Ace Records continue their tribute to the fab old London American label with a new compilation based around the label’s output from 1959. London, of course, was a subsidiary of Decca Records who used the imprint to issue American records from a variety of licensees. Soul and (real) R&B–wise, this new 28 trackers has cuts from FATS DOMINO, DELLA REESE, CLYDE McPHATTER, CHUCK BERRY, RUTH BROWN, DEE CLARK, CHUCK WILLIS, LaVERN BAKER, BO DIDDLEY, LARRY WILLIAMS and RAY CHARLES. There’s also a generous helping of vintage American pop including DUANE EDDY’S ‘Some Kind-A Earthquake’, JERRY KELLER’S ‘Here Comes Summer’ and BOBBY DARIN’S swinging take on ‘Mack The Knife’.
Also a must for collectors is Ace’s ‘C’Est Chic’. On their new Ace International imprint, it’s an enticing look at the work of France’s very best 60s female vocalists – the so called ‘ye-ye girls’. Not soul, of course, but lots of great authentic 60s atmosphere… c’est chic, c’est fab!
