Home Schooled: The Abcs of Kid Soul

Various Artists (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 28, 2007)
• Original Release Date: 2007
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Numero
• ASIN: B000TDH4JI
• Also Available in: Vinyl
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #341,208 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Patrizia & Jimmy - Trust Your Child

2. Promise - I'm Not Ready For Love

3. Eight Minutes - Here's Some Dances

4. Jack & the Mods - One is Enough for One

5. Little Murray & the Mantics - Don't Leave Me Mama

6. 3 Simmons - You Are My Dream (School Time)

7. 3 Stars - Jersey Slide Pt. 1

8. Cindy & the Playmates - Now That School's Is Thru

9. Manchild Singers - Right On

10. Altyrone Deno Brown - Sweet Pea

11. Atons - Tie A Yellow Ribbon Round The Ole Oak Tree

12. Triads - If You're Looking For Love

13. Quantrells - Can't Let You Break My Heart

14. Jr. & His Soulettes - 2009 Cherry Soul Sound

15. Michael Washington - Little Girl

16. Otis The 3rd - Time

17. Step By Step - Time After Time

Editorial Reviews

You know Michael, Jermaine, Tito, Marlon and Jackie, but what about Altyrone Deno Brown, Michael Washington, or Little Murray & the Mantics? Home Schooled, the 16th record in Numero's library of the lost, looks at the unknown side of the early 70s kid soul revolution. Beyond the Osmonds, the Five Stairsteps, and the Brighter Side of Darkness lay hundreds of aspiring children (or parents) bent on becoming the next Michael. Numero has selected seventeen of our favorites. A detailed and photo stuffed booklet breaks down the history of the phenomena, while the disc straddles the line between historical artifact and wild mix tape.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting, but weak collection, October 16, 2007

By 

Andre M. "brnn64" (Mt. Pleasant, SC United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Home Schooled: The Abcs of Kid Soul (Audio CD)

Numero usually gives the best "picks of the litter" when it comes to unearthing obscure Soul Music, but they put a lot of litter among the picks here this time around.

We seventies children fondly recall the days when the success of the Jackson 5, 5 Stairsteps, and the Sylvers inspired many kids to form their own groups as the rappers of later generations would inspire kids of their eras. Almost every Black neighborhood of size in the 1970s had their own kid groups that sang and/or played instruments.

This CD is one of the few items I know of that document this phenomenon. Unfortuantely, while it can be admired for being adventurous enough to find the most obscure examples of the genre, these songs and artists do not represent the best of their kind as a whole. Prepuescent screechers mumbling lyrics they don't really understand tend to dominate this set. No threat to Joe and Katherine's brood from Gary,Indiana here.

However, this set is not a total washout. Some good kid stuff shines through on a few cuts. Patrizia & Jimmy's "Trust Your Child" is a tough and funky 1974 protorap about the generation gap. Patrizia's sassy and confident vocals to some really thought-provoking lyrics make this one a winner. The fittingly-named Promise contributes the "pretty but gritty" number "I'm Not Ready for Love." Sort of a female Jackson 5, this song really conjures up images of the 70s for those who weren't there and fond memories of the era for those of us who were. You will find yourself humming this one to yourself all day after playing it.

The Quantrelles, a girl group produced by Blues Legend Willie Dixon, does a nice job along similar lines with "Can't Let You Break My Heart" and Jr. & The Soulettes (none who were yet teenagers at the time) do an amazing instrumental called "2009 Cherry Hill Soul." Unfortuantely, the rest is strictly Amateur Night at the Apollo circa 1975 on a cheap tape recorder.

It would have helped had the compilers been a bit more discriminating. Ditch the screechy-voiced amateur playground warblers and mix the better tunes here with the likes of the Sylvers, Chee Chee and Peppy, 5 Stairsteps, etc. (The Jackson 5 are too easily available elsewhere to be included on such a set) and there would be a better representation of the 70s phenomenon of kiddie soul (perhaps this idea would work well in a sequel). But as for this, buy it used.

5.0 out of 5 stars Home Schooled, April 25, 2011

By 

Rich Nice - See all my reviews

This review is from: Home Schooled: The ABC's of Kid Soul [Vinyl] (Vinyl)

Awesome record, great soul and funk. How come you never heard of it? Amazing seller had in pristine condition. Don't know how you did it, don't care to, just keep providing that funky music.