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Monday 26 June 2023

VA [2023] - Win Or Lose [Soul4Real #S4RLP02] (Full Album)


Blibao based label Soul4Real has announced that their second compilation "Win Or Lose" is available to pre-order from their website for release on 15 Jul '23.

It's a compilation of twelve songs all previously unissued at the time, although most have later featured on CD or digital compilations and appear on vinyl the first time. 

It's a mix of deep and mellow soul ballads, mid-tempo items and four-on-the-floor Motown songs all dripping with "Soul" for lovers of the real deal. The highlights to these ears are the superb mid-tempo gem "It's Here For You" from Etta James and Brenda Holloways' version of the Ashford & Simpson song "Love Woke Me Up This Morning" recorded by many including Syreeta, Loleatta Holloway, Walter Jackson as well as The Temptations and others.

The A side consists of six tracks from the vaults of Chess and Duke by Bobby 'Blue' Bland, Etta James and Fontella Bass. Another enigmatic Chess artist Joy Lovejoy, about whom nothing is known, had a huge Northern Soul tune "In Orbit" and it has been speculated over the years that perhaps it was another known artist using a pseudonym. Perhaps it's Fontella Bass given she recorded this song "Joy Of Love" which 'may' be a clue and her voice is quite similar on "Rescue Me" to "In Orbit"? This is purely speculation and why she would record under pseudonym when she continued to record into the 70s is strange. However, she left Chess/Checker in 1967 (when "In Orbit" was released) and moved to Paula, so perhaps it was released as Joy Lovejoy after she left for contractual reasons or Chess decided not to credit her as she left acrimoniously over not being given writing credits for "Rescue Me" which was the label's first million seller in 10 years since Chuck Berry?

The B side is dedicated to unreleased Motown songs by The Velvelettes, Brenda Holloway, Johnny Bristol and David Ruffin.

A Side

A1 - Bobby Bland - For Men Only
A2 - Bobby Bland - This Time I'll Be True
A3 - Etta James - Can't Shake It
A4 - Etta James - I Never Meant To Love Him
A5 - Etta James - It's Here For You
A6 - Fontella Bass - Joy Of Love

B Side
B1 - The Velvelettes - Your Heart Belongs To Me
B2 - Brenda Holloway - Love Woke Me Up This Morning
B3 - Johnny Bristol - Tell Me How To Forget A True Love
B4 - David Ruffin - One Lucky Day I Found You
B5 - David Ruffin - You Ought To Know Me
B6 - Marvin Gaye - I Wish I Didn't Love You So

We have gathered together into a playlist those tracks available on Spotify (bold above). We couldn't find Johnny Bristol's version of the song so have included The Spinners version of "Tell Me How To Forget A True Love" and have also included an alternative version of the Marvin Gaye song "I Wish I Didn't Love You So".

The three 'missing' tracks are included below from Alex Subina's (Sou4Real) YouTube channel.

Click on image below for link to where you can buy from.

Details
Rating: 8.4
Explicit: N
Genre/Style: Classic Soul
Format: Album / Compilation
Media: Vinyl
Label: Soul 4 Real
Cat No: S4RLP02
Date: 15/07/2023
Price: €24
Copyright © 2009-2023 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved


2 comments:

USMAN47 said...

Superb LP with some small nuggets. But I still have a soft spot for Johnny Bristol's track and I still haven't understood why it was never released!!!
For me a pure wonder.

Yves

SoulStrutter said...

Hi Yves ... in case you didn't already know the Johnny Bristol track appeared on a Kent CD compilation Satisfaction Guaranteed! (Motown Guys 1961-69)
https://www.discogs.com/release/6463252-Various-Satisfaction-Guaranteed-Motown-Guys-1961-69