The Staple Singers / Bill Summers & Summers Heat - Club Classics 24 12"
Well-curated compilation records are worth their weight, and this excerpt from the Club Classics series by formidable German label ZYX Music is a whopper. Pressed in the early 00s — an era many longterm pundits refer to as “the dark times” in terms of quality output on vinyl — this 12” is some serious DJ artillery, and we haven’t even mentioned the music yet.
Side A delivers two solid ’70s soul cuts from The Staple Singers: the #1 hit I’ll Take You There and the socially significant anthem Respect Yourself (yes, the same song Bruce Willis covered in 1987). Things really ramp up on the flip with a pair of disco-funk bangers from Bill Summers and his troupe, Summers Heat. Both joints are neat, but special mention must go to the stellar cover of Eddy Grant's Walking On Sunshine for its prototypical synth work and massive, percussive breakdown.
While one forthright Discogs review was reasonably confused by ZYX's application of the term “club classic” across this series, if you’re frequenting — or soundtracking — nice venues, there will be something on this particular edition that will be received with open ears.
