Jack Ashford: Just Productions Various Artists (Producer Series)

£11.70

Genre:
60s Soul
Label:
Kent
Format:
CD
Catalogue Id:
CDKEND 447

This product is also available in these versions:
Jack Ashford: Just Productions (MP3), MP3 (£7.99)

After Pied Piper folded, Jack Ashford, Lorraine Chandler and their Detroit crew made more scintillating soul – 1968-1975.

Jack Ashford’s contacts from his time as one of Motown’s Funk Brothers were considerable and he continued working with some of Detroit’s top musicians and singers at Pied Piper. When he and Shelly Haimes closed down Pied Piper in late 1967, Ashford continued recording soul music with company artist Lorraine Chandler taking on a producer’s role.

His new Just Productions enterprise found a brilliant talent in gruff-voiced Eddie Parker whose ‘Love You Baby’ and ‘I’m Gone’ made little noise at the time but stunned UK northern soul fans in the 70s. The records took up-tempo soul to a new level and were perfect for the adrenalin-charged youths. Like ‘I’m Gone’, the Four Sonics’ ‘Tell Me You’re Mine’ and Al Gardner’s ‘Sweet Baby’ creatively utilised tracks from the Pied Piper days. In 1975 Parker cut the now in-demand ‘Body Chains’, featured here in a superior alternate take, and ‘But If You Must Go’, which wasn’t released until MAM-Miko put it out after Ashford relocated to Los Angeles around 1976.

Billy Sha-Rae was a Pennsylvania-based singer whose band the Soul Congress became the nucleus of the Just Productions musicians. Their song ‘Do It’ was a local hit but the instrumental version by ex-Funk Brother Johnny Griffith was even more powerful and is hugely popular in soul clubs nowadays. Sha-Rae was an exciting vocalist whose own recordings are featured, including his excellent take on the beat ballad ‘Crying Clown’.

Some of the company’s productions appeared on their own Sepia, Triple B, Ashford and Awake labels, while others were licensed to Jay-Walking, Buddah, Spectrum, Premium Stuff and Inter Soul. Ray Gant & the Arabians’ ‘Don’t Leave Me Baby’ came out on Soulville; we also found an alternative lyric and production for their ‘I Need A True Love’ called ‘Did She Do It To You’. The Smith Brothers’ brilliant mid-70s Soul Dimension double-sider ‘Payback’s A Drag’ / ‘There Can Be A Better Way’ approximates the Philly sound; they also have an unissued harmony ballad called ‘Don’t Worry’.

Sandra Richardson sings her modern soul classic ‘Stay Here With Me’, along with two previously unheard titles, of which ‘Deserted Garden’ is a sublime ballad. She wrote the in-demand mid-70s dancer ‘After You Give Your All’ for Softouch. Jack Ashford is proved to be a capable vocalist on ‘I’ll Fly To Your Open Arms’ from his 1977 LP and the swinging ‘Do The Choo-Choo’, previously issued as an instrumental.

Altogether an exceptional body of work from a musician whose day job was to produce music to set the world dancing.

Ady Croasdell

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Track listing

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Side 1

  • 01 Preview I'm Gone - Eddie Parker

  • 02 Preview Sweet Baby - Al Gardner

  • 03 Preview Do It (Instrumental) - Johnny Griffith acc by Billy Sha-Rae's Band

  • 04 Preview Let's Do It Again - Billy Sha-Rae

  • 05 Preview Where Are You - The Four Sonics

  • 06 Preview Love You Baby - Eddie Parker accompanied by Billy Sha-Rae's Soul Congress Band

  • 07 Preview Stay Here With Me - Sandra Richardson

  • 08 Preview Payback's A Drag - The Smith Brothers

  • 09 Preview Body Chains (Vocal version) - Eddie Parker

  • 10 Preview I'll Fly To Your Open Arms - Jack Ashford

  • 11 Preview After You Give Your All (What Else Is There To Give) - Softouch

  • 12 Preview There Can Be A Better Way - The Smith Brothers

  • 13 Preview Crying Clown - Billy Sha-Rae

  • 14 Preview Don't Take Your Love - The Magnificents

  • 15 Preview But If You Must Go - Eddie Parker

  • 16 Preview Don't Leave Me Baby - Ray Gant & Arabian Knights

  • 17 Preview I Can't Stand It - Al Gardner

  • 18 Preview Tell Me You're Mine - The Four Sonics Plus One

  • 19 Preview I Need Your Love (To Satisfy My Soul) - Lee Rogers

  • 20 Preview Do The Choo-Choo (Vocal version) - Jack Ashford & The Sound Of New Detroit

  • 21 Preview Did She Do It To You - Ray Gant & Unknown Female

  • 22 Preview The Ring - Sandra Richardson

  • 23 Preview Don't Worry - The Smith Brothers

  • 24 Preview Deserted Garden - Sandra Richardson

Delivery & Returns

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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.

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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.

Press quotes

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Smashing! ★★★★

Record Collector

Ace productions from Detroit's very own Mr. Tambourine Man ★★★★

Mojo

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