Witchcraft In The Air - Detroit Soul via History of Soul Records

I'm one of the compilers of this complation of early Detroit Soul for History of Soul Records. I'd be really interested to find out what people think about the choice of tracks bearing in mind that its timescale is 1957-1962. The main idea was to present a collection that we thought would be historically interesting but at the same time very listenable throughtout. Keith Rylatt wrote the sleeve notes.

Any suggestions for inclusion on volume two would be carefully considered.

Below is the company bumph plus tracklisting and a review from In The Basement

Witchcraft In The Air

Detroit Soul 1957-1962 Vol 1

Not just another early Detroit Soul compilation. This is the cream of that transitional, pre-Hitsville era, when Detroit’s labels, artists and producers were putting out popular, black dance music that they hoped might get noticed and sell enough to make them rich and famous. This is a CD to play over and over from start to finish. Every track a gem — no duds guaranteed!

The black music scene in post war America was dominated by the emerging urban, electrified R&B scene in Chicago. Nearby Detroit was musically dwarfed, with much of its talent being drawn to the Windy City, but as the 50s drew to a close, things began to change. Detroit’s population bulge coincided with the consumer boom, making its age profile younger than its neighbour’s. Thousands of southern black migrants were joined by many immigrants from Europe come to work in the automobile industry. Henry Ford’s pay was good, and with plenty of disposable income available for its inhabitants, Detroit became the goodtime capital of the USA.

Hundreds of bars, clubs and backroom record labels emerged, hosting a tidal wave of new talent. By 1960, although it was still too early for any definitive Detroit sound to be identifiable, the city was developing a lighter, more popular style than neighbouring Chicago. It was spearheaded by a young man from Gladstone Street, whose distinctive Motown sound went on to dominate the 60s pop charts.

The tracks on this CD represent the cream of this transitional pre-Motown era, when various labels, artists and producers were putting out popular music that they hoped might get noticed and sell enough to make them rich and famous. Back then no one knew that Berry Gordy Jr would emerge victorious and define the Detroit sound for the decade that followed.

Lovingly remastered with annotated notes by Keith Rylatt

Disc 1

Love Me All The Way Kim Weston Tamla 54076 Nov 1962

Come On And Answer Me Harvey Tri-Phi 1024 1962

I'll Never Break Your Heart Joe Tex Anna 1124 1960

I'll Let You Know The Del-Phis Checkmate 1005 Oct 1961

Power Of Love The Ambassadors Bon 001 1962

Baby Don't You Weep Fred Bridges Versatile 111 1962

Nobody Ruben Fort Checkmate 1007 Jan 1962

I'll Try Something New The Miracles Tamla 54059 1962

Here You Come Hattie Littles Gordy 7007 Jul 1962

Cooter Bug Dave Hamilton Hi-Q 5020 1961

Lah-Tee-Lah-Tah The Falcons Atlantic 2153 1962

Action Speaks Louder Than Words David Ruffin Checkmate 1003 Jul 1961

Won't You Let Me Know J.J. Barnes Rich 1005 1960

Memories Ty Hunter Checkmate 1002 Jul 1961

He Can't Love You The 4 Hollidays Master 3002 1961

The Headshrinker Johnnie Mae Matthews Reel 112 1961

The Way You Dog Me Around The Diablos Fortune 518 Nov 1955

Can't Take It The O'Jays Apollo 759 1961

A Letter From My Baby Timmy Shaw Reel 102 B 1961

I'm Tired The Ohio Untouchables Lu Pine 116

Hard Hearted Woman Eddie Burns Harvey 111 1961

All The Love I've Got Marv Johnson UA 226 Apr 1960

The Chaperone LaBrenda Ben Motown 1033 Apr 1962

I'll Have to Let Him Go Martha & The Vandellas Gordy 7011 Aug 1962

Let's Talk It Over Lamont Anthony Anna 1125 1960

Misery Barrett Strong Tamla 54043 Jun 1961

Brain Washer Junior Walker All Stars Harvey 117 1962

Disc 2

Witchcraft In The Air Bettye LaVett Lu Pine 1021 1962

Whole Lotta Woman The Contours Motown 1008 Feb 1961

I Don't Want To Take A Chance Mary Wells Motown 1011 Jun 1961

Leap Frog The Magnificent Seven Northern 3735 1962

I Found A Love The Falcons Lupine 103 Jan 1962

Action Speaks Louder Than Words Eddie Holland Unreleased 1958

Don't Feel Sorry For Me Jimmy Ruffin Miracle 01 Jan 1961

Someday We'll Be Together Johnny & Jackey Tri-Phi 1005 1961

Honkey Tonk Woman The Fabulous Playboys Apollo 760 1961

Come On The Distants Northern 3732 1960

Never Let You Go Marvin Gaye Tamla 54041 May 1961

I Need You Letha Jones Anna 1113 1960

I Won't Be Your Fool Melvin Davis Fortune 551 1962

Just For You Freddie Gorman Miracle 11 Jun 1961

Tie Me Tight Bob Kayli Tamla 54051 Oct 1961

I've Been Hurt The Spinners Tri-Phi 1013 1962

Gino Is A Coward Gino Washington Ric Tic 100 1962

Shock Briant Holland Kudo 667 Sep 1958

He's So Fine The Corvells Lu Pine 104 May 1962

Village Of Love Nathaniel Mayer Fortune 545 1962

I Can't Stand It The Seminoles Hi-Lite 80043 May 1962

Broken Hearted Me The Martiniques Danceland 779 1962

Whistle My Love Gladys Knight & The Pips Brunswick 55048 Nov 1957

Everyday The Challengers Tri-Phi 1020 1962

The Hawk Mike Hanks Mah's 0003 1961

Why Oh Why Allen Story Checkmate 1014 Jun 1962

The latest in History Of Soul’s look into the birth of the genre takes us to Detroit for the period from 1957 to 1962 and, whilst I might have preferred the whole to be in chronological order, if that’s not to be then what better track with which to start than Kim Weston’s ‘Love Me All The Way’, her US chart debut. Within the 32-page accompanying booklet, each track is detailed within a quarter-page ‘semi-box’, annotated in bygone-era type and with its own ‘remarks’ section and, in Kim’s case, a hand-written appendage which says: “This sounds real old fashioned but boy can she holler!”

Boy can she, a personal viewpoint being that the lady had just about the finest female voice to ever come out of the Motown studios - and that’s not to decry Mary Wells, Gladys Knight, Hattie Littles, Martha Reeves or LaBrenda Ben, all featured on this compilation, Littles’ strong Gordy b-side, ‘Here You Come’ being the sort of rolling number Wells herself might have cut at the time.

Delights on the first cd include Joe Tex’s answer to Jerry Butler’s ‘He Will Break Your Heart’ in his Anna outing, ‘I’ll Never Break Your Heart’, Fred Bridges’ Andantes-backed ‘Baby Don’t You Weep’ which, although recorded in Detroit ended up at the New York-based Versatile label and the excellent organ and drum driven ‘A Letter From My Baby’ by the fine Timmy Shaw who, along with Johnnie Mae Matthews - here with her strutting, somewhat gimmicky ‘The Headshrinker’ - helped kickstart the career of Bettye LaVette. It’s Bettye’s tambourine rockin’ 1962 Lu-Pine outing that both opens the second cd and gives its title to this whole set, while Eddie Holland delivers a totally different working to Berry Gordy and Billy Davis’ ‘Action Speaks Louder Than Words’ than that of David Ruffin who graced the accompanying disc.

Just one name on the whole collection was new to me, namely that of Letha Jones, whose 1960 Anna b-side, ‘I Need You’ sounds as though it comes from a few years earlier but made me want to hear more from Ms Jones. Ann Bogan, later of the Marvelettes and Love, Peace & Happiness, penned and featured on the Challengers III’s Tri-Phi outing, ‘Every Day’ - another high spot here - Jimmy Ruffin wrote his sparkling Miracle a-side, ‘Don’t Feel Sorry For Me’ and Nathaniel Mayer makes for a third songwriter to front their own material with the upbeat, doo-wop-styled ‘Village Of Love’.

With a the twenty-six tracks on cd-two added to the twenty-seven on cd-one, making fifty-three in all, there are far too many to go into this release in depth but, as with previous History Of Soul product reviewed on this site, the selection has been well thought-out and the presentation is top-notch, appeal here going well beyond the core niche of Detroit devotees.

Pete S Jan 08 2014 04:18 PM

Looks utterly brilliant to me!

uroffal Jan 08 2014 10:09 PM

Agree with Pete, looks great. Volume 2: Wilson Pickett - Let Me Be Your Boy - Correctone

wilxyJan 08 2014 10:25 PM

To be perfectly honest, I'd never been a great lover of the "earlier sounds" (late 50's early 60's) in "abundance" (so to speak), but was more than pleasantly surprised with the playlist on this compilation, and would recommend this outing to anyone with a liking for the earlier tunage, moreover from a personal perspective with a regard to the Detroit ! It certainly floated my boat.....

RobbKJan 08 2014 11:56 PM

The Gladys Knight & The Pips on Brunswick was a New York production with no connection to Detroit, other than the group recording for Motown starting 8 years later.

mr blueJan 09 2014 08:41 PM

Great track list! So many favorites here. How about some Kenny Martin?

He certainly fits into this picture and doesn't get his props.

chuckberryJan 14 2014 12:23 PM

Good call on Let Me Be Your Boy - it's in the hat for the next one. I dont know Kenny martin. What label was he on?

Point taken about Gladys Knight & The Pips on Brunswick but we thought it would be good to put it on for historical reasons

Paul FranklinJan 21 2014 11:36 PM

Fantastic listing.

One minor point on the JJ Barnes track - did he release it on Kable before Rich?

the upsetterJan 25 2014 03:02 AM

How about gino washinginton like my baby instumental, for vol 2, im sure that hasnt had a cd release yet.

mr blueFeb 06 2014 05:06 PM

Kenny Martin recorded on both Big Top and Federal. He's got a lot of great early 60's stuff, in a wide range of styles. You should check him out!