ever. Safe travels motherfucker. 

Esquerita! - The Soul Sides: 1966-1968 (WTS Soul No.7)

Here's another uncompiled chapter that I lay my hands on. The same thing was hoped for with Little Richard's Brunswick stuff that was posted a few months prior to the RSD release. By the way, have I ever mentioned how much I hate RSD and its prices? The music industry can go fuck itself! It's ridiculous what's happening with vinyl prices in general nowadays. Could something else become fashionable and trendy, and quite quickly please? You need a small fortune every time you want to buy something. Capitalists and record collectors can all kiss my arse. 

Anyway, let's get back to the subject. Here's my attempt to bring together Esquerita's mid to late-60s soul recordings in one place. He wasn't calling himself Esquerita now, but Eskew Reeder, SQ Reeder or The Magnificent Malochi instead. I don't know why he did this, but it definitely didn't help his sales. The story goes like this: Following the unissued Detroit sessions on Berry Gordy's Motown, Esquerita travelled to Atlanta, Columbus and New York city. He reportedly played with both Jimi Hendrix and Maurice James at the Hawaii Kai on Broadway. He probably knew Jimi from a previous session with Little Richard, I suppose, or maybe he just knew him in general. Just like Gene Vincent did before, which resulted in his manic rock 'n' roll recordings for Capitol Records that most people are familiar with, Hendrix brought Eric Burdon to see him but nothing happened. A completely unissued session for Herb Abramson's Triumph Records, came to light thanks to Bear Family Records in 1990 as 'Sock It To Me, Baby' with great liners by Norton's Billy Miller. Esquerita performed alone with his piano. 

In November 1965, he recorded four tracks for Okeh in Nashville, Tennessee. Two singles were issued in 1966, ‘I Want to Know’ and ‘Tell the World About You’, with backing vocals from the Sweet Inspirations. In an interview with legendary Kicks magazine, Esquerita said that he had relocated to Puerto Rico in 1965 or 1966, where he worked in nightclubs, before moving to Miami Beach, Florida. Esquerita claimed that he had played on Little Richard’s Okeh sessions during this period also. 

Screaming Jay Hawkins also referred to Esquerita as having worked in New York clubs, playing the organ with just a drummer backing him, and having had his wild and famous pompadour cut down. Another session was planned, the one at the Bell Sound Studios in New York for an unknown label. An acetate featuring five tracks, surfaced in Miami and a second acetate appeared on eBay sometime in the 2011. The style is similar to the Okeh sides: up-tempo and mid-tempo soul-blues with excellent drumming, as S.J. Hawkins said. There is a seven-minute version of Nina Simone's 'Sinner Man', featuring outstanding performances by both musicians. The whole thing was released by Norton Records as 'Sinner Man: The Lost Session' in 2012, and is definitely worth tracking down. 

Esquerita's next chapter was with Brunswick Records, the same label as Little Richard once again, he had just adopted the name 'The Magnificent Malochi' and Dr. John, who was living in Los Angeles at the time, is credited on keyboards (Harold Battiste played on that meeting too!). The session ended abruptly and the single was not released until the following year due to a violent clash with his manager, Charles Greene. During his second session with Brunswick in Los Angeles, Little Richard recorded his first Esquerita song, 'Stingy Jenny', as I mentioned in my piece on Ricardito more than six months ago.

His final single, released on the Cross-Tone label (a division of Columbia) and was recorded in New York in 1968 (or 1969 according to different sources). One side was dedicated to the glorious days of the famous New Orleans club, the Dew Drop Inn. In the liner notes to 'Vintage Voola' Esquerita is quoted, "Have you ever heard "Dew Drop Inn" by me? Little Richard heard mine and tried to copy it. You see, Richard — that big-headed child — can be stubborn sometimes. I told him, 'Man, if you do the song word for word like I told you, you'll have a hit!" And so he did the King and Queen of rock'n'roll on the amazing Reprise LP 'The Rill Thing'. The A side was the one that was a little later adopted by the young lads in England and their Northern Soul scene, the 'You Better Believe Me' masterpiece! This tune of storming rhythm and soul is absolutely sizzling and should have been a huge hit but it wasn't once more.

Are you still with me? OK, as I mentioned earlier, here's an unofficial gathering of his last ever recorded, released and uncompiled all-in one place gospel-infused soul shouters! All eight sides are as brilliant and feverish as everything else he did. I've added a bonus track at the end: the 1965 'Dew Drop Inn' demo recording of just him, his piano and a tambourine raising hell. Cheers!

Various Artists - Sock It To Me! Another White Trash Soul Compilation of 26 Soul and R&B Dance Blasters

 

OK, here's another compilation that I've made for my own use and pleasure. This one was actually tested on the dance floor the other day when a friend of mine who owns a small pub asked me to lend him my iPod (he does that quite often) and play the whole thing while I was drinking my beer. Well, it seemed like everyone liked it to my surprise. I can't remember if I've used any of these songs in other compilations that have been uploaded by me in the past, but it's very likely since some of them are among my favourites. Anyway, here's the tracklist:

1. Teen Age Jump - T.D. Valentine
2. The Hawg [Part 1] - Eddie Kirkland 
3. Who Do You Love - Jimmy Toliver
4. Pretty Mama Blues - Arthur Griswold
5. Whole Lot Of Soul - Jan Bradley
6. Baby You Goofed - Rudi Stewart
7. Rockin' Pneumonia And The Boogaloo Flu - Bobby Marchan
8. A Rockin' Good Way - Jo Ann Garrett & Andre Williams
9. Go Go Girl - Richard Berry & The Soul Searchers
10. Watch Yourself - Al Gardner
11. The Love Knot - Chuck Wells
12. Searching For My Baby - James Lynn Marsh
13. Save Your Love - Buddy Lamp
14. Crazy - Wess & The Airedales
15. Chuck Roast - Chuck Edwards
16. The Wig - Lorenzo Holden
17. Do The Ape - Reg Powell
18. I Don't Know - Albert Collins
19. Shake Shout And Soul - Lil' Ray & The Premiers
20. Philly Barracuda [Part 1] - Holly Maxwell
21. Keep A Calling - Paul Perryman
22. Talking 'Bout Soul - Little Richard
23. Soul - Squatty & The Bottys
24. (Shing-A-Loo-Boog-A-Ling) Big Mama - The Experts
25. I Can't Help Myself - The Emperors
26. (Beggin) Baby Don't Leave Me - The Bronzettes

The (Four) Shells - Whiplash, Their Singles (White Trash Soul Greasy R&B 2)

 

One of the more obscure records from Chi-Town is "Whiplash" b/w "When I’m Blue" by the Shells on Jerry Butler's short-lived Conlo imprint. Not much is known about the Chicago-based Shells (they probably had roots in St. Louis), except that they had another Jerry Butler-produced single on Volt/Stax in 1966 as The Four Shells, "Hot Dog (My Baby's Comin' Home)" b/w "Reputation" and their members were brothers Charles and James Calvin, plus Willie Exon and Billy Harper. This infectious, driving first 45 was full of 100% pure party songs and are also two of the few soul tunes that gets played outside the (northern) soul scene because of The Cramps' appreciation and the lo-fi garagey recording with the distorted guitar bends (the opening licks on "Whiplash" sounded like it was taken from a 1964 Pretty Things session, and its inclusion in iconic compilations like "Shakin' Fit","Born Bad, Vol 7" etc). The Volt sides are equally great danceable numbers but the Southern Soul horns have taken guitar's place as leading force and instruments. Of the bands that I wish they had done more.

Various Artists - Two Siders (White Trash Soul R&B Series No.14)

45s are the midwives of rock'n'roll. I mean, Sam Phillips didn't need to wait until Elvis had a dozen songs to start the mayhem, did he? There was no need for every small label in the world to have a big budget to release the music that mattered, or for some artists to wait for someone to record them and release their work. DIY and punk rock before punk rock even existed. Thank god for those round 7-inch fetish objects!

There are some singles (that's what they were called in ancient times) where you really couldn't decide whether the A-side was the right choice over the B-side. And there were a lot of them, some even still waiting for someone to dig them up and discover something new. So I decided to make (what else?) a compilation of a handful of my favourite 45 rpms that contain some of the rawest, most brutal and soulful rhythms ever recorded on both sides. Again, dancing was my main goal, after all, it always has been. If the music doesn't move your ass, your legs and what's between them, why bother?

Well, here you'll find Baby Huey & The Babysitters' early garage punk movers, Lousiana Red's Blues boppers during his time with Laurie, Big Al Downing at his poundingnest rock'n'rollingnest, soulful screamers by Bobby Parker, Carl Lester & The Showstoppers' Mod Club anthems and Mercy Baby (drummer of Frankie Lee Sims) with Frankie Lee himself on guitar doing the boogie! Young Jessie, Long John Hunter, Phil Flowers, Ace Holder, Lazy Lester, Bad Smitty, The Kavetts, Lil' Ray and many more are on board, thirty four (count 'em!) frolic swirlers from the best possible sources and loudest rips. 

Enjoy your weekend lads and lasses!

Muddy Waters - Messin' With The Man / Muddy Waters Twist (White Trash Soul R&B Series No.12)

 

This is an imaginary single of mine, similar to the previous Bo Diddley compilation I did. 
I believe it's the same story: Chess tried to modernize Muddy's hard R&B sound by trying to fit it into the trends of Soul and Twist with these floorfillers. I don't know if he liked it at all, probably not, I mean, these guys weren't particularly keen to compromise. Nevertheless, I think both tracks are incredible! One with lots of horns and the other with an organ that colors wonderfully his tough electric Chicago blues and make no mistake both are absolutely danceable monsters!

Baby Jean - If You Wanna, The Singles (White Trash Soul R&B Series No.11)

The problem with artists who don't have many releases in their arsenal is that information about their lives and careers is minimal to non-existent. Such is the case with Baby Jean Hamilton, sister of Chicago-based singer Small Paul Hamilton. The two-sider "If You Wanna/Oh Johnny" from 1962 on Stacy has become a soul rockin' dance classic over the years, and deservedly so. There's another pair of gritty R&B dance numbers on Picadilly and that was that. Such a same... 

Lester Young - Lester Young Story (White Trash Soul R&B Series No.10)

Lester Young, not the same person as the legendary tenor sax player of the same name, was a hugely talented R&B thug/guitarist/singer who recorded and released a slew of 45 rpm singles of R&B/Pre-Soul nuggets, sometimes under the Lester Young and The California Playboys moniker, with thunderous and danceable results! No matter how much I searched the internet, I couldn't find much about him and his life. The first time I became aware of him was through the fantastic compilation "Whip! Wobble! And Grind!" from 2004 and from then on, every time I came across another track of his in a set, I was finding  myself blown away again. So I decided to make an anthology of this bad motherfucker's career on my own. If any of you guys and gals know anything more about the hero of my post, please comment, I consider him one of the best I've ever heard of for not knowing anything about him...

Bo Diddley - Soulfood (White Trash Soul R&B Series No.9)

I'm out of town for the Easter break and doing nothing but listening to music, reading (mostly about music) and making new compilations, I guess some things never change, you can't teach an old dog new tricks, as they say, can you?

Of course, I don't have to tell you who Bo Diddley was, what he did, etc. A couple of centuries ago we had made a cοmp of all the Originator's instrumentals. Now I've decided to collect everything he tried in a more soulful vein, and prove most people who seem to find this material "bad", "poor" or "unfocused" wrong.

Because I'm a clumsy bastard, while I absolutely adore this period (1965-1969), I find the later, more funk-oriented one annoying, and yeah, I can't stand any of "The Black Gladiator", I'm guilty, I don't care - piss off! I also don't know if Bo or Chess were making a conscious effort to recapture both the black audience that had abandoned him and the white audience that bought all those soul records, but if The Pretty Things think the 'slicker' sounding Diddley is brilliant, everyone else had better shut up and listen to those recordings again more carefully.

And the fact that Bo was supported by the Cookies was a killer decision. The Cookies sing their hearts out while Bo tries his hand at some songs that would have fitted well on one of The Miracles' first albums. What we get is a sexy and raucous Diddley doing the boogaloo better than most, because he was still the man!

PS: I'm not good with thank yous; I don't do them for that anyway, but I thank all of you who feel like leaving a comment on what I post.

Larry Williams & Johnny Guitar Watson - Boss Lovin': 1965-69 (White Trash Soul R&B Series No.7)

The transformation phase.

In the second half of the 50s, Larry Williams battled Little Richard for the title of King of Rock'n'Roll at Specialty Records and almost got it. In the early 60s and after a brief stroll at Chess Records, where he was still recording some fine singles, he became embroiled in a drug affair for which he received a three-year sentence reward. Things looked bad for the old guard until those guys from Liverpool checked them out and Lennon called Larry his favorite rock'n'roller.

Larry had met the excellent R&B thug/guitarist Johnny 'Guitar' Watson a few years earlier and they became friends for life. In the mid-60s, the two played together and shared the stage in the clubs of L.A. One morning, the phone rang and they were both called to a major tour of the UK. A young band from Guilford, called The Stormville Shakers was chosen to accompany them.

The collaboration and friendship between Larry Williams and Johnny 'Guitar' Watson would of course continue for a number of years. In 1967 they released another LP and several singles together for Okeh, concentrating mainly on Soul (and producing ex-rival Little Richard on most of his Okeh sides, among others).

But the mighty fine and sadly overlooked (outside the UK) album of upbeat and sometimes even frenetic soul material is not our cup of tea on this self-assembled compilation. The guys, sometimes solo and sometimes together, have crafted some strong material to rival similar urban-soul efforts of the Chicago and Detroit scenes, with great arrangements and inflamed guitar/horn interactions and call-and-response routines, and on tracks where Watson shows off his R&B or jazz prowess on piano (it was after all his first instrument).

Even to those who like their Soul in a more slick Motown vein laden with horns, first class vocal work and occasional appetizing Funk, R&B or Doo-Wop flirtations, can’t go wrong with all of these tracks. They even backed by LA's kings of psychedelia, Kaleidoscope! As I was wondering around their stuff I discover that many of their singles sides on Okeh were drastically different mixes or recordings than the ones on their LP, tougher, grittier and to my ears better (for example just hear the brutal "I'd Rather Fight Than Switch" Larry Williams delivering). 

This enormous, and to some of you possibly exhaustive, selection of 35 songs is, in my opinion, a great illustration of what these bad motherfuckers were capable of when they weren't abusing drugs and guns.

I nicked and enriched the cover for my treasury from the Sleazy Records 2018 single. The sound may varies (not all my rips) but the 320 bitrate is still present, so don't worry.

The Five Royales - 1960-66 (White Trash Soul R&B Series No.3)

There's no need to introduce the sheer brilliance and the importance of The 5 Royales to anyone who's visiting this space. What could I possibly write for a band that is hugely influential and successful and hadn't been written before my attempt? There's no bad period on the Royales journey over the years. Every era (Apollo, King, Home of the Blues etc.) had something new to offer. All these sides are true classics of a group whose early singles predated the birth of rock & roll and withdrawn as R&B was making its way for what became better known as soul. 

This time my home-made offering is concentrated on the 1960s age of this black music/heritage monsters as they slide from one record company to another (Home of the Blues, Vee-Jay, Smash, Todd, King among others). Soul music exploded at this point and a young Stax Records guitarist under the name of Steve Cropper was using Pauling’s licks all the time to form a whole new tributary of Memphis R&B, but the group inexplicably failed to catch on. The production of James Brown and Willie Mitchell came up bare. Ironically enough their songs became hits by other artists' recordings (The Shirelles, Ray Charles, James Brown, Mamas & The Papas).  

I know most people would probably prefer their 50s King sides, but I strongly believe these are underrated jewels. 

Dorothy Berry - The Planetary Sides (WTS Soul No.6)

Miss Dorothy Berry has an impressive CV and some of the most wonderful and sadly underrated R&B/Soul sides ever recorded! I mean, this gal was a Jefferson High School student in the South Central Los Angeles where people like Richard Berry, Etta James, Johnny "Guitar" Watson, Young Jessie, Cornell Gunter, O.C. Smith were upper-classmates, Roy Ayers was in her class and Barry White and Merry Clayton came after (as I learned from the always cool rock'n'soul preacher Jonathan Toubin)! In fact Dorothy dated and married Mr. "Louie Louie" and "Have Love Will Travel" guy. She was even a Raelette at some point!!

Anyway, every single song she recorded (for Challenge, Little Star, Planetary, USA etc.) was worthy making her at least a superstar and I mean EVERY SINGLE ONE but the four sides on Dot subsidiary Planetary are her peak. All booming, highly danceable and fast moving. The drums are pounding and the horns are like a filthy Motown secret session/production that Berry Gordy would have never let come out of his studios. And Dorothy is wailing all over, man... 

Little Richard – The Scream by Darius James (Vibe Magazine, June/July 1997)

 

 

(Right click and select 'open link in new tab' for full scans resolution)

Dean Parrish - Brooklyn Northern Soul 1964-67 (WTS Soul No.5)

Philip Anastasi was born and raised in the Bronx area of New York City. Dean Parrish was the name that he adopted when trying to be in the same league with Italian-American pretty faced lads such as Frankie Valli, Bobby Rydell or Dion DiMucci. 

He studied at the School of Industrial Design and sang with doo wop bands on the street. He soon frequented the Peppermint Lounge where he befriended the members of the (fabulous) Ronettes. It was apparently Veronica Bennett (Ronnie Spector to her friends and fans), who suggested the young Phil that he should change his stage name. 

He signed a contract with the much loved New York soul label Laurie and set out to become a star. His deep, soulful voice boomed from his mouth every time would open it. Dean achieved some minor success with the singles "I'm On My Way", "Tell Her", "Determination" and "Skate". He performed alongside the likes of Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels, The Capitols and Lou Christie, hell he even appeared in a Motown revue with the Supremes! The big time beckoned, but his singing career began to fade. In 1967, Dean returned to his original name, abandoned soul and became an actor. 

He remained completely unaware of the Northern Soul scene in England and the legendary status he received over there ("I'm On My Way" was the last record that was played at the Northern Soul all-nighters at the Wigan Casino). Since he had changed his name back to what he was christened when he was born no one had been able to track him. His US labels had long since lost touch with him.

After being rediscovered "I’m on My Way" was reissued in 1975 by Jonathan King’s UK Records label and reached at #38 in the British pop chart, it was even said to have sold more than 200.000 copies! In 2001 Parrish made his first trip to UK, appearing at a northern soul weekend in Prestatyn and Paul Weller's guitarist and Ocean Colour Scene member Steve Craddock hooked up with Dean for new recording of an unreleased Weller song, that The Jam leader had composed at the age of fifteen ("Left Right and Centre") on the Acid Jazz label. 

In 2006 as Philip Anastasia, he appeared in the 5th episode of the 6th season of The Sopranos, playing a suave, silver-haired MC at a lavish wedding reception. While Johnny Sack, the father of the bride, is persuading his fellow mobster Tony Soprano to arrange the murder of a rival, played by Valli, Anastasia serenades the happy couple with a rendering of Daddy’s Little Girl!

Anyway, here's gathered most of the sides I was sitting on or I was able to locate from my downloaded music files in my hard drives and the Brooklyn Soul legend released in the 60s.

Rex Garvin & The Mighty Cravers - I Gotta Go Now: 1961-1968 (WTS Soul No.4)

Rex Garvin was born in Harlem and grew up in the Bronx, where his neighbor Zelma Sanders introduced him to the music business in his early teens. Having one of the coolest band names ever (even though mr. Raw Funky himself was kinda embarrased about it), he has released countless singles especially during the 60s that are undisputed classics today. I thought he would have lived a comfortable life once he decided to leave music business. Unfortunately, his story is another one of the countless of an era with bad contracts and the exploitation of black kids in particular (anyone remembers the episode in The Sopranos first season?). He ended up living his last years of his life as a janitor for fuck's sake! 

[That's why I hate with passion capitalism and racism and I'm sharing thoughts and music. In most cases the artists never had a penny out of them.]

As a teen he wrote and arranged adjective hours of music (Rex’s inspiring intro to "Any Day Now" a song writren by the master of melodies Burt Bacharach that became a hit in 1962 - he got paid just for the session and with no credit even though our guy created it without having much time to plan or compose). 

Garvin’s gritty sound of the early 60s evolved into soul and funk over time, before his recording career waned at the end of the decade. Unlike many fallen stars of its time, he never had any interest in a comeback and remained reclusive until his passing. So here's a gathering of all of his 60s sides and once again as far as I know there's no such compilation around (I really wanted to include the amazing black rock'n'roller "Oh Yeah" but it wasn't in the aforementioned era). To make a long story short what I have to offer is an astonishing output of the most driving raw soul dance party anthems of all time! Bless his beautiful black soul...

Little Richard - Brunswick Lost Soul (WTS Soul No.3)

For some strange reason Little Richard's recordings on Brunswick have never been officially reissued, apart from a few scattered tracks on compilations here and there (some of them also bootlegs). As he said in his autobiography, Larry Williams was trying to make him a Motown artist during his stint on Okeh and for sure he wasn't one. Don't know what made him think like that, perhaps the lacking of success but Ricardito was as fabulous recording rock'n'soul as playing rock'n'roll! 

Despite his supposedly disdain for the horn-powered soul sound of his Okeh years, Little Richard displayed no aversion to brass immediately after signed out with Larry Williams. So in September 1967 he signed a one year deal with Brunswick Records. The three singles he recorded over the next twelve months doubled his commitment to the funky soul sound with horn sections that came into their own on hot numbers like "Soul Train", "Baby Don't You Tear My Clothes" or the Esquerita co-penned "Stingy Jenny". 

Unfortunately none of the amazing Brunswick singles cracked the charts and once again Mr. Penniman found himself in search of another label and chapter (with the Reprise era rejuvenation waiting around the corner). So, enter White Trash Soul to the picture to correct the mistake until someone, somewhere with a good taste decide to touch his hands to the previously mentioned material and finally make an official reissue. 

Stacy Lane - Nine Sides 1967-73 (WTS Soul No.2)

I can provide little to no information about Stacy Lane. This Wilson Pickett-esque screamer had, as far as I know (and Discogs confirms), only four singles in his arsenal, two on the Excello touchstone and one more each for BAR and Playboy Records. I first became aware of him on the "Buttshakers Vol. 6" compilation and from then on I was on a never-ending rollercoaster ride for updated information on his life and recordings (no luck unfortunately). On the BAR single, the black sheep of the Stax family, Charles 'Packy' Axton, is seriously involved, which makes me think that this cat wasn't just a man and a half copycat. In fact, all the known/released recordings are excellent templates of a blend of southern soul and gritty proto-funk.

The Ideals - Mo-Gorilla (White Trash Soul R&B Series No.2)

Here's another one I made for the iconic Ideals from Chicago Illinois. 

Let's make clear something right from the start: The Ideals on Checker/Chess wasn't them. 

The Ideals had been around since 1952, when the members were still teenagers (all except Spraggins attended Crane High School). Initially, the group consisted of Frank Cowan (lead), Leonard Mitchell and Wes Spraggins (tenors), Robert Tharp (baritone) and Clifford Clayborn (bass), though Clayborn was soon replaced by Sam Steward and Cowan by Reggie Jackson.

Fred Pettis came in as lead singer around 1956 and left a couple of years later. Future soul star Major Lance briefly floated through also. Jackson returned from the military to rejoin Mitchell, Tharp, and Steward. The Ideals made their 1961 vinyl debut on Richard Stamz's Paso label with "Together b/w What's The Matter With You Sam" and encored with "Magic b/w Teens". By the time they made it back into a recording studio in 1963, they'd acquired a new lead singer Eddie Williams.

Howard Pitman, a former member of The Five Chances (they recorded for Chance and Blue Lake in the mid-'50s), started his own Concord label and came up with "The Gorilla" along with lead singer Williams and Jerry Murray. With dj Herb Kent behind it, "The Gorilla" sold well enough locally that Pitman handed it to Bill Erman's Cortland label. With the Donald Jenkins-penned ballad "Don Juan" on the flip, "The Gorilla" made a lot of Chi-Town noise. None of their Cortland followups, notably a remake of Henry Lumpkin's "Mojo Hanna" and the fake live sequel "Mo Gorilla", went anywhere.
The Ideals moved to the St. Lawrence label in 1965 for the R&B sizzler "Go Get A Wig". They were down to just Jackson, Mitchell, and Stewart when they ventured in a Windy City soul direction for "I Got Lucky (When I Found You)" and then "You Lost And I Won", the latter on St. Lawrence's Satellite imprint. Meanwhile, Tharp joined with Murray to form the duo Tom and Jerry-O, posting a 1965 hit with their "Boo-Ga-Loo" for ABC-Paramount. The Ideals would finally dent the R&B charts with "Kissin'", their second soul-soaked outing on Satellite, in early 1966. A smoother remake of "Go Go Gorilla" closed out their Satellite stay, and a 1967 outing for Boo-Ga-Loo, "The Mighty Lover", completed The Ideals' recording career. 

*Information on The Ideals story taken from Street Corner Symphonies compilation, thanks!
Of course the whole cover idea was shamelessly nicked from Norton's amazing 45 reissue from 2011 but I wasn't able to locate a cool picture of them. Whatever.