Good Times 3

Arriving in bins just after another one of Notting Hill's notorious street carnivals, Joey and Norman Jay present the third installment of their portable Good Times series, which serves up another sun-baked dose of soul, disco, house, reggae, and rap. In the wake of Nuphonic's folding, the Jays have thankfully found a new home for their releases on React; it hurts just to think that this set might not have come into being. Although scads upon scads of compilations have put together overlooked material from the eras and styles covered here, few of them have carried the scope, keen ears, care, and all-inclusive fun nature of the Good Times series. This third volume rivals the first two with its selection of choice goods. One of the most pleasant surprises is the inclusion of the Patrick Adams-produced "Thinking About Your Love" from Skipworth & Turner — a butterfly-filled newfound-love song that has survived the chilly (and ill-fated) mid-'80s production techniques that have killed off most other singles from the same year. Tammi Terrell and Marvin Gaye's "California Soul" is also here, and it is particularly fitting since Marlena Shaw's version of the same Ashford & Simpson song closed out the first Good Times set. Other significant draws include Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band's blissfully ambient "Sunshower," Doc Severinsen's surprisingly Average White Band-like "I Wanna Be With You," Dennis Brown's "Wild Fire," Honey Cone's "Sunday Morning People," Sinnamon's "I Need You Now," and Dazzle's underground disco classic "You Dazzle Me." As an important footnote, congratulations are in order for Norman Jay, whose contributions to his culture throughout the past several decades were awarded with a British Empire Medal.