Having previously brought you well-received collections of the US singles A’s and B’s of Stax mainstays William Bell and Isaac Hayes, it came as no surprise to us that we would already be asked ‘who’s next?’ in what has, in short order, become an essential mini-‘series’.
This month Ace can reveal that we are affording the same treatment to perhaps Stax’ biggest traditional soul artist of the post-Otis Redding era, with the first of two volumes that will cover the singles of Johnnie Taylor from 1965 through to the end of 1973 – a job long overdue, even if we do say so ourselves.
Across our two volumes it’s possible to trace JT’s musical evolution from bluesy soul contender to bonafide soul superstar, from the consistent but comparatively modest hits he enjoyed during the label’s ‘blue’ era to the non-stop top 10 R&B/Top 50 Pop success that came his way after ‘Who’s Making Love’ (a song he hated, incidentally!) put him front and centre in the Soul winners circle in 1968.
This compilation features all of Taylor’s ‘blue’ singles and carries his hit streak of the ‘yellow’ Stax era through to the end of 1970 with ‘Steal Away’. Being a singles compilation we have endeavoured to use mono masters where we were able to find them. Some of these mono mixes differ considerably from the stereo versions that the world has become familiar with, and a number being reissued here for the first time ever.
As always, the superb remastering here is complemented by a booklet that features the usual high standard Kent annotation and a wealth of label shots and ephemera that makes the package as good to look at as it is to listen to!
In the wake of the undoubtedly positive reception we are sure this collection will receive you can look forward to the fact that the second and final volume of Taylor’s 45s will hopefully be with you by the end of 2025 or early 2026.
