VA - Please Release Me: The Soulful Side Of Country

Size: 184,8 MB
Time: 77:15
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: Soul, Country, R&B
Art: Front & Back

01. Little Esther Phillips - Release Me (3:20)
02. Arthur Alexander - I Wonder Where You Are Tonight (2:36)
03. Cookie - Got You On My Mind (2:35)
04. Big Maybelle - Cold, Cold Heart (3:10)
05. Adam Wade - The Writing On The Wall (2:31)
06. Solomon Burke - Just Out Of Reach (Of My Two Open Arms) (2:44)
07. Ray Charles - Take These Chains From My Heart (2:54)
08. Brook Benton - Hotel Happiness (2:40)
09. Lavern Baker - Shake A Hand (2:48)
10. Bobby Bland - Who Will The Next Fool Be (2:28)
11. Clyde McPhatter - I'm Movin' On (1:49)
12. Ben E. King - My Heart Cries For You (2:18)
13. Little Esther Phillips - Why Should We Try Anymore (2:07)
14. Little Willie John - She Thinks I Still Care (2:52)
15. Elton Anderson - The Secret Of Love (2:25)
16. Arthur Alexander - I Hang My Head And Cry (2:30)
17. Fats Domino - Your Cheatin' Heart (2:07)
18. Fontella Bass - I Don't Hurt Anymore (2:06)
19. Lavern Baker - Hey Memphis (2:31)
20. William Bell - Please Help Me I'm Falling (2:19)
21. Phil Phillips - Sea Of Love (2:21)
22. Varetta Dillard - A Little Bitty Tear (2:02)
23. Little Willie John - Big Blue Diamonds (2:45)
24. Little Esther Phillips - Am I That Easy To Forget (2:49)
25. Ray Charles - Making Believe (2:53)
26. Adam Wade - As If I Didn't Know (3:01)
27. Brook Benton - Take Good Care Of Her (3:31)
28. Solomon Burke - I Really Don't Want To Know (3:30)
29. Ted Taylor - I'll Release You (3:20)

When it comes to soul music meeting country music there have been a number of golden eras; at the top of the list there’s performances heard on this star-studded compilation that is primarily taken from1962. The words classy and quality come to mind throughout the eclectic compilation.

The 29 track release comes with a handful from 1958 –1959 and 1961, as you have such acts as Ray Charles, Solomon Burke, Fats Domino, Clyde McPhatter, Little Willie John, Ben E. King and LaVern Baker among others heard covering material from Hank Williams, Fred Rose, Dickey Le Lipscomb, Hank Cochran, Jimmy Work, Hank Snow, Gene Autry and Johnny Bond among others.

Loaded in brass and harmony vocals and other appropriate flavours the material is sure to please both country and soul fans. I have lost count on tracks where I’ll habitually press replay, among those at the top of the list you have Baker singing “Hey Memphis” (an answer song to Elvis Presley’s hit “Little Sister”), Varetta Dillard’s “A Little Bitty Tear” and of course Ray Charles and his killer versions of “Take These Chains From My Heart“ and “Making Believe”, plus the all too often under appreciated Arthur Alexander (“I Wonder Where You Are Tonight” and “I Hang My Heart And Cry”) and the great Fats Domino with “Your Cheatin’ Heart”. Possessing a burning desire and mood striking feel you have 'Little Esher' Phillips serve up a stunning version of “Am I That Easy To Forget”, and with Ray Charles decked out in mouth-watering strings and female harmony vocals following with above noted treasure “Makin' Believe”, and shortly after Adam Wade with answer song (to “Please release Me”), “I'll Release You”.

For a slick, smoother sound Solomon Burke delivers “Just Out Of Reach”, and for a real show - stopper (and a half) LaVern Baker’s version of “Shake A Hand” has it all, and on pulling out all the stops she knocked me sideways with her terrific take of “Little Sister”; performed as “Hey Mister” it is an explosive affair. Follow that anyone! ~Maurice Hope

Please Release Me

---

VA - Please Release Me: The Soulful Side Of Country

Size: 184,7 MB
Time: 77:18
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: Country Soul
Art: Front

01. Little Esther Phillips - Release Me (3:20)
02. Arthur Alexander - I Wonder Where You Are Tonight (2:36)
03. Cookie - Got You On My Mind` (2:35)
04. Big Maybelle - Cold, Cold Heart (3:10)
05. Adam Wade - The Writing On The Wall (2:31)
06. Solomon Burke - Just Out Of Reach (Of My Two Open Arms) (2:44)
07. Ray Charles - Take These Chains From My Heart (2:54)
08. Brook Benton - Hotel Happiness (2:40)
09. Lavern Baker - Shake A Hand (2:48)
10. Bobby Bland - Who Will The Next Fool Be (2:28)
11. Clyde McPhatter - I'm Movin' On (1:49)
12. Ben E. King - My Heart Cries For You (2:18)
13. Little Esther Phillips - Why Should We Try Anymore (2:07)
14. Little Willie John - She Thinks I Still Care (2:52)
15. Elton Anderson - The Secret Of Love (2:25)
16. Arthur Alexander - I Hang My Head And Cry (2:30)
17. Fats Domino - Your Cheatin' Heart (2:07)
18. Fontella Bass - I Don't Hurt Anymore (2:06)
19. Lavern Baker - Hey Memphis (2:31)
20. William Bell - Please Help Me I'm Falling (2:19)
21. Phil Phillips - Sea Of Love (2:21)
22. Varetta Dillard - A Little Bitty Tear (2:02)
23. Little Willie John - Big Blue Diamonds (2:49)
24. Little Esther Phillips - Am I That Easy To Forget (2:49)
25. Ray Charles - Making Believe (2:53)
26. Adam Wade - As If I Didn't Know (3:01)
27. Brook Benton - Take Good Care Of Her (3:31)
28. Solomon Burke - I Really Don't Want To Know (3:30)
29. Ted Taylor - I'll Release You (3:20)

The unexpected success of Ray Charles' million selling Modern Sounds In Country & Western Music LP, in the Spring of 1962, led to a flood of soul and R&B artists recording C&W songs. Including Ben E. King, Clyde McPhatter, William Bell, Arthur Alexander and most notably 'Little Esther' Phillips, whose million-selling revival of the old Ray Price hit 'Release Me' provides our title track (in closing, the remarkable Ted Taylor weighs in with his classic Answer Disc, 'I'll Release You'). Yet ironically, artists like Solomon Burke, LaVern Baker, Little Willie John, Brook Benton, Bobby Bland, Adam Wade, Varetta Dillard, Big Maybelle and Fontella Bass had long been singing Country, often enjoying great commercial successes. Louisiana was another hotbed of R&B/C&W crossover, as evidenced by Elton Anderson, Cookie & His Cupcakes, Phil Phillips and particularly Fats Domino, who'd been singing Hank Williams' songs since the 40s. This is a unique and irresistible collection of big hits and collectors' obscurities.

Please Release Me

---

VA - A Shot Of Rhythm & Blues

Size: 148,2153,6 MB
Time: 62:16+64:38
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2013
Styles: R&B, Blues, Soul, Rock
Art: Front

CD 1:
01 Arthur Alexander - A Shot Of Rhythm And Blues (1:59)
02 Eugene Church - Pretty Girls Everywhere (2:58)
03 Clyde McPhatter - Stop (2:01)
04 Eddie Bo - Every Dog Has Its Day (2:17)
05 Ike & Tina Turner - A Fool In Love (2:34)
06 Etta James - Next Door To The Blues (2:44)
07 Little Willie John - Leave My Kitten Alone (2:31)
08 Jimmy McCracklin - The Walk (2:44)
09 Lula Reed - Your Love Keeps A-Working On Me (2:28)
10 Bo Didley - I Can Tell (3:06)
11 Nappy Brown - Don't Be Angry (2:24)
12 Smokey Robinson & The Miracles - Money (That's What I Want) (3:44)
13 Charles Sheffield - It's Your Voodoo Working (1:46)
14 Rosco Gordon - Just A Little Bit (2:04)
15 Bobby Parker - Watch Your Step (2:42)
16 Ruth Brown - I Burned Your Letter (2:43)
17 King, Bobby - Thanks Mr Postman (2:44)
18 Betty James - I'm A Little Mixed Up (2:48)
19 Howlin' Wolf - I've Been Abused (2:14)
20 Baby Washington - Your Mama Knows What's Right (1:53)
21 The Del Vikings - Confession Of Love (2:21)
22 Lavern Baker - Humpty Dumpty Heart (2:32)
23 Benny Spellman - Fortune Teller (2:09)
24 Earl King - Trick Bag (2:38)
25 Buddy Guy - The Treasure Untold (2:00)

CD 2:
01 Johnny 'Guitar' Watson - Broke And Lonely (2:56)
02 Etta James - Seven Day Fool (2:53)
03 Albert King - This Morning (2:08)
04 Bo Diddley - You Can't Judge A Book By Its Cover (2:43)
05 Royal J. Abbit - Send Me Somebody (3:25)
06 James Brown - Night Train (3:13)
07 Lavern Baker - Love Me Right (1:57)
08 Eugene Church - I Ain't Goin' For That (2:17)
09 Nappy Brown - Little By Little (2:33)
10 Baby Washington - Hush Heart (2:10)
11 Richard Berry - Have Love, Will Travel (2:37)
12 Marv Johnson - Come To Me (2:20)
13 Clyde McPhatter - Tomorrow Is A-Comin' (2:23)
14 Ruth Brown - Somebody Touched Me (2:27)
15 Little Walter - My Babe (2:31)
16 Aaron Neville - Humdinger (2:38)
17 Thurston Harris - Over And Over (2:15)
18 The Midnighters - Work With Me Annie (2:45)
19 Ben E. King - A Help Each Other Romance (2:42)
20 Little Willie John - Let Nobody Love You (2:49)
21 El Pauling - Come On Let's Have A Good Time (2:42)
22 Bill Doggett - Hold It (2:29)
23 Irma Thomas - Don't Mess With My Man (2:17)
24 Freddie King - You Can't Hide (2:56)
25 Bobby Parker - Steal Yourt Heart Away (2:22)

On A Shot Of Rhythm & Blues CD 1
On A Shot Of Rhythm & Blues CD 2

Arthur Alexander - You Better Move On: His Impressive 1962 Debut Album (Bonus Track Version)

Size: 147,0 MB
Time: 62:22
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1962/2016
Styles: R&B, Soul
Art: Front

01. You Better Move On (2:31)
02. Love Letters (2:26)
03. Hey! Baby! (2:08)
04. Funny How Time Slips Away (2:44)
05. Young World (2:11)
06. A Thousand Stars (2:55)
07. A Hundred Pounds Of Clay (2:21)
08. Lover, Please Come Home (1:56)
09. Love Me Warm And Tender (2:01)
10. The Wanderer (2:28)
11. Don't Break The Heart That Loves You (2:39)
12. You're The Reason (2:24)
13. A Shot Of Rhythm And Blues (Bonus Track) (1:55)
14. Anna (Go To Him) (Bonus Track) (2:50)
15. Soldier Of Love (Lay Down Your Arms) (Bonus Track) (2:15)
16. Where Have You Been (All My Life) (Bonus Track) (2:38)
17. Keep Her Guessing (Bonus Track) (2:16)
18. You Better Move On (Single Version) (Bonus Track) (2:42)
19. I Hang My Head And Cry (Bonus Track) (2:30)
20. Dream Girl (Bonus Track) (2:32)
21. Girl That Radiates Charm (Bonus Track) (2:20)
22. The Girl That Radiates That Charm (Bonus Track) (2:43)
23. I Wonder Where You Are Tonight (Bonus Track) (2:36)
24. Baby Baby (Bonus Track) (1:40)
25. Pretty Girls Everywhere (Bonus Track) (2:09)
26. Go Home Girl (Bonus Track) (2:17)

Although his songs were covered by the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, and Elvis Presley, country-soul pioneer Arthur Alexander remains largely unknown to the general listening audience -- nevertheless, his music is the stuff of genius, a poignant and deeply intimate body of work on par with the best of his contemporaries. Born May 10, 1940, in Florence, AL, Alexander was the son of a bottleneck blues guitarist who performed each Saturday night in the blues joints scattered throughout the region. Rooted as much in white country music as black R&B, Alexander was still in the sixth grade when he joined a gospel group dubbed the Heartstrings. After high school, he worked as a hotel bellhop, befriending Tom Stafford, an R&B-obsessed white kid who fancied himself a lyricist -- Alexander began adding melodies to his words, and through Stafford was introduced to a likeminded crowd of fledgling musicians including future legends Dan Penn, Spooner Oldham, Billy Sherrill, and Rick Hall. In 1958 Alexander partnered with Henry Lee Bennett to write "She Wanna Rock," which Stafford then sold to Decca Records; country singer Arnie Derksen recorded the song a year later, and in 1960 Alexander made his solo debut for Judd Records with the gritty blues number "Sally Sue Brown," written and produced with Stafford and credited to June (short for "Junior") Alexander.

During the summer of 1961, Alexander and Hall crossed the Tennessee River to build a recording studio in the town of Muscle Shoals, transforming an abandoned tobacco warehouse into one of the most fabled facilities in popular music history. The first record incubated within Muscle Shoals was Alexander's 1962 classic "You Better Move On." The product of the singer's roots in both country and R&B, its earthy, backwoods flavor anticipated the deep soul popularized by Memphis labels like Stax and Hi, reaching number 24 on the national pop charts following its release on Dot Records. Later covered by the Rolling Stones, "You Better Move On" earned Hall enough money to begin work on a new Muscle Shoals Studio, but the deal with Dot effectively halted his collaboration with Alexander, who arguably never reached the same heights again. Dot producer Noel Ball next assigned the singer the Barry Mann/Cynthia Weil composition "Where Have You Been All My Life," which barely scraped the Top 60. Worse, the label buried the Alexander original "Soldier of Love" on the flip side. But his third Dot effort, the self-penned "Anna (Go to Him)," was a Top Ten R&B smash and was later covered by avowed fans the Beatles, who also recorded "Soldier of Love."

Although singer Steve Alaimo enjoyed considerable success in 1963 with the Alexander-penned "Every Day I Have to Cry," Alexander himself struggled to deliver a follow-up -- "Go Home Girl" couldn't even crack the Hot 100, and after a series of little-heard singles such as "You're the Reason," "Ole John Amos," and "Detroit City," Dot terminated his contract in early 1965. Alexander soon resurfaced on the Sound Stage 7 label with "(Baby) For You," but after "Show Me the Road" a year later, he did not release a new record until 1968's "I Need You Baby." Accounts vary as to the circumstances dictating Alexander's fade from recording and touring at this time -- he later admitted to suffering a long and debilitating illness, and there were rumors he became something of an acid casualty well before psychedelia blossomed in full. Sound Stage 7 issued a single a year for the remainder of the decade -- "Love's Where Life Begins" in 1968, "Another Place, Another Time" in 1969, and "Cry Like a Baby" in 1970 -- but otherwise he was almost completely absent from music for the latter half of the 1960s, albeit reportedly cutting a session for ABC/Dunhill that remains unreleased.

In 1971 Alexander resurfaced as a staff songwriter at Nashville-based Combine Music, working alongside the likes of Kris Kristofferson, Billy Swan, Tony Joe White, and Donnie Fritts. Combine executives soon orchestrated a recording deal with Warner Bros., and he entered Chips Moman's renowned American Studio in Memphis to record his first LP in a decade, a self-titled affair highlighted by readings of Dennis Linde's "Burning Love" (later a smash for Elvis Presley) and the Penn/Fritts collaboration "Rainbow Road," as plaintive and beautiful a record as Alexander ever made. Neither the album nor its accompanying singles made any noticeable commercial impact, however, and he soon exited Warner Bros., finally giving up on Nashville three years later and returning home to Florence. There he signed to Buddah, going back to Muscle Shoals to cut his own rendition of "Every Day I Have to Cry," a minor hit that would prove his final commercial success of note. "Sharing the Night With You" appeared the year following, and after one last effort for Music Mill, the aptly titled "So Long Baby," Alexander quit the music business altogether, driving a social services bus for a living. Elektra/Nonesuch coaxed him out of retirement to make a comeback album, 1993's Lonely Just Like Me, but while on tour in support of the record he fell ill, passing away in Nashville on June 13, 1993. ~by Jason Ankeny

You Better Move On

---

Arthur Alexander - You Better Move On: The Best Of Arthur Alexander

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:58
Size: 93.8 MB
Styles: R&B, Soul, Blues vocals
Year: 2013
Art: Front

[2:42] 1. You Better Move On
[2:47] 2. Anna (Go To Him)
[2:38] 3. Where Have You Been (All My Life)
[2:39] 4. Don't Break The Heart That Loves You
[2:21] 5. A Hundred Pounds Of Clay
[1:55] 6. Shot Of R&B
[2:55] 7. A Thousand Stars
[2:44] 8. Funny How Time Slips Away
[2:17] 9. Go Home Girl
[2:01] 10. Love Me Warm And Tender
[2:15] 11. Soldier Of Love (Lay Down Your Arms)
[2:08] 12. Hey! Baby!
[1:56] 13. Lover, Please Come Back
[2:11] 14. Young World
[2:25] 15. You're The Reason
[2:28] 16. The Wanderer
[2:26] 17. Love Letters

Arthur Alexander (May 10, 1940 – June 9, 1993), born in Florence, Alabama, was perhaps one of the biggest stars to arise out of the American country-soul scene. Working with Muscle Shoals, a pioneering record label, Alexander’s “You Better Move On” was the label’s first hit and perhaps his best-known song, covered by The Rolling Stones. “Anna (Go to Him)” a US rhythm and blues Top Ten Hit (covered by The Beatles), “Soldier of Love” (covered by The Beatles, Marshall Crenshaw and Pearl Jam) and “Set Me Free” (covered by Esther Phillips and Joe Tex) were also major hits and established Alexander as a pioneering arranger of others’ tunes, as well as an established songwriter in his own right. He switched to another label, Sound Stage 7 founded by Fred Foster, and although a 1972 album for Warner Brothers was promising, the singer’s potential seemed to wither. He secured a pop hit with “Every Day I Have To Cry” on Buddah Records (1975), but the success remained shortlived. For many years, Alexander was out of the music business; he was a bus driver for much of this time. He began to perform again in 1993 as renewed interest was shown in his small but important catalogue. His last album “Lonely Just Like Me” was his first in 21 years. He signed a new recording/publishing contract in May 1993 but suffered the cruelest fate when he collapsed and died of a heart attack the following month, three days after performing in Nashville with his new band.

Arthur Alexander deserves a special mention in pop and rock history for his particular influence, as indicated, on The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. It is believed that John Lennon, in particular, was heavily influenced in his singing style by Arthur Alexander. The above-mentioned tracks such as ‘Anna’, ‘You Better Move On’ and ‘Soldier of Love’, in particular, but maybe also ‘Go Home Girl’ might confirm this artist’s influence on the Beatles and his influence, if the listener needs further convincing after hearing ‘You Better Move On’, on the Rolling Stones.

You Better Move On: The Best Of Arthur Alexander mc
You Better Move On: The Best Of Arthur Alexander zippy

---

Various - Slip 'n' Slide Blues

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:10
Size: 103.4 MB
Styles: R&B, Blues
Year: 2015
Art: Front

[2:35] 1. Ralph Willis - Income Tax Blues
[4:13] 2. Horace Sprott - Black Snake Blues
[2:35] 3. Barefoot Bill - Snigglin' Blues
[2:33] 4. Dan Picket - Something's Gone Wrong
[2:57] 5. Big Mama Thornton - Walking Blues
[2:28] 6. Walter Roland - Big Mama
[2:32] 7. Cow Cow Davenport - Cow Cow Blues
[2:45] 8. Daddy Stovepipe - The Spasm
[2:08] 9. Arthur Alexander - Sally Sue Brown
[2:59] 10. Ed Bell - Squabblin' Blues
[2:51] 11. Dan Pickett - Lemon Man
[2:48] 12. Edward Thompson - Seven Sister Blues
[2:56] 13. Lucille Bogan - Baking Powder Blues
[2:54] 14. Clifford Gibson - Blues Without A Dime
[2:45] 15. Frankie Half-Pint Jaxon - I Wonder Where My Easy Rider's Gone
[3:02] 16. Ollis Martin - Police And High Sheriff Come Ridin' Home

Slip 'n' Slide Blues mc
Slip 'n' Slide Blues zippy

---

Arthur Alexander - Lonely Just Like Me: The Final Chapter

Size: 98,9 MB
Time: 41:50
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2007
Styles: Blues Soul, Soul, R&B
Art: Full

01. If It's Really Got To Be This Way (4:01)
02. Go Home Girl (3:49)
03. Sally Sue Brown (2:41)
04. Mr. John (3:49)
05. Lonely Just Like Me (3:11)
06. Every Day I Have To Cry Some (2:43)
07. In The Middle Of It All (3:56)
08. Genie In The Jug (2:33)
09. Johnny Heartbreak (3:33)
10. All The Time (3:25)
11. There Is A Road (4:25)
12. I Believe In Miracles (3:38)

Review by Mark Deming:
Arthur Alexander had been forgotten by nearly everyone short of hardcore fans of Southern soul when he was lured away from his day job as a school bus driver in Cleveland to cut a new album as part of Elektra Records' American Explorer series, and 1993's Lonely Just Like Me was a potent reminder of Alexander's estimable gifts as a vocalist and a songwriter. However, Alexander died of a heart attack at the age of 51 just weeks after the album was released, and while the story of his short-lived comeback brought him back to the attention of music fans (and prompted long-overdue reissues of his classic sides of the '60s and '70s), the album that brought him back to the spotlight didn't fare so well. With no artist to promote the album, Lonely Just Like Me promptly disappeared, and Alexander's valedictory effort seemed doomed to obscurity. However, the collectors at Hacktone Records have given his final recordings a second chance in the marketplace, and Lonely Just Like Me: The Final Chapter is a splendid expansion of what was already a wonderful album. This disc includes the dozen songs from the album in remastered and resequenced form (the new running order is meant to conform more closely to the original intentions of Alexander and producer Ben Vaughn), as well as an appearance by Alexander on NPR's Fresh Air, four songs recorded in a Cleveland hotel room while Alexander and Vaughn were working out material for the recording sessions, and Alexander singing his 1962 hit "Anna" at New York City's Bottom Line in 1991 (this was the performance that prompted Elektra Records to give him a new record deal). While it might sound as if Hacktone has cluttered this disc with odds and ends, what's startling is how committed and compelling Alexander sounds regardless of the circumstances, whether he's singing an old Neil Diamond tune into a cassette machine or recording superb new compositions for his major-label comeback. There's a heartbreaking emotional honesty in his best songs, and he sang them with a voice that melded churchy grace with gritty home truths, and even though he'd been away from professional music making for close to a decade and a half when he cut this music, it's as moving and timeless as anything he ever recorded. Songs as good as "In the Middle of It All," "If It's Really Got to Be This Way" and "All the Time" only come around once in a lifetime, and thankfully, Alexander was given one last chance to share them with Lonely Just Like Me; this new edition only improves an overlooked classic anyone with an ear for vintage R&B will cherish.

Thanks to Marc.
Lonely Just Like Me

---