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The sequel to their acclaimed 2014 release The Fame Recordings, Ace is now proud to present Close To Me: More Fame Recordings, comprising another two dozen nuggets featuring the unmistakeable voice of songsmith extraordinaire, Dan Penn. As with the previous volume, all the tracks were recorded from 1963 to 1966, when a prolific and driven Penn spent countless days and nights at Rick Hall's FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals honing his writing and recording skills in the company of collaborators such as Donnie Fritts, Marlin Greene and his longtime cohort, Spooner Oldham. The accompaniment features crack FAME sessioneers David Briggs, Junior Lowe, Roger Hawkins, Jimmy Johnson and others. Penn issued a handful of singles in this period in a half-hearted attempt at a solo career; two are featured here, including the title cut. Otherwise the contents of Close To Me: More Fame Recordings are previously unreleased. They provide another treasure trove of Penn the writer and Penn the song-stylist, with compelling, impassioned performances throughout While the songs Without A Woman, Lovely Ladies and She Ain't Gonna Do Right are familiar to southern soul fans through the interpretation of others, Dan s personal treatment of his newly-minted creations casts fresh light on the material and his artistry.
Tracklist
1 Close To Me
2 Without A Woman
3 Trash Man
4 Miss Personality
5 Love Is A Wonderful Thing
6 It Hurts
7 Standing In The Way Of A Good Thing
8 Reaching Out For Someone
9 I'll Take Care Of You
10 I Need You
11 Destroyed
12 So Many Reasons
13 Little Girl
14 I Love Everything About You
15 Lovely Ladies
16 I Dig A Big Town
17 Diamonds
18 She Ain't Gonna Do Right
19 I Can't Stop (The Feeling Won't Let Me)
20 Do You Need It
21 You Really Know How To Hurt A Guy
22 Live And Let Live
23 We're Swinging
24 Downright Uptight Good Woman