21 Of The Best 1971-83 Millie Jackson

£12.56

Genre:
Modern Soul
Label:
Southbound
Format:
CD
Catalogue Id:
CDSEWD 100

This product is also available in these versions:
21 Of The Best 1971-83 (MP3), MP3 (£7.99)

Millie’s top-selling “Best Of” compilation reissued with a new cover and new sleeve note. Some of the finest soul music of the 70s and early 80s, performed by one of the genre’s all-time great voices.

Native Georgian Mildred Virginia Jackson was almost 26 years old when she made her first professional recordings for Spring, a New York-based label owned and operated by brothers Jules and Roy Rifkind. After moving to Newark, New Jersey as a teen in the late 50s, Millie had been combining a career as an occasional model with singing in nightclubs since the mid-60s, honing her rapport with audiences all the while. She somehow managed to evade any offers of a recording contract until the Rifkinds made one she did not feel inclined to refuse. Millie’s long period of woodshedding meant that the brothers were getting more-or-less the finished article when they signed her.

As it did her list of chart 45s, ‘A Child Of God (It’s Hard To Believe)’ kicks off this collection. A starkly dramatic depiction of the dark side of ghetto life, its appearance on Spring in November 1971 served to announce the arrival of a major new name in soul music. Millie had demo’d the song a few months earlier for its co-writer and co-producer Don French, and by the time they got to the studio to record a master she had perfected the intensely bleak narrative to a point where it was impossible to ignore. The track reached #22 R&B and narrowly missed the US Hot 100 as 1972 dawned. As opening gambits go, it was pretty impressive.

In all, “21 Of The Best” includes 17 songs that made the R&B charts (eight of them the Top 20), including six that crossed over into the Pop 100 – ‘Ask Me What You Want’, ‘My Man, A Sweet Man’, ‘It Hurts So Good’, ‘How Do You Feel The Morning After’, ‘(If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don’t Want To Be Right’ and ‘If You’re Not Back In Love By Monday’. Other highlights include the dramatic ‘I Feel Like Walking In The Rain’, the undisputed highlight of Millie’s “E.S.P.” album, which brought the curtain down on her 14-year association with the Rifkind Brothers.

Behind the scenes goings on would keep her out of the studio for almost three years, save for a collaboration with Elton John on ‘Act Of War’. When she returned it was with Jive Records, for whom she scored two immediate R&B Top 10 hits, but that’s another story for another CD. For now, we invite you to reacquaint yourself with some of the finest soul music of the 1970s and early 1980s, performed by one of the all-time great voices of the genre.

TONY ROUNCE

Share

Track listing

Show

Side 1

Delivery & Returns

Show

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.

Customer reviews

Show

Related products

Customers who bought this item also bought