The Complete Loma Singles: Vol. 1  (2 -CD Set)

It didn’t have any hits to speak of. Its roster of artists was obscure to say the least. And it only released about 100 singles and a half dozen albums in the four short years (1964-1968) of its existence. But in the five decades that have passed since Loma Records existed as a little-known imprint of Warner Brothers Records, it has become a highly-coveted label—maybe the most coveted label—among ‘60s soul and R&B collectors. Why has Loma has become such a hot property? Well, it has not been well anthologized in the digital age—witness the fact that over half of the tracks on this 50-song set have never appeared on CD, and nothing piques collector interest like scarcity. But there is a deeper story here. While Loma was started by WB chief Mike Maitland as a purely commercial venture designed to accommodate the flood of recordings being made by artists and producers off roster, label head Bob Krasnow—veteran of such hallowed indie labels as Del-Fi, Autumn, and King—recognized that Warner’s holdings were severely lacking in soul and R&B, and brought a certain focus to Loma’s “throw it at the wall and see if it sticks” approach. Which, given the times, was not a bad approach at all. The post-Beatles rising tide of pop music really did lift all boats, prompting an incredible outburst of creativity in the recording industry across all genres. That’s why, alongside the hitless wonders on these 50 tracks, you will find legends like Gene Page, Jerry Ragavoy, and James Brown producing and arranging. And why you will also find some legendary artists, like Ike & Tina Turner, Little Jerry Williams (a.k.a Swamp Dogg), and Smiley Lewis, as well as artists like The Olympics (whose complete output for Loma appears here, including the original version of “Good Lovin’”) and The Apollas that are treasured by ‘60s soul collectors. This is the first of four 2-CD collections containing the complete singles output for Loma that we have planned here at Real Gone, and we have brought ‘60s rock and soul guru Alec Palao on board to write the liner notes and co-produce. Remastered by Mike Milchner at SonicVision, all but one single of this material comes from original tape sources, and we have rounded up some rare photos to complete the package. Big, big news for collectors, with more to come!

Disc : 1
1. I Never Want to Dream Again (There Is a Garden) - Billy Storm
2. Baby, Don't Look Down - Billy Storm
3. (I Was) Born to Lose - The Singers
4. Midnight Prowl - The Singers
5. The Big Jerk (Part One) - Clyde & The Blue Jays
6. The Big Jerk (Part Two) - Clyde & The Blue Jays
7. Everybody Jerk - Bob & Earl
8. Just One Look in Your Eyes - Bob & Earl
9. I'm the Lover Man - Little Jerry Williams
10. The Push, Push, Push - Little Jerry Williams
11. Hey Girl - Lucky Carmichael
12. Blues with a Feelin’ - Lucky Carmichael
13. Come Go with Me - Sugar ’N’ Spice
14. Playboy - Sugar ’N’ Spice
15. Something You Got - Reb Foster
16. Quetzel and Jude - Reb & The Rogues
17. Goldfinger - Billy Storm
18. Debbie and Mitch - Billy Storm
19. I'm Coming’ Home - The Olympics
20. Raining in My Heart - The Olympics
21. Tell Her I'm Not Home - Ike & Tina Turner
22. I'm Thru with Love - Ike & Tina Turner
23. I Want to Be Loved - The Enchanters
24. I Paid for the Party - The Enchanters

Disc : 2
1. Good Lovin’ - The Olympics
2. Olympic Shuffle - The Olympics
3. There's Something on Your Mind (Part One) - Baby Lloyd
4. There's Something on Your Mind (Part Two) - Baby Lloyd
5. Somebody (Somewhere) Needs You - Ike & Tina Turner
6. (I'll Do Anything) Just to Be with You - Ike & Tina Turner
7. Soul Jerk (Part One) -  Bobby Bennett & The Dynamics
8. Soul Jerk (Part Two) -  Bobby Bennett & The Dynamics
9. Baby I'm Yours - The Olympics
10. No More Will I Cry - The Olympics
11. Waitin’ - Walter Foster
12. Your Search Is Over - Walter Foster
13. You're Absolutely Right - The Apollas
14. Lock Me in Your Heart - The Apollas
15. Soldier Baby of Mine - Brenda Hall
16. Oh Eddy, My Baby - Brenda Hall
17. Tom Dooley - Dick Jensen & The Imports
18. Since I Fell for You - Dick Jensen & The Imports
19. We Better Get Along - The Young Lions
20. Live and Learn - The Young Lions
21. You Can't Outsmart a Woman - Kell Osborne