Money was one of a number of labels run by John and Ruth Dolphin in Los Angeles and like most small set-ups, Money’s output rarely got beyond the West Coast. Thanks to Ace’s musical detectives, Money’s music is getting some belated exposure and for real soul collectors this 24 tracker is a must (as are the first two volumes in the series). Biggest artist on the Money roster was Bettye Swann and here we’re treated to three of her recordings. ‘Don’t Take My Mind’ and ‘The Heartache Is Gone’ top and tail the set while ‘I Will Not Cry’ comes right in the middle. All three are brash, unpolished dance tunes and allow Ms Swann’s ever-emotive vocals to shine. The set’s stuffed with more dancers. ‘The Skate’ from the Larks is as fast and furious as you like, while The M&Ms and Peanuts’ ‘There’s Nothing I Wouldn’t Do’ matches the same skate-a-long rhythms. That one, by the way, is one of four previously unreleased cuts. The others being ‘If She Wants To Go’ from The Choice Of Colours, The Mysteries with ‘Sad And Blue’ and ‘Hard Times Are Coming’ from a duo that even the Kent sleuths can’t identify. But that’s part of the magic of the collection. Even hardened soul collectors with shelves groaning under the weight of a lifetimes’ collecting will finds something new here. Soul-jazz buffs will delight at the Hank Jacobs cuts, deep soul collectors with relish Bobby Angele’s ‘Someone Is Gonna Hurt You’, while group groupies will enjoy the input from the Larks – notably the gentle, harmonic ‘The Answer Came Too Late’. Indeed something for everyone and all still sounding fresh and new despite the intervening years.
(BB) 3/5
