Ace Records Spotlight: Wilson Pickett, Chuck Jackson, Judy Henske, and “The Unexpected”
From folk to space-age pop and heartrending soul, Ace Records and its Kent Records imprint have got collectors covered with a number of recent releases.
Wilson Pickett Sings Bobby Womack on Kent Records traces the many meetings of the two soul titans – 17 tracks, in fact, all recorded between May 1966 and September 1968 and culled from The Wicked Pickett’s tenure at Atlantic Records. Although Womack’s time as an artist at the New York label was short (just one 1966 single, “Find Me Somebody” b/w “How Does It Feel,” both sides of which are included here as bonus tracks), he had better success pitching his songs to artists including his friend Pickett. Although no Womack songs were surveyed by Pickett at his Stax sessions, he brought Bobby’s tunes to recording dates at FAME in Muscle Shoals and American Recording Studios in Memphis. The affinity between the two men is abundantly clear on these recordings, whether the uptempo dancers or the romantic ballads to which Pickett brought his pleasingly rough-hewn grit to keep proceedings from getting too sweet. Womack even contributed guitar to a number of these sessions. While Pickett’s association with Womack didn’t yield any major hits, many of their songs together are among the strongest in either man’s catalogue, including “I’m a Midnight Mover” and “I’m in Love.” The one track on this set not to bear Womack’s name as writer is “Bring It on Home to Me,” written and first recorded by his late mentor, Sam Cooke. Wilson Pickett Sings Bobby Womack features new liner notes by Cliff White, Bob Fisher and Tony Rounce, and Duncan Cowell has remastered from primarily stereo masters. It’s a first-rate salute to two late R&B greats.
Kent has also saluted another legend of the genre with Big New York Soul from Chuck Jackson. While Kent previously brought much of Jackson’s Wand Records output to CD, this impressive collection features 24 bona fide rarities from the “Any Day Now” star including nine previously unreleased recordings and various single mixes and alternate versions that have never previously appeared on compact disc, all from the period of 1961-1966. Familiar names like Luther Dixon, Ed Townsend, Van McCoy, Mark Barkan, Lori Burton and Pam Sawyer, and Bob Crewe and Bob Gaudio are all represented as songwriters. Jackson’s pairing with Gaudio, Crewe and arranger-conductor Charles Calello on “King of the Mountain” and “Another Day” (both new to CD) prove how well Jackson could adapt his soulful pipes to a pure pop setting; another exciting find is here the never-before-released duet with Dionne Warwick, “Anytime” – a loose R&B jam written and performed on the spot by both artists in the studio as a bit of fun. If there was ever any doubt that Chuck Jackson belongs in the top pantheon of soul men, this collection – with liner notes by Ady Croasdell and remastering by Duncan Cowell – would surely dispel it. Simply put, this is a must for uptown soul connoisseurs.
Judy Henske’s The Elektra Albums brings together, on one CD, the big-voiced folk artist’s 1963and 1964 long-players for Jac Holzman’s famous label. An artist unlike any other, Henske had a belt of a voice ready for Broadway, which she deployed on an eclectic array of songs. (“Mama” Cass Elliot was an early fan.) The “Queen of the Beatniks” imbued traditional blues with power and passion, but also showcased an affinity for standards and a hint of comedy, too. Her unorthodox approach to murder ballads and folk songs earned her a following on the Sunset Strip and an opening slot for Lenny Bruce. 1963’s JudyHenske attempted to capture her freewheeling spirit on records, including murder ballads, spirituals, blues, in a vibrant and brassy setting that owed a debt to jazz and anticipated folk-rock. (Onzy Matthews provided the orchestral charts.) Henske’s profile rose as she played onstage with Woody Allen (and became an early inspiration for the character of Annie Hall) and appeared on television and in film. 1964’s High Flying Bird, recorded in LA with a small band including the great drummer Earl Palmer, introduced Billy Ed Wheeler’s title track as perhaps her signature song, and also included a songwriting collaboration with Shel Silverstein as well as classic Billie Holiday and Hoagy Carmichael tunes. Though Henske went on to record with Jack Nitzsche, her first husband Jerry Yester and second husband Craig Doerge, these two albums showcase her powerful voice in its purest form. Kris Needs’ liner notes incorporate fascinating and funny new recollections from Henske, and Duncan Cowell has again superbly remastered the original stereo albums.
Last but not least, Sounds of the Unexpected certainly lives up to its name. This compendium of 24 Weird and Wacky Instrumentals, per the subtitle, was compiled by the late Vicki Fox for Ace and features tunes originally released between 1959 and 1971. Many of the names on this truly eclectic set are familiar, including The Ventures with 1966’s Batman homage, “Zocko!,” Timmy Thomas of “Why Can’t We Live Together” fame with “Funky Me,” jazz guitarist Gabor Szabo with an inspired reworking Duke Ellington’s “Caravan,” Bo Diddley with the offbeat “Aztec” (which wasn’t actually played by Bo, but rather by Peggy Jones, a.k.a. Lady Bo!), and even easy-listening staples The 101 Strings with their psychedelic (!) 1968 opus “Flameout.” Equally wacky is Leonard Nimoy’s “Music to Watch Space Girls By,” more familiar in versions by The Bob Crewe Generation and Andy Williams. Ray Ellis was well known for his arrangements for artists like Johnny Mathis and Billie Holiday, but he headlined the RCA single “The Sheik,” adding a go-go beat to labelmate Paul Anka’s song. With track-by-track liner notes in the full-color booklet, Sounds of the Unexpected is a treat all the way through. Nick Robbins has handled the groovy remastering.
All four titles are available now at the links below!
Wilson Pickett, Wilson Pickett Sings Bobby Womack (Kent CDTOP 467, 2017) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)
- I Found a True Love
- I’m Sorry About That
- I’m in Love
- Nothing You Can Do (*)
- I Found the One
- Jealous Love
- She’s So Good to Me (*)
- I’m a Midnight Mover
- Something Within Me (*)
- It’s a Groove
- Let’s Get an Understanding
- People Make the World (What It Is)
- We’ve Got to Have Love (*)
- Trust Me
- Remember, I Been Good to You
- Sit Down and Talk This Over
- I’ve Come a Long Way
- Bring It on Home to Me (Bonus Track) (*)
- Find ME Somebody – Bobby Womack (Bonus Track) (*)
- How Does It Feel – Bobby Womack (Bonus Track) (*)
Tracks 1, 8, 10-11 & 14-15 from The Midnight Mover, Atlantic LP SD 8183, 1968
Tracks 2, 5 & 9 from The Sound of Wilson Pickett, Atlantic LP SD 8145, 1967
Tracks 3, 6, 13 & 17-18 from I’m in Love, Atlantic LP SD 8175, 1967
Track 4 from The Wicked Pickett, Atlantic LP SD 8138, 1967
Track 7 from The Exciting Wilson Pickett, Atlantic LP 8129, 1966
Tracks 12 & 16 from Hey Jude, Atlantic LP SD 8215, 1969
Tracks 19-20 from Atlantic single 2388, 1967
Chuck Jackson, Big New York Soul: Wand Records 1961-1966 (Kent CDKEND 465, 2017) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)
- Things Just Ain’t Right (*)
- Little by Little
- Hand It Over
- Big New York
- King of the Mountain
- Another Day
- Need to Belong
- For All Time
- If I Didn’t Love You
- The Same Old Story
- Why Some People Don’t Like Me
- What You Gonna Say
- I’ve Got to Be Strong
- The Silencer
- This Broken Heart (That You Gave Me)
- Forget About Me
- Meet Me Half Way
- And That’s Saying a Lot
- Through My Tears
- Getting Ready for the Heartbreak
- In Between Tears
- All About You
- Anymore – with Dionne Warwick
- Why, Why, Why
Mono except (*) stereo
Tracks 1, 7, 11, 17, 19, 22-24 previously unreleased
Track 2 rec. 1965, from Kent LP 073, 1987
Track 3 from Wand single 149, 1964
Track 4 from Wand single 141, 1963
Tracks 5-6 from Wand LP 655, 1963
Tracks 8 & 15 from Wand single 154, 1964
Track 9 from Wand single 188, ,1965
Track 10 from Wand single 108, 1961
Track 12 from Wand single 119, 1962
Track 13 from Wand single 1142, 1966
Track 14 rec. 1965/1966, from Capricorn 3CD set 9 42003-2, 1992
Track 16 previously unissued version of 1965 recording, from Kent LP 073, 2017
Track 18 from Wand single 1119, 1966
Track 20 from Wand single 128, 1962
Track 21 alt. of Wand single 128, 1962, from Kent LP 057, 1986
Judy Henske, The Elektra Albums (Ace CDCHD 1501, 2017) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)
- Low Down Alligator
- Empty Bed Blues
- Ballad of Little Romy
- Wade in the Water
- Hooka-Tooka
- I Know You Rider
- Lily Langtree
- Lilac Wine
- Love Henry
- Every Night When the Sun Goes In
- Salvation Army Song
- High Flying Bird
- Buckeye Jim
- Till the Real Thing Comes Along
- Oh, You Engineer
- Baltimore Oriole
- Columbus Stockade
- Blues Chase Up a Rabbit
- Lonely Train
- Duncan and Brady
- God Bless the Child
- Good Old Wagon
- You Are Not My First Love
- Charlotte Town
All tracks stereo
Tracks 1-11 from Judy Henske, Elektra EKS 7231, 1963
Tracks 12-24 from High Flying Bird, Elektra EKS 7241, 1964
Various Artists, Sounds of the Unexpected (Ace CDTOP 1505, 2017) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)
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- Watusi Zombie – Jan Davis (Holiday 1213, 1964)
- Savage Girl – Felix and His Fabulous Cats (Emith International 1272, 1964)
- Mad Train – Andre Brasseur & His Multi-Sound Organ (Palette 40.268, 1966) (*)
- War of the Worlds – The Atlantics (CBS BA-221088, 1964)
- Funky Me – Timmy Thomas (Glades 1703, 1972)
- Caravan – Gabor Szabo (Impulse LP AS-9126, 1966) (*)
- Hot Pot – The Tornados (Decca F 11838, 1964)
- Aztec – Bo Diddley (Checker 976, 1961)
- R.F.O. Rangoon – The Forbidden Five (Capitol 4205, 1959)
- Watusie Freeze, Part I – Big Walter & The Thunderbirds (Myrl/Global 409, 1959)
- Flameout – 101 Strings (Alshire LP S5119, 1968) (*)
- Music to Watch Space Girls By – Leonard Nimoy (Dot LP DLP 25794, 1967) (*)
- Uh-Oh – The Imps (Do-Ra-Me 1414, 1960)
- Waltz in Orbit – Ray Cathode (Parlophone R 4901, 1962) (*)
- Moog Indigo – Jean-Jacques Perrey (Vanguard LP VSD 6549, 1970) (*)
- Space Walk – The Astros (Golden State 653, 1964)
- Hung Over – The Martinis (Bar 101, 1967)
- The Sheik – Ray Ellis & His Orchestra (RCA 47-8023, 1962)
- B’wana Bongos – Preston Epps (Donna 1367, 1962)
- Long Sentence – The Upsetters (Trojan LP TBL 166, 1971)
- It’s Karate Time – Travis Wammack (Atlantic 2387, 1967)
- Zocko – The Ventures (Dolton LP BLP 2042, 1966)
- Misirlou – Martin Denny (Liberty LP LST 7168, 1961) (*)
- Russian Roulette – The Zanies (Dore 658, 1962)
Mono except (*) stereo
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Nice to see Ace has gone for mostly mono mixes on the Chuck Jackson set. They did something similar with Maxine Brown’s “Best of the Wand Years”, making it a fine companion to the earlier mostly stereo “Oh No Not My Baby/The Best of” set. I’d love if they did mono singles sets on The Shirelles and Lesley Gore. Heck, throw in a Sam Cooke set and I’d be in heaven!