Patrice Holloway

Patrice Holloway's voice as a lead singer and backing vocalist runs through music like a constant heartbeat. Her three singles for Capitol released in 1966-7, Stolen Hours/Lucky My Boy, Ecstasy/Love and Desire, That's All You Got To Do/Stay With Your Own Kind, is one of the greatest runs of 7"s by any artist, ever.

They all flopped. Patrice's lack of solo commercial success - blame Capitol, blame Motown for shelving all her recordings, shrug your shoulders at the record-buying public - only adds to the allure of this long-overdue collection.

Love & Desire: The Patrice Holloway Anthology is worth buying for the sleeve notes alone. The warm plaudits from soul music legends hint at just how highly regarded Patrice was as a singer, writer, business woman and friend. We even learn that she once dated Muhammed Ali and that the royalties from her backing vocals on Joe Cocker's With A Little Help From My Friends poured in when it was used as the theme tune to TV show The Wonder Years.

This excellent collection features ten (10!) unreleased tracks and, after the issue of Brenda Holloway - The Early Years: Rare Recordings 1962-3, mid-60s collaborations of Brenda and Patrice with others as The Belles, Ikettes and Wooden Nickels on various compilations, and the Josie and the Pussycats reissue, all of Patric Holloway's solo and group work has been reissued. Almost.

The Wooden Nickels' Omen single, Take My Love/Should I Give My Love has been mysteriously overlooked. Like all of Patrice Holloway's work, you should have it: