Vee Jay Records: Chicago Hit Factory [Box set]

The correct tracklist:

Disc One:
The Spaniels -Baby It's You
Jimmy Reed - I Found My Baby
The Spaniels- Goodnight, Sweetheart, Goodnight
Floyd Jones - Ain't Times Hard
Jimmy Reed - You Don't Have To Go
Billy Boy Arnold - I Wish You Would
The El Dorados - At My Front Door
Jay McShann & Priscilla Bowman - Hands Off
The El Dorados- I'll Be Forever Loving You
Jimmy Reed - Ain't That Lovin' You Baby
Billy `The Kid' Emerson - If You Won't Stay Home
The Magnificents - Up On A Mountain
Eddie Taylor - Big Town Playboy
The Dells - Oh, What A Night
John Lee Hooker - Dimples
The Delegates - The Convention
The Staple Singers - Uncloudy Day
Jimmy Reed - You Got Me Dizzy
The Orioles - For All We Know
The Spaniels - Everyone's Laughing
Jimmy Reed - Honest I Do
Gene Allison - You Can Make It If You Try
Elmore James - It Hurts Me Too
Gene Allison - Have Faith
Hank Ballard And The Midnighters - The Twist
Jerry Butler & The Impressions - For Your Precious Love
Dee Clark - Nobody But You
John Lee Hooker - I Love You Honey
Wade Flemons - Here I Stand
Dee Clark - Hey, Little Girl

Disc Two:
Rosco Gordon - Just A Little Bit
Jimmy Reed - Baby, What You Want Me To Do
John Lee Hooker - No Shoes
The Spaniels - I Know
Jerry Butler - He Will Break Your Heart
Eddie Harris - Exodus
Dee Clark - Raindrops
The Flamingos - Golden Teardrops
Gladys Knight & The Pips - Every Beat Of My Heart
Jimmy Reed - Bright Lights, Big City
The `5' Royales - Much In Need
Gene Chandler - Duke Of Earl
The Moonglows - Real Gone Mama
The Dukays - Nite Owl
John Lee Hooker- Boom, Boom
Jerry Butler - Make It Easy On Yourself
Gene Chandler - Rainbow
Tracy Day - Jealous Eyes
Jimmy Reed - Shame, Shame, Shame
Birdlegs & Pauline - Spring
Betty Everett - You're No Good
Jerry Butler - Need To Belong
Wade Flemons - Watch Over Her
Betty Everett - It's In His Kiss
Jerry Butler & Betty Everett - Let It Be Me
Jimmy Cross - I Want My Baby Back
Fred Hughes - Oo Wee Baby, I Love You
Joe Simon - Let's Do It Over
Little Richard - I Don't Know What You've Got But It's Got Me
Jerry Butler - For Your Precious Love

Disc Three:
The Rhythm Aces - Get Lost
The Five Echoes - Fool's Prayer
Billy `The Kid' Emerson - Every Woman I Know (Crazy `Bout An Automobile)
Red Holloway - Foolin' Around Slowly
Billy `The Kid' Emerson - Tomorrow Never Comes
Billy Boy Arnold - Don't Stay Out All Night
Paul 'Hucklebuck' Williams - South Shore Drive
Morris Pejoe - Hurt My Feelings
L.C. McKinley - Blue Evening
The Spaniels - (You Gave Me) Peace of Mind
Camille Howard - Rock'n'Roll Mama
The Dells - Jo Jo
Dee Clark - Seven Nights
Larry Birdsong - If You Don't Want Me No More
The Magnificents - Ozeta
The El Cincos - Oh Baby, You Have To Go
Lee Diamond & The Upsetters - Hatti Malatti
Dillard Crume Jr - It's You I Love
The Prodigals - Judy
Earl Phillips - Oop De Oop
Duke Groner - Chico's Bounce
Leonard Carbo - Pigtails And Blue Jeans
Memphis Slim - Rockin' The House (Beer Drinkin' Woman)
The Swan Silvertones - Oh Mary, Don't You Weep
Kip Anderson - I Wanna Be The Only One
Rosco Gordon - No More Doggin'
Ray Smith - Rockin' Robin
Hoyt Axton - Bring Your Lovin'
Ray Smith - Robbin' The Cradle

Disc Four:
Little Richard - Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On
J.B. Lenoir- Do What I Say
John Lee Hooker - My First Wife Left Me
The Magnificents - Let's Do The Cha-Cha
Wynton Kelly - Surrey With The Fringe On Top
Eddie Harris - Little Girl Blue
The Staple Singers - Will The Circle Be Unbroken
The Swan Silvertones - Nobody But You
Dee Clark - Shook Up Over You
Yusef Lateef - Hazing
Christine Kittrell - Mr. Big Wheel
The Staple Singers - (This Could Be) The Last Time
Eddie Harris - Willow Weep For Me
Lee Morgan - Just In Time
Gene Chandler - Man's Temptation
The Pyramids - Shakin' It
Jimmy Reed - Big Boss Man
The Young Lions - Seeds Of Sin
Wayne Shorter - All Or Nothing At All
Gene Chandler - Tear For Tear
Betty Everett - Getting Mighty Crowded
Little Richard - My Wheels They Are Slippin' All The Way
The Caravans - What Will Tommorrow Bring
Eddie Harris- Laura
Eddie Harris - Lolita Marie
Victor Valdez - La Boda De Luis Alonso

It's also worth saying that if you can get hold of the songbook House of Soul/House of Blues (published, I think, by Hal Leonard and fairly easy to pick up secondhand) it's effectively a Best of Vee Jay Songbook, and I don't know of any similar collections. No gospel, but a substantial amount of the songs on this four disc collection are represented, and it's PVG. (Form that sixties beat combo now!)

Re this CD set, if you're really short of money then the Vee Jay Story, a cheaper (especially on Marketplace) two CD set issued by Metro, will give you most of the best, but you may then be tormented by the extra titles on this selection which most are definitely not filler, and this Charly set isn't really breaking the back as it is ...

Be cautioned that, as ever with Charly, sound quality is variable, with some tracks rather muddy though the majority are, I'd say, adequate-to-good. Don't expect Ace or Rhino quality control, in other words, although you have to set to set this against the price. There's a 40 page booklet which tells the story of Vee Jay and of track selections.

If you're not on a budget here is also a Shout Factory 4 CD set, endorsed by Vee Jay's official website, which probably has better sound, though I haven't heard it. It includes an excellent history of the company (reproduced on the website) told by those involved. The Charly set casts its nets slightly wider in terms of track selection, however, including a sprinkling of (accessible) jazz sides, which provides a bit of variety when listening to a disc straight through.

As that is more expensive, there is no doubt that the product under review is the cheapest way to acquire a comprehensive Vee Jay set, though I'd stress that the five stars are for track selection - three (at best) for sound quality.

The French company who issued this had the rights to the label in the 70s and 80s when all the major artists were given Greatest Hits or Singles Collections.Here on this 4CD set is the cream of Vee Jays massive output which concentrates on their black artists.
The label began in 1953 recording mainly Gospel,rhythm'n'blues and doowop and became the first black label to penetrate the mainstream at a time when Berry Gordy the future founder of Tamla Motown was still working in the auto shop.
Jimmy Reed was one of the biggest stars and was a big influence on the Stones and Yardbirds as well as one of the few blues singers to constantly hit the Top 100 while John Lee Hooker was too rural and the only time you heard of Lightnin' Hopkins in the U K was when he was once namedropped by Ringo Starr.

VeeJay moved with the times,into Uptown Soul in the 60s when Dee Clark,Gene Chandler,Jerry Butler,Betty Everett and Gladys Knight were on the charts with songs which would be covered over and over again.
Changes of policy in the 60s saw the first white acts and the 4 Seasons topped the charts 3 times before moving to Philips.At the same time a licensing deal was entered into with EMI as they had begun issuing Vee Jay product on their Stateside label-this began with Frank Ifield's I remember you-one of the rare occasions a British record would hit the American charts.This was followed a year later by the first Beatles singles which had been turned down by Capitol who had first option and Vee Jay would cash in big time with them-albums were issued supposedly of both Frank ifield and the Beatles on the same stage and an interview album coveted from radio shots.One of the Beatles singles was issued on their Tollie subsidiary-owing to Capitol trying to stop them selling the Beatles-and this was their first single Love Me Do which did something it had been unable to do in the UK-top the charts.
For obvious reasons it wasn't possible to include either the 4 Seasons or the Beatles and no less than 3 books have been written about this period
However it wasn't to last beyond 1966 when they charted a final hit by Fred Hughes-they declared bankruptcy and eventually following the deaths of both partners who had begun the label as a branch of their record shop it was purchased by an international hotel syndicate who are responsible for licensing deals.
It needs pointing out though that Amazon list a slew of tracks not on this set at all-as a visit to the CHARLY website will prove

Honestly I just can't understand why Priscilla Bowman's 'Hands Off' is not included!!This was a top R&B hit mid fifties and should most certainly have been included .