Close To Me: More Fame Recordings Dan Penn

£12.56

Genre:
Southern Soul
Label:
Ace Records
Format:
CD
Catalogue Id:
CDCHD 1477

This product is also available in these versions:
Close To Me: More Fame Recordings (MP3), MP3 (£7.99)

One of the greatest songsmiths of his generation, featured on a second helping of vintage soul and R&B goodies from the vaults of Fame Records.

There have been few song salesmen as remarkable as Dan Penn was during his apprenticeship at Fame in the mid-1960s. This was the era when music publishing houses actively solicited their wares, hopeful a hit artist would propel one of their copyrights into the charts. Most material was circulated via bare-boned recordings performed by faceless session players. Only occasionally might the hired vocalist stray from a perfunctory rundown of the lyric and melody, or the accompanying combo stretch beyond sight-reading from the chord sheet. Sometimes the songwriter might feature on the demo, which normally counted for a more lively interpretation. But rarely did they ever invest their heart and soul the way that Dan Penn did at Fame, regularly spilling his blood on recordings that were never intended for public consumption.

Penn paid his dues punishing his vocal cords in the early 60s as frontman for Alabama frat-rats the Mark V, Nomads and Pallbearers. Thanks to the magnanimity of Fame’s Rick Hall, along with a procession of equally talented and complementary musical collaborators such as Spooner Oldham, Donnie Fritts and Marlin Greene, the studio and the song soon became Penn’s primary focus. It was precisely because he eschewed a recording career, and the musical diplomacy that might require, that Dan Penn gave it his all on this material.

As with our well-received previous compendium “The Fame Recordings”, the selections on offer here have been carefully sifted from over a hundred items Penn cut at Fame up to the autumn of 1966. The Penn/Oldham oeuvre in particular is now irrevocably associated with the southern soul genre, but in his own influences and aspirations, Penn was reaching for all the formats of the R&B music he heard and cherished. Thus we also encounter uptown New York erudition, smooth Chicago harmony, warm New Orleans pop styling, melodic Motown rhythm, and fatback Memphis grooves. Southern soul classics ‘Without A Woman’ and ‘She Ain’t Gonna Do Right’ nestle with uptown gems and a handful of previously unknown copyrights such as ‘It Hurts’ and ‘Standing In The Way Of A Good Thing’. He duets with Don Covay on their collaboration ‘I Can’t Stop (The Feeling Won’t Let Me)’, and there’s a fly on wall peek at the creation of a Penn/Oldham classic in ‘Downright Uptight Good Woman’.

The magic of Penn’s Fame recordings – accompanied by exactly the right musicians for the job, and run to tape through the mics, amps and tubes of the incomparable Fame facility – is no longer a music industry secret. It’s something at which we can all marvel. And here’s 24 more vintage diamonds from Dan Penn to enjoy.

Alec Palao

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Side 1

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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.

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