RATING GUIDE

90-100% Excellent

80-90% Very Good

60-80% OK/Good

50-60% Is it worth it?

Below 50% forget it.

Northern Soul Floorshakers!

20 Anthems & Rarities

from the RCA Vaults

Track listing

1 The Cavaliers

Hold to my Baby

2 Lorraine Chandler

I can't change

3 The Metros

Since I found my baby

4 The Exciters

Blowing up my mind

5 The Dynamics

I need your love

6 Sonny Till

Tears & Misery

7 Willie Kendricks

What's that on your

finger

8 Ketty Lester

Some things are better

left unsaid

9 Herb Ward

Honest to goodness

10 Sharon Scott

Could it be you?

11 Willie Hutch

Lucky to be loved by

you

12 Carolyn Cooke

I don't mind

13 Percy Wiggins

It didn't take much

(for me to fall in love

with you)

14 Rose Valentine

I've got to know right

to know

15 Don Ray

Born a loser

16 Sue Lynne

Don't Pity Me

17 Roy Hamilton

You shook me up

18 James Walsh 

Gypsy Band

Cuz it's you, Girl

19 Laura Greene

Moonlight, Music

and You

20 Kenny Carter

Gotta get myself

together

Definitely a bargain basement bargain, if you catch my drift. You just can't get better value for money than this Music Club release. Wonderful concise 6 page booklet giving a brief resume of Northern Soul history and an introduction to the goodies on this silver platter. Well done, Chris Conroy. If you've already got this one then smart move.

As compilations go it has to rate. At the asking price it's giving the listener access to quality sound reproduction not to mention a slice of Northern history.

The CavaliersHold to my baby is a classic cut from the days of the Torch. It may be a golden oldie but so what. A classic is still a classic. It still remains a great dancer and the kind of record that fueled the start of Northern Soul post the twisted Wheel. Go to any Torch reunion at Trentham gardens and watch the floor fill... (9/10)

Lorraine Chandler'sI can't change is a major classic. if you don't own this on vinyl or on CD this is worth the CD alone... but believe me the thrills are far from over. value for money comes with the next track (10/10).The Metros Since I found my baby with its insidious pulsating beat and horn backing gives you what you want.(9/10)The Exciters Blowing up my mind may not be to everyone's taste especially with its changes of pace throughout the record. Difficult to dance well to this one but nevertheless a nice slice of soul from the group. (8/10) 

The DynamicsI need your love is in contrast to Bingo (Another Torch favourite) but is one more golden oldie dance classic that ought to be in everyone's collection.(9/10) Sonny Till's Tears & Misery is one of those big meaty beaty numbers that almost verge on the too slow and the same can be said of Willie Kendrick's What's that on your finger? Yet as listening tracks they are fabulous, especially the Kendrick's track which just drips soul. (9/10)

For me Ketty Kester's Some things are better left unsaid is the standout track on this CD. A real masterpiece in evry respect. Not only is it brilliantly performed but the song itself is a slice of advice for life. The CD is worth the asking price just for this one song alone - in my humble opinion. (10/10)

Herb Ward's Honest to goodness is one of those Northern greats that needs little introduction. A firm favourite and well established in the discography of Northern Soul. (9/10)

Sharon Scott's Could it be you? is one of those haunting Northern classics with its trailing female chorus and intricate horn backing that remains instantly recognisable. A great dancer if ever there was one. Guaranteed to be a floorfiller even today. (9/10)

Willie Hutch's Lucky to be loved by you is a wonderful mid-tempo classic with superb lyrics. A real joy to listend to and to get you out onto the floor. Truly "...blessed from above." (10/10)Carolyn Cooke's I don't mind is another mid-tempo number but personally I find her high pitched voice a little irksome on this particular song. However, it's a real popular track with a really cool jazzy sax weaving its way in amongst the voices and the jingly jangly percussion. It would be uncharitable to give less than 8/10.

Percy Wiggin's It didn't take much (from me to fall in love) needs no written words. It is a mid-tempo dancer with a great sax solo halfway through and Wiggin's delivery is warm smoothness itself. A rea l'gotta have' track (9/10). Rose Valentine's I've gotta know right now is a guaranteed dance inducer and what represent typical Northern Soul(8/10).

Don Ray's Born a Loser is a track I have never ever been able to relate to in any way. A lifetimes involvement in competitve sport has made this track a real against the grain song. Nor can I say I am enamoured by the vocal performance. To me it smacks of pseudo-soul. But... there are many out there who would disagree with this particular opinion. I can live with that... but I would never get up and dance to it although it might make me head for the bar or the loo (0/10). The Sue Lynne track is another popular oldie apparently. Again, it's o.k. but it does very little for me. It's a little too 'poppy' flava (5/10).

Roy Hamilton's You shook me up is the second track on this CD that made me buy it. Way to go powerhouse performance (10/10). The James Walsh Gypsy Band and Cuz it's you girl is a pure 70's Northern number. A great mid-tempo number. One I enjoy...worth the having and the hearing but not a truly outstanding number. (7/10). Laura Greene's Moonlight, Music and You - no comment just 10/10.Kenny Carter's Gotta get myself together brings this great anthology to a close and is another high scorer worth 9/10.

Well, apart from the Don Ray and Sue Lynne tracks this is areally good anthlogy. On a percentage basis it's worth 80% or a 4 star rating.