Once again our friends at Polygram are on the ball when it comes to issuing some more great sixties Tamla material on CD. This time its the late Shorty Long who, whilst not having too many releases in the UK during this period (two LP's to be exact of which this CD contains the majority of tunes found on both). Shorty Long was never one of the big hit names on the label having originally enjoyed success as a member of the forties group the Inkspots. However his move to the Detroit label in the early sixties found him fame and fortune albeit shortlived, due to his untimely death in a freak boating accident in 1969.

The CD opens with Shorty’s (real name Frederick Long) 1968 single ‘Here Comes The Judge’ a mere novelty song that really didn’t do much chart wise, yet the flipside to this single entitled ‘Sing What You Wanna’ found more favour with northern soul and Motown collectors in general due it being more of an uptempo track in the usual Motown vein.

Both the vocal and instrumental versions of his US only 45 ‘Night Fo’ Last’ can be found here and it is the latter which has made this single and inexpensive, yet collectable item. Issued in 1968 on the Motown subsidiary label ‘SOUL’.

The unusual titled ‘Here Comes Fat Albert’ almost makes it as a credible sixties Motown song, just missing that commercial edge to have made it as a possible single, yet I was most impressed with ‘Lillie Of The Valley’ which sounds very much like the Contours around 1965, and the uptempo ‘Baby Come Home To Me’ which is as good an R & B track as you will hear anywhere.

More northern soul favourites follow with his 1965 UK issued single ‘Out To Get You’ which now commands a very high price indeed on the UK collectors market for mint copies. One notable omission from this CD is TMG 600 ‘Chantilly Lace’ yet the ‘b’ side to the single is included, the much popular ‘Your Love Is Amazing’ which equals the version issued by fellow stablemates the Four Tops.

You will also find slotted in the middle of this CD a track by the name of ‘Devil With Blues Dress On’ an early sixties track found a couple of the early R & B chartbusters LP’s of 1965. (Remember that LP with the vintage cars on the cover?) A cracking track that features a rambling piano, complete with a lazy Motown styled backbeat, this is one fine example of Motown music at its very best. You will also find this particular track on another Motown CD reviewed above - Big Motown Hits - Volume 3.

The majority of the tracks on this CD have been taken from Shorty’s two albums entitled ‘Here Comes The Judge’ and ‘The Prime Of Shorty Long’

Great news for UK Motown collectors and full marks to Spectrum for taking the lead and issuing some of the more obscurer artists on the label. I hope they get the sales support to justify their commitment. Now where’s those albums by Choker Campbell/Chris Clark/Monitors/Chuck Jackson?

Personal rating 7/10
Expect to pay around £6.99 in the UK
Released 17th July 2000

UK Tracklisting;

Here Comes The Judge/Don't Mess With My Weekend/Night Fo' Last (Vocal)/Function At The Junction/Sing What You Wanna/
Here Comes Fat Albert/Ain't No Justice/Lillie Of The Valley/Baby Come Home To Me/Devil With Blue Dress On/Out To Get You/People Sure Act Funny/Your Love Is Amazing/Another Hurt Like This/I Cross My Heart/I Had A Dream/I Wish You Were Here/
Night Fo' Last (Instrumental)