Reviewed by Matthew Cordle

Brenda Holloway, one of Motown's classic roster of artists from the '60s, hit success at the young age of 17 with what became one of her two most successful records, "Every Little Bit Hurts." However, this was by no means the beginning - Brenda had spent the previous two years releasing singles as a solo artist, as a member of a girl group known variously as the Watesians and the 4Js, as well as duets with other singers. Many of these were on obscure labels and have been lost in the vaults. . . until now. This collection consists of some of those records along with recently discovered demos and previously unreleased recordings, both solo and with other artists. It's a mixed bag really with some clear precursors of what was to come, such as the toe-tapping "I Get A Feeling" and "I Never Knew You Looked So Good," alongside other rather more forgettable tunes such as "Do The Del Viking". Brenda's voice is highly expressive, at times sounding sweet, at times much more gritty, but the understandably low audio quality of many of the tracks means there is considerable distortion when she lets rip. Although Brenda had some involvement in church circles in her youth and later spent some time married to a pastor, releasing a gospel record in 1980, there's no hint of any gospel material here. Today Brenda ministers in a church. It would be fascinating to learn what she personally thinks of this lovingly compiled set showcasing her earliest attempts to make it in R&B.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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