Now here IS something very special indeed - and long overdue in the UK, a CD full of late sixties soul magic from the 'Iceman' Jerry Butler. This CD contains the two complete albums listed above plus three bonus tracks. Starting a singing career in the late fifties Butler joined up with fellow Chicago soul man/producer Curtis Mayfield to form the legendary R & B outfit The Impressions. However after a couple of records with the group Jerry opted for a solo career and the rest as they say is history, as hit after after hit graced the US soul charts and during the latter part of the sixties he made a big impression in the UK with a number of brilliant UK issued sides around the turn of the decade.

The soul of Chicago has a very special meaning to soul fans much in the same way that Detroit has for Motown fans. Countless memorable singles and albums from a variety of artists found fame with soul fans all over the globe. Names such as Jackie Wilson, Otis Leavill, Chi Lites, Impressions, Walter Jackson, but to name just a few, all found fame amongst the soul fraternity here in the UK.

Whilst it is true to say that 'Moody Woman' from 1968 remains the all-time favourite amongst the northern soul fraternity in the UK, that song whilst being brilliant, is only a small representation of the genius of this talented singer. This CD concentrates on the two albums recorded under the Gamble & Huff banner around 1968-69 and opens with 'Hey Western Union Man' a jerky mid tempo commercial slice of Chicago soul with a very memorable hook line and Jerry simply at his very best vocally. Listening to this song it is easy to see why he is so popular.

Another cracking track is the Gamble & Huff written 'Only The Strong Survive' which was also covered by the late Darrell Banks, yet it is this stop and start dancer from 1969 that reins supreme, and has one of the most memorable walking bass lines ever to grace a record. Commercial through and through with a tight production and arrangement - simply brilliant. Butler enjoys superstar status amongst us soul fans, and one only has to listen to 'How Can I Get In Touch With You' to see why, check out that chorus line, just fabulous. You could never mistake his voice anywhere.

Whilst credit must also go to the Philly production team on these two albums Jerry takes each song in turn and delivers something very special with each song whether it be a ballad, or those occasional uptempo classics. It is the ballads where he reigns supreme everytime allowing the full range of his voice to be heard at its best. Listen to 'Never Give You Up' to see what I mean.

Everytime I hear 'Moody Woman' it conjures up fond memories of night-clubs in Manchester (Twisted Wheel/Spring Gardens) and the record shops in Blackfriars and Cross Street, all of which shifted box loads to eager teenage soulies from the north west of England who made their way to that city on a Saturday afternoon. A dancer that will need no introduction, and at long last we have it on CD from the original master tapes. How many of you reading this with a copy of the UK 45 found that a manufacturing fault caused the grooves on the record to sway from side to side. This CD has no such problem.

Another brilliant track worthy of mention is 'A Brand New Me' another one of those stop and start dance tunes that has found favour with many a soul fan over the last thirty years, and why not, and the same formulae was used by Gamble & Huff with Dusty Springfield  that same year with her track 'Silly Silly Fool Am I'
Click here if you wish to read that review.

If there was one track that I kept returning to it was 'Since I Lost You Lady'  which had a most unusual opening using a harpsichord, before dropping into a passionately sung piece of magic, and the hook line had me wanting to return for more. If only I had had this song at the time of my radio soul shows of the mid nineties, I would hammered this song alone to death. It is possibly the highlight of this set, together with the fabulous 'What's The Use Of Breaking Up' a storming piece of uptempo soul that will have your imagination working overtime, as the song stops and starts, ducks and dives, from pillar to post and represents all that was great about Jerry Butler and the Sound of Philadelphia.

'I Forget To Remember' sounds like a faster version of 'Only The Strong Survive' and carries an equally strong political message about 'many a word said in anger' and carries that uptempo magic that is so evident on a couple of other songs on this set.

Of course Butler recorded many other albums notably 'Mr Dream Merchant' and 'You and Me' from which the gospel flavoured 'Beside You' is taken as a bonus track, but a real treat is in store for buyers of this CD as we are treated to two bonus cuts from 'You & Me' in the form of the catchy light dancer 'I Could Write A Book'. The CD closes with another bonus cut from that album with 'No Money Down' a gentle ballad that is given that special Jerry Butler soul treatment that only he can do.

Whilst it is appreciated that many soul fans will have these two albums already in their collection's here is an opportunity to acquire them in glorious CD quality with a couple of bonus cuts thrown in for good measure. A CD that will make essential listening for those music fans wanting an introduction to the wonderful world of sixties Chicago soul, and who better to deliver that than the Ice Man himself.

Jerry went on to record for Philly International during the eighties and his big indemand '45' 'I Just Thinking Bout Cooling Out' is well worth checking out.

Rating 10/10