ReviewThis is one of Goldmine's more unusual compilations and doesn't use the label's normal numbering sequence.
The lack of any barcode or songwriter credits and the note on the cover that it is "A special limited edition pressing for RightTrack Merchandising" all point to it being something pressed up privately for Northampton based Promoter/D.J. Paddy Grady. Does anyone out there know the full details?
For those who are wondering "The Shades" was a nightclub that operated in Northampton between 1969 and 1974 and was "The Birthplace of Underground Soul" if the cover of the CD is to be believed.
In his notes Paddy Grady describes "The Shades" as having been "one of the South's top soul clubs", which I find to be a bit strange as I always thought that Northampton was in The East Midlands!! The BBC website has a brief article detailing the history of the place which can be read here.
Musically the CD is fairly representative of what was considered to be "Rare Soul" around 1970/71 (later to be rebranded as "Northern Soul") and maybe Paddy Grady's description of the club as being in the south is a reminder to us all that appreciation of "Rare/Northern" Soul was by no means confined to Lancashire and surrounding counties back in the early '70s and that many "Rare Soul" venues existed throughout The Midlands and The Home Counties at the time.
All the tracks on this CD had previously been included on commercially available Goldmine CDs, presumably to prevent any unwanted licensing issues from delaying its production. It is all very Motownesque and a half of the tracks are from the Mirwood group of labels (Los Angeles' own mini-Motown) and most of the remainder are from Motown's competitor labels in Detroit.
Musical highlights for me include J.J. Barnes "Please Let Me In", The Olympics "Secret Agents" (a tongue in cheek look at mid '60s TV shows) and The Parliaments "Don't Be Sore At Me", but there really isn't one dud track on here.
The CD is certainly an interesting compilation and the notes chronicle an often overlooked chapter in British musical history.