DOME RECORDS

Dome Menu Dome

Southern Soul Cellar 2 - Dome CD41

A SECOND HELPING FROM THE SOUTHERN SOUL CELLAR

"Compiled by radio presenter and soul music authority Peter Young – who has presented his Soul Cellar radio shows for 20 years on Capital Radio, BBC London and currently Jazz FM – the mid- price 2-CD set Southern Soul Cellar 2 features 32 tracks by artists who define the term “Southern soul”.

Legendary names like Johnnie Taylor, Bobby Bland, Eddie Floyd and Lou Rawls are joined by long-standing female stars of the genre such as Shirley Brown, Denise LaSalle and Dorothy Moore.

All tracks come from the Jackson, Mississippi-based Malaco label, and among the highlights are:
• an early version of “The Only Way Is Up” by Latimore which is very different in style from the later up-tempo treatment which gave Yazz a No 1 UK hit
• “Come To Bed” by Denise LaSalle, a big UK favourite in the Eighties
• Shirley Brown’s steamy “I Caught You With Your Pants Down”
• a very early Southern soul track by Haran Griffin intriguingly titled “Looking For My Pig”, which has a hint of “Walking The Dog” about it
• several fine performances from Bobby Bland, including an outstanding rendering of the Billie Holiday classic “God Bless The Child”
• no fewer than five great tracks from the late Johnnie Taylor, including “I Know It’s Wrong But I Just Can’t Do Right”"

Review -

Let me start with one track that was new to me and completely blew me away and that is When we Touch by Floyd Taylor. Floyd is Johnnie taylor's son and i didn't know that either (showing my ignorance here!) . A wonderful groove and reminiscent of his father in vocal, a tempo that would appeal to the Uk's modern soul rooms, and yes I have started to lay this out. Wonderful stuff.

The rest of course is also quality and following on from Volume 1, with the familiar Southern Soul Malaco names. Personal favourites include Shirley Brown, who I often quote as my number one but you know how these things change, ZZ Hill Bobby Bland and Denise Lasalle.

Picking up on some of the tracks and starting with the super emotionally charged Shirley Brown with a great rendition of Gladys's If I were your woman, and a later cut from 1997 , the awesome 'I caught you with my pants down' from 'Soul of a Woman'. Now with this latter cut I can definitely feel a current R'n'B feel to it, and you can bet you're life if someone like Mary J got hold of this it would be a monster. Soul at it's finest.

Concentrating initially on some of the lesser known artists, and there's probably more of these on shoew than previously ,as our compiler, digs deeper.

Jewel Bass – elsewhere on the site under 'Grapevine' you will see a mention for Jewel Bass a slead singer with Carbon Copies. Here she scores again in her own right, and she didn't cut much as a solo artist, with the upbeat 'Let your love rain down on me', a hypnotic 70's dancer.

Mel Waiters – from the opening sax, to the gritty vocal and persistent but not too heavy or too uptempo this one is a winner. Kinda never lets loose but just eases through.

Kiss and Tell by Stan Mosley is only from last year is a midtempo groove thing, mellow but danceable. Now I have a thing about quality soulful midtempo danceable stuff that is available now and being cut now that is being overlooked over here because of the UK's hang up about not playing anything that isn't on vinyl, let alone new! There's plenty about and some of the 'crossover' venues should take note.

Betty and Charles's 'You can't find love' is more like what I would be term Deep Soul, this one emanating from the (late) 60's. It is therefor strong and less refined, but powerful and emotional. Two great voices in unison especially Betty Johnson. More 60's with Eddie Houston, again a different feel, sort of like, I don't know, Wilbert Harrison.

Two out and out unknowns are Haran Griffin's Looking for a pig, seemingly only of relevance as being the earliest Malaco recording on here, oddbal but not particularly brilliant. Keri Leigh also is a pretty uninspiring blues I'm afraid.

Floyd Taylor's second track is also very good, a mid paced item 'I'm in love with the girl next door'

A run down of the more well known artists:-

Most of the cuts are down home deep and gritty, bluesy or gospel southern soul, sometimes the tempo rises and ZZ cuts a groove on Giving it up for your love but still retaining a bluesy feel.

Denise Lasalle gets hold of Al Green's Love and Happiness and Philip Mitchell's 'Come to bed' in her own inimitable style.

Johnnie Taylor – 'This is your night' a dreamy George Jackson song is the pick of Johnnie's tracks, or maybe 'I know it's wrong' which is kinda groovier.

Latimore – one of George Jackson's most well known songs I guess, and can't do wrong with it and that is Cheatin in the next room, all the ingredients of great Southern Soul. An interesting cut if you've not heard it is The Only Way is up, popularised by Yazz.

A couple of great tracks by the ever consistent Little Milton 'I wish I could be your lover' and 'It's been so long'.

Dorothy Moore and Eddie Floyd, Dorothy Moore was featured more heavily on volume one and it's a shame there wasn't room for more on this one.

A sprinkling of bluesier items as one would expect like Mosley and Johnson, ZZHill (Down Home Blues) and Bobby Bland. Bobby Bland though really excels on the blindingly slow Billie Holiday's God Bless the Child, sax, strings, double bass (I would reckon), sweet harmonies. Wonderful.

Another great CD nearly all above par with a couple or three blinding cuts.

Full track listing:

CD 1
Poor Boy Blue - Johnnie Taylor
When We Touch - Floyd Taylor
If I Were Your Woman - Shirley Brown
Givin' It Up For Your Love - Z.Z. Hill
Love And Happiness - Denise LaSalle
Amen - Lou Rawls
This Is Your Night – Johnnie Taylor
Cheatin' In The Next Room - Latimore
Get Your Money Where You Spend Your Time - Bobby 'Blue' Bland'
I Know It's Wrong, But I Just Can't Do Right - Johnnie Taylor
Let Your Love Rain Down On Me - Jewell Bass
I'm So Glad - Mel Waiters
You Hit The Nail On The Head - Mosley And Johnson
Down Home Blues - Z.Z. Hill
Take Off Your Shoes - Bobby 'Blue' Bland
Kiss And Tell - Stan Mosley

CD 2
The Only Way Is Up - Latimore
I Wish I Could Be Your Lover - Little Milton
Can I Love You - Johnnie Taylor
I'm In Love With The Girl Next Door - Floyd Taylor
You Can’t Find Love – Betty and Charles
We Should Really Be In Love - Dorothy Moore / Eddie Floyd
I Can't Go Wrong - Eddie Houston
Please Don't Let Our Good Thing End - Z.Z. Hill
Looking For My Pig - Haran Griffin
Here's Your Mop Mr. Johnson - Keri Leigh
It's Been So Long - Little Milton
I’m A Blues Man - Z.Z. Hill
Drown In My Own Tears - Johnnie Taylor
God Bless The Child - Bobby 'Blue' Bland
I Caught You With Your Pants Down - Shirley Brown
Come To Bed - Denise LaSalle