The Caressors / Sir Joe [2023] - I Can’t Stay Away / Every Day (I’ll Be Needing You) [Soul Direction Origins #SDO1008]

Alan Kitchener set up Soul Direction in 2020 and has to date released around 20 singles on the main label. A subsidiary imprint called Origins was created to focus on particularly rare records and has it's eighth release due tomorrow (12 Oct).

It consists of two rarities from Baltimore's Ru-Jac label set up by Rufus Mitchell and Jack Bennet in 1963 and ran until 1974, although one further release materialised in 1980. The label released between 40-50 singles whilst in existence. In 2018 four compilations of the label's output "The Ru-Jac Records Story" Vol's 1-4" were released by Omnivore, from whom these tracks have been licensed. We noticed only last week that they re-emerged on Amazon's new releases, so assume that they are either being re-issued or re-marketed.

The two recordings being paired for Origins 1008 are The Caressors "I Can't Stay Away" and Sir Joe "Every Day (I'll Be Needing You)".

No one at the label recalls anything about The Caressors who recorded two sides for Ru-Jac in 1968. The song is credited to co-owner Rufus Mitchell and George Charles Brown. It has never sold on Discogs and only a handful are listed on Popsike (selling for around the £1,000 mark) along with a few bootlegs on Soulwax (which isn't listed on Discogs). 

Sir Joe is Joe Quarterman from Washington D.C. possibly best known for his only hit single, the funky "(I Got) So Much Trouble in My Mind" as Joe Quarterman & Fee Soul on GSF in 1972.

He met Eddie Best (Gene & Eddie) and Don Downing and became lead singer with The Knights. After several of the members were drafted into the military he formed formed Sir Joe & The Maidens, later joining El Corols Band & Show who released a single "You Must Be An Angel" / "Chick, Chick" on Tiny in 1968. The single was also one of very few (3/4 listed) releases on Tommy Rouse's Washington D.C. Rouser label  billed as just The El Corols in 1971 which sells for big bucks. 45Cat lists another release with an alternate title of "Ain't No Bragg" for "Chick, Chick" with a different cat. no. (but no label scan). All Rouser releases sell for well into four figures.

Quarterman wrote and recorded "Every Day (I'll Be Needing You)" in 1970 for Ru-Jac which was the official B side to "Baby, I'd Drop Every Thing". It is not even listed on 45Cat and we found only one listing for it on Popsike which sold for £348 in Nov 2012.

He had one other earlier release on Ru-Jac in 1967 both sides of which were released as the second Origins release (1002). Soul Direction tell us that "Nobody Beats My Love" along with an unreleased song "A Guy For You" were recorded using spare studio time at Edgewood Studios after the recording of The El Corals single. The flip, "If You Give Up Your Love”, was recorded later at Virtue. 

The single is available now from Soul Direction website. 

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

Details

Rating:	8.4
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Northern Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	7" Vinyl
Label:	Soul Direction Origins
Cat No:	None
Date:	12/10/2023
Price:	£15

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