Opening with the excellent Love Man by Hal Hardy and the Billy Cox Band, this collection from the King, Federal, Hollywood and Deluxe imprints immediately takes you to Manchester’s legendary Hideaway Club that has championed original R&B dance music of the late fifties and early sixties and has taken the modern Mod scene forward as a result. The tracks on this particular collection spread across the period from 1955 to 1967.

As always with Ace’s releases on the Kent label, there is a 12-page comprehensive booklet with the CD that details each and every song included and is illustrated with many fine photos of the artists and the original record labels. It’s fantastic that, some 45 to 57 years later, some of these great recordings and performers are getting the attention denied to them the first time round. A big thank you to Ace/Kent for releasing this wonderful album. 
(Paul Hooper-Keeley)

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VA - King New Breed R&B Volume 2 - 1955-1967
(Kent Records UK 2012)

 1. Hal Hardy with the Billy Cox Band / Love Man  
 2. Freddy King / I'm Tore Down  
 3. Lee 'Shot' Williams / When You Move, You Lose  
 4. Mel Williams / Send Me A Picture, Baby 
 5. The Hi Tones / Let's Have A Good Time   
 6. The King Pins / Two Hearts, Two Kisses  
 7. Little Willie John / All Around The World  
 8. Dolph Prince / You're Gonna Drive Me Crazy  
 9. Guitar Crusher / Why Oh Why 
10. The '5' Royales / It Hurts Inside  
11. Bobby & The Expressions / Slooptime USA   
12. James Duncan / Stop Talking To Your Child (Mother-In-Law)  
13. Eugene Church / Geneva  
14. Herb Hardesty vocal by Walter Nelson / Why Did We Have To Part   
15. johnny Watson / Gangster Of Love  
16. El Pauling & The Royalton / I'm A Cool Teenager  
17. Donnie Elbert / Wild Child  
18. Lee Williams & The Moonrays / I'm So In Love  
19. The Five Fabulous Demons / You'd Better Come Home
20. Billy Conn / I Promise You (I Won't Mention Your Name)  
21. Lula Reed & Her Little Teeners, Sonny Thompson / Say Hey Pretty Baby
22. Willie Wright & His Sparklers / Your Letter 
23. Eddie Kirk / Let Me Walk With You 
24. Teddy Humphries / What Makes You So Tough