Kent 417- The Superbs - The Best Of The Superbs (2014) - Rare Soul (FLAC)+ Booklet

The Superbs all from California, were one of the best mid-60s sweet-soul groups to mould doo-wop harmonies into the sound of soul. The members were Eleanor ‘Punkin’ Green’ (lead), Walter White, Bobby Swain, Gordy Harmon and Ronny Cook. Green possessed a soprano lead that sounded much like a male falsetto and it was an era when falsetto-led groups were regularly on the charts. After their first record in 1964 on Lew Bedell’s Dore label, ‘Storybook Of Love’, flopped, Harmon left to form the Whispers (the Whispers were the Superbs’ labelmates and were likewise outstanding in merging doo-wop with soul). The next record, ‘Baby Baby All The Time’, with its relaxed lope, proved a success in 1964. Similar-sounding and equally appealing follow-ups were ‘Sad Sad Day’ (1964) and ‘Baby’s Gone Away’ (1965). Around this time Swain left the group to form the Entertainers Four, who also recorded for Dore. He was replaced by Lawrence Randall. Green left in 1966 to get married and the group regrouped, but the magic was gone and by the 70s the group had broken up. Lawrence Randall formed a new Superbs group in the mid-80s to play on the southern California revival circuit.......One R&B hit with ‘Baby, Baby All The Time’ is a poor return for the 25 singles the Superbs had on the Doré label between 1964 and 1987 and does not reflect the importance the group had on the Los Angeles soul harmony scene. Their enduring popularity and the high esteem in which they are held by soul music lovers in the USA & UK is a truer indication of their impact. The Low Rider scene in LA in particular looks on them as demigods. They had their own instantly recognisable sound, a feature that can be attributed to only a handful of soul groups. It’s the ballad side of their work that appeals to soul harmony collectors. Although their sound can be quite sweet, the subtle early Gene Page arrangements and clever song selection makes their music appealing to all soul fans. The ballad highlights include their hit along with ‘It Hurts So Much’, ‘He Broke A Young Girl’s Heart’, ‘One Bad Habit’ and ‘Your Eyes’. Previous US collections have focussed solely on ballads but, as UK collectors in particular know, the group were also capable of fine performances when the pace picked up for the dancefloors. Their more mid-tempo numbers include a latin-influenced ‘The Big Hurt’, ‘I Was Blind’, ‘Goddess Of Love’, ‘Where Or When’ and ‘Better Get Your Own One Buddy’. Inevitably, they had tracks suited to the Northern soul scene in the mid-60s when their image was being updated. ‘I Wanna Do It With You’ was the biggest, but ‘Go For What You Know’ and ‘On A Day When It’s Raining’ also have the desired beat, while the funkier ‘Wind In My Sails’ has been picked up recently by the newer breed of rare soul UK DJ,s thereby sending the price into four figures. This collection also includes two solo tracks by Superbs members/associates Ronnie Cook and Frances Lark with the group on back-ups. The booklet includes an extensive discography, although Dore’s random release policy and reworking of titles means it is not definitive. Interviews with several group members allow the long and intricate story of the Superbs to be told as never before.

AMM

                                                                          The Taster!

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