About this Artist

• Biography

Editorial Reviews

Roulette didn't release this album until 1966 -- two years after Sam & Dave's last Roulette single. They had become a household name via Stax Records when this hit the market. It is definitive Roulette, containing both sides of their six singles for the label. Roulette featured Dave Prater's baritone/tenor more prominently than Sam Moore's vibrant gospel tenor -- Stax featured Moore. They recorded "I Got a Thing Going On," "I Need Love," "No Pain," and "Keep Walkin'" at Criterion Studios in Miami for Henry Stone. And according to Moore, they first dropped on either Marlin or TK Records (the Rolling Stones' labels). Their first Roulette release, "I Need Love," written by Moore and Sam Early (not Prater as credited) went unnoticed. A nondescript "No More Pain" did no better. Through Morris Levy (the nefarious owner of Roulette), they kept busy gigging with no hits. According to Moore, "Jackie Wilson hung around the studio and sings background (uncredited) on many of these tracks." A third release, "She's Alright," failed miserably. Only the flowing "It's So Nice While It Lasted," where Prater and Moore's voices blend soulfully, had any juice; it almost broke in 1963. Roulette released the charmer again in 1966 to ride the wave of their Stax hits. [Collectors' Choice reissued their 12-track edition in 2009.] Andrew Hamilton, All Music Guide

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