Robert Palmer - Sneakin' Sally Through The Alley (1974)

My first knowledge of Robert Palmer the solo artist was from hearing a great band play the first three tunes from this in the Green Man pub in Leytonstone.  It was a favourite place at weekends in the 70s and the quality was very high.  In "74 the house band played "Sailing Shoes", "Sneaking Sally" and "Hey Julia" as one long sequed medley in their set - just as it can be found here.  I thank them for the introduction as this and subsequent albums from Mr Palmer are amongst my favourites.  The base tracks were recorded at Muscle Shoals, in Alabama, in New Orleans with members of the Meters and, with Lowell George of Little Feat - what a way to start.  The feel of this is soundly a British white soul album and with the class of musicians involved and Palmer (and producer Steve Smith's) vision of how it should be - the results are amazing.  The original tracks are from an initial list of songs which also bacame the base for the follow-up  "Pressure Drop" - another gem.  Phill Brown's Book - "Are We Still Rolling?" - narrates the recording of these two albums and informs the idea of a quest for the right feel and sound for this Yorkshire boy making fabulous american music in his own way.  This was actually quite ground breaking in it's straightforward approach - I was a soul fan who did think that white men could sing the blues - if ever i needed evidence this was there waiting.

Seek this and his others out in their original forms - as albums - and forget all those compilations of Palmer's work.

A note on the artwork - aparently the cover shot was taken in the middle of the night in the Heathrow airport tunnel with the photographer hanging out of the back of a pick up.  Palmer fans would see him wearing that rocket/bullet belt in various shots and get used to the Robert with beautiful woman covers - this was long before the image projected by the "Addicted To Love" video.

Island Records

Chairmen Of The Board - In Session (1970)

From The Lost Record Covers Club When the Holland brothers and their partner Lamont Dozier left Motown everyone held their breath.  Would Motown survive? - Yes of course, the depth of talent was able to carry the roster through the loss of it's greatest hit makers.  But what would H-D-H do next?  They formed Invictus, a new label, signing a large number of artists the best of which were Chairmen Of The Board and Freda Payne.  This is the Chairmen's first album and features a range - pop singles "Pay To The Piper" and Bluesy anthems "Chairmen Of The Board"; a passable version of the now standard "Bridge Over Troubled Water". Was this a nod to Gordy's plan to always incoporate all styles to appeal to a wdier audience? perhaps.  Here was a band in development who would write and deliver a number of hits over the next few years - always supplemented by the H-D-H production magic.  This is a good introduction to the band and i recommend this and the later, superior "Bittersweet".  another album "Skin I'm In" is worth a listen but for me was patchy with the title track and the wonderful "Finder's Keepers" the standouts. Invictus (via EMI) SVT 1003

The Jazz Crusaders - Old Socks New Shoes New Socks Old Shoes (1970)

From The Lost Record Covers Club The first album from the band that would become, simply, The Crusaders.  Comprised of such talent as Joe Sample, Wayne Henderson, Stix Hooper and Wilton Felder, this is an early release on Chisa which had a distribution deal with Motown worldwide. The track "Way Back Home" written by Felder, would become a single and popular live track for Jr Walker later.  This includes the Lennon-McCartney "Golden Slumbers", Sly's "Thank You For Lettinme ..." and the standard "Rainy Night In Georgia" - in addition to other originals.  Produced by the late and really great Stewart Levine. This is a Chisa original (that has seen better days cover-wise) Cat No: CS 804 It is now available on CD on the Verve label (owned by Universal who also own Motown) Cat No: 0602517654365 (aren't bar coded numbers awful)

Kiki Dee - Kiki Dee (1974)

From The Lost Record Covers Club

MFP was known for making cheap knock off copies of the day's hits or MOR records.  Then all of a sudden in 1973/4 they started Sounds Superb a sub-label that would release budget compilations from the EMI and (here) Motown catalogues. 

Kiki Dee had been one of the first white english women (and i can't thnk of another one) signed to Motown in the late 60's.  She issued one album of staple Motown cover versions in 1970 under the supervision of Frank Wilson (yes him again).  It didn't do well but was recognised by UK Tamla Motown fans as a classic.  MFP chose this to be in the first batch of releases under the new label.  This was probably to cash in on Kiki's new found success at Elton John's Rocket Records where she had recorded such hits as "Amoureuse" "First Thing In The Morning" and "I've Got The Music In Me" much rockier than this but at last getting the recognition she deserved.

Covers of "My Whole World Ended"; "I Second That Emotion"; "I'll Try Something New" all worked well as did the stand out original "The Day Will Come Between Sunday And Monday" - great 1970 Motown in a real Tamla Motown tradition (fans will know what I mean).

These tracks have been reissued together with others that have been sitting on the shelf at the label since that time on a 2CD set.  it's worth checking out.

 

Music For Pleasure (Sounds Superb) - SPR 90030