Time Will Tell

Mille (aka Millie Small) is best known for her early ska smash "My Boy Lollipop" (which sadly does not appear here), but she also recorded a wealth of fine ska, bluebeat, and rocksteady sides throughout the mid- to late '60s. The 2004 CD reissue by Trojan of Time Will Tell matches her 1970 album of the same name with a mix of tracks taken from various sources and dates. The album itself is a light-hearted romp featuring Millie's trilling voice and charming personality. Definitely not essential stuff but very pleasant nonetheless. The tunes are mostly perky love songs, but one track sure to raise eyebrows is her rollicking version of Nick Drake's (!) "Mayfair." The extra tracks are more interesting if only for the variety of sounds and styles. The earliest tracks are 1962-1963 duets with Roy Panton on a few peppy ska tracks, the two sounding like a Jamaican Shirley & Lee. Her duets with Jackie Edwards from the mid-'60s sound like straight R&B as do her solo tracks from the same era, especially the cover of "That's How Strong My Love Is." She also tried girl group sounds on for size, rocking the wonderfully titled "Mixed Up, Fickle, Lonely, Self-Centered, Spoiled Kind of Boy" like a pint-sized Little Eva, sounding tough and sassy on the stomping "Peaches and Cream." The handful of ska tracks from the later '60s sound much like the material on the Time Will Tell record — hooky, tough, and a load of fun.