Customer Reviews

Go Go Power - The Complete Chess Singles 1961-1966

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This cd contains most of the Chess recordings by Sugar Pie DeSanto. Many of the compositions are by Sugar Pie herself in conjunction with first rate arrangements by Phil Wright, Riley C. Hampton, George Patterson and Leonard Caston. Here you have 24 tracks of Sugar Pie's best stuff, much of it remastered for STEREO too. Wow!!!

I'd been awaiting a Sugar Pie compilation CD for years - all I could ever find was a reissue LP of the Chess Masters series - which only has 10 tracks. That was just too tantalizing a taste of this unique singer/composer to satisfy me. Finally, Ace has released such a gem - 24 tracks worth of prime Sugar Pie.

Of course, her duets with Etta James are here, but so much more. Every track has something to offer, most are just great, and the thorough booklet has some photos that are worth the price of admission by themselves. Reading about her "scissor lock" maneuver and then seeing the visual evidence is not to be missed!

Put on your Soulful Dress and party Down in the Basement!

Another great Chess Soul release from Kent covering this sadly often rejected genre, and every bit as good as last years treasures from Mitty Collier. Hearing these songs again is a revelation - especially the rarity "I Don't Want to Fuss" - takes you right back to the real Mod sounds of eclectic soul from the sixties. The sleeve notes and images are up to the usual Kent and Ace standard - informative and entertaining. Anyone thinking of investigating ladies soul - especially in the light of Duffy's current successes - should listen to the real thing available here. The irony of the best of eclectic American Music released as per usual on these UK labels is not to be ignored - I live in LA and find it REALLY difficult to track these down - thank God for Amazon!

I have to admit that the only reason I checked out the GO-GO POWER: THE COMPLETE CHESS SINGLES CD by Sugar Pie DeSanto was because of her unusual name and unique cover picture. I was expecting something like a soft-voiced Minnie Mouse type of girl singer but listening to the samples on Amazon and I was blown away by this diminutive woman with a B-I-G booming, powerhouse voice! I just had to buy GO-GO POWER...

This CD is truly rockin' and Sugar Pie sounds a lot like Tina Turner--when she was with Ike. But DeSanto has a style all her own with better clarity than Turner especially on some of the slower type ballads on this set like "Ask Me," "Crazy Lovin'," "I Love You So Much," " Love Me Tonight," "Never Love A Stranger," and "Somewhere Down The Line" (one of three duets with Etta James).

The rest of the tracks are funky, with infectious beats, and explosive. Since it covers the time period between 1961-1966, when rock 'n' roll was in its infantile and evolving stages, it's not hard to imagine groups like the Beatles and the Rolling Stones listening to Sugar Pie to get their inspiration.

DeSanto is of mixed ethnicity, which explains her exotic looks, and was born Umpeylia Marsema Balinton. She was re-christened as "Little Sugar Pie" by band leader and hipster Johnny Otis, and not only is she a talented singer but she also wrote a lot of the songs included in this collection.

My favorites tracks are "In The Basement pt.1" (duet with Etta James), "Witch For A Night," "Go Go Power," "Good Timin'," and "Use What You Got."

Ace Records/Universal/Island did a fantastic job remastering the songs on this 2009 release, which all sound as though they were recorded yesterday, and the CD comes with a booklet with pictures of Sugar in action and wonderful liner notes by Mick Patrick that tells you all about Sugar, her career and her life.

GO GO POWER...CD is like finding a needle-in-a-haystack. Who knew there was such wonders to discover in music? If you like blues mixed with rock then I highly recommend this CD. And to see some vintage performances of Sugar Pie DeSanto go to YouTube.

Sugar Pie DeSanto - Go Go Power, Complete Chess Singles

Excellent collection of tracks from the early sixties by Miss Sugar Pie. This release is long overdue and we finally get these great songs in one place. Most of these tracks are tough R&B with a few that are more pop oriented but there are some real killers here. This woman had a genuine swagger to her - sort of the female Muddy Waters. If you like rockin' R&B from the 60's, you need this one in your CD player!

I'd heard the name and that Sugar Pie could sing, but nothing prepared me for the blast of rockin' soul that ignited when I played this disc. "Soulful Dress," "Down In The Basement" and several other tunes have become favorites in the week since I bought this. De Santo has a powerful, bluesy delivery but maintains great control while managing to burn down the house. The tight bass and drum support are aided by stinging guitar riffs, organ flourishes and even horns, and the great groove perfectly supports the vocal power DeSanto brings. Don't miss this!

This collection was long overdue, and well worth the wait. In addition to the items you'd expect from the underrated, acrobatic soul singer - rockin' classics like "In The Basement" (w/ her pal Etta James), "Soulful Dress," and "Slip-In Mules - this comp also includes a KILLER unreleased track ("Witch For A Night"). Like most Kent packages, this one features well-researched liner notes and rare photos. Highly recommended.