Soul Express Album Review

VARIOUS ARTISTS:
Nighttime Lovers Vol 5
Netherlands Vinyl Masteriece, 2007
1) BARBARA MASON – Another Man 2) CHEMISE – She Can't Love You 3) EVELYN “CHAMPAGNE” KING – Your Personal Touch (Remix) 4) KLYMAXX – Wild Girls 5) SEPTEMBER – Are You Free Tonight 6) CAROL WILLIAMS – Can't Get Away (From Your Love) 7) WORLD PREMIERE – Spend The Night 8) SUMY – Funkin' In Your Mind 9) COLORS – Am I Gonna Be The One 10) TONI SMITH – Ooh, I Like The Way It Feels 11) FREDDIE JAMES – Don't Turn Your Back On Love 12) DE DE – S&M (Sexy Music)

The fifth, essential installment of classy 80s dance and boogie numbers courtesy of Vinyl Masterpiece and Djs Frankie Rodriquez, DJ André and DJ Remeo of “Behind The Grooves”. Barbara Mason was 36 when she recorded the classic “Another Man” and this still sounds good today. Butch Ingram works his usual magic on this semi-electro groove which rides on an insistant beat and funky keyboard riff. Excellent and easilyy hots up discerning dancefloors today. Such a sassy track!

My personal favourite is the ESSENTIAL “Wild Girls” from Klymaxx. This track was the B-Side to their single “Can't Let Love Just Pass Me By ” released on Solar in 1981. This is classic Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis material. If you loved the uptempo material they worked on The SOS Band, Change and Patti Austin then this is definitely for you. Play it loud! Uptempo soul for the summer if ever I heard it. September is a new name to me, and I am so, so happy to now own the track “Are You Free Tonight”. The slap bass and keys really take me back to a time when dance music had soul and rhythm.

1982 saw the release on 12” of “Can't Get Away From Your Love” by ex-Salsoul artist Carol Williams. This is a monster club record and proves that quality 80s dancers will long outshine the dull, plodding drivel which passes as R&B today. This gem is written by none other than Wayne Braithwaite!

World Premiere and their “Spend The Night” is a Classic by any standard – possibly the best thing to come from the Easy Street stable. This was also available back in the 1990s on a Deep Beats compilation, but it is best served here amongst a lot better musical setting! We all know and love the group Colors for their “L.O.S. (Love On Sight)” hit on 4^th & Broadway back in 1985 but this track escaped my attention. “Am I Gonna Be The One” is equally excellent and the remastering on this is fantastic. Thanks guys – I am glad that I now own this song.

The remastering of these singles is second to none. This is another quality collection from a quality label. Please do not overlook.
-Barry Towler