New Breed R&B - Money Talks.
Label: Kent Dance.
Format: CD.
Nowadays, DJs and soul connoisseurs continue to collect and seek out new breed R&B. For those who haven't heard of this new relatively new musical movement, it's an offshoot of Northern Soul. The tracks that are sought out by collectors are from the fifties, sixties and seventies.
Three examples of new breed R&B are Bobby Day's 'Pretty Little Girl Next Door,' Marva Josie's 'You Lied' and Mike Pedicin's 'Burnt Toast and Black Coffee.' These tracks are best described as early sixties R&B but with a hint of soul and/or pop. However, all of the new breed R&B tracks have one thing in common, the influence of the blues. That's the case on New Breed R&B - Money Talks, a new compilation that was recently released by Kent Dance.
Opening the compilation is 'Don't Try To Tell Me,' the first of two tracks from Berna-Dean. It's a catchy, dancefloor friendly track that features a powerful vocal. The track was produced by Dave Bartholomew, and recorded for GNP Crescendo in 1964, but lay unreleased until 2024, when it was released as a single on Kent Select. On the B-Side was 'Laughing On The Outside.' This is a deeply soulful song with an emotive soul-baring vocal.
'This Mornin'' by The Jesse Stone Singers was recorded for the Arock label in 1962. There's elements of folk and gospel in this uplifting and joyous R&B rocker.
'What's On Your Mind' was recorded by The Four Bars, was originally released on the Cadillac label in 1960. However, when the single failed commercially that wasn't the end of the story.
Vocalist Eddie Daye, who wrote the song, reissued the single twice on his own Dayco label in 1962. Then in 1963, he licensed the single to the Shelley label in 1963. It features a needy, pleading, hurt-filled vocal from Daye where soul and doo wop are combined.
'Not So Much Talk' was recorded by Jimmy Breedlove for Arock in 1962, but has lain unreleased until now. It's thought that this cover of a Jesse Stone composition was a demo. However, it's another dancefloor-friendly slice of rocky R&B.
Curtis Moon wrote 'Mary Don't You Weep,' which was released as a single by The Delights on Golden Crest, in 1962. Soul meets doo wop on this rarity that was the only single the group released.
In 1966, Barbara Ozen penned 'I'm A Good Woman.' She was better known as singer, songwriter and R&B and electric blues guitarist, Barbara Lynn. She released the song as a single later that year on Tribe Records. However, the single failed commercially.
Despite that, soon, the song featured in many Bay Area group's sets, and was covered by a number of artists and groups. This included The Afterglows, who recorded 'I'm A Good Woman' for the Candix label in 1969. Sadly, the song was never released. That's a great shame as their impassioned rendition of the song featured a powerful, soulful vocal that's an outpouring of emotion.
This alternate version of Albert Washington's 'Case Of The Blues' originally featured on the Ace compilation 'Blues and Soul Man.' It was released in 1999, and twenty-six years later, this track from a truly talented bluesman returns for a well-deserved encore.
Buddy Wilkins also only released one single during his career. That was 'Private Eye,' which was written by Jesse Stone, and released on the Tri-Ess label in 1960. It's an example of song story where Wilkins' lived-in vocal paints pictures.
One of the best tracks on 'New Breed R&B - Money Talks' is 'Hey Hey Baby' by T-Bone Walker. It was released on Modern in 1964, and is a reminder of the legendary blues guitar pioneer who influenced a generation of guitarists.
'You Make Me Mad' was released as a single by Johnny Madara on Bamboo, in 1961. It's a memorable and catchy song where R&B and rock 'n' roll are combined. Accompanying the vocal is an arrangement that's powerful and punchy. It's driven along by the rhythm section before wailing, screeching horns play their part in the singles's sound and success.
Closing 'New Breed R&B - Money Talks' is 'Cleopatra' by The Precisions. This was the Brooklyn-based group's only single. It was released as a single on Golden Crest in 1962, and saw the group combining R&B and doo wop. However, the single failed to trouble the charts, and nowadays, it's a much-prized rarity among collectors.
There's twenty-five tracks on 'New Breed R&B - Money Talks.' It's a compilation that may be of interest to anyone interested in new breed R&B, Northern Soul or even blues, R&B or soul. It's a compilation that may be of interest to many people. That's no surprise.
There's contributions from familiar faces, and what will be new names to many people. On New Breed R&B - Money Talks there are singles, six unreleased tracks plus four songs that previously, were only available on other Ace or Kent compilations. These twenty-five tracks tracks were recorded during the sixties and seventies, which was the heyday of new breed R&B.
New Breed R&B - Money Talks.
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