ALBUM: ‘Groove & Grind: Rare Soul, ’63-’73’
Few eras of pop music inspire as much intense, all-consuming devotion as the golden age of soul, roughly defined as the mid ’60s through the mid ’70s. For the faithful, just appreciating the classics isn’t enough: the most committed trawl through forgotten 45s in search of the ultimate lost groove or beat or wail. (This obsessive quest to uncover the next great unheard dancefloor-filler birthed an entire British subculture, Northern Soul.) This dedication is bolstered by the fact that such efforts often pay remarkable dividends; near-misses and long shots can be just as appealing as their more familiar counterparts, if not more so. On top of that, a healthy layer of mystery about an unknown artist or unusual song can imbue an already great record with a magical aura, while a particularly moving song that no one else knows can feel intensely personal in a way no omnipresent hit ever could.
Unfortunately, the supply of lost soul classics is finite. Multiply that by the fact that few copies of these forgotten records were ever pressed — they were often released through small regional labels, and there obviously wasn’t much demand for non-hits — and the search for hidden treasure can overwhelm before it’s even begun. Thankfully, RockBeat Records has done would-be cratediggers a favor, compiling over 100 overlooked tracks on the 4-CD set Groove & Grind: Rare Soul, ‘63-’73. For a more digestible listening experience, each disc divided into its own general category: polished Urban Soul; harmonizing Group Soul; gospel-soaked Southern Soul; and energetic, danceable Funky Soul.
The experience of listening to Groove & Grind isn’t much different from stumbling on a cache of dusty but promising 45s: the liner notes often lack release dates and other identifying information, and a thick layer of hiss coats many of these recordings. (The rarity of these singles means there aren’t a lot of master tapes floating around.) The primary difference — besides the ease of having so many rare tracks in one reasonably priced, easily available package — is the generally high quality of the records included. Not every pick will strike a chord with every listener, but the percentage of memorable tracks and shoulda-been hits is more than worth the modest investment.
To entice the curious newcomer, Groove & Grind is seeded with lesser-known tracks by such familiar names as Ike & Tina Turner, Candi Staton, Carla Thomas, Betty Wright, Betty(e) Lavette, and Eddie Floyd. Rounding out the set are non-hits by one-hit wonders (the Jelly Beans, King Floyd, Ella Washington, Bobby Parker); sides by reliable R&B performers who never quite became stars (Margie Joseph, Ruby Winters, Bobby Rush, Don Gardner); and even the original incarnation of a hit-to-be (Lezli Valentine’s take on “Love on a Two-Way Street,” nearly identical to the arrangement used in the Moments’ chart-topping version). But Groove & Grind shines when it focuses on the truly obscure, those records whose discovery can only be ascribed to serendipity. There are tracks here by ’50s R&B performers trying to update their sound, gospel singers dipping a toe in the secular world, local favorites granted a lucky session in studio, and talented nobodies making the most of their one shot at stardom. There are artists signed to such major R&B mastheads as Stax and Atlantic, ones distributed by respected regional labels, and those popping up on vanity labels and fly by nights. There are even a few complete mysteries, whose identity is pieced together by puzzling out copyright data and guessing at stage names.
Apart from each disc’s loose theme, the types of soul music featured on Groove & Grind are as varied as the artists who performed them. The set features love songs, heartbroken ballads, goofy dance numbers, straight-talking lectures, and declarations of personal fabulousness. Pleasant genre exercises rub shoulders with truly novel and fresh productions (dig Betty Wright’s “Mr. Lucky,” which interpolates Chopin’s “Funeral March” amid gunshot sound effects). Obvious knock-offs abound; James Brown is the clear favorite, most explicitly on Little Genie Brown’s “The James Brown Bougeloo,” but Otis Redding, Sam Cooke, and Wilson Pickett all boast their share of imitators, as does the general Motown sound. Even individual songs aren’t immune to duplication (eg., Magic Sam’s “I’ll Pay You Back,” which essentially rewrites the Isley Brothers’ “It’s Your Thing”). There are records cashing in on the boogaloo and the popcorn, and others attempting to launch brand new dance crazes — most colorfully, Chet “Poison” Ivey’s “The Poo Poo Man,” which commands listeners to “shake a poo poo!” (Second-most memorable: “Do the Bobby Dunn” by, you guessed it, Bobby Dunn.)
The selection of material on Groove & Grind spans the North American continent, from New Orleans funk to Memphis grit, Muscle Shoals angst to Detroit slick, with countless stops at less storied recording centers in between. The arrangements are variously decked in elegant strings, punchy horns, wah-wah-soaked guitar, gospel organ, and pulsating bass, while the vocalists range from operatic tenors to raspy shouters, full-throated Arethas to girlish Dianas. Doo-wop’s last gasps (the Specials’ “You Stood Me Up”) cross streams with the early flowering of Philly soul (Kenny Gamble & the Romeos’ “Hard to Find the Right Girl”). In short, every conceivable flavor of soul fan should find something in this eclectic collection to catch their ear.
As essential as the music is, the glossy, informative 128-page hardcover book that accompanies Groove & Grind is just as valuable. Music journalist Bill Dahl breaks down each track, complete with capsule histories when available and references to artists’ other records for those eager to further their soul studies. Also included in the liner notes are photographs of many of the actual 45s (a treat in itself) and promo shots of some of the better-known musicians. Rather than shattering the mystique inherent to rare soul’s appeal, these dribs and drabs of information fuel it further, acting as potential clues to be pored over by musical detectives.
Groove & Grind works as an excellent primer on rare soul for neophytes, a veritable candy store for cratediggers seeking samples, and a bounty of fresh discoveries for all but the most fervid R&B aficionado. Beyond those audiences, however, Groove & Grind is worthy of investigation by anyone interested in exploring the invisible, seemingly arbitrary line separating a hit from a flop. Why does one record with a great hook, emotive singer, and funky beat sell millions of copies, while another, seemingly just as good, vanishes into the vinyl ether? Is it down to something as banal as the size of the label and its capacity for distribution? Is it more elusive, appealing by chance to the fickle fancy of the record-buying public? Or is there some sort of secret code lurking within the grooves, unable to be heard by the ears but striking a chord within the collective unconscious? It’s a puzzle that countless musicians, songwriters, producers, and record labels have tried to crack in vain. Even if they don’t always succeed, however, Groove & Grind celebrates the attempts, proving they have an allure all their own.
Get Groove & Grind: Rare Soul ’63-’73 now on Amazon.
