First Ever Soul Compilation

[Rob Wigley]

The Super Bad thread got me thinking which was the first SOUL "various artists" compelation album ? Either from a label (got to be Motown ?) or gathered up from varrious places

UK and US and what sort of date are we talking ?

I know there are a few early Motown ones

Fire away

Rob & Karen

PS MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL OUR READERS

[Guest TONY ROUNCE]

Not strictly soul, but the first compilation album of (then reasonably) contemporary black music was the Chess collection "Hits That Jumped!" which came out around 1957 and which featured - as the title implied - a bunch of fairly recent Chess 45s from their major artists.

I would say the the original US series of "A Collection of Motown Big Hits", which started around '62-63, would have as good a claim as any on being the first ever 'soul compilations', though...

[Epic]

Found this on a Motown Discography site.

Released in June 1963

M-609 - Motor Town Revue, Volume M-609 - Motor Town Revue, Volume 1 - Various Artists [4/63] (6-63, #47) Originally issued in mono only. Whole Lotta Woman - Contours/Let Me Go The Right Way - Supremes/What Kind Of Fool Am I - Marvin Gaye/A Stubborn Kind Of Fellow - Marvin Gaye/Strange I Know - Marvelettes/Someday Someway - Marvelettes//Don't You Know - Little Stevie Wonder/Two Lovers - Mary Wells/Bye Bye Baby - Mary Wells/You've Really Got A Hold On Me - Miracles/Way Over There - Miracles

1 - Various Artists [4/63] (6-63, #47) Originally issued in mono only. Whole Lotta Woman - Contours/LetM-609 - Motor Town Revue, Volume 1 - Various Artists [4/63] (6-63, #47) Originally issued in mono only. Whole Lotta Woman - Contours/Let Me Go The Right Way - Supremes/What Kind Of Fool Am I - Marvin Gaye/A Stubborn Kind Of Fellow - Marvin Gaye/Strange I Know - Marvelettes/Someday Someway - Marvelettes//Don't You Know - Little Stevie Wonder/Two Lovers - Mary Wells/Bye Bye Baby - Mary Wells/You've Really Got A Hold On Me - Miracles/Way Over There - Miracles

Me Go The Right Way - Supremes/What Kind Of Fool Am I - Marvin Gaye/A Stubborn Kind Of Fellow - Marvin Gaye/Strange I Know - Marvelettes/Someday Someway - Marvelettes//Don't You Know - Little Stevie Wonder/Two Lovers - Mary Wells/Bye Bye Baby - Mary Wells/You've Really Got A Hold On Me - Miracles/Way Over There - M-609 - Motor Town Revue, Volume 1 - Various Artists [4/63] (6-63, #47) Originally issued in mono only. Whole Lotta Woman - Contours/Let Me Go The Right Way - Supremes/What Kind Of Fool Am I - Marvin Gaye/A Stubborn Kind Of Fellow - Marvin Gaye/Strange I Know - Marvelettes/Someday Someway - Marvelettes//Don't You Know - Little Stevie Wonder/Two Lovers - Mary Wells/Bye Bye Baby - Mary Wells/You've Really Got A Hold On Me - Miracles/Way Over There - Miracles Miracles

[Guest TONY ROUNCE]

Found this on a Motown Discography site.

Released in June 1963

M-609 - Motor Town Revue, Volume M-609 - Motor Town Revue, Volume 1 - Various Artists [4/63] (6-63, #47) Originally issued in mono only. Whole Lotta Woman - Contours/Let Me Go The Right Way - Supremes/What Kind Of Fool Am I - Marvin Gaye/A Stubborn Kind Of Fellow - Marvin Gaye/Strange I Know - Marvelettes/Someday Someway - Marvelettes//Don't You Know - Little Stevie Wonder/Two Lovers - Mary Wells/Bye Bye Baby - Mary Wells/You've Really Got A Hold On Me - Miracles/Way Over There - Miracles

1 - Various Artists [4/63] (6-63, #47) Originally issued in mono only. Whole Lotta Woman - Contours/LetM-609 - Motor Town Revue, Volume 1 - Various Artists [4/63] (6-63, #47) Originally issued in mono only. Whole Lotta Woman - Contours/Let Me Go The Right Way - Supremes/What Kind Of Fool Am I - Marvin Gaye/A Stubborn Kind Of Fellow - Marvin Gaye/Strange I Know - Marvelettes/Someday Someway - Marvelettes//Don't You Know - Little Stevie Wonder/Two Lovers - Mary Wells/Bye Bye Baby - Mary Wells/You've Really Got A Hold On Me - Miracles/Way Over There - Miracles

Me Go The Right Way - Supremes/What Kind Of Fool Am I - Marvin Gaye/A Stubborn Kind Of Fellow - Marvin Gaye/Strange I Know - Marvelettes/Someday Someway - Marvelettes//Don't You Know - Little Stevie Wonder/Two Lovers - Mary Wells/Bye Bye Baby - Mary Wells/You've Really Got A Hold On Me - Miracles/Way Over There - M-609 - Motor Town Revue, Volume 1 - Various Artists [4/63] (6-63, #47) Originally issued in mono only. Whole Lotta Woman - Contours/Let Me Go The Right Way - Supremes/What Kind Of Fool Am I - Marvin Gaye/A Stubborn Kind Of Fellow - Marvin Gaye/Strange I Know - Marvelettes/Someday Someway - Marvelettes//Don't You Know - Little St

This is actually a live album, I think, rather than a compilation of the studio versions of these songs. I have Volume Two and that's most certainly live (and one of the greatest live albums of all time, I might add!)

[Epic]

From November 1963. The aforementioned 16 Big Hits compilation.

MT-614 - A Package of 16 Big Hits - Various Artists [11/63] (4-64, #84) Original cover of this album had a picture of a package stamped with the names of the songs and the artists. The second cover had no package and "A PACKAGE OF 16 BIG HITS" at the top and the titles and artists underneath. This album was released in stereo in August 1966 as MS-614. The stereo version contains the true stereo alternate take of "Please Mr. Postman" which had appeared on The Marvelettes' Greatest Hits a few months earlier, and a true stereo alternate take of the Contours' "Do You Love Me?" Come And Get These Memories - Martha & Vandellas (S)/Beechwood 4-5789 - Marvelettes (S)/The One Who Really Loves You - Mary Wells (S)/Jamie - Eddie Holland (E)/Stubborn Kind Of Fellow - Marvin Gaye (E)/Contract on Love - Little Stevie Wonder (S)/Do You Love Me - Contours (S, alternate take)/Shop Around - Miracles (M)//Money - Barrett Strong (E)/Pride And Joy - Marvin Gaye (S)/Please Mr. Postman - Marvelettes (S, alternate take)/You Beat Me To The Punch - Mary Wells (S)/You Really Got A Hold On Me - Miracles (S)/Love Me All The Way - Kim Weston (S)/Sunset - Little Stevie Wonder (S)/Your Heart Belongs To Me - Supremes (S)

[Guest]

The Super Bad thread got me thinking which was the first SOUL "various artists" compelation album ? Either from a label (got to be Motown ?) or gathered up from varrious places

UK and US and what sort of date are we talking ?

I know there are a few early Motown ones

Fire away

Rob & Karen

PS MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL OUR READERS

A first rate complilation was / is " This Is Sue " released in the UK in 1968 ..........

Roy Head - Treat Her Right

Derek Martin - Daddy Rollin' Stone

The Righteous Brothers - Little Latin Lupe Lu

Hank Jacobs - So Far Away

Bob & Earl - Harlem Shuffle

Barbara Lynn - Oh! Baby

Phl Upchurch Combo - You Can't Sit Down

Bobby Parker - Watch Your Step

Larry Williams - Bony Maronie

Jimmy McGriff - The Last Minute

Robert Parker - Barefootin'

Shirley & Lee - Let The Good Times Roll

The Anglos - Incense

Roy 'C' - Shotgun Wedding

Malc Burton

Edited December 19, 2008 by Malc Burton

[Pete S]

a first rate complilation was " This Is Sue " released in 1968 ..........

Roy Head - Treat Her Right

Derek Martin - Daddy Rollin' Stone

The Righteous Brothers - Little Latin Lupe Lu

Hank Jacobs - So Far Away

Bob & Earl - Harlem Shuffle

Barbara Lynn - Oh! Baby

Phl Upchurch Combo - You Can't Sit Down

Bobby Parker - Watch Your Step

Larry Williams - Bony Maronie

Jimmy McGriff - The Last Minute

Robert Parker - Barefootin'

Shirley & Lee - Let The Good Times Roll

The Anglos - Incense

Roy 'C' - Shotgun Wedding

Malc Burton

I'd have to disagree with you on this Malc, this is very late in fact, Sue compilations were released on UK London before the UK Sue label had even been set up.

I've got a Rhythm & BLues compilations culled from Veejay records on green Columbia circa 1960-62

[Pete S]

I'd have to disagree with you on this Malc (not on the quality, on the time of release) this is very late in fact, Sue compilations were released on UK London before the UK Sue label had even been set up.

This Is Sue was one of several that were sold for 99p or less.

I've got a Rhythm & BLues compilations culled from Veejay records on green Columbia circa 1960-62

[Guest]

I'd have to disagree with you on this Malc, this is very late in fact, Sue compilations were released on UK London before the UK Sue label had even been set up.

I've got a Rhythm & BLues compilations culled from Veejay records on green Columbia circa 1960-62

I was not stating that "TIS " was an early compilation Pete , just pointing out that " A first rate complilation was / is " This Is Sue " released in the UK in 1968 " ..........

Malc Burton

[Guest TONY ROUNCE]

I've got a Rhythm & BLues compilations culled from Veejay records on green Columbia circa 1960-62

This was actually the first Post-WWII R & B album compilation (as opposed to straight blues) to be released in the UK. The historical significance of it is staggering in that it was the first place that almost all UK blues fans (and musicians) heard Elmore James...

...myself included.

[The Yank]

I guess we can all nitpick what the first Soul comp was as opposed to an R & B comp - the earliest U.S. Motown was was Tamla Special#1 from 1961 with hits from the Miracles, Mary Wells , Barrett Strong and Singin' Sammy and Sheri.

[Rob Wigley]

Just remembered about the PYE "Golden Guinea" compelations, mainly Cameo /Parway artists.

I have one somewhere with Dee Dee Sharp & Chubby Checker (also Bobby Rydel) VERY early UK

Know anything about them (Pete) ?

Rob

[Philippe]

I guess we can all nitpick what the first Soul comp was as opposed to an R & B comp - the earliest U.S. Motown was was Tamla Special#1 from 1961 with hits from the Miracles, Mary Wells , Barrett Strong and Singin' Sammy and Sheri.

You're right Yank, that was the first Motown compilation.

[Koolkat]

A first rate complilation was / is " This Is Sue " released in the UK in 1968 ..........

Roy Head - Treat Her Right

Derek Martin - Daddy Rollin' Stone

The Righteous Brothers - Little Latin Lupe Lu

Hank Jacobs - So Far Away

Bob & Earl - Harlem Shuffle

Barbara Lynn - Oh! Baby

Phl Upchurch Combo - You Can't Sit Down

Bobby Parker - Watch Your Step

Larry Williams - Bony Maronie

Jimmy McGriff - The Last Minute

Robert Parker - Barefootin'

Shirley & Lee - Let The Good Times Roll

The Anglos - Incense

Roy 'C' - Shotgun Wedding

Malc Burton

How manic is that Incense!!!! Fast, fast,fast. I love it.

[Guest mel brat]

How manic is that Incense!!!! Fast, fast,fast. I love it.

Twisted Wheel biggie wasn't it?

[Guest]

Twisted Wheel biggie wasn't it?

At the time of release , they tried to allege that is was Steve winwood singing : the actual vocalist was a chap called Jimmy miller ........

https://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=7JRPwUuK0Nk

Malc Burton

Edited December 21, 2008 by Malc Burton

[Soulsmith]

Twisted Wheel biggie wasn't it?

More of a lose spoke.

[Tomangoes]

I think 1975 XMAS I got the 2 pye compilations as presents and played them over and over and over.

The Fuzz, Candy & the kisses, Al Wilson, Jack Montgomery, Ila Vann, etc.

Must admit that it was years later that I actually heard any of them played at a venue.

Now before you say all, most , or some of those tracks are garbage, I can tell you at the time I liked them all and still think they were influential in broadening the Northern Soul spectrum.

Considering at the same time Reaching for the best, Cant live this way, Falbala, and the Flasher were the big records at the time, hearing Sandy Waddy for the first time was a great experience.

Ed