Kent 296 - Brooks O`Dell - I,m Your Man - The Anthology 1963-1972 (2008) + Booklet - Rare Soul (FLAC 560MB)

Brooks O’Dell was born in 1933 in Philadelphia. He began his singing career in 1955 in Chicago where he would join up with Carl Holmes & The Commanders. The group, working out of Philadelphia, would often back the Cameo-Parkway artists. After some time with the Commanders O’Dell would form the Majestics. Soul music sure does love its cult heroes and, in UK collector circles, the cult of Brooks O’Dell has persisted for more than 40 years. Most of us first encountered him on the ground breaking 1965 Stateside compilation “An Album Full Of Soul”, where his exquisite Bell recording "You Better Make Up Your Mind" provided a notable highlight even in a collection that was brimming over with them. His cult status was further assured by the fact that he didn’t record very often, but when he did, there was almost always a classic involved somewhere in the session. Despite the fact that his recording career covered a ten year plus period, it passed by in almost total obscurity as far as interviews and artist information are concerned , which has only added to that ongoing cult status. Hopefully this will both please Brooks’ existing fan base, and add to it. The CD covers virtually the whole of his recording career, and embraces almost every known recording that he made between 1963 and 1972. (All that’s missing are a couple of singles that he made in Italy in 1961 and the instrumental flipside of one of his Bell singles). Given that Brooks worked almost exclusively with top class producers of the calibre of Luther Dixon, Larry Maxwell, Carl Davis and Jerry Williams Jr (aka Swamp Dogg), the quality of the recordings here is guaranteed. From the Big City soul of Brooks’ early Gold and Bell masterpieces, some written by Kenny Gamble and Thom Bell, to the subtle Southern sound of his final 1971 sessions, produced in Muscle Shoals by his friend Swamp Dogg and including virtually a whole album’s worth of unissued material, it’s all quite wonderful. For many the highlight may be the unearthed, previously unissued 1966 Columbia recording "The Heartless One". When you hear this prime example of mid 1960s Chicago soul you will shake your head in amazement that something so good did not make it onto a 1966 release schedule. With a wealth of label shots, some very rare and previously unseen photos and a sleeve note that does its very best to present the Brooks O’Dell story from the scant career information that is available, this is another essential addition to anyone’s library of Kent CDs. The kent guys tried to track him down for an interview on his career for the Booklet but no trace of him was ever found, & they didnt know back in 2008 if he was even alive ?. Whether he is or he isn’t, “I’m Your Man” will ensure that his music will never go unforgotten & live on. The guy is a legend on the Northern scene, here the CD includes 9 Unissued cuts.....from only a dozen 45,s recorded and surprisingly no studio albums.

AMM 

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