 Southern Soul is enjoying a revival. This spring sees a series of concerts at the Barbican Theatre devoted to the music of Memphis and Muscle Shoals, BBC2 will be screening a series of documentaries including this genre, and Mojo Magazine is running a special feature including sampler CD devoted to...Southern Soul. This will serve to introduce Don Varner to a wider audience, for the Don Varner single 'Mojo Mama' is on the sampler CD and on this Shout release; a superb example of this great music style which combines the best elements of gospel intensity and soulful emotion. Don Varner had a powerful baritone voice and could sing rasping uptempo items and pleading ballads with equal quality of performance. Shout Records have pleasure in presenting the first comprehensive CD collection by one of the true giants of Southern Soul, with the assistance and endorsement of his widow. The re-issue production was co-ordinated by Clive Richardson, who commissioned booklet notes from David Cole, editor of In The Basement, the specialist soul magazine, and who conducted the last interview with Don Varner before his tragic death in 2002. Includes all Don Varners recordings released on the Quinvy and South Camp labels, plus the unreleased material, and are truly Uncut Southern Soul Gems from 1968-1974 . He really was a Southern Artist, for as he said about live touring at the time: ".I never went further west than New Orleans" . Laying In The Gap / You Threw Water On A Drowning Man / I Can If You Can / That's All Right / Keep On Doing What You're Doing / I'd Like To Be / When It's Over / Meet Me In Church / He Kept On Talking / I'm Still In Love With You / One Woman Man / Power Of Love / You Left The Water Running / I Finally Got Over / Here Come My Tears Again / Tear Stained Face / Mojo Mama / Down In Texas / Masquerade / Home For The Summer / The Sweetest Story / More Power To Ya' / Handshakin'
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