As soon as Los Angeles-based R&B singer/ songwriter Kent Harris achieved some success as a performer and songwriter — “Cops & Robbers,” a song he cut with his Boogaloo & His Gallant Crew hit the R&B Top 10 and was later popularized by Bo Diddley — he began to build his own modest empire, DJing and producing throughout L.A. while also opening the Romark Records label. This 2013 compilation — which follows Ace’s 2012 set Kent Harris’ R&B Family, collecting productions and singles associated with Harris and his extended family, which reached far into show biz (he could claim Redd Foxx as his brother-in-law) — focuses on Romark, which released singles with some regularity between 1963 and 1971. None of these songs were hits — indeed, some of these tracks…
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…weren’t even released at the time and have been excavated for this release, including a handful of disco and quiet storm songs Harris cut toward the end of the ’70s and the beginning of the ’80s — and none of the singers turned into stars further on down the road, so this is pretty obscure stuff. That doesn’t mean it’s not enjoyable. Some of the appeal derives from pure sonics, whether it’s the cool uptown grooves of the ’60s, the cramped, compressed sound of the demos, the slick urban veneer of the disco material, but there are also some nice, tightly written songs delivered with gusto by talented, if not especially charismatic, singers. In other words, it’s soul for crate-diggers, listeners who appreciate texture and flair, or a convincing cover of Elton John’s “Talking Old Soldiers” by Marcene “Dimples” Harris. This isn’t music that delivers a knock-out punch, but it’s assured generic ’60s soul that satisfies. — AMG
1. Ty Karim – All at Once [02:22]
2. Marcene Harris – Work It Out [02:34]
3. Obie Jessie Seeds of Freedom – Beautiful Day My Brother (Keep Moving On) [03:17]
4. Ray Agee – It’s Hard to Explain [04:03]
5. Mighty Hannibal – I’ll Come Back to You [03:35]
6. Billy Williams – Too Much [02:49]
7. Larry Atkins – Have Mercy On Me [02:24]
8. Donoman – I’m the Only One [02:17]
9. The Phillips Sisters – Where Did You Stay Last Night [02:31]
10. Romark’s Wrecking Crew – South Central Slide [02:39]
11. Larry Atkins – Ain’t That Love Enough [02:19]
12. Faye Ross – Faith, Hope & Trust [02:31]
13. The Francettes – I’m Leaving You [02:12]
14. The Lon-Genes – Dream Girl [02:30]
15. Dimples Harris – Do I Need You [04:07]
16. Deborah Foster – Bye Bye Baby (I’m Leaving You) [04:36]
17. Marshall McQueen – Any Fool Can Feel It [03:57]
18. Larry Atkins – Help Me Get This Feeling Back Again [03:06]
19. Eddie Bridges & His Lowriders – Peekaboo [02:39]
20. Jimmy “Preacher” Ellis – Tough Competition [03:06]
21. Cry Baby Curtis – There Will Be Some Changes Made [02:58]
22. O’Malley Jones – Pay and Be On My Way [02:41]
23. Marshall McQueen – If I Can’t Stop You [02:30]
24. Deborah Foster & Marshall McQueen – I Can’t Hold Back This Feeling [04:28]
25. Marcene “Dimples” Harris – Talking Old Soldiers aka I Know How It Feels (To Grow Old) [03:31]