Of all the great labels famous for soul and R&B, few could boast the pedigree of Atlantic Records. Atlantic’s commitment to quality soul music extended beyond just the famous names such as Aretha Franklin or Solomon Burke. An Atlantic label on an artist was a stamp of quality. SoulMusic Records and Real Gone Music have recently released collections from two underrated artists from the Atlantic family of labels.

Linda Jones scored only one hit in her too-short 28 years: 1967’s “Hypnotized,” on Warner Bros. subsidiary Loma. You’ll find the No. 4 R&B/No. 21 Pop ballad, and 20 other songs, on The Complete Atco, Loma and Warner Bros. Recordings (RGM-0321). Jones’ career is inextricably intertwined with that of songwriter/producer George Kerr who produced all 21 tracks here and co-wrote many of them. Kerr wisely emphasized the New Jersey-born vocalist’s gospel strength whether on ballads like “Hypnotized” or uptempo offerings like the B-sides “Can’t Help Lovin’ My Baby” and “Make Me Surrender (Baby Baby Please)” where she could cut loose more fully. Primarily recorded between 1964 and 1969 and including the full contents of a 1967 LP, these tracks showcase a vocalist who could elevate a song with her powerful vocal commitment.

The lush “What’ve I Done (To Make You Mad),” the follow-up to “Hypnotized,” compares favorably to the embryonic music coming out of Philadelphia at the time which would lead to the creation of Philly soul; it’s no wonder that Jones followed her tenure at the Warner family of labels with a stop at Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff’s pre-Philadelphia International label, Neptune Records. Jones’ vocals could be sweet but more often, grit rose to the surface as on the impassioned deep-soul plea “Give My Love a Try” or the aggressive “You Can’t Take It.” Surrounded by session pros like Eric Gale, Bernard Purdie and Richard Tee (who also arranged 16 of these 21 sides), and with a male background group frequently joining her, Jones’ tracks were polished, but her performances were unassailably authentic and raw. The singer is particularly torrid on this collection’s bonus track, from 1972 – “Fugitive from Love,” as originally released on the Turbo label. (The sound quality on this one track is less than optimal, but the strength of the performance makes it a worthwhile inclusion.)

“A Last Minute Miracle” has an “Uptight (Everything’s Alright)” groove to it, and there’s a Motown near-quote in “My Heart Needs a Break” which has more than a passing similarity to Diana Ross and the Supremes’ “Reflections.” (For those wondering, “Reflections” was released in 1967 while “My Heart” was recorded in early 1968.) There’s an appealing, atypically breezy Latin feel to “If Only (We Had Met Sooner).” “The Things I’ve Been Through (Loving You),” another George Kerr/Jerry Harris composition, is squarely in the Jerry Ragovoy/”Cry Baby” mold and even gives Linda the opportunity for a mid-song rap. Linda’s 1968 recording of “Yesterday” is one of only two familiar covers here – the other is the dramatic tour de force “I Who Have Nothing” of which Jones wrings every bit of emotion – but she makes the oft-recorded song her own, bending and embellishing both music and lyrics in her own fashion.

As annotated by David Nathan in typically detailed fashion and crisply remastered by Mike Milchner, this complete survey of Linda Jones’ tenure at the Warner/Atlantic family of labels sheds much-needed light on this underrated soul queen who left us far too soon. It makes a must-have for any sixties soul aficionado.

In 1962, Barbara Lynn’s “You’ll Lose a Good Thing” hit the top of the R&B charts and the Top 10 of the pop countdown for Philadelphia-based independent Jamie Records. It’s no surprise that bigger labels sought out the Texas-born singer-songwriter-guitarist, and in 1967, she signed with Atlantic. Recording away from the label’s New York base in locales such as Mississippi and Tennessee, Lynn recorded one album and various singles for Atlantic. All 25 of those “good things” recorded between 1967 and 1972 have been collected by SoulMusic and Real Gone on The Complete Atlantic Recordings (RGM-0297).

Primarily recording with the “Crazy Cajun” Huey Meaux, Lynn didn’t water down her saucy brand of southern soul at Atlantic. The centerpiece of The Complete Atlantic Recordings is her complete LP, 1968’s Here is Barbara Lynn. Produced by Meaux and arranged by Cliff Thomas, Ed Thomas and Bob McRee (the trio also wrote seven songs for the album), it set Lynn’s voice in a variety of soulful settings. As well as being a versatile musician playing left-handed guitar, Lynn could tackle a wide range of styles. The inherent bluesy quality in her expressive voice was often leavened by a sweet “pop” sound which made for an appealing blend.

Smoky brass enhances her remake of “You’ll Lose a Good Thing,” one of just four Lynn compositions on the original album. She’s impassioned on “Until Then, I’ll Suffer” (recycled as the title of her 1996 album) and confident on the bouncy “You’re Losing Me.” (Apparently suffering was a theme of the LP; the Thomas/McRee/Thomas triumvirate also offered a trip to “Sufferin’ City.”) A Lynn original closed out the album, the lightweight “Mix-It-Up Baby,” which namechecks the Jerk, Boogaloo, the Funky Broadway and other dance crazes. (“I want you to dig it!” Lynn implores on the track.)

Other highlights from Here is Barbara Lynn include the Motor City-inspired dancer “Take Your Love and Run” complete with honking sax, the girl group-esque “Only You Know How to Love Me” and languid, ever-so-lightly funky “Why Can’t You Love Me” another highlight. Meaux also oversaw the pensive B-side “Ring, Telephone, Ring” and six single sides dating to the early seventies and the end of Lynn’s tenure at Atlantic. Lynn wrote four of these, including the homage to Jean Knight’s “Mr. Big Stuff” entitled “(Daddy Hot Stuff) You’re Too Hot to Hold” and the brassy funk workout “You Make Me So Hot.”

Six tracks on this set yield from sessions with the great Spooner Oldham. Likely recording in Memphis, Oldham’s sound was different than Meaux’s. Rich strings, dirty horns and taut guitar licks all grace Lynn’s gender reversal of “He Ain’t Gonna Do Right,” a Dan Penn/Oldham original previously recorded by Clarence Carter. Oldham coaxed out the best of Lynn on Donnie Fritts’ vulnerable “People Like Me” and the dark, sad “Unloved, Unwanted Me” (first uncovered by Ace Records in 2000). From the Oldham sessions comes this collection’s one previously unreleased track, the aptly-named Box Tops tune “Soul Deep.” Lynn makes the song her own in this distinctive piano-and-horn-led arrangement.

Producer David Nathan provides the fine liner notes for this collection which has been nicely remastered by Mike Milchner. Barbara Lynn’s success at Atlantic was limited; the aforementioned “Until Then, I’ll Suffer” afforded the artist her biggest hit at No. 31 R&B. But these sides are unquestionable high points of a career that’s still going strong today.

Linda Jones' Complete Atco/Loma/WB Recordings can be purchased at Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.

Barbara Lynn's Complete Atlantic Recordings can be purchased at Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.