The man known as the "Wicked Pickett" was the firecracker of 1960s Southern soul. Before he made his mark on history with his Stax/Atlantic recordings, though, he turned out some great, if somewhat embryonic material in the early '60s. As ...

Digitally remastered by Bill Inglot and Dan Hersch (DigiPrep). Obviously, anybody who wants the very best of Aretha Franklin would want to have acquire Volume 1 before Volume 2, but that said, this is quite a nice collection of Franklin's strongest ...

Track Listing: I Gotcha; Show Me; S.Y.S.L.J.F.M.; Hold What You've Got; Sweet Woman Like You, A; I Want to Do; One Monkey Don't Stop No Show; Skinny Legs and All; Ain't Gonna Bump No More; Love You Save May Be Your Own, The; Men Are Gettin' Scarce; Papa Was Too;

Liner Note Author: Steven Chean. Photographer: Michael Ochs. Personnel: Ben E. King (vocals). Audio Remasterer: Chris Clarke.

The Capitols were a middling soul group who got very lucky with "Cool Jerk." A listen to the Collectables two-fer pairing their 1966 albums Dance the Cool Jerk and We Got a Thing That's in the Groove shows a group ...

The first five cuts here have a Basie-esque quality to them, which is not surprising considering the number of the Count's sidemen lurking in the reed and brass sections. Fortunately, the kind of jazz Aretha's doing here displays the same ...

2 LPs on 1 CD: WHEN A MAN LOVES A WOMAN (1966)/WARM & TENDER SOUL (1966). Personnel: Percy Sledge (vocals); Marlin Greene (guitar); Larry Cartwright (bass guitar); Roger Hawkins (drums). Liner Note Authors: Bob Rolontz; Jack Walker. Photographer: Ray Campbell .

THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION... contains 20 songs including 3 with The Drifters. Recorded in New York between December 17, 1959 and March 17, 1975 & Los Angeles in February, 1963. Available on cassette only, this brief set features some of Ben E. King's ...

Yet another greatest hits collection. This is no better or worse than about six others available, so if you're not going to get the Rhino boxed set, this one will be as much service as any of the rest. The songs are well mastered. ~ Ron Wynn

Arranger: Bergen White. Personnel: Leroy Hadley, Reggie Young (guitar); Harrison Calloway, Wayne Jackson, Charles Rose, Harvey Thompson, Ronnie Eades (horns); James Booker (piano); Bobby Emmons, Bobby Wood (keyboards); Larrie Londin (drums). Recording information: Nashville, TN (1971-1978). Ace.

When Aretha Franklin overcame her fear of flying long enough to swing through Europe for a two-week tour, ARETHA IN PARIS was the brilliant by-product. This exquisite slice of Lady Soul's spectacular presence in a live setting came at a ...

Though often overshadowed by higher-profile Southern R&B artists like Otis Redding and Wilson Pickett, Don Covay ranks among the greatest soul singers of the 1960s. In addition to his fantastic voice--light enough to sail through pop melodies, yet gruff enough ...

2007 installment of Warner UK's very popular Platinum Collection series. Each disc contains the artist's finest recordings from the WEA vaults including album tracks, singles and more. This 20 track collection from the Soul/R&B outfit includes 'Love Gonna Pack Up ...

Track Listing: My Heart Went Do Dat Da; My Mama Told Me; Puppy Love; Hello Stranger; Think a Little Sugar; Straighten Up Your Heart; Snap Your Fingers; How Can I Say Goodbye; Spend a Little Time; Someday We're Gonna Love ...

"Slip Away," yes, but also "Patches," "Snatchin' It Back," "Too Weak to Fight" and six more. The bottom line is, for the money, this is one kickin' comp of Clarence Carter's best. It may not be very long, but it's ...

Track Listing: Spanish Harlem; Until You Come Back To Me; Angel; Border Song; Share Your Love With Me; See Saw; Something He Can Feel; Gentle On My Mind; Jump; Day Dreaming;

The funky punch and grit usually associated with Franklin is absent here. Instead, the singer is backed by jazz combos and large orchestras, lending her performances, alternately, the sultry aspect of a smoky nightclub and the glittering, string-sweetened atmosphere of ...

Wilson Pickett's first Atlantic album, IN THE MIDNIGHT HOUR, is actually a collection of singles recorded between 1961 and '65 (the year of the record's release). Even on the earliest track, "I Found a Love"--recorded by the Falcons, Pickett's first ...

Originally released on Atlantic (8267). Includes liner notes by Mark Marymont. Originally released on Atlantic (8199). Includes liner notes by Ted Williams. Blind songwriter and guitarist Clarence Carter was known for the passionate vocal style he used on narratives that often reflected ...

The 16-song set The Very Best of Wilson Pickett released in 1993 of course paled in comparison to 1992's two-CD set, A Man and a Half: Best of Wilson Pickett. But even with its short length and dubious song choices, ...

'Greatest Hits' collection taken from the domestic 4 CD set. 24 tracks in all at a super low price. Featuring all of her essential recordings from her Atlantic years. Highlights include, 'I Never Loved A Man (The Way I Love ...

Two Joe Tex albums from 1969 are combined onto this single-disc reissue, with the addition of both sides of a 1968 single. Happy Soul, the earlier of the pair, is one of many extremely super-loose soul concept albums of the ...

Digitally remastered two-fer containing a pair of albums (plus bonus track) from the Soul legend one one CD: Live & Lively and Soul Country (both from 1968). Features the Billboard hits 'Papa Was Too', 'Show Me ' and 'Skinny Legs ...

Unlike its immediate predecessor, Atlantic Rhythm & Blues 1947-1974, Vol. 5 (1962-1966) isn't dominated by a handful of major artists. Instead, it offers a selection of singles from one-hit wonders, journeymen, soul men, and major artists. Atlantic entered a distribution ...

Don Covay & The Jefferson Lemon Blues Band includes: Don Covay, Joe Richardson, John Hammond. This album, credited to Don Covay and the Jefferson Lemon Blues Band, is not only a great record on its own terms, but it's sort of ...