Last year, the surprise release was a HOT cd that collected tunes from the obscure soul label One-Derful Records. Now, you’ve got the second installment which is the “teen oriented” R&B sounds from the Mar-V-Lus label. What was this label? Well, it was based in Chicago, and was sort of a mix between Motown and Stax; a bit rougher than the former, but with more vocal harmonies than the latter. Why they didn’t catch on outside the Mid West is beyond me, because every artist is SMOKIN’!
Many of these songs have never been released before, but don’t ask me why. A female-styled Joe Tex named Josephine Taylor sizzles on “I Want A Man” and “For You My Love” while preaching like Aretha Franklin on “Your Love Picks Me Up.” Material that hints at vingtage 4 Tops pop up on when Cicero Blake croons with strings on “You’re Gonna Be Sorry” and if The Ulti-mations” had some dance steps, they could have given the Temptations a run for their money. Serious dance moves were made for “Twine Time” and hints of the Vandellas will get your blood boiling on ”If You Need Me.”
Imagine if someone told you that there was a lost cache of vintage Ellington discs, and that’s what this gold mine of lost soul from the 60s sounds like. Don’t let it get away!
http://secretstashrecords.com/