8

6.0

UK release date 12.07.2007

Ernest Kelley is a veteran label owner, publisher, producer and songwriter, who worked for Atlantic Records in the 60s before moving across to Motown until Berry Gordy decided to relocate the label to L.A. in 1972.

For family reasons, Kelley decided to make Detroit his home, working initially for Holland-Dozier-Holland at Invictus for three years before forming Inter/Soul Promotions looking after many artists including Kool & The Gang, Hamilton Bohannon and Natalie Cole. He also revived many labels, such as Soul ‘O’ Sonic, Saxy, and Geneva, and in the 80s formed Morning Glory Records, which featured some wonderful unknown female talent such as Betty Bibbs, Pricilla Price, Cloe Martin plus the better known Dee Edwards, Carol Anderson and Sandra Richardson (who became Sandra Feva).

Most of those feature on this amazing compilation that will take you from the 60s to the early 80s, from Northern to Modern, and from rare to the more familiar cuts that Kelley was involved in. Highlights include some great dancers in the shape of Solid Solution’s ‘Think About It Girl,’ Mike Jemison’s ‘Spread Love,’ Perfect Touch’s ‘Merry Go Round,’ Sandra Richardson’s ‘Stay Here With Me,’ both sides of the Dynamics’ ‘We Found Love’/’You Can Make It If You Try,’ Solid State’s ludicrously catchy ‘Right In Your Own Back Yard,’ plus Barrett Strong’s awesome kneetrembler ‘You Make Me Feel The Way I Do.’
Words Steve Hobbs