SOUL

That cover is ridiculous. It obviously impressed one of my favorite producers Pete Rock too. I really should make that into a t-shirt.

This album is a compilation that looks like it came out in the 1970's by Columbia Records. The first song on the album is O.C. Smith's version of the Otis Redding (and Ray Charles) classic Sitting on the Dock of the Bay. His version has a very soulful vibe to it due to the female back up singers (check out the mp3 below). The 2nd song is a live recording of Tina Turner and the Ikettes doing a nice cover of Shake A Tail Feather. This side also contains Aretha Franklin's Sweet Bitter Love which I believe was sampled by Prince Paul or Dan the Automator for Handsome Boy Modeling School.

Side 2 starts with Taj Mahal's Corrina wich is a really nice smooth soulful song with a little folk feel to it (mp3 below). Pacific Gas & Electric (love that name) sings Love, Love, Love, Love, Love. This is a cool funky psych rock song. It reminds me of something from the Black Chains and Exhaust compilation from a few years ago. I included this mp3 (link below) because it's very different from most of the music I post here.

The record store that I found this in also had some others from this same series - a Beatles Song Book, "ROCK", and "HAIR." If anyone has heard these please e-mail me and let me know if they are worth going back for.

Sitting on the Dock of the Bay
O.C. Smith
(mp3 format, 3:16 mins, 3 mb)

Corrina
Taj Mahal
(mp3 format, 3:01 mins, 2.8 mb)

Pacific Gas & Electric
Love, Love, Love, Love, Love
(mp3 format, 3:37 mins, 3.3 mb)