Judy Freeman & Blackrock [2021] - Judy Freeman & Blackrock [RCA / Legacy] (Full Album)

Those of a certain age and background will remember Judy Freeman & Blackrock for their Northern Soul monster "Hold On" which later appeared on one of the very early NS compilation albums "Jumping At The Go Go" compiled by Wigan Casino's Richard Searling on RCA in 1976. It sounds like it would have been the sort of sound broken at Blackpool Mecca before getting spins elsewhere, but reading the sleeve notes it would appear that this was little known until it appeared on the compilation due to the scarcity of the 45. Searling's sleeve notes for this track reads:

"Black Rock were formed in 1969 and, even today, a big crossover hit eludes them. "Hold On" will, I imagine, be new to most 'Northern Soul' lovers, mainly because copies are extremely difficult to come by. The record therefore has not had much disco exposure, but I'm sure with it's inclusion on this compilation soul fans everywhere will at last be able to 'dig' what I consider to be a latent 'Northern Soul' smash."

Judy Freeman & Blackrock released just two singles both in 1971 and both on RCA. "Hold On" was the B side to their second single which had "Walk A Mile In My Shoes" as the A side. The first single "Don't Do It Anymore" c/w "All We Need Is A Miracle" has never sold on Discogs and there isn't even a label scan although there is one on 45Cat but only of a promo, so I'd imagine that it was never issued, but curiously there is also a same sided promo with the other side "All We Need Is A Miracle" with the same catalogue number so it looks like they couldn't decide which side to release as the top side. A search on Popsike turned up only one which sold for a snip for such a scarce record at $22 in April 2016. Presumably the remaining five tracks have lain in the vaults since then. So that's four of the nine sides on the album taken care of.

"Walk A Mile In My Shoes" was written and recorded earlier by Joe South (of "Games People Play" fame) in 1969 on Capitol.

"All We Need Is A Miracle" is a Motown / Jobete song which was written by Pam Sawyer and LeVerne Ware (aka Gloria Jones of "Tainted Love" and married to T Rex's Marc Bolan fame) and originally scheduled for recording by Glady's Knight & The Pips, David & Jimmy Ruffin and The Devastating Affair but Motown never used it until Glady's Knight & The Pips had left Motown for Buddah and it was eventually released on "A Little Knight Music" album on Soul in 1975. The same album on which "No One Could Love You More", another Ware/Sawyer composition which became a huge Northern Soul tune many years afterwards, appeared. The album is well worth seeking out as it also has a version of Edwin Starr's "Don't Tell Me I'm Crazy" (yet another Ware/Sawyer song) on it. Dee Edwards recorded "All We Need Is A Miracle" in 1972 on RCA.

I think it has been known for some time that a test pressing of the album has existed and that the album version of "Hold On" is a longer version i.e. 4:15 v 2:28.

I can't find any information about this album which was released 'unannounced' last Friday (12 Nov 2021).

The only information I can find on Judy Freeman is what is on Discogs which states she was born on 5 Feb 1940 in New York and left New York in 1969 to go to California. She sounds like a gospel singer so, unless she changed her name, it looks like these are her only recordings.

Aside from the obvious "Hold On" the outstanding track is the incredibly soulful "Don't Do It Anymore" which is soul as deep as you like! 

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Details

Rating:	8
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Classic Soul / Previously Unreleased
Format:	Album
Media:	Digital
Label:	RCA / Legacy
Cat No:	None
Date:	12/11/2021
Value:	£6.99