RONNIE McNEIR Isn’t She A Pretty Girl (De To DS2878)
Part of Colin Curtis’s DJ sets at the Blackpool Mecca – both sides of course.
TOKAYS Baby Baby Baby (You’re My Heart’s Desire)
(Brute 001)
Acquired in early 70s (on same day as Stewart Ames ‘Angelina’, from memory) and later bought Brute 002 (Buddy Smith) blind on basis of this little gem. It’s a toss up to pick between the two but I’ll settle for the Tokays.
BELITA WOODS Magic Corner (Moira 106)
Mike Terry arrangement, superb vocals, and run very close by the next release on the label, same artist, ‘That’s When I’ll Stop Loving You’. Both would come from the Bowl (John Anderson’s Soul Bowl).
YVONNE VERNEE Just Like You Did Me (Sonbert 5842)
This still sounds as explosive today as it did 30+ years ago – a full on proper sound if ever there was one.
GAIL NEVELS He Can’t Do Without Me (Dotty’s D-350)
Like many others I originally acquired the Sue and Mel version in the mid 70s from John at the Bowl – that one was of course on Star Track 102B but had no ‘He’ in the title, and had Joe Hunter as arranger and he also had a co-writing credit! Several years later picked up the Gail Nevels track via Koppel/Tim Brown after hearing it on one of those famous tapes. This one has the same label address (5725 14th Detroit) but no sign of Joe H’s involvement and his writing credit has vanished! They used different pressing plants and to further confuse, the Dotty’s effort I have has the labels reversed so whilst listening to ‘…Without Me’ you look at the flip ‘Taking My Mind Off Love’ which is another (good) version of the Carol Anderson on Whip 347. Always said collecting Detroit was interesting!
AND in reserve in case I am duplicating somebody else…
JAMES SHORTER & THE LTP’s Modern Day Woman
(La Beat LB6604)
…a slice of Bridges Knight & Eaton magic, classic.