Chalky

This Is Clarence Carter / The Dynamic Clarence Carter And More - Kent CDKEND 444 Lovers of Southern Soul have been spoilt by Ace/Kent Records the last few years with the releases covering genre and in particular the World-renowned Recording Studio in Muscle Shoals, Fame. You have had to be lost in the deepest darkest Amazon not to have seen or heard these fantastic compilations. The latest features the rich deep soulful voice of Clarence Carter and in particular his first two LPs that saw release on the Atlantic Label. Also included are five bonus tracks. Blind from birth Clarence took a huge interest in music, learning the guitar that was given to him by his grandmother and gaining a degree in music at Alabama State College. He teamed up with fellow blind musician Calvin Scott and toured as a duo. They had a couple of 45’s released under the name Calvin & Clarence and were soon signed up by Duke Records for five releases. They then travelled to Fame where they self financed two singles that were leased to Atlantic but failed to sell. Rick Hall obviously saw something in them and he soon had them recording demos but Calvin was shot by his wife and unable to record. Hall was reluctant to record Carter as a solo act but Hall was eventually persuaded by Carter that he could cut it as a musician, a singer and a songwriter. Clarence’s early efforts did make the R&B charts but he was soon struggling to make any impact. Jerry Wexler suggested Clarence would fair better with the backing of the Atlantic label and as a result Clarence’s success rocketed. The first LP, “This Is Clarence Carter” kicks off with Clarence’s take on “Do What You Gotta Do”, better known by most by The Four Tops but Clarence gives it the classic Southern feel on this version. “Looking For A Fox”, a top 20 hit on the R&B charts for Carter was next. “Slippin’ Around” and “I’m Qualified”, better known by Art Freeman And Jimmy Hughes respectively followed. Two compositions by Carter himself were next up, the Southern Soul ballad “I Can’t See Myself” and the R&B mover “Wind It Up”. The Clay Hammond penned R&B Chart topper by Little Johnny Taylor “Part Time Love” was next followed by the self penned “Threads The Needle”, a song demoed earlier by Calvin And Carter upon arriving at Fame. The next track was actually the flip to the one that follow “Funky Fever” but it was “Slip Away” that found favour with the DJs up and down the country who turned the record in to a top ten Pop & R&B hit. One of the flops on the Fame imprint for Carter “She Ain’t Gonna Do Right” was next up and to complete the album was the ballad “Set Me Free”. The second Album, “The Dynamic Clarence Carter” although I’m not sure it is as dynamic as the title suggest when compared to the first but it still showcases some great Southern Soul and the talent not only of Carter but the musicians at the time at the Fame studios. The disc kicks off with a cover of “I’d Rather Go Blind”, a hit for Etta James. Don Covay’s “Think About It”, also recorded by Otis Redding sees Clarence pleading with his woman to “Think About It” before she walks out the door. Carter’s own “The Road Of Love” is next, an excellent blues influenced recording. “You Been A long Time Coming” sees Carter telling us just how long he has been waiting for love to come into his life. More covers follow, a pretty good take of “Light My Fire (The Doors), “That Old Time Feeling” and Jimmy Hughes’s “Steal Away”. “Let Me Comfort You” is classic Carter, pleading with another man’s woman to come to him to escape the treatment of her partner who is also a friend of Carter. You can hear the influence of Country music in Carter’s work and none more so than “Look What I Got”. Another Gold Disc for Carter and the top side of the single that featured “Look What I Got” on its flip is next, “Too Weak To Fight”. Another cover “Harper Valley PTA” follows and to close the LP is “Weekend Love”. To close the CD is five tracks taken from the session between 1966 and 1967 including early work by Calvin and Carter. All in all, an essential purchase for lovers of Southern Soul. As you would expect you have some great reading material whilst listening to the music this time the notes come courtesy of Dean Rudland. Track Listing and media Disc: 1 1. Do What You Gotta Do 2. Looking For A Fox (Stereo Mix Without Backing Vocals) 3. Slipping Around With You 4. I'm Qualified 5. I Can't See Myself (Crying About You) 6. Wind It Up 7. Part Time Love 8. Thread The Needle 9. Slip Away 10. Funky Fever 11. She Ain't Gonna Do Right 12. Set Me Free 13. I'd Rather Go Blind 14. Think About It 15. The Road Of Love (Duane Allman Version) 16. You've Been A Long Time Coming 17. Light My Fire 18. That Old Time Feeling 19. Steal Away 20. Let Me Comfort You 21. Look What I Got 22. Too Weak To Fight 23. Harper Valley Pta 24. Weekend Love 25. I'm Happy-Go-Lucky 26. She Ain't Gonna Do Right (Demo) 27. Take Me, Use Me 28. There Won't Be Another Sunset 29. I'll Be Over After A While http://acerecords.co.uk/this-is-clarence-carter-the-dynamic-clarence-carter-and-more

Soul Junctions collaboration with the late great Richard "Popcorn" Wylie continues with two sides that both saw release on two rare and in demand 45's. The top side see's a current rave The Four Real Inc's "The Man (Masterplan)". Ideal for todays funk flavoured scene both here and on the continent. The flip see's the flip of Larry Wright's A-Go-Go release "It's Okay With Me". The A-Go-Go top side "Sweet Sweet Kisses" has seen turntable action via various DJ's during the past as has the more mid tempo and soulful "It's Okay With Me". Press Release: Four Real Inc “The Man (Master Plan)”/ Larry Wright “ It’s Okay With Me” SJ1004 Release Date: Monday March 7th 2016 Four Real Inc’s “The Man (Master Plan)” (Flying Eagles 129) has become a desirable and popular 45 within the current European funk and rare soul scene due to its raw, funky but soulful appeal. This 1975 release was written and produced by Richard ‘Popcorn’ Wylie in collaboration with Therman Hollis of TMT productions (Tomorrows, Music, Today). The group was made up of some of the members of the former sixties outfit The Tempos who previously worked for the former Marquee boxer turned record label owner Diamond Jim Riley, for whom they recording several excellent releases which appeared on his Diamond Jim and Riley’s logos respectively. One of the aforementioned former Tempos was the late Buford ‘Fabb’ Glanton a session guitarist and the lead singer of Four Real Inc, who later recorded a further Flying Eagles/TMT production “It Could Have Been You” under the pseudonym of David Lenyard And The Music Tree. Fabb had previously worked as a session guitarist and arranger on several of Popcorn’s earlier Soul Hawk sessions on groups such as the Mighty Lovers and The new Holidays. The original flipside of “The Man” upon it’s U.S release was a song called “Ghetto Blues” an abbreviated title of a reworked song that Popcorn had previously recorded on the Jive Five (Featuring Eugene Pitt) entitled “Blues In The Ghetto” during the mid 60’s at Musicor Records. Popcorn’s time at Musicor would see him heavily involved in the production team headed by veteran producer Luther Dixon that were given the task of reviving the fortunes of the 1950’s hit making group ‘The Platters”. Recorded in the Motorcity, these sessions would feature some of Detroit’s finest musicians and songwriters and provide the Platters with a string of hit singles “I Love You A 1000 Times”, “Sweet, Sweet Lovin’”, as well as the Wylie and Hester penned classics “Washed Ashore (On A Lonely Island In The Sea)” and “With This Ring” (which also featured on their “Going Back To Detroit” album) all of which played their part in returning the Platters to their former glory. So returning to the present and given this current demand for Four Real Inc we at Soul Junction records have decided to re- release “The Man (Master Plan)” but in doing so we have made the decision to drop the original b-side “Ghetto Blues” in favour of another of Popcorn’s more notable b-sides the highly desirable and delightfully soulful “It’s Okay With Me”. The flip to Larry Wright’s pounding Detroit dancer “Sweet, Sweet Kisses”, his solitary release for the A-Go-Go label. Larry's A-Go-Go release that would appear to have once been owned by Richard "Gilly" Gilbert! SJ1004 Promo - Four Real Inc. and Larry Wright.mp3 Buy direct from Soul junction at http://www.souljunctionrecords.co.uk/SJ1004.html or from the usual stockists. For further information please contact Soul Junction at: Tel: +44 (0) 121 602 8115 or E-mail: sales @souljunctionrecords.co.uk