Wednesday 15 July 2009

LEE DORSEY - YES WE CAN (POLYDOR 1970) Jap mastering cardboard sleeve + 9 bonus




New Orleans has always produced more than its share of truly singular music greats, many eccentric enough that they never hit outside of the region. But Lee Dorsey produced a considerable body of work, including several several national hits. Twenty four years after his death Dorsey remains a vastly underrated vocalist - by turns soulful, wry, converstional, playful, and bemused. By the time he made his first record ("Rock") for Ace in 1957 he was already 30 years old, and the following year began a longstanding collaboration with producer/writer Allen Toussaint ('Lottie Mo'). It wasn't until 1961 that he hit big on Bobby Robinson's Fire label with 'Ya-Ya', followed by 'Do-Re-Me' and several other less successful singles eventually collected on an album called "Ya Ya". In 1963 Lee recorded a terrific single for Smash that went nowhere, and this was followed by two more 45s released by the Constellation label. Finally In 1965 Toussaint signed him to his Sansu Enterprises and for the next five years Dorsey hit his stride on the Amy label with a string of classic singles and two great albums, "Ride Your Pony" and "The New Lee Dorsey", both beautifully remastered and expanded by Sundazed for CD in 2000. Next, Toussaint produced Dorsey's classic album for Polygram, "Yes We Can" in 1970. This is one of the seminal funk/soul albums of the '70s, capturing Lee and Toussaint at their mature peak. "Yes We Can" was first reissued on CD in the mid '90s, on a generous set that included bonus singles and outtakes from the 1970 - 73 Polydor period, plus a pair of rarely reissued gems recorded for the Smash label in 1963. The original album is essential, combining great songs, a mature delivery, and funk backing by the Meters and other N.O. greats.
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"Yes We Can" is available in Japan edition with a cardboard sleeve replicating the original album jacket. But more importantly it sounds superb, warm and detailed, and is nearly twice the length of the original album, including all four subsequent Polydor singles, the two Smash tracks, and several outtakes first issued on the out-of-print US "Yes We Can...And Then Some"...
Here

11 comments:

vincent the soul chef said...

Now this is indeed a special treat! 9 extra songs... wow!!! Thank you for this monumental share :)

Peace and blessings.

Gerard said...

Thanks-very much

Anonymous said...

thanks, a great album!! and the extras too!

jose

Anonymous said...

thanks, it´s another hidden treasure for me!!

jose

La Piazza Gancio said...

Hooo Lawd! I had no idea...

: )

El Isabelino said...

My favorite soul man. Thanks.

The Uber Sonic Sonar Radar said...

Thanks i love this album can't wait to hear the extra songs, should be good. cheers man

JDT said...

Thank you, so very much for this! ... Every other rip I've come across has had a terrible skip on the third track ("Tears, Tears, and More Tears"). Thank you for doing a great job--and plus, it's the Japanese master (I always love their remasters). Thank you for the great posting! Thank you. I am bookmarking this blog and I'll be checking through the archives during my free time =) Thank you!

Anonymous said...

Wonderful post. Thanks very much!

Cheeks said...

Thank you for this !

Anonymous said...

Thanks a lot for all your nice souly stuff, appreciate it! and Happy Easter to ya!

Stuffy