I'm Your Man: The Anthology 1963-1972

Brooks O'Dell - I'm Your Man: The Anthology 1963-1972

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CD Details

Artist: Brooks O'Dell
Edition: Music CD
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language)
Format: Import
CD Release Date: 2008-04-01
Music Label: Kent Records UK
Soundtracks:

I'm Your Man
Walk On By
Watch Your Step
Shirley, Remember Me
Soul Serenade
If I Had You
You Better Make Up Your Mind
It Hurts Me To My Heart
Walkin' In The Shadow Of Love
Standing Tall
The Lively Ones
The Heartless One
I Got What It Takes Parts 1 & 2
Now You Are Gone
Nothing's The Same Without You
What's So Wrong With You Loving Me
Everybody's Friend, Nobody's Lover
Turn My World Around
(I Didn't See The Smoke) Until The Fire Was Gone
I Don't Wanna Hear It Anymore
You Can Always Get It Where You Got It
I Don't Want To Cry
Predicament #2
Is It Real
Got To Travel On
Hooked On A Feeling

Music reviews of I'm Your Man: The Anthology 1963-1972

Music Review: Probably Deserved A Better Fate, Career-Wise
Rating: 5 Stars

Very little is known about this R&B vocalist from Philadelphia. Even his date of birth seems to be a mystery. It's said he once was the lead vocal for two groups calling themselves The Commanders and The Majestics, but information on them is as hard to come by as it is for Mr. O'Dell.

There are, however, three undeniable facts which perhaps goes some way towards explaining his lack of commercial success (one minor hit in late 1963), despite having a voice that is considered by many to be the equal of his contemporary Soul/R&B artists at the time. First and foremost was the timing of his only hit, Watch Your Step, which reached # 58 Billboard Pop Hot 100 in December 1963/January 1964 b/w Walk On By (both of which are here, incidentally). By the time it was making its debut on the charts, Billboard had suspended the R&B listings, a situation that would last right through to the end of 1964. Only much later did they assign the Pop chart results to the R&B listings for "historical" purposes, but you have to think that that initial hit would have scored much higher on at least the R&B charts had they been in effect.

That goes for subsequent releases as well, but by then he was also bucking the initial waves of the British Invasion, and once the likes of The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Dave Clark Five, et al had established themselves, there was little room for anyone else on the Pop charts throughout 1964 and most of 1965. He also never really got established with a major label, which also worked against him to some degree (the lone hit was on Gold 214). Among other failed singles here - the contents are a mix of single releases and those culled from an LP done for Jerry "Swamp Dogg" Williams in the first part of the 1970s - are I'm Your Man (Gold 216), Walkin' In The Shadows Of Love (Bell 612), You Better Make Up Your Mind (Bell 618), and Predicament # 1 (Mankind 12000).

As you might expect from a British distributor (it seems Kent and Ace are associated), the sound quality is excellent and the liner notes comprehensive, providing what sketchy details are known about his life and career, mixed with vintage photographs and poster/record reproductions.

Give a listen to a man whom you would probably know a lot more about today had he come along at a different time and been able to latch onto a major label with proper promotional capabilities.

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Description of I'm Your Man: The Anthology 1963-1972

The first-ever long playing compilation of the work of a great favourite of the late Dave Godin, and one of the true cult heroes of 60s and early 70s soul.

Between 1963 and 1972 O'Dell recorded infrequently, but almost always with devastating results. I'm Your Man collects up every released master from those years (bar one - an instrumental) and augments them with some outstanding unreleased sides that will delight everyone who is familiar with his recordings.

From Northern Soul floor fillers, to Big City classics, to Southern Soul delights, there's something to suit everyone's tastes in the course of a generous 79 minutes of music.

The booklet features a selection of rare and previously unseen photographs, a generous helping of label shots and as much information as we were able to dig up on one of Soul's great 'mystery men' (if you're out there, Brooks, give us a call...).

Anyone who's enjoyed anything in Kent's Artistry In Soul series will feel right at home with I'm Your Man. Previous releases in this series have been Eddie & Ernie, Doris Duke and Larry Banks.