Sounds Like 54

[Disco Funk]

Came across a pretty good compilation called 'Sounds Like 54'. It's basically a compilation of Reid Whitelaw and Norman Bergen, and Ian Levine produced cuts. Many of the cuts are offered in their full length versions. The Ultra High Frequency track is the extra long version (6 minute plus) that was included on the Soul Collector CD we talked about a few months ago. I bought it for the Quickest Way Out track 'Thank You Baby...' which is 5 minutes plus here. The TJM tracks on CD are full length. I was also please to discover Doris Jones, another Ian Levine produced artist with some catchy tunes. Thankfully Hot Productions had put out a CD for her No Way Out era cuts, so I'll be checking that out.

The bad thing about this compilation is CD 2 seems to feature a lot of tracks with too much lossy compression. In other words, the audio sounds like they took some scratchy vinyl and used some cheap software to kill the pops, so they sound like mp3s ripped at low resolution. It's not glaring, but noticeable with headphones.

Still, the compilation is worth getting. You can get it cheap on Ebay.

Here's the track listing:

1. We're On The Right Track - Ultra High Frequency
2. Helplessly (instrumental) - Moment Of Truth
3. When You're Young And In Love - Carter, Ralph
4. Armed And Extremley Dangerous - First Choice
5. This Time Baby - Moore, Jackie
6. I Don't Need No Music - TJM
7. 24 Hours A Day - Pennington, Barbara
8. My Claim To Faim - Wells, James
9. My Destination Is Love - Johnson, L.J.
10. No Way Out - Jones, Doris
11. Thank You Baby For Lovin' Me - Quickest Way Out
12. Player - First Choice
13. Boogie Woogie - Sound Experience
14. Love Is Just A Heartbeat Away - Gaynor, Gloria

1. You Ought To Be Dancin' - People's Choice
2. Can This Be True - Sound Experience
3. Put Yourself In My Place - TJM
4. All Night Man - Loose Change
5. Love Is A Serious Business - Davidson, Alfie
6. Gotta Get Away - First Choice
7. Straight From The Heart - Loose Change
8. Small Circle Of Friends - TJM
9. Knock Me Senseless - Eastbound Expressway
10. Beware She's Pulling My Strings - Flashlight
11. Night Time Fantasy - Robinson, Vickie Sue
12. Looks Like Love Is Here To Stay - Ashley, Tyrone
13. Who Is Gonna Love Me - Davidson, Alfie

Disco Funk

[PierreConstantin]

I think this collection is a very bad one we should avoid buying. Many songs are unknown, «Helplessy» by Moment of Truth is the instrumental, «This time baby» by Jackie Moore is not the 1979 version but an awful cover done during the drum machine era, too many songs are in their 7" version (like «Twenty-four hours a day» by Barbara Pennington), one song is from 1987 («Knock me senseless» by Eastbound Expressway) and a lot of songs are edited («When you're young and in love» by Ralph Carter, «Nightime fantasy» by Vicki Sue Robinson, three songs from Tom Moulton's album, «I don't need no music», «Put yourself in my place» and «Small circle of friends» as three others from Loose Change). Those edited versions are not remixes but lp versions without their last 30 seconds. (I've posted a review in French on Amazon.fr.)