Various: Room Service presents Soul Food

By RUSSELL BAILLIE

(Herald rating: * * *)

The local brand managers behind the easy-listening Room Service compilations turn their taste-making attentions to soul music.

This 18-track compilation assembles mostly cocktail hour-friendly mid-tempo, 70s tracks which deliberately skirt the obvious hits from the likes of Curtis Mayfield, Al Green, Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson, Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin and Barry White.

Add a smattering of vocal groups (Chi-Lites, Detroit Spinners, Stylistics, Delfonics) and it's a tasty wee jukebox with an in-built name-that-voice pop quiz. One quibble -- editing Issac Hayes' 12-minute version of Walk on By to a third of that just ain't respectful.

Label: Huh!/Universal