New York Soul Serenade [Import]

Various Artists (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (December 28, 2004)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: Kent Records UK
• ASIN: B0000013C3
• Also Available in: Audio CD
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #442,339 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. I'M STEPPING OUT OF THE PICTURE - Johnny Maestro & The Crests

2. MY ARMS AREN'T STRONG ENOUGH - Judy Clay

3. AM I FALLING IN LOVE - Maxine Brown

4. I'M GONNA HAVE A PARTY - Ed Bruce

5. THE MAN WHO HAS EVERYTHING - Junior Lewis

6. LET'S PLAY HOUSE - Tony Drake

7. IF IT'S FOR REAL BABY - Porgy & The Monarchs

8. OH LORD, WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO ME - Big Maybelle

9. DON'T BELIEVE HIM, DONNA - Chuck Jackson

10. NEW NEIGHBOURHOOD - Billy Byers

11. WELCOME TO DREAMSVILLE - Sammy Ambrose

12. IN MY TENEMENT - Roosevelt Grier

13. DON'T HEAR, SPEAK, SEE NO EVIL - The Platters

14. YOU NEED ME - Little Charles & The Sidewinders

15. SUGAR DON'T TAKE MY CANDY AWAY) - The Jive Five

16. IT WON'T HURT - The Gentlemen Four

17. NOT NOW BUT LATER - Walter Johnson

18. NO EASY WAY DOWN - Walter Jackson

19. THIS EMPTY PLACE - The Tangeers

20. HAVEN'T GOT WHAT IT TAKES - Judy Clay

See all 28 tracks on this disc

Editorial Reviews

Years have passed since Adrian Croasdell found first himself in the tape vaults at Scepter /Wand and Musicor. The endorphin rush he experienced then must have been so potent that the poor boy can't stop himself from going back for more. Ady's addiction is one to be encouraged - it means we can all experience the ethereal pleasures only made possible by listening to the sounds of New York City Soul. This cleverly compiled collection, featuring tracks from 1962-72, brings together all of the musical styles necessary to ensure that everybody who tunes in will be satisfied, be they permanent residents of, or occasional visitors to the sound of, the Big Apple. The CD kicks off with Johnny Maestro's dramatic I'm Stepping Out Of The Picture, now regarded a classic side since its debut at the 100 Club - courtesy of you know who. With this track you'll find yourself instantly transported back to what must have been groovy times - you don't need a Tardis, just close your eyes. The male artists are well represented with offerings from the mournful Ed Bruce, frantic Sammy Ambrose, pleading Chuck Jackson and an unissued Billy Byers. What more could you want? Well 'Girls' of course. Naturally there are plenty of those too. Two cracking sides from Judy Clay, an in-demand Maxine Brown tune and the essential Big Maybelle and Marie Knight. Group sounds abound: Northern sides being flipped over to reveal uplifting ballads from the Gentlemen Four and Porgy & The Monarchs - the Platters deliver a few words of sound advice - and Little Charles gives us a finger-clicking ditty that makes its first public appearance here. This latest offering from Kent provides more soul than stomp, more ballads and more pleasure than Prozac.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Evocative Postcard of a Near-Forgotten Sound, July 27, 2001

By 

M. MOTEN (pittsburgh, pa United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: New York Soul Serenade (Audio CD)

For all it's musical history - Tin Pan Alley, Broadway, the Brill Building, 52nd Street et al - one style New York City has never been known for is soul music, despite the huge number of writers, producers and artists that had to come through the city at some point. For a time, the Big Apple had a number of labels pursuing a distinctive "Big-City" sound, heavy on song craft and production value. Dramatic string section washes; sweet backing vocals and a classily intricate melodic bent typified the New York style on records by Dionne Warwick, the Drifters, the Shirelles, Sam Cooke and a host of lesser-known, but equally gifted singers. Despite the high quality of most recordings out of NYC, the "Uptown" sound, other regional labels would eclipse their Big Apple brethren. The world-beating success of the Motown Sound , the gritty gospel/country mix of Stax/Volt, and even the smooth and danceable soul of neighboring Philadelphia outshone the "Uptown" sound of NYC, which slowly slipped into (and then from) the memory of most. Luckily, for you and me, the soul devotees at UK label Kent have focused on the New York sound for another of their stellar compilations.

New York Soul Serenade samples some of the best Big City Soul from labels such as Scepter/Wand, RCA, Old Town and ABC/Dunhill. Compiler Ady Croasdell has assembled a stirring and impressive set of should have-been classics, with the emphasis on the sophisticated writing, stylish arrangements and urbanely dramatic vocals. Don't think for a minute that this is merely lightweight pop passing for soul. Walter Jackson's aching version of "No Easy Way Down" (a hit for Dusty Springfield), is moody and searching, while the Tangiers' "This Empty Place" (written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David) could be at home next to anything by the Four Tops or Temptations. Walter Johnson's "Not Now but Later" is soulful and impassioned as any effort by David Ruffin or William Bell. As usual for a Kent compilation there's a surprise: "In My Tenement" is a delight written and sung by ex-pro footballer Roosevelt Grier. I'd love to find a copy of the Grier album shown in the CD booklet! Along the way, we find more hidden gems like Junior Lewis' "Man Who Has Everything" and Big Maybelle's heartbreaking "Oh Lord, What are You Doing to Me?" New York Soul Serenade never fails to reward the next listen.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars soul classic music, June 11, 2008

By 

Chelli Browne "Chelli" (Jersey City, NJ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: New York Soul Serenade (Audio CD)

All the songs on this CD are beautiful melodies of R&B music from the 70s and 80s. These are songs that can be considered classic as they'll never go out of style.