Los Angeles Soul Volume 2 - Kent Modern's Black Music Legacy 1963-1971

Kent Records - cd and mp3

By Mike in News Archives
Published 09 Oct 2019

Los Angeles Soul Volume 2 - Kent Modern's Black Music Legacy 1963-1971 magazine cover

Los Angeles Soul Volume 2 - Kent Modern's Black Music Legacy 1963-1971 CDKEND 486

Spotlight falls on a recent release from Kent Records, as the title says its a collection of 1960s and early 1970s tracks taken from Kent/Modern. 24 varied tracks making up this volume two. Details and previews follow below...

Preview

Los Angeles Soul Volume 2
Track listing

1. I'll Be Standing By - Chuck Walker & The VIP's
2. At Last - Jimmy Bee
3. Hungry Children - Rudy Love & The Love Family
4. Mighty Clouds of Joy - B.P.S. Revolution
5. Honey - Felice Taylor
6. Slow and Easy - Vernon Garrett
7. Where She At - Z.Z. Hill
8. Don't Believe Him - Stacy Johnson
9. Nobody But Me - The Other Brothers
10. Like I Do - Bobby John
11. Whole World Down On You - Larry Davis
12. It's Getting Late - Al King
13. Jodine - Earl Foster
14. Then I Found You - Rudy Love & The Love Family
15. The Good Side of My Girl - Clay Hammond
16. The Thought of You - Jeanette Jones
17. You're Still My Baby - Venetta Fields
18. Rock Me Baby - Millie Foster
19. What Is This World Coming To - Charles Taylor
20. What the Heck - Lowell Fulson
21. Funky Duck - Four Tees
22. I Need You (2nd Version) - Arthur K Adams
23. Ghetto Child - Johnny Copeland
24. Peace of Mind - Chuck Walker & The VIP's

Release Notes from Ace Records

Authentic, occasionally obscure, but always groovy, West Coast soul. Southern blues abounds, while gospel and Motown’s influence are also present.

Here are 25 more tracks from the deep reserves of Kent/Modern 60s and early 70s soul. The selection is a thorough cross-section of the company’s favoured stylings – blues, funk, straight soul, jazz-tinged ballads and deep wailers along with a handful of appropriate soul dancers for those with a pulse.

Prolific performers such as Z.Z. Hill, Johnny Copeland and Clay Hammond are alongside one-off 45 artists like Jeanette Jones, Earl Foster and Chuck Walker. Walker’s little-known deep soul ballads open and close the compilation and there are stunning slow soul performances from Jimmy Bee and Venetta Fields. Blues meets soul with Larry Davis, Al King, Lowell Fulson and Millie Foster, whose version of ‘Rock Me Baby’ is sensual and previously unissued.

Moody, early soul dance tracks come from Bobby John and the Other Brothers, while uptempo offerings are sung by Z.Z. Hill, Vernon Garrett and Stacy Johnson. The newly discovered ‘Honey’ by Felice Taylor was penned by Steve Cook and Charles Tate of ‘Too Darn Soulful’ fame and gospel choir BPS Revolution contribute a terrific, largely unknown, mid-tempo LP track. Funkateers will undoubtedly dig the Rudy Love, Charles Taylor and Four Tees sides.

The compilation features the type of music that LA’s black record buyers wanted in the soul era. The Biharis undoubtedly knew their market.

ADY CROASDELL @ady croasdell

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