Of equal appeal to fans of girl groups and 60s soul, Volume 3 is sourced exclusively from Chicago’s Chess family of imprints. Chess was not slow to adapt to changes which governed the shape and direction of mid-60s R&B and soon established its own distinctive brand of melodious soul under the direction of producer Billy Davis, who had helped Berry Gordy launch Motown. Headhunted by Chess, Davis assembled an in-house team of songwriters and arrangers. In addition to creating hits for artists such as Fontella Bass, Jackie Ross, Mitty Collier, Etta James and Sugar Pie De Santo, Chess augmented their patented hometown sound with masters licensed from New York, Washington, Philly and Detroit, adding a welcome touch of variety to their already formidable female roster. Of special note, the booklet features a number of great photographs from the archive of Gilles Pétard.
By Mick Patrick
