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6 Degrees Entertainment

Title - Mitch Ryder & Detroit Wheels: Sockin' It To You
Artist - Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels

For those not in the know, Mitch Ryder and The Detroit Wheels may well be the most underrated rock band in American music history.

Despite his string of influential mid-sixties chart hits and his undeniable influence over a string of late sixties and early seventies bands, he still remains inexplicably absent from The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio.

Since about 1975 onwards one of his biggest fans, Bruce Springsteen, has incorporated into his show a segment he calls “The Detroit Medley” based on two of Mitch’s biggest hits.

Amongst those bands who acknowledge how much they benefitted from Mitch Ryder’s breakout from the Detroit rock scene were The MC5, Alice Cooper and Bob Seger.

Until Mitch Ryder began to fill Detroit’s rock clubs to capacity the city’s musical contributions were dominated by Motown and Detroit’s soul singers both male and female took all of the accolades.

A local DJ brought him to the attention of Bob Crewe who was by 1966 one of the hottest producers in America responsible for a non-stop string of hits by Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons since 1962.

Ryder’s first 45 tanked but the second ‘Jenny Take A Ride’ was a top ten smash and surprisingly his only British hit peaking at #33. This hit set the style for the bands career over the next three years and was a medley of Little Richard’s ‘Jenny, Jenny, Jenny’ and the R&B standard, ‘See, See Rider’.

Released on February 28th, 2020 via RPM Records / Cherry Red Records UK, Sockin It To You: Complete Dynovoice / New Voice Recordings features three CDs containing all five of their albums for Crewe plus all of the non-LP 45 releases; including one LP and several single sides making their CD debut.

Disc One features the albums Take A Ride -- which includes the single hit, ‘Jenny Take A Ride’ -- and Breakout -- which features the hit singles, ‘Devil with A Blue Dress’, ‘Little Latin Lupe Lu’ and ‘Breakout’.

CD 1: (Take A Ride, 1966)
1. 'Shake a Tail Feather'
2. 'Come See About Me'
3. 'Let Your Lovelight Shine / Turn on Your Lovelight'
4. 'Just a Little Bit'
5. 'I Hope'
6. 'Jenny Take a Ride'
7. 'Please, Please, Please'
8. 'I'll Go Crazy'
9. 'I Got You (I Feel Good)'
10. 'Sticks and Stones'
11. 'Bring It on Home to Me'
12. 'Baby Jane (Mo, Mo Jane)'

Being British, but having lived in the Detroit suburbs now for nearly 30 years, I can honestly say that I may never have seen Mitch Ryder or the Detroit Wheels live, but man have I been hearing about them a musical folklore ever since I arrived!

Released in the wake of their smash hit single 'Jenny Take a Ride,' the rest of the album mostly consists of cover versions of recent R&B hits of the time.

The two exceptions are 'I Hope' and 'Baby Jane' which were previously released as B-sides. 'I Hope' is a lovely little ditty of a ballad whilst 'Baby Jane' is actually a very enjoyable Dylanesque track.

As for those R&B covers, they aren't bad, but they really can't match up with the original versions. One big mistake they made here was playing three James Brown songs in a row. I mean, Mitch is a great singer, but attempting to cover James Brown is pure foolishness!

CD 1: (Breakout …!!!, 1966)
13. 'Devil with a Blue Dress on -Good Golly Miss Molly'
14. 'Walking the Dog'
15. 'I Had It Made'
16. 'In the Midnight Hour'
17. 'Oo Poo Pah Doo'
18. 'I Like It Like That'
19. 'Little Latin Lupe Lu'
20. 'You Get Your Kicks'
21. 'Shakin' with Linda'
22. 'Stubborn Kind of Fellow'
23. 'Any Day Now'
24. 'I Need Help'
25. 'Breakout'

So, simply put, if you like '60s R&B with exciting, stripped-down heartfelt music and vocals, Breakout was the album for you, my friends! Mitch Ryder's sophomore album, it contains the endlessly covered hit, 'Devil with a Blue Dress / Good Golly Miss Molly,' one of the greatest of the mid-'60s rockers if ever there was!

But this album is far from a one-hit wonder. It includes the band's excellent version of 'Little Latin Lupe Lu,' and nice versions of Marvin Gaye's 'Stubborn Kind of Fellow' and even Wilson Pickett's 'In the Midnight Hour.'

But my personal favorites are the ones that create a kind of frantic party atmosphere that was for me Mitch's signature sound and his raw, powerful vocals.

The title tune is a great example. There is a sense of excitement and desperation in the tune that is still irresistible so many years later. I also love 'Shakin' with Linda,' with its very fine guitar work, 'You Get Your Kicks,' and 'I Had It Made.'

Disc Two features the album Sock It to Me and the singles ‘Sock It to Me Baby’ and ‘Takin’ All I Can Get’. Next comes the album All Mitch Ryder Hits, a compilation set that featured one new track, a version of the Motown hit for The Marvelettes, ‘Too Many Fish in The Sea’ and the vintage novelty song, ‘Three Little Fishes’.

This was a marketing ploy very popular in the '60s to include one or two "new" recordings in greatest hits collections. Note that RPM Records have decided not to include the rest of the album as all of the tracks are already featured here over this expansive collection.

Disc Two ends with an album never before released on CD, Mitch Ryder Sings the Hits. This was a collection put together by Crewe after he had parted company with Ryder and features remixes and overdubs on a collection of songs released on previous albums and singles.

Some of the tracks are very different whilst others are presented in a more subtly modified form. Typically, Crewe also included two tracks that were previously unissued on LP: ‘Ruby Baby/Peaches On A Cherry Tree’ and a version of ‘You Are My Sunshine’.

CD 2: (Sock It To Me, 1967)
1. 'Sock It to Me - Baby 2. 'I Can't Hide It 3. 'Takin' All I Can Get 4. 'Slow Fizz (Instrumental) 5. 'Walk on By 6. 'I Never Had It Better 7. 'Shakedown 8. 'A Face in the Crowd 9. 'I'd Rather Go to Jail 10. 'Wild Child'

This was the third, and last, album by Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels. Unlike their previous albums, which featured a lot of covers of recent R&B hits, this album consists almost entirely of original material (the exception being a cover of Dionne Warwick's hit 'Walk On By,' which was actually added to the album at the last minute).

The best known song here is the title hit, but there are a lot of other great songs like 'Takin' All I Can Get,' 'I Never Had It Better' and 'I'd Rather Go To Jail.'

In fact, the use of originals rather than covers makes this Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels best album, in my humble opinion.

CD 2: (All Mitch Ryder Hits, 29167)
11. 'Too Many Fish in the Sea - Three Little Fishes

Mitch Ryder truly impacted the way a lot of us listen to rock and soul music to this day. His two and a half to three minute anthems really molded the minds of those teens playing his music and going to his shows.

As aforementioned, these songs were the only "new" ones on his All Mitch Ryder Hits compilation and were his frenetic version of the Motown hit 'Too Many Fish in The Sea' (The Marvelettes), and a 30 second charge at the vintage novelty song (originally recorded by Kay Kyser and His Band), ‘Three Little Fishes.'

CD 2: (Mitch Ryder Sings The Hits, 1967)
12. 'Let Your Lovelight Shine / Turn on Your Lovelight'
13. 'Walking the Dog'
14. 'Sticks and Stones'
15. 'I Like It Like That'
16. 'Please, Please, Please'
17. 'Ruby Baby / Peaches on a Cherry Tree'
18. 'Come See About Me'
19. 'Walk on By'
20. 'Stubborn Kind of Fellow'
21. 'You Are My Sunshine'
22. 'I Got You'

Not a greatest hits record, but instead a collection by the unsung hero of Detroit rock 'n' roll and blue-eyed soul blowing through cover after cover, giving his own unique treatment to everyone from The Supremes to The Drifters and Allen Toussaint to Rufus Thomas.

This is no Pat Boone cleaned up for the refined upper middle class honky set, no sir, for this is rough and tough balls-to-the-wall R&B that rocks as hard (or indeed harder) than the originals with Ryder's signature guttural howl leading the way!

Disc Three completes the package with an album that was intended to launch a solo career and a collection of 45-only tracks several of which are making their CD debut.

The album features the hit single ‘What Now My Love’ and ‘Blessing in Disguise’, ‘One Grain of Sand’, ‘Lights of The Night’ and ‘Ring Your Bell’ make their first appearance on a CD.

The set is completed by, and I kid you not, a radio promo spot with Mitch telling teens how to keep their room tidy!

CD 3: (What Now My Love, 1967)
1. 'Let It Be Me'
2. 'I Make a Fool of Myself'
3. 'Born to Lose'
4. 'If You Go Away (Ne Me Quitte Pas)'
5. 'What Now My Love'
6. 'Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' on'
7. 'Sally Go 'Round the Roses'
8. 'Brown Eyed Handsome Man'
9. 'I Need Lovin' You' History has it that four engineers and three recording studios helped producer Bob Crewe and arranger Hutch Davie create a concept album of sorts for singer Mitch Ryder on Crewe's Dynovoice Records release, What Now My Love.

Side one has always been called "19 minutes and 56 seconds that cover the lifetime of a love affair" and holds five tracks which are of the same mellow cloth Frankie Valli's solo records were cut from at this point in time.

Side two is that "blues-rock" that is Ryder's domain, his trademark scream working well on what they call "15 minutes and 50 seconds of instant party!"

'Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin On' and 'Brown Eyed Handsome Man' is the material expected by the fans of 'Sock It to Me Baby' and 'Devil With a Blue Dress On,' and those fans get that sort of thing here!

CD 3: (45s)
11. 'Blessing in Disguise'
12. 'One Grain of Sand'
13. 'Joy'
14. '(You've Got) Personality - Chantilly Lace'
15. 'Lights of the Night'
16. 'Baby I Need Your Loving - Theme for Mitch'
17. 'Ring Your Bell'
18. Radio Promo

Opening with the late night howl of 'Blessing in Disguise,' the slow-clap, gentle hipsway of a track is pure unadulterated dynamite even today to hear. More of the same can be found within both 'One Grain of Sand' and 'Joy,' but then we get a live version of his blended covers '(You've Got) Personality' and 'Chantilly Lace.'

The beautiful ballad 'Lights of the Night' is a lovely change of pace here on this selection of 45s, and that's backed by another live cut in the form of 'Baby I Need Your Loving - Theme for Mitch,' a downright slow-n-funky 'Ring Your Bell,' and then a brilliant 30 second Radio Promo about how to keep your house clean!

The extensive booklet comes with detailed informative historical notes and numerous reproductions of news stories and reviews from the pages of American trade magazines like Billboard and Cashbox.

It also contains full details of the peak chart positions of all of the singles and LPs from Billboard, Cashbox and Record World, America’s leading music trade magazines.

All in all, this is the most comprehensive 65-track ultimate tribute to the early chart riding career of Mitch Ryder who is still on the road today and will be touring Europe again in 2020.

Official 3CD Purchase Link

www.Facebook.com/RPMrecords

www.CherryRed.co.uk





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