I love these soul compilations of songs that were "unearthed from the vaults" of various record companies. And these particular goodies came from major labels such as Atlantic, Atco, Reprise, and Warners, not exactly a bunch obscure indie labels. But many of the tracks on this CD certainly do qualify as obscure. Although there are definitely some big names on here --- Earth Wind & Fire, The Meters, Wilson Pickett, Tower of Power, King Curtis, and more --- most of their contributions are songs that weren't big hits or weren't even singles, so they feel like new discoveries. This is also a good introduction to lesser known names, such as Black Heat, a band that impressed me so much that I have since bought two CDs from them. For me, it was also a real joy to hear a track by Miami's underrated Clarence Reid. The overall quality is very high on this compilation and if you enjoy soul and funk music from this era (1968-1974) you will find a LOT to like on this CD. It also comes with a nice little booklet that includes artist bios and track details.
Amazon didn't post the full lineup for who did these songs, to here is who is on the CD:
1. Charles Wright
2. Tony Alvon & the Belairs
3. The Meters
4. The Fabulous Counts
5. The Gaturs
6. Clarence Reid
7. Eldridge Holmes
8. Wilson Pickett
9. Houseguests
10. Earth Wind & Fire
11. Tower of Power
12. United 8
13. Black Heat
14. Donny Hathaway
15. The Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band
16. Mark Putney
17. Cold Grits
18. King Curtis
19. The Meters
20. Cold Blood
Open Web Player