Sinds Ace de sleutels kreeg van de Fame archieven kregen we een fraai 3CD overzicht en diverse compilaties van o.a. Jimmy Hughes, Dan Penn en Clarence Carter. Nu is dan begonnen met het magnus opum van de ontdekkingsreis, het eerste deel van een driedelige dubbel-CD serie met alle singles die ooit op het Fame’s eigen label verschenen. Onvermijdelijk enige doublures met de single compilaties van Hughes en Carter, maar vooral een overzicht waaruit blijkt dat Fame zich als één van de weinige moeiteloos kon meten met Stax en Goldwax. Dan Penn is een constante factor als schrijver van menig werkje, en excelleert zelf met obscure singles onder eigen naam en met Spooner & The Spoons, waarin ook Spooner Oldham. Vroeg werk van Arthur Conley en de enige singles van de mysterieuze Art Freeman doen niets onder voor hun bekendere collega’s. Enige dame June Conquest was, volkomen terecht, zo onder de indruk van haar Almost Persuaded dat ze gelijk Fame als klein labeltje achter zich liet, maar het is tekenend dat ze daarna nooit meer de prestatie neerzette die ze hier deed. Hopelijk volgen deel twee en drie snel van dit overzicht, dat eenzelfde reputatie wacht als de Atlantic - en Stax Box.
The Muscle Shoals music scene, and its pioneer Rick Hall, have received a lot of attention recently. The Muscle Shoals documentary film devoted a great deal of coverage to Hall’s work and in January 2014 the Grammy committee presented him with a Special Merit award. Only a man with such great talent could have made a one-track country town in Alabamaan important centre of the American recording industry. As a tribute to his outstanding legacy, we are releasing the first volume in our “The Complete Fame Singles” series.
Hall opened Fame Recording Studios in 1961. Arthur Alexander’s timeless single, ‘You Better Move On’ b/w ‘A Shot Of Rhythm and Blues’ – a big hit on Dot and a monumental influence on a generation of UK musicians, was the first of many hits recorded at Fame. At first Hall hired out the studio to producers such as Ray Stevens and Bill Lowery who wanted to take advantage of his crack studio band and his engineering skills. He also issued a few records by local acts on the R and H or Fame labels and leased out other masters to larger imprints for national distribution. When he found Jimmy Hughes, who he hoped would follow Arthur Alexander as his star act, he licensed ‘I’m Qualified’ to Jamie-Guyden in Philadelphia. Only when he failed to place Hughes’ follow-up with a national company was he forced to start Fame as a serious label, helped by Dan Penn, his main songwriter and right-hand man in the studio. This is the point where our collection begins.
The single was the southern soul masterpiece ‘Steal Away’. Following Hall and Penn’s early attempts at promotion, the record was picked up by Vee-Jay for national distribution. On the back of a Top 20 Pop hit and a #2 position on Cash Box’s R&B chart, Vee-Jay demanded more material from Hughes and signed a distribution deal for the Fame label. Fame attempted to repeat Jimmy Hughes’ success and issued a selection of records from musicians who formed the team around Rick Hall.
On this first of three volumes, we follow the development of the great songwriting team of Dan Penn and Spooner Oldham and hear the records made during the years 1964 to 1967. Many failed to make a mark, as much of the label’s early period was devoted to finding out what route would lead to success. By the end of the second disc, Clarence Carter is established as the label’s main star, distribution has switched to Atlantic and the Fame label’s path is set. The 52 tracks here tell this fascinating story.
Disc: 1
1. Steal Away- Jimmy Hughes
2. Lollypops, Lace And Lipstick - Jimmy Hughes
3. Close To Me - Dan Penn
4. Let Them Talk - Dan Penn
5. Try Me - Jimmy Hughes
6. Lovely Ladies - Jimmy Hughes
7. I'm Getting Better - Jimmy Hughes
8. I Want Justice - Jimmy Hughes
9. Hey, Do You Wanna Marry - Spooner And The Spoons
10. Wish You Didn't Have To Go - Spooner And The Spoons
11. Almost Persuaded - June Conquest
12. Party Talk - June Conquest
13. Goodbye My Lover Goodbye - Jimmy Hughes
14. It Was Nice - Jimmy Hughes
15. Take Me (Just As I Am) - Dan Penn
16. Diamonds - Dan Penn
17. You Really Know How To Hurt A Guy - Jimmy Hughes
18. The Loving Physician - Jimmy Hughes
19. Midnight Affair - Jimmy Hughes
20. When It Comes To Dancing - Jimmy Hughes
21. Keep On Talking - James Barnett
22. Take A Good Look - James Barnett
23. Gonna Make You Say Yeah - Terry Woodford
24. Hit The Ground - Terry Woodford
25. Neighbor, Neighbor - Jimmy Hughes
26. It's A Good Thing - Jimmy Hughes
Disc: 2
1. His Town - Terry Woodford
2. She Wants What She Can't Have - Terry Woodford
3. Laugh It Off - The Villagers
4. You're Gonna Lose That Girl - The Villagers
5. I Worship The Ground You Walk On - Jimmy Hughes
6. A Shot Of Rhythm And Blues - Jimmy Hughes
7. In The Same Old Way - Arthur Conley
8. I Can't Stop (No, No No)- Arthur Conley
9. I Can't Get You Out Of My Mind - Art Freeman
10. Slippin Around With You - Art Freeman
11. I'm Gonna Forget About You - Arthur Conley
12. Take Me (Just As I Am) - Arthur Conley
13. I Stayed Away Too Long - Clarence Carter
14. Tell Daddy - Clarence Carter
15. Why Not Tonight - Jimmy Hughes
16. I'm A Man Of Action - Jimmy Hughes
17. Everybody's Got To Cry Sometime - Art Freeman
18. A Piece Of My Heart - Art Freeman
19. Thread The Needle - Clarence Carter
20. Don't Make My Baby Cry - Clarence Carter
21. Don't Lose Your Good Thing - Jimmy Hughes
22. You Can't Believe Everything- Jimmy Hughes
23. Hi Heel Sneakers - Jimmy Hughes
24. Time Will Bring You Back - Jimmy Hughes
25. She Ain't Gonna Do Right - Clarence Carter
26. The Road Of Love - Clarence Carter
