The Impressions & Jerry Butler - The Singles And Albums Collection 1958-62 (2023)

The Impressions were one of the R&B vocal groups that heralded the transition from doowop to the more pop-oriented styles of the late ‘50s, and were notable for bringing to the fore two of the great soul voices of the era, Jerry Butler and Curtis Mayfield. They made their first records in 1958, when Butler and Mayfield were still in their teens, and immediately had hits, with Butler starting to pursue a solo career with a year or two, as both The Impressions, led by Mayfield, and Butler as a solo artist continued parallel hit careers. This 57-track 2-CD set comprises Impressions A & B sides from these years, featuring Curtis Mayfield, and including some featuring Jerry Butler, on the Abner and ABC-Paramount labels, plus Jerry Butler solo A & B sides on Veejay. It also includes the titles not otherwise featured on singles from the Veejay album “He Will Break Your Heart” and the Abner album “Jerry Butler Esq.” It features the Impressions’ four hits from these years, including the R&B No. 2 “Gypsy Woman” and No. 3 “For Your Precious Love”, and Jerry Butler’s ten hits from this era, including the R&B No. 1 “He Will Break Your Heart”, plus the Top 20 entries “Lost”, “Find Another Girl”, “I’m A Telling You”, “Moon River” and “Make It Easy On Yourself”. It’s a great showcase both for the Impressions’ distinctive style as a vocal group and for Jerry Butler and Curtis Mayfield’s notable talents as singers and writers, underlining their importance as key influences in the genre.