Various - NOW Thats What I Call 60s Soul [CD]

CD 1 opens with Aretha Franklin’s signature ‘Respect’, before The Supremes and Stevie Wonder light up the set with ‘You Can’t Hurry Love’ and ‘Uptight (Everything’s Alright)’. Martha Reeves & The Vandellas bring pure energy with ‘Dancing In The Street’, while Bob & Earl deliver irresistible groove on ‘Harlem Shuffle’. Dionne Warwick’s elegant ‘Walk On By’ flows into the poignant beauty of Jimmy Ruffin’s ‘What Becomes Of The Brokenhearted’, and Marvin Gaye’s ‘I Heard It Through The Grapevine’ remains one of the era’s landmark hits. Motown favourites ‘My Girl’ by The Temptations and Mary Wells’ ‘My Guy’ sit alongside Dusty Springfield’s defining ‘Son Of A Preacher Man’. Marlena Shaw’s ‘California Soul’ and The Delfonics’ ‘Ready Or Not Here I Come (Can’t Hide From Love)’ are up next ahead of soul gold from the Four Tops and The Isley Brothers, and funky soul from Sly & The Family Stone and James Brown. Classic R&B from Wilson Pickett, Fontella Bass and Carla Thomas leads into two of the era’s stunning ballads: - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles with ‘I Second That Emotion’, and ‘(Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay’ from Otis Redding which signs off the first disc… CD 2 begins with two enduring classics:- Ben E. King with ‘Stand By Me’ and Percy Sledge with ‘When A Man Loves A Woman’, which were both huge hits again in the late ‘80s. Next up, favourites from legendary groups – including The Chiffons’ ‘Sweet Talkin’ Guy’, The Crystals’ ‘Da Doo Ron Ron’, and The Marvelettes’ ‘Please Mr. Postman’ (Motown’s first U.S. #1), plus hits from The Drifters and The Ronettes. We celebrate with a stunning run of ‘60s originals that became enduring Northern Soul classics including Gloria Jones’ ‘Tainted Love’, Frank Wilson’s ‘Do I Love You (Indeed I Do)’, R. Dean Taylor’s ‘There’s A Ghost In My House’, Tami Lynn’s ‘I’m Gonna Run Away From You’, and Al Wilson’s anthem ‘The Snake’ – plus Tobi Legend, Robert Knight, Barbara Randolph and Gladys Knight & The Pips. Superb vocals from Brenda Holloway and Erma Franklin lead to the disc’s closers from Etta James with ‘I Just Want To Make Love To You’, and Nina Simone’s strident ‘Ain’t Got No / I Got Life’. CD 3 kicks off with Ike & Tina Turner’s towering ‘River Deep – Mountain High’, followed by Wilson Pickett’s ‘Land Of 1000 Dances’ and Arthur Conley’s homage to ‘Sweet Soul Music’. The Contours’ ‘Do You Love Me’, Solomon Burke’s ‘Everybody Needs Somebody To Love’ , and Eddie Floyd’s ‘Knock On Wood’ are sing-along favourites, while Sam & Dave’s ‘Soul Man’ is another defining signature song. Dance-pop-soul from The Elgins, Little Eva and The Toys are ahead of two stunning highlights: The Delfonics with ‘La-La Means I Love You’ and Brook Benton with the contemporary classic ‘Rainy Night In Georgia’. More essential cuts that became Northern Soul favourites from Jr. Walker & The All Stars, Barrett Strong, and ‘Green Onions’ from Booker T. & The Mg’s ahead of cool 60s cuts from Bobby Hebb with ‘Sunny’, Sly & The Family Stone and The 5th Dimension with ‘Stoned Soul Picnic’. Two more classics complete the disc – ‘Stay’ from Maurice Williams and The Zodiacs, and The Drifters with the evocative Summer feeling of ‘Under The Boardwalk’… CD 4 closes the collection with a run of unforgettable moments – and massive hits - opening with The Supremes’ first #1 ‘Baby Love’, the Four Tops’ ‘I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)’ and The Temptations ‘Get Ready’, ahead of more peerless pop from all-girl groups The Ronettes’ with ‘Be My Baby’, The Crystals’ with ‘Then He Kissed Me’, and ‘He’s So Fine’ from The Chiffons. Dionne Warwick’s ‘I Say A Little Prayer’ and Aretha Franklin’s undeniable ‘(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman’ remain two of the era’s most admired recordings. Otis Redding delivers the stunning ‘Try A Little Tenderness’, and Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell’s heartfelt ‘You’re All I Need To Get By’ is an all-time classic duet. A trio of well-covered tracks is next: ‘Spanish Harlem’, ‘Everlasting Love’ and ‘This Old Heart If Mine (Is Weak For You)’, ahead of vocal groups The Velvelettes, Reparata & The Delrons and The Marvelettes. Sophisticated jazz-drenched soul from Etta James (‘At Last’), and Dinah Washington (‘Mad About The Boy’), lead to the final three tracks – all of them incredible – James Brown’s ‘It’s A Man’s Man’s Man’s World’ and ‘The Tracks Of My Tears’ from Smokey Robinson & The Miracles before this collection closes with the legendary Stevie Wonder and one of his greatest songs ‘My Cherie Amour’