Lasting Fame

Unfortunately for me, the music I like best—black music from the 1930s through the 1960s—isn't very popular in this country. It's more in demand in Europe. American record companies typically release only their biggest hits on CD, so most of that which is available comes from fragile companies headquartered outside the United States.

Much of the '60s soul music that I have comes through the efforts of Kent Records in London, a division of Ace Records, which specializes in '40s and '50s rhythm and blues. In 2008, Kent released a 3-CD (75 song) set, Take Me to the River: A Southern Soul Story, 1961-1977. If you want a definitive survey of southern soul, this is the one to seek out. It's more than just a greatest hits collection. It includes obscure B-sides, album cuts and originally unreleased material, all of high quality. There is a 72-page booklet with an overview of the genre plus notes on each song.

(Southern soul music is identified as a genre not only by the location of the studios that produced it. Southern studios incorporated more blues and gospel influences into their songs than northern companies such as Motown, which mimicked the pop music of the period. You might want to think about the difference between Aretha Franklin and Diana Ross.)

Late last year, Tony Rounce and Dean Rudland, joined by new team member Alec Palao, released another 3-CD set, The Fame Studios Story, 1961-1973. It was the result of two years of research in the tape-recorded vaults of the legendary studio that will always be known as the second-best southern soul production facility. (The reputation for being the best belongs to Stax Studios in Memphis.)

Fame Studios in Muscle Shoals, AL, was started by Rick Hall and some associates in 1959. Their first success was “You Better Move On” by Arthur Alexander in 1961, followed by a bigger hit, “Steal Away” by Jimmy Hughes in 1964. For the next decade, they became a prime destination for soul artists wanting to start new careers or maintain their popularity. As with Stax, a major ingredient in Fame's success was the house band that went through three generations and included musician-songwriters such as Dan Penn and Spooner Oldham. The 84-page booklet includes a complete history of the studio.

In addition to Alexander and Hughes, the set emphasizes artists whose careers were most strongly associated with Fame, such as Clarence Carter, George Jackson and Candi Staton. But over the years, almost all the soul greats recorded in Muscle Shoals: Aretha Franklin, Wilson Pickett, Etta James, Arthur Conley, Irma Thomas, Joe Tex, Don Covay, Otis Clay, Spencer Wiggins and many more. Greats from the past such as Clyde McPhatter, Little Richard and Lou Rawls attempted to revive their careers at Fame and are also included.

Fame was not exclusively a soul studio, but also produced rockabilly and pop music. Since the set attempts to give a complete history of Fame, it (unfortunately) includes songs by Tommy Roe, Bobbie Gentry, and even the Osmonds, as well as some more obscure pop groups.

As with the earlier set, they have unearthed some unreleased recordings such as a previously unknown Arthur Alexander song, “I Hope They Get Their Eyes Full,” a demo of “You Left the Water Running” by the great Otis Redding, and a demo of “Another Man's Woman, Another Woman's Man” by the ever-popular “unknown female.” (Record producers are not always good record keepers. Maybe she'll hear the CD and identify herself.)

You can order Kent Records directly from England via the internet. In this country, many of their CDs can be found through Roots 'n' Rhythm (where I got my copy), Collector's Choice Music, or (if you're desperate) Amazon.com.