AA VV – She’s A Heartbreaker – 20 Blue Eyed Soul Stings UK Floor Fillers – Vol. 4

(The British truly love soul music, and though they may be better at importing rare records (and performers) than actually getting on the good foot themselves, that’s not to say there haven’t been plenty of real gems cut by U.K. R&B mavens, and Nick Saloman’s fourth CD collection of rare blue-eyed soul singles from Old Blighty delivers some solid grooves and passionate vocal turns. Dave Hunter’s cover of “Heartbreaker” (a hit for Gene Pitney which was co-written by Jerry “Swamp Dogg” Williams) gives the fine original a run for its money, Una Valli’s swinging take on “Satisfaction” reveals that there was some potent R&B being produced in apartheid-era South Africa, expatriate soul diva Madeline Bell lends her vocal talents to “Can’t Get It into My Head” by the Underground, Johnny Curtis manages to make the fairy tale lyrics of “Jack and the Beanstalk” sound tough and soulful despite themselves, and Tina Harvey’s “Nowhere to Run” puts an effective new spin on Holland-Dozier-Holland’s Motown classic. Kenny Bernard may have been setting himself up for cruel jokes with a song titled “Ain’t No Soul,” but the tune is a powerful Northern Soul groover with a spirited production, and Irish vocalist Margo manages a similar feat with “The Spark That Lights the Flame.” And both Currant Kraze and Slam Creepers have the good sense to make music that’s far less laughable than their names. She’s a Heartbreaker is a better than average sampling of U.K. R&B and fans of the soulful side of British Beat would do well to give it a spin)