Review

The Fame Studios Story 1961-1973 (Ace Records)

Wow! What a collection this is! Magical memories, historical landmarks and monster hits. Guys and gals of soul, with a capital S. This remarkable 3-cd collection of 75 tracks, the result of an almost exhausting two years’ worth of searching by the guys at Ace Records, will spearhead a programme of releases over the next few years.

I can’t begin to list all the artists, but suffice to say, there’s Arthur Conley, Wilson Pickett (“Land Of 1000 Dances” – love its frenetic beat), Otis Redding, Aretha Franklin (“I Never Loved A Man (The Way I Love You)” – the lyrics are just oozing raw emotion), Clarence Carter, Candi Staton, Little Richard, Etta James (the perfect “Tell Mama” could freeze hell), Lou Rawls, and, well, you get my drift. And these are all introduced by “You Better Move On” by Arthur Alexander, the first hit, which introduced the trademark sound of the exceptionally multi-talented Rick Hall, who has undoubtedly carved a name for himself in soul music. Can’t recommend this enough.
Words SHARON DAVIS