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Jimmy James & the Vagabonds – Sock it to em JJ

Released on 28 July 2003

Track Listing:
2-CD SET DISC 1 I Feel Alright I Wanna Be (Your Everything) Come To Me Softly Hey Diddley Dee Dum Dum (It's A Good Good Feeling) This Heart Of Mine I Don't Wanna Cry Ain't Love Good, Ain't Love Proud Don't Know What I'm Gonna Do Do It Right I Gotta Dance To Keep From Cryin' I'm A Fool For You Girl Honest I Do People Get Ready The Entertainer Little Boy Blue It's Growing Amen Ain't No Big Thing I Can't Get Back Home To My Baby Hungry For Love Ain't Too Proud To Beg (Live) I Can't Turn You Loose (Live) Amen (Live) If I Had A Hammer (Live) You Don't Know Like I Know (Live) that Driving Beat (Live) Don't Know What |I'm Gonna Do Sock It To 'Em J. . (Live) DISC 2 No Good To Cry You Showed Me The Way Red Red Wine Who Could Be Loving You Wear It On Our Face Four Walls, Three Windows, Two Doors Courage Ain't Strength Who Could Be Loving You Cry Like A Baby Good Day Sunshine Open Up Your Soul I Believe Everybody Loves A Winner If You're Gonna Love Me, Love Me Never Like This Before Close The Door Why Better Bu Far Give Us A L ight . Hope I Got A Feeling (previously unissued) The First Time (previously unissued) Help Yourself Hey Girl

He called his first album The New Religion, and Jimmy James had no shortage of disciples when he dominated the London club soul scene in the mid-60s. This definitive retrospective assembles his finest work from the 60s and 70s, both live and in the studio. Hits such as 'Red Red Wine’ are joined by two unissued masters and Northern soul favourites, 'Help Yourself’ and 'Hey Girl’.

This contains an enormous amount of Jimmy's material, Jimmy and his Vagabonds being a mainstay of the British Soul and Mod scenes from the very start to this very day.

Nearly 50 tracks including all the Pye and Piccadilly records, and some unreleased gems as well. This album will evoke memories of shows up and down the country for the legions of people who have seen him live. Very much a British feel to the whole thing, the strings, the arrangements, the feel, but let that not detract from a great voice, never better demonstrated than on the slower items such as Come to me Softly, Don't know what I'm gonna do and I don't want to cry, which also in fact were his own compositions.

There are many excellent covers of soul classics like I wanna be, Do it right, Honest I do. People get ready, Entertainer, It's growing, Amen and so on. This Heart of Mine being a particular favorite. The material encapsulates what was going down in the Uk, from the smooth upbeat Motown esque, and sweet Chicago Soul to the grittier Southern Soul sounds. Ain't no big thing is a great track

There is a live section capturing the shows of the day – London Swings backed by British beat R'n'b group Alan Bown Set.

CD 2 kicks off with another version of Come to me softly and what a tune this is! The previous CD was all cut in 1966, and on here we move into the later 60's, but the same format prevails, some originals but more covers of the day, Dells, JJ Jackson, Eddie Floyd and William Bell.

The album tends to drift in it's latter stages as Jimmy searched for his own direction without really finding it. Closing with two tracks well accepted on the Northern circuits Help Yourself and Hey Girl cut in the 70's.

More of an album for reminiscing to but some great tunes as well.

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