VARIOUS - KING NORTHERN SOUL VOL. 2 (KENT DANCE, CDKEND 201)

Volume one was a fine discovery for many of us who didn't consider King (and satellite labels Hollywood, Federal, De Luxe) as a particularly interesting source for uptempo sophisticated soul collectors. To be honest I prefer vol. 1 (it's very difficult to overtake masterpieces like Junior McCants' "Try Me For Your New Love", TC Lee's "Up & Down The Hill", Cody Black's "I'm Slowly Molding", and Shirley Wahls' "Why Am I Crying") but you can find some great tracks here too that will prove sure winners once spun in those smoky clubs all over England (and Europe). As usual there is space for a couple of unissued tracks (check the excellent Mill Evan's "Ain't You Glad", this year's 100 Club anniversary free single) to keep the scene alive and healthy. Of the whole lot my favourites are Gloria Edwards "Keep Up With My Man", a joyous slice of southern influenced crossover, "Mary Moultrie's "They're Trying To Tear Us Apart", where she shows a powerful voice, the early dancer "So Many Days" by the Vonns, Regina Shepard's delicate ballad "Helpless Baby", and the Fabulous Denos "Once I Had A Love". As the list of stuff worth an inclusion is becoming longer, expect a volume 3 of this successful series.