Joe Tex - First On The Dial & Rare Gems 2008

Joe Tex had been releasing records for almost a decade before he had his first hit in 1965. This 25-track compilation doesn't come close to including all of them, but it does a good job in assembling the most important of those, concentrating solely on discs he made for the Dial label, almost all of the songs having been cut in 1961-1964 prior to his chart breakthrough. At this point, Tex -- as was the case in the pre-fame recordings of numerous '60s soul stars -- was still searching for a style to some degree, and by and large the cuts aren't as earthy as the ones he'd lay down later in the decade. There are even songs with strong debts to early-'60s dance-novelty tunes ("The Peck"); arrangements similar to those heard in early-'60s 45s by poppy early soul singers like Marv Johnson and Dee Clark; and hints of Clyde McPhatter, Sam Cooke, and doo wop. Yet at the same time, there are also strong pleading ballads much closer to the Southern soul style with which he became identified, all of them written by Tex himself, the slightly James Brown-ish "Blood's Thicker Than Water" being a particular highlight in that regard. Because this isn't Tex at his peak or his most characteristic, you wouldn't recommend this as the first or second anthology to acquire. But if you do like Tex at his '60s peak, it's suggested listening, both because it illustrates his roots and because it's enjoyable on its own merits. Also on the CD are a few tracks that fall outside the disc's principal aim of anthologizing 1961-1964 Dial singles, but are worthy additions that are hard to find on compact disc, including the 1967 holiday-themed 45 "I'll Make Every Day Christmas (For My Woman)" and its flip, "Don't Give Up"; the 1965 B-side "Build Your Love on a Solid Foundation"; and two cuts from a 1965 LP, "Tell Me Right Now" and the Sam Cooke-styled "There Is a Girl."  By Richie Unterberger.

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