Gene Chandler's one of those artists who never fails to surprise us – and this wonderful package is a great illustration of one of the best chapters in his career! Gene's first known for his big early hits for Vee Jay – including "Duke Of Earl" – and stayed strong over many many years, shifting labels from time to time, continuing to grow as a singer and move through a range of different styles all handled quite well. This set offers an oft-lost side of Gene's career – his later recordings for Carl Davis' Chi-Sound label, home to a number of older Chicago soul artists who worked with Davis earlier at other labels. As with other singers on the label – such as Walter Jackson – Gene here moves into a smooth modern soul vein, mixing uptempo and midtempo tunes with ease, showing a sophisticated vocal style that you'd hardly ever expect from his earlier work! There's some real gems on this set – which features not only all three albums that Chandler recorded for the label, but also 9 more bonus tracks from singles as well – a massive 31 track package that's the first full look at this side of Gene's career. Titles include "Does She Have A Friend", "That Funky Disco Rhythm", "I'm Attracted To You", "For The Sake Of The Memories", "God Send", "Almost Daylight", "I Keep Coming Back", "I'll Make The Living If You'll Make The Living Worth While", "Skate", "Time Is A Thief", "Where Have You Been", "Get Down (demo)", "Let Me Make Love To You (long version)", "All About The Paper", "Rainbow 80", "You've Been So Sweet To Me", and "When You're #1". ~ Dusty Groove
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