Servicemen, The – “Meet… The Servicemen” – [Wind Hit]

This soulful vocal group got together at an Arizona Air Force base (hence the group’s name) and laid down these sides with producer Hadley Murrell in the late 1960′s. The tracks with instrumental backing are solid, with sweet vocals and great Motown-style energy and flair. As a bonus we get to hear a cappella “demo” versions of some of the songs, and those are a real treat. Much of this material shows how directly the creatively arranged soul-group vocals of the period were influenced by classic 1950′s doo-wop groups. I had never heard that connection quite so clearly before. This is a very enjoyable introduction to a group that never received more than local (Phoenix-area) notoriety when they were around. Murrell, by the way, also brought us the excellent recent compilation “Soul Side of the Street.”