A songwriting mainstay of FAME from 1968 to 1972 — monsters like Candi’s Evidence — George was also a very fine singer, unmannered, hurt, open. The first of several volumes.

Terrific southern soul from the guy who wrote a string of killers as staff at Goldwax, and for Candi Staton and Clarence Carter, at Fame. The Only Way Is Up is his song; and The Osmonds’ One Bad Apple.

The classic 1967 Cadet LP. Eight of the twelve bonus tracks are from FAME… orphaned monsters like Aretha’s Do Right Woman, I Worship The Ground You Walk On, Almost Persuaded.

The 1970 LP — a neglected, heavy-soul classic — with eleven extras, unmissable deep soul like The Love Of My Man, funk like Tighten Up. Watch out, the title-track and come-again Weepers are pretty devastating.

Rare Chess sides.

Killer balladry for the Lowrider massive.
Great, great soul music: authentically, rawly heartfelt and emotionally generous; beautifully expressed.
Conwell leads the Exits in a Northern favourite, on the flip.
Hotly recommended.

A last testament, previously unreleased, authoritatively covering the bases during a break from the life sentence which saw him die in jail of pneumonia, two years later. James Brown’s favourite singer.

Superb, refined soul music, mostly written in the Brill Building (including a bunch of Bacharach & Davids), originally issued by Big Top in New York.

His complete Motown recordings, 1964-71.

All Buddy Killen’s productions for the Lloyd, Dial, Philips and Happy Tiger labels, between 1965-71. Some great dancers… but Kelly’s slow, Southern soul is just killer.

Supersedes the Timmion LP from ten years ago by unearthing a markedly different take of Who Are You Trying To Fool, I Gotta Have You with added backing vocals, and a cleaner version of Wigan monster What Should I Do. It also dips into Ann’s only other known recordings, cut in Canada under her real name of Ann Bridgeforth, in 1972 and 1973: her self-penned ballad That’s All I Want From You is right up there with Deep Shadows.
The CD has twice the number of tracks.

West Coast soul from the Bihari brothers’ Kent and Modern labels, out of Los Angeles.
Plenty of groovy southern blues, besides shots of gospel and Motown.