WELCOME to Real Side #9 another stone selection of soul perfection! It’s fitting that Real Side #8 – our tribute CD to Mr Tee, co-founder of Real Side Records – was our best seller to date, and here we carry on the tradition of blending mid-tempo Northern with Modern Soul grooves. And soulful grooves are in abundance on Real Side #9! That mid-tempo, feel-good, vibe is showcased here particularly well on “Girl I Miss You” by The Caesars (trk. 5) which sits remarkably well alongside crossover favourites such as Margie Joseph’s “Come On Back To Me Lover” (trk. 15) even though they are some 10 years apart... Northern meets Modern!
Our set kicks off with a landmark Real Side track that we discovered over ten years ago while trawling through a collection of master tapes, most which were mind-numbing rockabilly. And what a find! Unfortunately, the tape box revealed little about the artist or the song other than a Texas address. We believe that it was recorded circa 1970 by the unknown soul girl who Mr Tee promptly christened Gloria Shannon. Little did we know back then that there iwas a real Gloria Shannon still active on the Jazz circuit, no confusion intended! Whatever the pedigree, “Tears” (trk. 1) has been lauded as one of the greatest soulful finds of the decade and it finally makes its CD debut right here. Patti Jo’s stunning cover of “Stay Away From Me” (trk. 2) also makes its CD debut, a Curtis Mayfield song that he originally cut on Major Lance. The Major reappears on his 1974 Contempo song “Don’t You Know I Love You” (trk. 3), a Carl Davis production that is currently in demand. Other new-to-CD tracks include the aforementioned “Girl I Miss You” and Kent Drake’s simply stunning “Boss Thing Together”.
The Playlist continues…
TRACK LIST
Gloria Shannon - Tears (Are Gifts From Heaven)
Patti Jo - Stay Away From Me
Major Lance - Don’t You Know I Love You
The T.S.U. Toronadoes - Got To Get Through To You
The Caesars - Girl I Miss You
Gloria Edwards - (Need Nobody To Help Me) Keep Up With My Man
