By: Solomon Burke - This Is It - Apollo Soul Origins (CD)

Solomon Burke may have turned the soul world upside down with his 1960s Atlantic sides, but even he had less celebrated beginnings. THIS IS IT is a collection focusing on the singles a young Burke recorded for the Apollo label between 1957 and '59. Deep Southern soul was still in the distance, as strong elements of doo wop, '50s R&B, and early rock & roll can be heard in these tunes, but even during this embryonic phase, Burke was already sporting a mighty set of pipes.