Hold on Tight Blackstone

For the most part, the new disc stands up nicely alongside its predecessor. Greenleaf is first and foremost a singer, belting out blues in the fiery, hollering style of Koko Taylor. But Trying To Hold On shows that she's also a very capable songwriter, able to hew to the genre's traditions while revealing her own writing voice……

The unmistakable voice of has been a constant presence on the dance floor ever since the breakthrough success of with in 1989. Over the years since, her classic tracks have been remixed by the cream of clubland from , and to , and . This remastered three-disc anthology brings together over thirty sought-after and previously unheard full-length mixes, with a 28-page booklet featuring photos, memorabilia, lyrics and brand new sleeve notes.

More than another Herman's Hermits album with two hit songs, "Leaning on the Lamp Post" and "A Must to Avoid," this MGM soundtrack features the original version of "Where Were You When I Needed You," the first of 14 hits for the Grass Roots, which landed in the Top 30 four months after Peter Noone sang it. This version, like everything here, sounds very British Invasion, Mickey Most's production emulating early Beatles. Four of the tunes, including the title track "Hold On" and the hit "A Must to Avoid," were written by the team of Steve Barri and P.F. Sloan, the original pairing which helped launch the Grass Roots. This is the West Coast meeting the U.K. in a very pleasant way, and the combination is impressive. Five of the lesser tunes were penned by F. Kargor/B. Weisman/S. Wayne, including the best of that bunch, "Make Me Happy," sung by actress Shelley Fabares. Fabares hit with the song "Johnny Angel" in 1962…

The unmistakable voice of has been a constant presence on the dance floor ever since the breakthrough success of with in 1989. Over the years since, her classic tracks have been remixed by the cream of clubland from , and to , and . This remastered three-disc anthology brings together over thirty sought-after and previously unheard full-length mixes, with a 28-page booklet featuring photos, memorabilia, lyrics and brand new sleeve notes.

The James Hunter Six - Hold On! (2016) {Daptone Records DAP-040}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 126 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 74 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 17 Mb | 5% repair rar | Mono
© 2016 Daptone Records | DAP-040
Rhythm & Blues / Retro-Soul / Soul-Blues

Hold On! is the fourth album by the rocking soul man James Hunter and his stalwart sextet. Daptone's Gabriel Roth produced the excellent Minute by Minute in 2013, but this is the band's debut for the label. Hold On! was recorded live in the studio, but Roth and Hunter decided on mono to best capture the immediacy of the performances. The songwriter has recorded only original material since 2006, and these ten tracks are no exception. What separates this date from previous outings – excellent though they all were – isn't the mono production, but the diversity in songwriting, rhythmic invention, and arranging. "This Is Where We Came In" may contain a simmering organ, but doo wop-esque backing vocals from Gregory Lee, Alex Desert, and Malik Moore elevate it (and the two other cuts they appear on) beyond the early pop-soul framework that it comes adorned in. So do the cha-cha rhythms, rhumba fills, and comps from Andrew Kingslow's piano.