Testifyin' & Patches With Bonus Tracks Clarence Carter

£12.56

Genre:
Southern Soul
Label:
Kent
Format:
CD
Catalogue Id:
CDKEND 470

Recorded at FAME in 1969 and 1970, the great southern soul man’s third and fourth albums, with bonus tracks making their CD debut.

There’s a sign on the unprepossessing brown building that is the home of FAME Studios which proclaims it to be the Home Of The Muscle Shoals Sound. It’s a message that is as true now as it was in the second half of the 1960s, when FAME was the recording home of stars as diverse as Candi Staton and the Osmonds and the studio’s flagship artist was consistent hit-maker Clarence Carter.

Between 1967 and 1973 Clarence brought hit after hit to the R&B and pop charts, all supervised by Rick Hall, FAME’s founder and owner to this day. Hits such as ‘Slip Away’, ‘Looking For A Fox’, ‘Too Weak To Fight’ and ‘Thread The Needle’ were crucial to the establishment of the studio’s sound and a great advertisement for what it had to offer to any artist who was looking for some Muscle Shoals fairy dust to enhance their careers.

During that time Clarence had five albums issued, all of extremely high quality and equally popular with album-buyers of the period. Kent has already brought you the first two on CD, with a bonus of rare and previously unissued material. This new package compiles Clarence’s third and fourth albums – “Testifyin’” and “Patches”, from 1969 and 1970 – and adds three tracks from a 1971 session that have only previously appeared on a now-deleted limited edition vinyl EP. The two albums feature seven R&B Top 30 hits, most of which also crossed over to the pop charts, including Clarence’s version of the Chairmen Of The Board’s ‘Patches’, his biggest global hit. Individually the albums represent the end of one era at FAME and the beginning of another, as the studio’s second great rhythm section, the Swampers, who play on “Testifyin’”, gave way to its third, the Fame Gang, who can be heard on the “Patches” album and the bonus material.

Clarence was at the peak of his popularity at the time, and would be a chart regular for the next five years, until disco knocked southern soul for six. The selections here show why he is still regarded as one of his era’s premier soul men, and why FAME remains known as the Home Of The Muscle Shoals Sound.

TONY ROUNCE

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Track listing

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Side 1

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.

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.

Press quotes

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“Although 1970’s Patches has Clarence Carter’s biggest world-wide hit as its title track, 1969’s Testifyin’ is the better album, with the beefy uptempo Snatching It Back and Soul Deep, the smirking humour of I Smell A Rat and Back Door Santa, and Carter’s own take on James Carr’s signature song which he renders as Making Love (At The Dark End Of The Street).  There are three strong bonus tracks from a rare 1971(?) EP." ★★★★

Mojo

"Two great albums + bonus tracks from one of the best – what more do you want?!"

Soul Up North

★★★★

Record Collector

 

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