At The Club Various Artists (Atlantic)

£12.56

Genre:
Mod/Club
Label:
Kent
Format:
CD
Catalogue Id:
CDKEND 168

The swinging 60s usually conjures up images of fab white beat groups in paisley shirts and hipsters striking a suitably kookie pose down Carnaby Street for the tourists. Yet, thinking back to my younger discotheque days, 1966 onwards, I can't for the life of me remember hearing a Beatles, Stones, Kinks, Who or Small Faces record being played in any of the clubs I went to. I was far from being hip and I loved those pop records on Radio London, but the club sound was Motown/Stax/ Atlantic.

Admittedly the group at the Palais would have to play the latest hits, but that was a time to eye up the girls or sink a drink or two. By the time the DJ was back on it was Booker T, Wilson Pickett or the Drifters.

Even the local bands had gone completely soul by 1967 and Knock On Wood was in absolutely every group's repertoire. In fact, my overplayed soul backlash began when a particularly reactionary mod friend of mine threatened to hit one of the Blossom Toes, an arty progressive outfit, for not playing that, by now dreaded, number.

The Atlantic and Stax labels, in particular, were revered by DJs and dancers and interestingly it was those ballsy southern-based sounds that the boys would dance to, whereas the girls went for the prettier Motown songs.

Prime examples of mid 60s machismo are Clarence Carter's Looking For A Fox, Jimmy Hughes' It Ain't What You Got and Solomon Burke's Keep Lookin'. For a 16 year old, middle-class English boy these more than made up for the facts of life my dad was too embarrassed to tell me about.

Even the instrumentals called the adolescents onto the dance-floor for their version of a rite of passage initiation ceremony. If your feet and body could handle Booker T's Slim Jenkins' Place and the Goodtimers' Chain Of Fools you were well on your way to manhood. The call of King Curtis' tenor sax was powerful enough to overpower even grammar school shyness.

There's little point in analysing this CD in any depth. If you only know the brilliance of some of these tracks, be assured the others are equally vital. To make a CD of this genre from the Atlantic, Atco and blue Stax labels is almost cheating and is, of course, a great honour to be able to pick one's own individual choices.

Why wouldn't you buy it?

By Harboro Horace

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Track listing

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Side 1

  • 01 Preview Help Me (Get The Feeling) Pt 1 - Ray Sharpe with The King Curtis Orchestra

  • 02 Preview It Ain't What You Got - Jimmy Hughes

  • 03 Preview Some Other Guy - Richie Barrett

  • 04 Preview Looking For A Fox - Clarence Carter

  • 05 Preview Some Kind Of Wonderful - The Soul Brothers Six

  • 06 Preview Something Good (Is Going To Happen To You) - Carla Thomas

  • 07 Preview I'm Gonna Run Away From You - Tami Lynn

  • 08 Preview At The Club (Mono single mix) - The Drifters

  • 09 Preview Que Sera, Sera (What Ever Will Be, Will Be) - The High Keyes

  • 10 Preview Poison Ivy - The Coasters

  • 11 Preview Chain Of Fools - The Goodtimers

  • 12 Preview Able Mable - Mable John

  • 13 Preview Holding On With Both Hands - Eddie Floyd

  • 14 Preview Last Night - The Mar-Keys

  • 15 Preview The Memphis Train - Rufus Thomas

  • 16 Preview Three Time Loser - Wilson Pickett

  • 17 Preview Keep Lookin' - Solomon Burke

  • 18 Preview 40 Days - 40 Nights - Don Covay & The Goodtimers

  • 19 Preview Green Onions - King Curtis

  • 20 Preview Comin' Home Baby - Mel Torme

  • 21 Preview He Don't Love You (And He'll Break Your Heart) - Levon & The Hawks

  • 22 Preview Slim Jenkin's Place - Booker T & The MG's

  • 23 Preview Just One Look - Doris Troy

  • 24 Preview Walkin' Up A One Way Street - Willie Tee

  • 25 Preview Young Boy Blues - Ben E King

Delivery & Returns

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We offer free P&P to UK addresses. For all other territories packaging is free and postage is charged on a weight basis.

We use Royal Mail First Class for UK deliveries and standard Air Mail for all other territories, very large orders will usually be sent via parcelforce. You may cancel your order at any time prior to your order being dispatched by emailing us at orders@acerecords.com ensuring that you quote your name, address and order reference number or by telephoning +44 (0) 208 453 1311 between 9am and 5pm GMT/BST, Monday to Friday. Please note: As music downloads are dispatched immediately after purchase, there is no possibility of cancelling these orders.

In the event that any products supplied to you by us are damaged or defective, we agree to replace or repair the damaged or defective products or refund the amount you paid for such goods (including postage & packaging) providing you notify us (either via post at or e-mail: orders@acerecords.com ) and return the goods within 28 days of purchase. Physical goods should be sent back to us in the same condition you received them to: “Returns” Ace Records, Such Close, Letchworth Garden City SG6 1JF, United Kingdom. Music downloads should be returned to us via the e-mail address above including a copy of your notification.

You have the right to cancel your order within seven days of purchase, or seven days of receipt of the goods (whichever is the longer). If you choose to cancel your order, full payment will be returned to you. Returned items should be sent to: “Returns” c/o Ace Records, Such Close, Letchworth Garden City SG6 1JF, United Kingdom. Music downloads should be returned to us via the email address: orders@acerecords.com including a copy of your notice of cancellation and order number.

Press quotes

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★★★★★

Uncut

Fine music, perfectly chronicling London club life in the '60's. 

Record Collector

This is an absolutely faultless package of sixties soul. Buy it today.

Blues & Rhythm

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