The British record market in the 60's is unfortunately
rather rife in it's overabundance of inferior versions
of U.S. soul songs.  Indeed the British recording
industry, realizing that perhaps they were losing
ground indeed often tried to beat a U.K. release by
the U.S. soul artist by hastily issuing an all too
often mediocre British version.
That's not to say that the majority of British artists
were merely punching the clock as it were, but there
are few that were able to either add something to the
original or make their versions their own.  Finding
them was no easy job, but I've restricted them to the
45 RPM genre and all release info relates to British
pressings.  Seeing as I paid homage to The Action's
fine readings of many U.S. soul classics in a previous
article for this site I have resisted the urge to
include them in my list complied at the editor's
behest.

1. TIMEBOX-Girl Don't Make Me Wait (Deram DM219 1968)
After a stint of of two 45's of soul covers for the
Piccadilly label seasoned jazz/soul men Timebox jumped
ship for Decca's freaky outlet Deram.  Previously the
band had released a soulful stab at the Four Season's
"Beggin'".  Their next offering was a magnum opus
rendering of this Bunny Sigler number that is indeed
fuller and more lavishly produced from the original!
Drummer John Halsey later materialized as Barry Womb
in "The Rutles". Available on the Deram CD comp "The
Mod Scene".

2. BILLIE DAVIS-"I Want You To Be My Baby" (Decca
F12823) 1968).  Another stalwart refugee from
Piccadilly, Billie made some embarrassingly mediocre
soul covers as part of the duo of Keith (Powell) &
Billie.  She later set about redeeming herself
magnificently with this up tempo number previously cut
by Ellie Greenwich.  Billie's version enjoyed somewhat
of a resurgence during the Wigan era. To my knowledge
it has yet to see a CD reissue.

3. THE MIKE COTTON SOUND-"Soul Serenade" (MGM 1398
1968).  The Mike Cotton Sound had been laying down
jazz/R&B/soul vinyl for six years when they issued
this take on Beau Dollar & The Coin's version of the
King Curtis hit.  The Beau Dollar version proved
instantly popular on the U.K. club scene in '66, so
much so that DJ Mike Raven used it as his Radio One
show's theme song.  He later passed it on to the Mike
Cotton Sound who duly recorded it and did such a good
version Raven used it in place of the Beau Dollar
recording as his theme. The Mike Cotton Sound's is
barely different from the Beau Dollar version, lacking
only it's twangy Steve Cropper-ish string bending and
a tad more uptempo. Again it was revived during the
Northern Soul era but sadly has not seen a reissue.

4. THE EYES OF BLUE-"Heart Trouble" (Deram DM106
1966). The debut 45 by this seven piece soul/R&B combo
from Neath, Wales was a picture prefect interpretation
of The Parliament's classic.  The Eyes Of Blue's
version is even more impassioned in it's vocal
delivery and the recording technique is of course
miles beyond the originals, though strangely their
version drops a verse!  The band went on to cut one
further soulful outing for Deram the stellar  double
sider of "Supermarket Full Of Cans" b/w "Don't Ask Me
To Mend Your Broken Heart" before getting
frighteningly "heavy" and switching to the Mercury
label and "prog".  Available of the Deram CD "The
Northern Soul Scene".

5. FELDER'S ORIOLES-"Back Street" (Piccadilly 7N 35332
1966).  The final output by this lot was their version
of the Edwin Starr Ric Tic 45 "Back Street".  The
band's releases were touch and go but their career is
undeniably sparkling on the strength of this version
which is easily dance floor friendly.
Available on the Sequel CD "That Driving Beat:Doin'
The Mod Vol.5".

6. THE KOOBAS-"You Better Make Up Your Mind" (Pye 7N
17087 1966). A classic example when bona fide
freakbeat meets soul (see # 8 as well).  Liverpool's
Koobas (formerly Kubas) are known for their slew of
fairly collectible freakbeat 45's and an equally rare

7.KIKI DEE-"The Day Will Come Between Sunday And Monday" (Tamla Motown TMG 739 1970). Chosen as Motown's first British signing, veteran songstress Kiki Dee was whisked off to Detroit to cut a full Lp with Frank Wilson producing in late 1969. Kiki asserts that she was signed on the strength of a Motown A&R man's son who'd heard her records in the U.K. The Lp and it's resulting single (chosen here) were sadly resounding flops. Though the Lp is full of fairly unimaginative renderings of Motown hits, this inclusion is nothing short of amazing. Kiki's voice is on target and with the full strength of the Motor City's finest back room men behind her it's a shame it never went further. As yet none of her Tamla Motown recordings have seen the light of a reissue.

8. THE MOVING FINGER-"Shake And Finger Pop" (Mercury MF 1077 1969). An over the top reworking by this band who were known previously for somber pop psych tunes, this freakbeat version kicks the guts out of the Jr. Walker original with it's manic vocal/brass/organ attack. Nuff said. Comped for your pleasure on the "Chocolate Soup For Diabetics Vol.5" CD.

9. THE RICHARD KENT STYLE-"Marching Off To War" (Columbia DB 8182 1967). The final of a trio of fine Columbia 45's by this fine R7B/freakbeat combo, this take on William Bell's sign of the times (all too relevant nowadays as well) would've been just another English Stax cover if it wasn't for the gent up front with the great voice. Was he Richard Kent/ I can't tell you and I neglected to ask I gent I met in the Telephone Bar some years back claiming to have been their drummer. As yet none of their records have seen a "proper" reissue but there is a rather scarce German bootleg Lp of their 45's and those of The St. Louis Union's!

10. GENO WASHINGTON & THE RAM JAM BAND-"She Shot A Hole In My Soul" (Piccadilly 7N 35392 1967). Often maligned (with usually good reason) ex- U.S. airman Geno Washington made a living out of performing half assed covers of U.S. R&B tunes for the soul starved Brits up down the country for the later half of the 60's. His records were often dreadful as Geno's vocals were not always his strong point, regardless he had a red hot British backing band and no one in the U.K. (save possibly any of Georgie Fame's combos) could match their onstage soul/R&B enthusiasm and professionalism in the British Isles from '67-'69. Indeed his best track "(I Gotta) Hold Onto My love" nicks Chris Clarke's ace "Love's Gone Bad". The band's popularity was near legendary and this 1967 stab at Clifford Curry's Elf 45 though not as strong in voice department as the original wins kudos on it's amped up, "Brits on black bombers" delivery. Geno also found time to decently cut The Precision's "If This Is Love (Then I'd Rather Be Lonely)" which sadly went unissued till a demo copy was unearthed by a Northern Soul dj in the 70's and brought the record into "demand". Avaiable on the Sequel double CD "My Bombers, My Dexy's, My Highs:The Sixties Studio Sides". I got mine in the used bin at the Princeton Record Exchange for $8.99!

-Bill Luther Hamilton Twp.,NJ April '04