Friday, April 24, 2009

Rare Soul!!! The Sweet Sounds of Muscle Shoals




Taking a break from my mixtapes, I thought I'd post up some long out of print soul this week. In 1996, the Overture label put out a 4 volume collection of really great 1960s Southern soul from the Quinvy and South Camp labels featuring less well known performers like Don Varner, Bill Brandon, Eddie Bradford, Brenda Varner, and even Percy Sledge Jr. (though his one contribution is just kind of a novelty track). I picked up volumes 1 and 2 at a record store a long while back and then I think I got volume 3 in an ebay auction. Unfortunately, the fourth one has eluded me. Since it might be a long time coming before I can find it, here are volumes 1-3. (My personal fave song - Bill Brandon's "Self Preservation" on Volume 2)




1. Tear Stained Face - Don Varner
2. Push Mr Pride Aside - Eddie Bradford
3. Mojo Mama - Don Varner
4. Hand Shaking - Jimmy Braswell
5. Little Bit of Love - Eddie Bradford
6. When It's Over - Don Varner
7. You Made Your Bed - Eddie Bradford
8. Sugar Makes Everything Sweeter - Percy Sledge Jr.
9. Meet Me in Church - Don Varner
10. Home For the Summer - Jimmy Braswell
11. Don't Give up on Me - Brenda Varner
12. I'll Be Your Baby Tonight - Bill Brandon
13. Down in Texas - Don Varner
14. Let Me Be a Woman - Brenda Varner


1. Polly Wally Doodle - Tony Borders
2. Promise to Myself - Tony Borders
3. Can You Handle It - Eddie Bradford
4. Full Grown Lovin' Man - Bill Brandon
5. What Kind of Spell - Tony Borders
6. You Left the Water Running - Don Varner
7. Mix and Mingle - Tony Borders
8. One Minute Woman - Bill Brandon
9. Power of Love - Don Varner
10. Self Preservation - Bill Brandon
11. A Nice Place to Visit - Tony Borders
12. Little by Little - Bill Brandon
13. One Woman Man - Don Varner
14. She Knows What to Do For Me - Bill Brandon


1. You Better Believe It - Tony Borders
2. I Think I'd Do It - Z.Z. Hill
3. Since I Fell For You - Bill Brandon
4. High on the Hog - Tony Borders
5. He Kept on Talking - Don Varner
6. Faithful and True - Z.Z. Hill
7. Corn Bread Woman - Tony Borders
8. You've Lost That Lovin Feeling - Bill Brandon
9. When You Get What You Want - Bill Brandon
10. Cheaters Never Win - Tony Borders
11. Until It's Time For Me to Go - Tony Borders
12. Lonely Weekend - Tony Borders
13. Strangest Feeling - Bill Brandon
14. I'm Still in Love With You - Don Varner

19 comments:

vrs1943 said...

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art58koen said...

Thank you for these 3 neat collections!

Ishkabibliophile said...

Glad you liked them. I'm still hoping to get my hands on the 4th (More Power to Ya) in the collection.

lil m said...

I found Vol 2 literally digging around in a pile of cracked jewel cases on the dusty forlorned floor of a side room of Mushroom Records near Tulane in New Orleans a couple years ago... I was wowed, but could find little info on these artists or collections... Thanx for the the missing chunks... I found yer site accidentally trolling for more info and cover art for iTunes. Looks like you have the same 150 px jpeg cover art as Amazon. Tony Borders has a Quin Ivy retrospective but most of the other artists remain obscure....i'll keep my eyes peeled for #4 but it could be a long time coming huh?

Ishkabibliophile said...

re lil m,
I found volume 3 in a record store and then was able to get 1 and 2 on ebay a long time ago. Really is a shame these releases didn't get more attention when they were put out.

Jenny said...

I've had vol.3 for a long long time- its very scratched from many late nite parties. there are some beautiful moments and now i can listen to it clean again--thanks

Unknown said...

nice post and you'll be keen to know there's 5 volumes in all (Vol. 4 "More Power To Ya!" and Vol.5 "Rainbow Road") I got 2 to 5 issued by Charly in 1989 and have been chasing 1 for years. Great overlooked southern soul.

Ishkabibliophile said...

Chris,
I had no idea there was a volume 5. Of course, I just looked it up and it looks like it was only released by Charly as a vinyl release, but not as a cd in 1996 like the other 4 volumes. Is it as good as the others?

sputnik707 said...

thanks, and by the way Vol 4 here: on amazon uk http://www.amazon.co.uk/Muscle-Shoals-Vol-More-Power/dp/B0000020QJ/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1250685077&sr=1-3

Ishkabibliophile said...

@Sputnik
Thanks for the Amazon link, though since I'm in the U.S., though the prices have also come down in the U.S. Now, I'm just debating whether to get the vinyl or the cd. :)

Another Rolf said...

I have these on vinyl. Nice to have digital copies. Thanks.

King Danny said...

Thanks! I've been looking all over for these! I have Vol 1 & 4 on vinyl from when they first came out (was I in high school?). I had fallen in love with the sound of Otis Redding and Stax and was thrilled to find more great Southern Soul - most of my friends were into the Northern Scene Home For the Summer -i one of My favs.

Ishkabibliophile said...

@Rolf and King Danny,

Glad to do it - a testament to how much good soul music was being made in the 60s (and how much was unfairly overlooked)

Vinyl Records collector said...

Some of these songs I've been trying to track down forever. Thanks for the post.

Ishkabibliophile said...

@vinyl collector,

Happy to share 'em!

Anonymous said...

thanx 4 all of these

Ishkabibliophile said...

@anonymous,

They're too good to be out of print (and unavailable).

Tony Cooke said...

Thanks for these!!!

Ishkabibliophile said...

@Tony Cooke,

Quite welcome!