For Connoisseurs Only

Performers include: The Marvellos, Johnny Williams, Tami Young, The Styles, Danny Monday, The Universals, Simms Twins, The Sweethearts, Jackie Day, Ike & Tina Turner, ZZ Hill, Johnny Copeland & His Soul Agents, Lowell Fulson, Johnny Adams, The Other Brothers, Gene Taylor, Vernon Garrett.
Contains 28 tracks.
Liner Note Author: Harboro Horace.
Arrangers: John Sharkey; Lars Vegas; Leon Kittrell; Horace Ott; Lincoln Mayorga; Miles Grayson; Rene Hall; Richard Cason; Arthur Freeman; Billy Ray Charles.
There are no less than 28 soul rarities from the Modern and Kent labels on this compilation, all dating from the mid-'60s to the mid-'70s, mostly from the last half of the 1960s. Such an anthology is by definition something that's going to appeal to virtually no one but lovers of the genre. But within that guideline, it's satisfactory enough, though short on moments of stunning beauty, as such discs usually are. Z.Z. Hill, Johnny Copeland, Ike & Tina Turner, Lowell Fulson, the Marvellos, and the Ikettes are the well-known or reasonably known names, though none are represented by any of their most famous cuts. Otherwise the names will flash by like the small print in a price guide or auction list. For the most part it's middleweight soul, getting the job done without leaving an indelible mark for a lifetime or even a few days. It's mostly in the more or less mainstream soul mold, though some of these artists (like most of the ones mentioned above) have kept a foot in the blues scene as well. Some above-average efforts, in the context of this compilation at any rate, are Bobby White's "Just Another Week Behind," with echoes of the Impressions (with weaker vocals); Johnny Copeland's "Soul Power," a fine blues-soul shouter from a performer far more talented than most of the surrounding artists; Ike & Tina Turner's "I Need a Man," if only because Tina Turner's vocals create so much more heat than the average track here; the Other Brothers' "I Got Love," which has a Major Lance-like arrangement; and Johnny Williams' "You've Got It," a good mix of bluesy swing with Motown-ish female backup singers. ~ Richie Unterberger