Kellee Patterson from Gary Indiana had already won the Miss America Pageant and recorded her 'Maiden Voyage' album for Gene Russell's Black Jazz label, when she signed to, Shadybrook Records in 1975. Her first and now extremely rare album 'Kellee' Released in 1976 included this fabulous and definitive version of Barry White's 'I'm Gonna Love You Just A little Bit More'. It's the driving bass, funky drums and tinkling piano that really makes this irresistible and it has become a rare groove anthem. She recorded two more albums for Shadybrook, had a gold record with the single 'If It Don't Fit Don't Force It' and appeared in the film 'Demolition Man', before slipping into obscurity.
Barbara Mason had recorded three albums (two for her native Philadelphia's Artic label), having a top five hit with 'Yes I'm Ready', before signing to Buddah in 1971. She made four good albums for the label each featuring some great two-step tracks, notably 'Give Me Your Love', 'Yes I'm Ready' (again), 'Me and Mr Jones', and her excellent reply to Shirley Brown 'From His Woman To You'. 'World In a Crisis' taken from her 1974 album Transition is socio-political offering recorded at Sigma sound, and is surely one of the best early 70's Philly tracks. This track owes a lot of its popularity to Norman Jay MBE who consistently played it on his radio show. Barbara also recorded two Blaxploitation movie soundtracks Gordon's War and Sheba Baby for Buddah, during her 5-year tenure at the label. She later recorded for Curtom (with Bunny Sigler), Prelude, WMOT (making 'Yes I'm Ready for the third time), and West End (the disco classic 'Another Man').
Edna Wright was a member of the 60's group The Blossoms, along with her sister Darlene Love. She recorded the Northern Soul fav 'Touch Of Venus' under the name Sandy Wynns and then in 1969 formed Honey Cone who scored No1 hits on Holland- Dozier- Holland's Detroit label Hot Wax. Her only solo album was for RCA in 1976, the title track 'Oops Here I Go Again' being one of the biggest rare groove anthems. It is a joyous bouncy typically mid 70's sing along track which shows of Edna's soulful vocals to the max. The album like Kellee Patterson's has been in demand for 20 years and both fetch c £100. Also on the album is a version of her husband Greg Perry's 'Come On Down', his original being from his 'One For The Road' album which was reissued in our classic and rare album series.
Sly Slick And Wicked were formed in 1970 in Cleveland Ohio, releasing two singles for Paramount in 1972, most notably 'Stay My Love'. In 1973 they issued 'Sho-Nuff' a delightful male harmony group stepper, which is one of the hardest to find singles on James Brown's People label. The track itself is a very 'Philly' sound beat ballad with a great hook and 'rap' (when it meant something else). The group went on to make an album for the Motown dist. Jupar label in 1976 and singles for Epic and the O'Jays Shakers label before disappearing.
The Vibrations based in Los Angeles are best known in soul circles for their 60's songs on the Chicago label Okeh , although their 'Aint No Greens In Harlem' taken from the 'Taking An New Step' album is a revered funk/break. 'Shake It Up' was a one-off single produced in Philly for Chess in 1974. The original single is now almost impossible to find and now fetches several hundred pounds. This is another Rare Groove Anthem and quite rightly so, with its great harmonies over a chugging funky back beat.
G.C.Cameron replaced Phillipe Wynne in the Detroit Spinners in the '70's and now in the 00's is a Temptation. He is one of those great male vocalists who have never really received his dues. Despite cutting some great albums for Mowest, Motown and Malaco Has never received the commercial success he deserved. 'Live For Love' was a one-off single for Honey records but was never released in USA, only coming out on a UK on the short lived Flamingo label. This track is 'Modern Soul' classic and one of my favourite tracks by him, his voice just oozes soul! Check out 'Hearts And Flowers' on the first volume of the Wants List.
Four Flights recorded this great Philly sounding dancer 'All I Want Is You' for Greg Carmichael's NY Almeria label in 1978. Produced by Dunn Pearson Jr, this relatively unknown track has all the hallmarks of a great soul track, backbeat, strings, horns, great harmonies and a strong soulful voice (sounding incredibly like Archie Bell!). The track was later covered by Convertion as the B-side of their Leroy Burgess led club hit 'Lets Do It' but this is the version. Dunn Pearson's own classic 'Groove On Down' is on and gives its name to our Disco/Boogie comp.
Lou Rawls originates from Chicago and was a school classmate of Sam Cooke with whom he sang in gospel groups in the '50's. He signed with Capitol Records in 1962 and stayed for a decade releasing many albums, some produced by David Axelrod. He won a Grammy for 'Natural Man' in 1971 (on MGM). His rich voice came to prominence in the mid to late 70's during his stay at Philadelphia International when he had many hits incl. The platinum selling 'You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine' and 'let Me Be Good To You'. In 1987 he recorded 'Stop Me From Starting This Feeling' for Epic. Robbie Vincent pushed the track on his radio show and it can regularly be heard on mainstream as well as specialist radio even today. We had so many requests for this track; we just had to include it.
Samuel Jonathan Johnson 'My Music' recorded for Columbia in 1978, is another oddity that was unearthed in the rare groove era. A strangely off-key haunting track that builds to a crescendo then changes into an almost totally different track halfway through. But it really works and it has always held a 'mystical cult' status. It would be very difficult to make a track like this today with a full band accompanied by a horn and string section.
Michelle Wiley 'I Feel So At Home Here' is another 2-step classic, and again has all the ingredients. Starting with a dramatic intro with drum roll and horns, giving way to Michelle's sweet soulful voice accompanied by a slinky semi funky backing track supplemented by strings and horns, the lyrics urging you to dance close to a partner, Pure Magic! This 1977 track was a one-off recording for 20th Century, which has been heavily in demand for many years. Issue copies are particularly hard to find as they include the modern soul B side 'Feels Good' which hopefully will appear on a later volume.
Jeannie Reynolds was the sister of underground soul legend and ex Dramatic L.J.Reynolds. She recorded two albums for Casablanca in the mid to late 70's 'Cherries, Bananas and Other Fine Fruits which included the stepper 'Fruit Song' and One Wish which also has a nice stepper. Before those in 1975 she cut as a B-side to her hit 'Phones Been Jumping All Day' the more in demand 'Unwanted Company', another classic stepper with a shuffling beat and great orchestration. Tragically in 1980 she took her two children's lives before committing suicide
Alton McClain And Destiny are best known for their club hits 'My Destiny' and 'It Must Be Love'. 'Making Room For Love' is taken from their 1981 Skip Scarborough produced album 'Gonna Tell The World', one of three they made for Polydor. It is another beat-ballad stepper that really grows on you and you find yourself singing the hook line.
Isaac Hayes should need no introduction, suffice to say the man is a genius as a writer, arranger and a singer. Isaac's deep voice resonates through the hot buttered soul as he sings to his lady 'A few More Kisses To Go', no wonder women used to throw their knickers on to the stage at his gigs. This gem of a stepper has great strings and horns and was hidden in his 1979 disco album 'Don't Let Go'.
Garland Green is another of those unsung heroes that fill soul music's history. Garland was 'discovered' in Chicago by Josie Jo Armstead and her husband Mel Collins and recorded for their Gamma label, before being picked up by MCA initially for Revue and then more successfully UNI where he had his biggest hit in 1969 'Jealous Kinda Fella'. He also recording singles for Cotillion and Spring before moving to RCA to record his 1977 album 'Love is Where We Came From' where 'Let Me Be Your Pacifier' is taken from. This track is popular with both steppers and modern soul devotees.
Leon Haywood recorded for many labels including Imperial, Decca, 20th Century, Columbia and Casablanca throughout a 20 years period from the mid 60's. He is best known for his hits 'I Wanna Do Something Freaky To You' and 'Don't Push It Don't Force It'. He recorded 'Its Got To Be Mellow' three times in each of the three decades He was active. We feature the best (70's) version taken from his 'Intimate' album from 1976. Again it's his voice that really makes this track, but the backing isn't bad either!
Ruth Copeland wrote 'Heaven' with Darryl Oates, featuring it in her 1976 RCA album 'Take Me To Baltimore'. This track was heavily featured and became popular on James Anthony's 'Mellow Five' in his Soul Brother sponsored Choice Fm show in the mid 90's. The track is one of the best examples of blue eyed soul steppers, other notable ones being by Valerie Carter and Melissa Manchester. Ruth was originally from Durham UK moved to Detroit upon marrying Motown producer Jeffrey Bowen, and was signed to Invictus. There she cut two albums and wrote two songs for and co-produced Parliament's first album 'Osmium'.
Cloe Martin's 'It Comes To My Attention' was recorded for the obscure Detroit label Geneva in 1974. This again features the classic shuffling steppers beat and driving bass Which combine with Cloe's sweet sexy voice to make a 2-step heaven.
Denise La Salle has recorded many blues influenced southern soul gems. Her break through came in 1971 with the hit 'Trapped By a Thing Called Love' on Westbound. She recorded for ABC and MCA before signing to Malaco in '83 where she stayed For fifteen years making eleven albums. On her '92 album 'Love Me Right' although sounding earlier than that was 'When We're Makin Love' which concludes this volume. Her deep soulful voice radiates over the stepper aided by horns and strings making this tracks inclusion on quality rather than rarity.
Track list (click
to hear tracks)