Various Artists "Spring NYC Soul" [[Kent UK) 1/31/2020

[Motown Eddie]

New York label Spring, and its Event and Posse subsidiaries, were very active from 1967 up to the late 80s. They specialised in the city’s black music and tried most variations, including soul, gospel, disco, show tunes, funk, harmony and later electro and rap.

We have chosen the most soulful tracks that have so far not appeared on Kent CDs and have found six completed recordings that were previously unreleased. Two of these are ballads, one of which is Maxine Weldon’s stunning version of Ray Godfrey’s song ‘I’m The Other Half Of You’ and there is a new unknown, sweet soul song from one-time Tavares member Victor Tavares. Ray Godfrey features heavily with two unissued dance tracks - the Joe Simon-covered ‘I Love You More Than Anything’ and the previously unheard song ‘Hold On’. The Determinations’ opener ‘Save The Best For Me’ is another of his great songs, previously only on a rare LP. Other 70s dancers come from Ronnie Walker, Act I and the Joneses. More ballads are provided by Joe Simon, Leroy Randolph and, surprisingly, the Fatback Band. 60s uptempo soul comes from Prince Harold, Little Eva Harris and Richard Barbary.

The offerings of the Internationals, US and Vernon Brown are harder to categorise; quirky and worthy but in their own individual styles. The great songwriter Phillip Mitchell went funky on his “Jody” song ‘If We Get Caught [[I Don’t Know You)’ as did Phil Flowers with his heavy guitar-infused ‘Kill The Monster’. Philly girls the Equations sing the poppy and catchy ‘Boiling Like Water’, Jackie Verdell gives us gospel in a modern soul setting and C-Brand take us into the 80s with their two-stepper ‘Plenty Of Love’. This is a catholic selection for lovers of soul through its most interesting eras.

Tracklist
1. Save The Best For Me - The Determinations
2. Do You Feel It - Act I
3. I Love You More Than Anything - Ray Godfrey
4. Since You've Been Gone - Garland Green
5. Magic's In The Air - Ronnie Walker
6. If You Could Turn Into Me - The Fatback Band
7. Your Time To Cry - Joe Simon
8. I'm The Other Half Of You - Maxine Weldon
9. Forever - Clare Bathé
10. The Storm Is Passing Over - Jackie Verdell
11. Plenty Of Love - C-Brand
12. Beauty [[Is In The Eye Of The Beholder) - The Joneses
13. Hold On - Ray Godfrey
14. Kill The Monster - Flower Shoppe
15. If We Get Caught, I Don't Know You - Phillip Mitchell
16. If You Say You Love Me - US
17. Falling In Love - Victor Tavares
18. [[I Have Fallen Into) The Tender Trap - Leroy Randolph
19. Boiling Like Water - The Equations
20. Sugar Plum [[Give Me Some) - Little Eva Harris
21. Get Right - Richard Barbary
22. Daddy's Coming Home - Prince Harold
23. Of Your Life - Vernon Brown
24. I Ride Alone - The Internationals
Amazon USA
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B082JNQFC6/?tag=imwan-20

Amazon UK
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B082JNQFC6/?tag=imwan-21

[Motown Eddie]

[PeaceNHarmony]

This seems like a great release; I have to admit that I did not know Spring was a NY label.

[daviddesper]

How could a Spring label retrospective not include at least one Millie Jackson song? I thought she spent a considerable amount of time on that label.

[PeaceNHarmony]

How could a Spring label retrospective not include at least one Millie Jackson song? I thought she spent a considerable amount of time on that label.

Was kinda thinking the same thing. Millie is how I know Spring.

[Motown Eddie]

Was kinda thinking the same thing. Millie is how I know Spring.

According to the description, Kent chose to feature only rare tracks that have not been included on any other Kent/Ace release for their upcoming Spring NYC Soul collection. Millie Jackson was the best known artist on the label and has [[just about) everything she's recorded for Spring reissued by them.

[MIKEW-UK]

I saw a Joe Simon interview recently in which he stated he part owned Spring Records. Back in 1975 he gave an interview in which he stated that in return for signing with the Spring, he was given a part share of the company.

He also stated that although he recorded the Drowning album with Gamble Huff, and really enjoyed and admired the guys, he had to refuse an offer from them to join Philadelphia International as he was an owner of Spring Records.

[Bluebrock]

I cannot wait for this one! I pre-ordered it last week.

[Bluebrock]

According to the description, Kent chose to feature only rare tracks that have not been included on any other Kent/Ace release for their upcoming Spring NYC Soul collection. Millie Jackson was the best known artist on the label and has [[just about) everything she's recorded for Spring reissued by them.

I totally agree with this . No-one loves Millie more than i do,but her work is readily available on her own Spring albums. It is more sensible to concentrate on the rarer stuff.

[daviddesper]

Bluebrock:

I can see that point but sometimes collections like this introduce a whole new audience to one or more of the artists who are included. So if there had a Millie track or two on there, she might have found herself with some new fans.

[Bluebrock]

Bluebrock:

I can see that point but sometimes collections like this introduce a whole new audience to one or more of the artists who are included. So if there had a Millie track or two on there, she might have found herself with some new fans.

I hear what you say David, but the whole point of this release is to showcase rare tracks on cd for the first time. Millie has been very well served in the cd era, and her inclusion on this cd would have meant the exclusion of a track that has not previously been available on cd. Millie has been included on previous Spring collections where the emphasis was not on the rarer side of the label. I don't think there are any unreleased Millie tracks left in the Spring vault.

[PeaceNHarmony]

According to the description, Kent chose to feature only rare tracks that have not been included on any other Kent/Ace release for their upcoming Spring NYC Soul collection. Millie Jackson was the best known artist on the label and has [[just about) everything she's recorded for Spring reissued by them.

A-ha - that makes sense.

[motony]

Millie Jackson MADE Spring Records $$$$$!!I remember hearing about Joe Simon trying to sneak the masters out of the studio of Gamble & Huff. It didn't fly.