TOMMY’S CHOICE

Mitty Collier: I Had a Talk With My Man Last Night
From: 7″ (Chess, 1964) and Shades of a Genius (Chess, 1965)

The Valentinos: I’ll Make It Alright
From: 7″ (SAR, 1963)

This if the first offering by Tommy Tompkins who combed through the riches of the Black Label collection (that he donated to Soul Sides). His comments:

(Mitty Collier) Ms. Collier’s voice is deep and thick, and she had a way with smooth sexy R&B tunes like “I Had A Talk,” which she cut for Chess Records in 1964. Actually, I’d have served up the infinitely superior “If This Is The Last Time,” which my old friend Mark Edmunds (R.I.P.) from Baytown Records turned me on to years ago, only my son cut his teeth on the outer 1/2” one afternoon when I wasn’t looking. He missed this, so take it and enjoy.

(Etta James) I threw this on the playlist last week for my fabulous 6 am spin class at the Oakland YMCA, and Ronnie, the woman with the dreads who tends to speak up when there’s something on her mind, let me know in no uncertain terms that this line – “You see I love you so much I just don’t want to see you leaving” – did not make it, muttering something about “see who goes blind” as Ms. James poured out more pain in 2 and 1/2 minutes than most folks bleed in a lifetime. A great great song.

(The Valentinos) This is the Womack Brothers (and I swear I heard Sam Cooke for a moment somewhere in the first few bars),when they left the gospel world behind and went after the hit parade with uptempo pop numbers like this. It’s not on Sam Cooke’s

SAR Records Story, but “It’s All Over Now,” a hit for the Rolling Stones, is. Download this, buy that collection and you’ll be happy.

ELSEWHERE

I’ve been so busy with Black Label material, I feel like I’ve neglected hip-hop selections but god bless Cocaine Blunts who’s been straight killllllin’ it of late with his Heavyweights/Freestyle Fellowship week and is currently dropping the audio bombs from Oakland’s The Coup (only one of my favorite groups ever).