Rare Stamps is a compilation of
Don Davis productions for
J.J. Barnes and Steve Mancha (born Clyde Wilson). Despite spending most of their lives in Detroit, both have deep-soul roots and possess a gritty, earthy sound.
Barnes is a favorite of Northern soul fanatics. His biggest hit, "Baby Please Come Back Home," and is a
Marvin Gaye soundalike, a midtempo mover that was a favorite at roller-skating rinks. The Originals, of "Baby I'm For Real" fame, contribute as much as
Barnes on "Sweet Sherry" but are not credited. Mancha has one of the most soulful voices ever recorded; he later went on to sing with 100 Proof (Aged In Soul). Tracks like "Don't Make Me a Storyteller," "Hate Yourself In the Morning," and "Just Keep On Loving Me" are no-nonsense non-fiction accounts of painful love affairs. Note: Stax, via Fantasy Records, released Don Davis Presents the Sound of Detroit: J.J. Barnes, Steve Mancha, & Darrell Banks; this fine CD has, in addition to the
Barnes/Mancha sides, the complete Here to Stay LP by the late
Darrell Banks all on one disc. ~ Andrew Hamilton