Chuck
Jackson
This anthology together with the Kim Weston release are Universal Music's October releases under the banner 'Motown Monday'. Motown fans will already be aware of Chuck Jackson's musical history via his recordings for the Scepter/Wand label where he scored a number of minor hits for the label as well as becoming a semi-hero amongst the northern soul fraternity via his two biggest northern hits made famous at Manchester's Twisted Wheel club and Wigan Casino, where 'Chains Of Love' and 'Hand It Over ' ruled the dancefloor's for many a year and still to this day remain highly prized collectors items.
Jackson was a singer of the highest calibre - with a power house vocal delivery that would have knocked Muhammed Ali off his feet at a 100yds. Jackson joined Motown in 1967 at the suggestion of Smokey Robinson and it wasn't long before an LP was presented to the record buying public. That LP entitled 'Arrives' is featured here in its entirety, and in fairness was not too far removed from his work at Wand Records only this time he had the legendary Funk Brothers on his side and whilst this LP has become extremely rare and collectable over the years it did very little sales wise at the time despite there being a couple of 45's issued in the form of the excellent uptempo 'Ain't No Sun Since You've Been Gone' a powerhouse of a song that found favour amongst the northern soul devotees. Check the link at the bottom of this page to access Chuck in action performing this very song during the 1960's.
The other single from this LP was the superb 'Girls, Girls, Girls' from 1968 which for me was the highlight of the album and a song that still is THE song that many people associate Jackson with Motown. Sadly, although there are other good songs from this LP not all followed the high standard of the aforementioned songs, and a poor rendition of the Velvelettes' 'Lonely Lonely Man Am I' did little to inspire the listener although his cover of 'I Can't Go On Sharing Your Love' (recently uncovered on the Isley Brothers) uses the same Funk Brothers backing track to great effect.
Track 8 is the big tune here with his cover of a song already covered by the Temptations (although I don't claim to know who recorded it first) with 'What Am I Gonna Do Without You' which was unbelievably only issued as a flip side to the horrendous pop cover of Glen Campbell's 'Honey Come Back'. Motown were clearly attempting to introduce Jackson to a wider pop slanted audience but the recording buying public were having none of it and had it have not been for this brilliant 'B' side then sales of the single would have bombed altogether.
Check out 'We'll Find A Way' to get back back on track for the dancers and relive some amazing bass lines presumably by Jamerson and another tune that does Chuck's vocal arrangements justice and a song that could have originated from the 64-66 era - brilliant. Motown followed up with another LP 'Goin' Back To Chuck Jackson' which was issued here in the UK and followed the same formulae as his previous release but sadly suffered from apparent poor promotion and marketing, and found favour with only a selected few die-hards despite there being some tasty tracks to be found especially 'Are You Lonely For Me Baby' and covers of two classic Four Tops hits 'Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever' (at a much slower pace) and 'You Keep Running Away' features some lovely guitar licks from the Funk's, but they don't match the pure excellence of 'Can I Change My Mind' a song that found soul man Tyrone Davis with a hit on his hands - but this version is pure Chuck Jackson and for me is the best track on this LP.
One more track to mention from this album that could and should have been a hit single is the uptempo beat song 'That's The Day My World Stood Still' a song that was co written by Smokey Robinson/Al Cleveland/Terry Johnson which was scheduled originally s a flip side to 'Baby I'll Get It' in November 1969 on the Motown label before being cancelled and re-scheduled as the 'A' side that same month on the VIP subsidiary label.
Jackson's only other Motown long player was never issued in the UK and 'Teardrops Keep Falling In My Heart' was released in September 1970 but history kept repeating itself and sales were minimal and the LP sank without trace although it has become highly sought after ever since. Close examination of the tracklisting reveals a number of different songwriters on this project than those used on his previous two albums with the likes of Clay McMurray/Pam Sawyer/Vernon Bullock/Duke Browner/Richard Morris and Fuqua/Bristol to name just a few. Mixing the standards in with some classy soul the album was extremely soulful and refreshing and had certainly move with the times even though there were a couple of cover versions here too. Unusual, yet compelling, we find Chuck singing BB King's classic 'The Thrill Is Gone' complete with the same guitar riff used on the original, and to be be fair he does the song a great justice and one that King himself would have been proud to have given his seal of approval. This version keeps the arrangement to that of the original.
I always liked Brook Benton's 'Rainy Night In Georgia' and Jackson takes this song in similar mode and displays his vocal range to the max and this would have made a good '45' release to a white audience. This album contains two killer uptempo cuts in the form of 'I'll Fight It' and 'Have You Heard About he Fool' both being a throwback to the glory days at Hitsville and both f which were strong enough to have been single releases.
This double CD gives the listener a number of rare and/or unreleased extra's and Jackson must have been a big fan of the Four Tops as yet again he tackles 'Shake Me Wake Me' although nowhere as frantic as the original but his lazy approach and feel to the song takes nothing away from this great number. I was excited at the prospect of his version of Kim Weston's 1965 hit 'Helpless' and whilst the body of the song is good the opening intro is a huge let down and sounds so weak and far removed from the Motown sound we all know, love and expect.
So there you have it - three complete LP's on 2 CD's with an extra twelve tracks to play with. Exceptional in places, and yet average in other places, but overall this is an essential addition to any collection. Miss it this time around and you may not get the chance again.
Rating 8/10