Kent 218 - Various Artists - Fatback's Soul Shop(2003)Rare Soul

THE FATBACK LABEL CAME BEFORE THE BAND,ABOUT THE SAME TIME AS THE REMARKABLE SHOP
THAT IS PICTURED ON THE FRONT OF THIS CD. KNOWN AS THE HOME OF FATBACK IT WAS BILL
CURTIS' BUSINESS CENTRE FOR HIS BANDS,A BOOKING AGENCY FOR LOCAL TALENT,AN ACADEMY
OF MUSIC,A PLACE TO ORGANISE PARTIES AND FUNCTIONS AND MUCH MORE. NAMED AFTER BILL'S
UNUSUAL STYLE OF DRUMMING,IT BECAME THE LABEL NAME WHEN BILL VENTURED INTO THE RECORD
BUSINESS AND HE ALSO ADOPTED IT FOR HIS BAND NAME WHEN HE WAS EVENTUALLY READY TO
RECORD THEM.THAT WAS AFTER THE LABEL HAD CLOSED AND BILL HAD SET UP BC PROJECT II
FOR THE INITIAL FATBACK SINGLES,CREDITED TO JOHNNY KING AND THE FATBACK BAND.THESE
SONGS WERE PROTO-FUNK NUMBERS BUT ALSO CONTAINED SOME FINE MELODIES WHICH WAS
INEVITABLE WITH THE BAND'S STRONG MUSICAL ROOTS ON VINYL THEY ARE AS SCARCE AS A
SEXUALLY NAIVE NEW R&B VIDEO AND ONE OF THE THREE IS IN AN EXTENDED VERSION FROM THE
RECENTLY FOUND MASTER TAPE.
THE LINK BETWEEN GERRY THOMAS AND BILL CURTIS IS HOW GERRY PROGRESSED
FROM THE JIMMY CASTOR BUNCH VIA GERRY AND PAUL & THE SOUL EMISSARIES TO THE FATBACK
BAND,WHICH HE DIDN'T OFFICIALLY JOIN UNTIL THE LATE 70S.
THE MUSIC IS OF HIGH QUALITY THROUGHOUT AND TRACKS LIKE "PEACE,LOVE NOT WAR" BY THE
EARLY FATBACK,"I NEED YOU" BY THE PUZZLES AND MARY DAVIS' MEGA RARE INDEMANDER "WHO WILL IT BE"
ARE PARTICULAR HIGHLIGHTS AND BONUSES  IN THE FORM OF UNISSUED TAPES
WHO HAD THE  TWO GREAT SONGS LEFT ON THE SHELF AND INCLUDED HERE.ALSO TWO CATCHY NUMBERS FROM A SINGER NAMED
JIMMY WILLIAMS ALSO INCLUDED.BEING 16 TRACKS WORTH OF MATERIAL IT IS A RARE  KENT CD.BUT
ONE THE CONNOISSEURS WILL ENTHUSE OVER AND ANOTHER PART OF BLACK MUSIC'S RICH HISTORY.
LOND DELETED ALBUM THAT IS NOW QUITE HARD TO OBTAIN.MANY UNISSUED TRACKS SEEING RELEASE FOR THE FIRST TIME! ..A QUITE BRILLIANT ALBUM AND ONE OF MY FAVES FROM KENT!

AMM

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