The '60s Whispers

[sunshineonacloudyday]

While recently listening to "Never Again" by the The Whispers via my clearly bootleg 'Implant' CD, "Best Of 1964-1974", I wondered if this great 1960s material from one of my favorite groups would ever be cleaned up and reissued legitimately. Then I find this

http://www.amazon.com/Dore-60s-Singles-Digitally-Remastered/dp/B0050DOM4W/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1310349922&sr=1-1-fkmr1

After my initial excitement, I discover this is one of those "on demand" CD-Rs, "digitally remastered", of course. Anyway, my intuition tells me this is likely compressed to death, and I'm reluctant to spend the nearly $20 to find out.

Has anyone bought this CD? Many old-school Californians like myself prefer The Whispers Dore, Soul Clock, early Janus material to their [[more popular) late 70s, 80s work....if I had a magic wand I'd find the original Dore, Soul Clock masters [[and anything there unreleased), minimally remaster, and reissue to CD.

[roger]

There was a compilation of their Soul-Clock material issued in the U.K. by Castle/Sanctuary back in 2002, though it is getting a bit pricy ..

"The Whispers, Planets of Life, The Soul Clock Recordings" ..

http://www.amazon.com/Planets-Life-Whispers/dp/B00005UBIQ

I also have a Japanese CD compilation which is also called "Planets of Life - The Whispers" issued by Canyon International in 1988 which also includes some of the Dore recordings, though I can't find reference to it on the net.

Alternatively, in 2004 British label Joe-Boy issued a "Northern Soul Of Dore" compilation that includes some of those WHISPERS Dore recordings ..

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Northern-Soul-Dore-Various-Artists/dp/tracks/B00027EFR0/ref=dp_tracks_all_1#disc_1

There was an SDF thread all about the pre-solar WHISPERS back in 2008 which you might find interesting .. try this link to find it ..

http://faac.us/adf/messages/165088/167354.html?1204129965

Roger

[mr soul]

I don't whether or not this copy of "Planets of Life" would work out cheaper with postage.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/offer-listing/B00005UBIQ/ref=sr_1_29_olp?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1310371103&sr=1-29&condition=new

[sunshineonacloudyday]

Thank you for the information, Roger. Over the years I've collected all of the early Whispers material on either vinyl or CD, in varying degrees of audio fidelity. But it would be nice to have them all in one place, with quality sound. I actually considered that "Northern Soul Of Dore" comp, but it was the "Northern Soul" part that put me off, as all my favorite Whispers [[and Superbs) songs were missing, LOL!

And that Soul Clock Castle/Sanctuary CD, "Planets of Life" looks good, though I see reviewers complained the title track[[!) and perhaps other songs listed, are missing from the CD.

Re the Dore label, I have a 4-CD set "The Dore Doo-Wop Story", which is primarily made up from the label's pop output, but several choice soul numbers are included as well [[including the version of The Superbs' "Baby Baby All The Time" with Eleanor Greene's spoken intro--not found on the 45 single.) Evidently, this set is yet another bootleg, however the sound is quite good throughout.

Now that Ace-UK has the Dore masters [[and ?Goldmine has done the Dore Northern Soul Various Artists), perhaps they'd consider a little treat for those of us in America who love our ballads and mid floaters...maybe The Whispers and The Superbs [[whose CDs have contained later re-recordings.) Such a collection would likely be a HUGE seller in California, where we cruised the boulevard as these incredibly beautiful songs played over our AM radio so long ago...

[roger]

Your correct about the Castle/Sanctuary CD not including "Planets of Life" sunshine .. it is listed in all the notes but instead of "Planets" there is another song entirely .. a very good ballad that I can't put a name to. Otherwise everything seems to be there.

I'm playing the C.D. now and the track that is supposed to be "Planets of Life" .. starts with an instrumental intro a bit similar to "Got To Be There" by Michael Jackson then has the words "if you, if you let me be your lover I promise you we'll never never part from each other dear" .. and it ends with the singer singing that "he has to move on" .. any idea what it is?

Roger

[sunshineonacloudyday]

Roger,
Yes, that's "If You", from their "Love Story" album 1972. It's also included on the 2CD comp The Whispers Bingo: The Janus Recordings 1972-1974, and mentioned in the older SDF thread.

[sunshineonacloudyday]

I think I'll get the Castle CD anyway. I have the song "Planets Of Life" on clean vinyl...an early '70s ode to lover's astrological signs :). Thanks for the UK listing Mr. Soul.

After listening to the sound samples at Amazon on the first CD I mentioned [[duh!), I won't be getting that one. "I Was Born When You Kissed Me" sounds nearly
unrecognizable!

BTW, I found only the late 70s re-do of the song "Planets Of Life" on YouTube--speeded up and synthesized for that era. They also re-recorded the wonderful "What Will I Do", originally on Soul Clock and one of my favorites of theirs from their 60s. It appears there are many people who know only the later versions of these great tunes, which speaks to the continued lack of availability of the original songs.

[mark speck]

Can't remember the name of the label, but I have a Whispers CD with all that Dore stuff on it...my brother got it for me for Christmas a few years back, and it's among my CD's in his basement.

Best,

Mark

[nabob]

I'm playing the C.D. now and the track that is supposed to be "Planets of Life" .. starts with an instrumental intro a bit similar to "Got To Be There" by Michael Jackson then has the words "if you, if you let me be your lover I promise you we'll never never part from each other dear" .. and it ends with the singer singing that "he has to move on" .. any idea what it is?IF YOU FEEL LIKE COMING HOME appears on VINTAGE WHISPERS

[sunshineonacloudyday]

^ "If You Feel Like Comin' Home" is the same song as the one I mentioned above, "If You" [[from the double Janus CD.) I also have it on "The Whispers Greatest Hits" [[Janus) LP, where it has the longer title.

[the_classic_master]

isn't there another version of if u feel like coming home with different lyrics? a little faster too! i have them on soul train performing it[[the episode with marvin gaye in 1974), but i never found that version. but i love that slow one the best!

[sunshineonacloudyday]

I'm so glad you brought up that Soul Train performance...after watching it on YouTube I went looking through my 45s and found the single, which starts off like a ballad until 0:55. This intro was left off the Soul Train version, which Don Cornelius introduces as, "If You Feel Like Coming Home, Baby"

Here's the 45 single version, Janus 222:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFVX_iyYSxw&feature=related

*The title on the 45 single is "Feel Like Comin' Home", written by [[Hillard Street)

*On the Janus "The Whipers Greatest Hits" LP, "If You Feel Like Comin' Home" is a ballad and a different song, but also credited to [[Hillard Street).

*The title on the Janus 2 CD set "Bingo: The Janus Recordings", is simply "If You". It's the same song [[ballad) as the LP, however, this time the writer is listed as [[Davis) Ronda Music.

It could simply be a printing mistake on the labels, but...now I'm curious...who is Hillard Street? Does anyone know?

At the end of the Soul Train performance, Don Cornelius' first question is "Who wrote that song?" Walter tells him it's "a young man from Los Angeles", Don says "I wanna receive a gold record from you guys when you get yours for that one, OK?" They all laugh and Walter replies, "You'll be the first one to send it to."

Was "Hillard Street" Don Cornelius?

[sunshineonacloudyday]

The Soul Train performance:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NxABaGdGpQA

[the_classic_master]

Was "Hillard Street" Don Cornelius? wow, i didn't think of that one, could be... they were on his soultrain label. so that faster version isn't on any album or cd, just 45 only? what's on the flip?

[sunshineonacloudyday]

Hi CM, the flip is "I Love The Way You Make Me Feel", [[which was on the Life And Breath LP)

I don't know if "Feel Like..", has appeared anywhere else, but in doing a little research on the Internet, it seems someone got ahold of some of some of the early Whispers songs and did terrible things to them, like remixing them with extra instruments, vocals with the background harmonies missing, etc!!

[the_classic_master]

ok. thanks, sunshineonacloudy day! i that's the only song i don't have by them.

[sunshineonacloudyday]

LOL, I found a few singles by the mysterious "Hillard Street" online who sounds nothing like Don, BTW...

[the_classic_master]

oh ok. LOL.

[platters81]

i always liked that Roker 45...."where have you been" /"people in a hurry"