Lonely Heart in the City

ost in the sea of Johnny Moores out there (including the one who was a singer for the Drifters and sang lead on "Under the Boardwalk") was the Chicago soul singer and songwriter Johnny Moore, who never managed to be more than a regional star in the '60s and '70s, even though his records were powerful examples of Northern soul at its best. This wonderful set from Grapevine Records collects 24 singles (plus one previously unreleased track, "Baby If You Let Me") that Moore released on various Chicago labels between 1966 and 1972, and it goes a long way toward rescuing this talented artist from total obscurity. Sounding at times like an energetic Marvin Gaye, Moore had a hand in writing everything here, and songs like the catchy "Sold on You," the very Gaye-like "Call It What You Wanna," the breezy and resilient "Lonely Heart in the City," and the driving "I Need Your Help Baby" all would have been big hits in a fair and equitable world. Thanks go to Grapevine for putting this together. A treasure. ~ Steve Leggett|