Wild Thing: The Songs of Chip Taylor

Tributee: Chip Taylor.
Liner Note Authors: Tony Rounce; Mick Patrick.
Author: Chip Taylor.
Directors: Arthur Greenslade; Bert DeCoteaux.
Photographers: Michael Randolph; Michael Randolph.
Arrangers: Chip Taylor; Garry Sherman; Leroy Glover; John Abbott ; Miles Grayson; Ray Stevens; Belford Hendricks; Chris Gunning; Riley Hampton; Bob Johnston ; Charles Calello.
As an artist, Chip Taylor is mostly known as a country-oriented singer/songwriter. As a songwriter, however, he's mostly known for the most commercially successful of his compositions, all of them popularized by other artists between the mid-'60s and mid-'70s. This CD -- another exemplary entry in Ace's series of compilations of the most famous and/or interesting covers of work by outstanding '60s songwriters -- has 25 of them, ranging from a number one hit to a previously unissued demo. That number one hit, of course, is the Troggs' "Wild Thing," which kicks off this anthology and remains by far his most famous song. But the two dozen remaining tracks on this disc (written by Taylor alone or in collaboration with others) are also generally quite impressive, if not as hard-rocking as "Wild Thing," and recorded by a very impressive roster of performers. Taylor's work was usually more pop-soul-country-oriented than "Wild Thing," as heard in some of the more well-known songs here, like Merrilee Rush's 1968 hit "Angel of the Morning," Lorraine Ellison's "Try (Just a Little Bit Harder)," Evie Sands' "I Can't Let Go" (in turn covered for a hit by the Hollies), the Pozo-Seco Singers' "I Can Make It with You," and Barbara Lewis' "Make Me Belong to You." As usual in this series, some quality recordings weren't included -- like Evie Sands' "Picture Me Gone," the Hollies' "I Can't Let Go," or the Troggs' hit recording of "Any Way That You Want Me" (here represented by a far more obscure version by Tina Mason) -- owing to licensing hurdles, or the wish to avoid presenting more than one version of any song. Also as usual, however, Ace throws in a heap of obscurities and lesser-known cuts by stars who are at or almost on the same level, also demonstrating Taylor's versatility as a tuneful composer and romantic lyricist able to adapt to numerous formats. Some such highlights on this collection include Walter Jackson's lush soul ballad "Welcome Home"; Madeline Bell's delightful uptempo pop-soul take on "Picture Me Gone," which deserved to be a hit and never was; "I Can't Wait Until I See My Baby's Face," one of Aretha Franklin's finest pre-Atlantic recordings; "Don't Say It Baby," one of Dusty Springfield's better early LP cuts; and "Storybook Children," a groundbreaking interracial duet between Billy Vera and Judy Clay in its hit version, but here represented by a previously unissued demo on which Vera duets with Nona Hendryx. Even some of the songs that clearly aren't up to Taylor's highest standards are entertaining, like Reparata & the Delrons' Shangri-Las-like "Tommy." Elsewhere some notable names like Peggy Lee, Patti Austin, the Hollies, and Little Eva weigh in with fairly little-known tracks, while the mid-'70s recordings by Stoney Edwards and Taylor himself -- the ones of latest vintage on this CD -- point toward the country sound with which he was ultimately most comfortable. ~ Richie Unterberger