tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-133974352024-03-07T03:55:11.024-05:00Get On Down With The Stepfather Of Soul!Vintage soul/blues/jazz/funk/gospel and more, to share and to entertain. Also the home of the podcast of the same name (see links on right side of the page). Please note that the MP3/WMA files contained here are provided for non-commercial uses and will only be available for one week unless otherwise stated. (The podcasts on the right are not restricted in that manner.)The Stepfather of Soulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14012795861121326506noreply@blogger.comBlogger1005125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13397435.post-15396000129516314552021-07-29T17:34:00.000-04:002021-07-29T17:34:18.278-04:00A Return to the Land of the Living, Albeit by "Soulful Distancing"!It's been a very long time since I've posted anything here, but a recent conversation about Sir Lattimore Brown got me thinking about this blog and the need to add some updated content.
<p>I will start by saying that I am still collecting airchecks, and will try to get some more of the "Soul on the Air" features written and posted soon. In the meantime, however, I have been staying active with the <b><i>Get on Down with the Stepfather of Soul!</i></b> program on <a href="http://www.rockinradio.com">Rockin' Radio</a>, and until March 2020, the Electro-Phonic Brian Phillips and I had been hosting "Rhythm & Booze" at El Myr Burrito Lounge in Atlanta. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic hit and "Rhythm & Booze" entered into an ongoing hiatus.
<p>Brian and I decided to take the show online, and after some fits and starts with Instagram and then Facebook, we found an online home for what we began calling "Soulful Distancing." Since October 2020, we have presented "Soulful Distancing" on Mixcloud on the night that "Rhythm & Booze" would normally take place (the third Saturday of each month). Feel free to stop by and <a href="http://mixcloud.com/rhythmandbooze">check out the archived programs</a>!
<p>I will do my best to get a new aircheck here within the next few weeks, but in the mean time, keep enjoying all the good music that's out there!The Stepfather of Soulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14012795861121326506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13397435.post-16522745613539723962019-07-26T22:29:00.000-04:002019-08-01T18:27:37.343-04:00Soul on the Air #25 ... Bob Allen and Joe Thomas, WAUG, 1967<a href="http://yourlisten.com/stepfatherofsoul/bob-allen-joe-thomas-waug-augusta-ga-oct-10-1967" id="yl17771360">Podcast Hosting - Download Audio - </a><script src="https://yourlisten.com/embed.js?17771360" type="text/javascript" async></script><p>
"Soul on the Air" returns to the blog with a wonderful treat. "Get on Down ..." reader and aircheck enthusiast Matt Laube contacted me today with news that he had a rare soul aircheck to share with all of us, one that he found on a tape that came along with some vintage equipment he'd acquired. The tape, which featured the featured aircheck and some Armed Forces Radio Network material, was in very bad shape and ended up ruined by the time he'd managed to play it in order to digitize it - thank goodness he was able to retrieve this aircheck, though, before the tape was destroyed!<p>
WAUG was an Augusta, Georgia radio station that began in 1952 and aired on AM and FM frequencies until 1980 (the calls now belong to an urban talk station owned by St. Augustine's University in North Carolina). It appears that 'AUG had several formats, including a soul format in the '60s and a Top 40 format in the '70s. I speculate that the station's switch from soul to Top 40 came as the result of James Brown: in my research, I learned that when Brown bought Augusta radio station WRDW (one of three he would eventually own - WJBE in Knoxville and WEBB in Baltimore were the other two), 'AUG filed an objection with the FCC, alleging that Brown would prevent the station from playing his hits! I'm sure having a competing soul station in the relatively-small market (whether or not 'AUG could play James Brown records) was significant cause for the station to make the format switch, and the station thrived with it's new sound, proving to be a close competitor to Top 40 station WBBQ, which stayed on top of the ratings in Augusta for over 35 years.<p>
I know absolutely nothing about Bob Allen, whose October 8, 1967 appearance on this station seems to be a one-off: near the end of the aircheck, WAUG DJ Joe Thomas begins his show and states that Allen was doing an on-air audition for a Sunday afternoon DJ slot, along with others who had sent in audition tapes. It appears that Allen did not get the job, and the aircheck reflects possibly why not: despite the fact that Allen seemed to enjoy the chance to entertain his listeners, his performance did suffer from a lack of clear diction, occasional mishaps on the board (including one where he botches an "instant replay" twin spin of Aretha Franklin's "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman"), and a tough time reading news copy. That being said, he wasn't awful, and he moved things along well during this portion of the two-hour audition. (If anyone knows what may have come of Mr. Allen, or Mr. Thomas, for that matter, please let me know.)<p>
Fortunately, I know a lot more about the music and fun that fills the aircheck. There are a lot of good tunes played by Messrs. Allen and Thomas here, including the aforementioned Aretha Franklin record, "Dirty Man" by Laura Lee, "Apples, Peaches, Pumpkin Pie" by Jay & The Techniques, "Tell Him" by Patti Drew, "Casanova" by Ruby Andrews, "Get Down" by Harvey Scales & The Seven Sounds, and "Little Ole Man (Uptight-Everything's Alright)" by Bill Cosby. As usual, there are some cool commercials, news breaks, and a three great station promos done by William Bell, Bettye Swann, and "The Soul Sisters," a local high school group(!), respectively.
<p>Although the fidelity of this recording leaves a lot to be desired, and the middle portion is clearly running at a slower speed than the rest, this is truly a rare gem, and I thank Matt for graciously sharing it with "Get on Down With the Stepfather of Soul!" (Thanks also to Dave Hamel for editing the airchecks into a cleaner-sounding, single file.)The Stepfather of Soulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14012795861121326506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13397435.post-38789067741110782162018-04-30T09:33:00.000-04:002018-04-30T18:00:20.748-04:00"Soul on the Air" BREAKING NEWS - 1971 WAOK Airchecks Discovered!Many thanks to GET ON DOWN reader David Hamel, who informed me yesterday that <b>8 HOURS</b> of airchecks from Atlanta radio station WAOK have been posted on The Campaign for Independent Broadcasting website in the UK! It turns out that the CIB - active from 1968 to 1974 - advocated for commercial radio in the UK (at that time, British radio was controlled by the BBC, which actively went after "pirate" offshore broadcasters). In 1971, the CIB solicited samples from US radio stations to demonstrate how it would work, and WAOK sent a reel-to-reel tape to help with their cause. Last year, the tape was digitized! The story of the WAOK tape, and the links to the airchecks, are on <a href="http://www.campaignforindependentbroadcasting.co.uk/tag/classic-soul-music-radio-online/">the CIB's commemorative website</a>.
<p>The rediscovery and digitizing of the WAOK tape is a big deal, as (1) to my knowledge, these are the only WAOK airchecks that exist from the station's tenure as Atlanta's top R&B radio station (<a href="https://waok.radio.com/">the station still exists</a>, but its format is urban talk radio); and (2) outside of the discovery of over 24 hours of WVON airchecks a few years ago, it's the closest to a "day in the life" presentation of R&B airchecks that I know of. This is a treasure, to put it mildly!
<p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivswv_28WuJvXBanBZjKiDECX3Q6bBb00Sv0UPLy-WWxD4dbVJkJMqOpS7uJR2xpWBSXfJMy0AhepKJ8UlMF_vJBmNwCPZXMKwhZOAydBgsyi8qd5vxK97tZma4ytH0yfuitaV/s1600/m-7887.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivswv_28WuJvXBanBZjKiDECX3Q6bBb00Sv0UPLy-WWxD4dbVJkJMqOpS7uJR2xpWBSXfJMy0AhepKJ8UlMF_vJBmNwCPZXMKwhZOAydBgsyi8qd5vxK97tZma4ytH0yfuitaV/s320/m-7887.jpg" width="320" height="240" data-original-width="800" data-original-height="600" /></a></div></p>
The <a href="http://www.campaignforindependentbroadcasting.co.uk/tag/classic-soul-music-radio-online/">CIB's page</a> does a great job of telling the history of WAOK and its colorful owner, Zenas "Daddy" Sears (pictured here), so I won't repeat it here. Instead, I'll talk about the airchecks themselves, or at least to the extent I've heard them so far (I only received news of this last night, and have only listened to two full hours and samples of the rest). These airchecks are spread across the WAOK broadcast days of July 28-29, 1971, from the "Wake Up Atlanta" show to the late-night broadcasts by "The Dream Girl," Zilla Mayes (only the station's early-morning gospel show is omitted). Because of the limitations of the tape, described in some detail on the CIB page, the fidelity is not ideal, and there are some moments where bad tape makes for some rough-sounding music, but the limitations do not overcome the awesomeness of the airchecks.
<p>Despite the limitations of the tape, it's clear from these airchecks that 1971 was certainly a banner year for good soul music: Al Green's "Tired of Being Alone" has returned Green to the hit parade for the first time since 1967 and has launched his super-stardom; "Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)" and "Spanish Harlem" by Marvin Gaye and Aretha Franklin, respectively, are the newest smashes by those artists; James Brown's "Hot Pants" is the Godfather's new one (and his last #1 for King Records before he moved on to Polydor and further hits in the '70s); The Honey Cone's "Stick Up" is following "Want Ads" to the top of the charts; Rufus Thomas and Wilson Pickett are keeping the dancers grooving with "The Breakdown" and "Get Me Back on Time, Engine Number Nine," respectively; The Undisputed Truth's "Smiling Faces Sometimes" tells the unadulterated truth over a sinister groove; and Bill Withers' "Ain't No Sunshine" is bringing a new, folky flavor to the R&B landscape. The minor hits and non-hits are great as well: Clarence Carter's "Slipped, Tripped, Fell in Love," Laura Lee's "Women's Love Rights" (which draws some snide comment from one of the DJs), Jerry Butler's "How Did We Lose It Baby," Simtec and Wylie's "Gotta Get Over the Hump," and many other cuts (including local 45s by Eula Cooper and Randolph Walker) fit in well with the better-known sides. The airchecks are unscoped, so in addition to the good music, there's the fabulous DJ patter that makes these classic R&B airchecks so much fun, along with local news and vintage commercials, including a James Brown ad for a health tonic, Coca-Cola spots featuring Aretha Franklin and her sister, Erma, ads for the movie "Shaft," and heavy promotion of the first-ever "Miss Black Teenage America" pageant, which was hosted in Atlanta on July 29. (Spoiler alert: June Kelly, of Irving, Texas, won the pageant.)
<p>At this time, I don't have really any info on the DJs featured here, except that Zilla Mayes was a singer-turned-DJ who was the first black female announcer in Georgia when she stated on WAOK as the sensuous-voiced "Mystery Lady" in 1954. (Her identity was revealed a few years later, after which she was referred to as "The Dream Girl.") She remained on WAOK for nearly 40 years, playing gospel in the later years. I have also learned that Larry Tinsley is still with WAOK and its FM sister WVEE, doing gospel music shows. I will be working on getting more information on the others as time goes on. In the meantime, though, make sure to go check these airchecks out!The Stepfather of Soulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14012795861121326506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13397435.post-87891688480873878192018-03-31T09:30:00.002-04:002018-03-31T09:30:34.591-04:00Soul of the Air #24 - Bill "Doc" Lee, 1965<b>"Highway to Heaven" Part One:</b><a href="http://yourlisten.com/stepfatherofsoul/bill-doc-lee-wvon-aircheck-jan-29-1965-pt-1" id="yl17719962">Free Music - Music podcasts - </a><script src="https://yourlisten.com/embed.js?17719962" type="text/javascript" async></script>
<p>
<b>"Highway to Heaven" Part Two:</b><a href="http://yourlisten.com/stepfatherofsoul/bill-doc-lee-wvon-aircheck-jan-29-1965-pt-2" id="yl17719964">Download Music - Free Audio - </a><script src="https://yourlisten.com/embed.js?17719964" type="text/javascript" async></script>
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<b>"Highway to Heaven" Part Three:</b><a href="http://yourlisten.com/stepfatherofsoul/bill-doc-lee-wvon-aircheck-jan-29-1965-pt-3" id="yl17719965">Podcast Hosting - Music podcasts - </a><script src="https://yourlisten.com/embed.js?17719965" type="text/javascript" async></script>
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<b>"The Sunday Gospel Open House" (with Margarite Turner):</b><a href="http://yourlisten.com/stepfatherofsoul/doc-lee-margarite-turner-wvon-aircheck-jan-31-1965" id="yl17719966">Music File Hosting - Share Audio - </a><script src="https://yourlisten.com/embed.js?17719966" type="text/javascript" async></script>
<p>
This Easter weekend is also the 55th anniversary of legendary R&B-turned-talk radio station WVON, which has been featured on this blog on more than a few times. From its debut on April 1, 1963, it became the city's top R&B station and ran second only to WLS in overall popularity at its peak. Though changing times toppled the station in the later '70s, the wise move to change to a talk format has kept the station alive and still on the air, now at 1690 on the AM dial in Chicago and <a href="http://wvon.com">online</a>. Because it is Easter weekend, the station's gospel music programming is the subject of this post.<p>
Perhaps in part because the Chess family owned WVON and recorded gospel music and sermons, the station's format included religious material. Bill "Doc" Lee was hired as the station's Religious Director in 1963 and he stayed with the station for thirty years. Lee hosted "Highway to Heaven" from 4:00 to 6:00 AM every weekday morning during the station's glory days, and also co-hosted the "Sunday Gospel Open House" on Sundays from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM. (By the way, according to the <i>Chicago Tribune</i> obituary of Lee from 1998, it is said that Lee picked up the "Doc" nickname because his on-air prayers were credited with healing sick people!) "Highway to Heaven" featured Lee playing gospel music and providing patter, reading commercials and delivering news and weather in the same manner as the other WVON jocks. "Sunday Gospel Open House" was a live show, in which local gospel acts appeared in various locales to perform before a capacity audience: according to the liner notes to the Checker tie-in album for the show, the show was open to the public "but you must come early in order to secure a seat of your choice."<p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYcyjYOqS9mMFfqVbUvem12AFGrAWsqHDmDirzJCjX6Jy0HTAWr6lSlOd5bShhvgZ6uPBIXhyphenhyphenSWQ6ImXHux6Z0_1mDd9HOuyunZ9w8Ua6Pif865xGIM6OWoTwrLBu5B6CYdJQN/s1600/29790973_1896158527063887_4292497430653141695_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYcyjYOqS9mMFfqVbUvem12AFGrAWsqHDmDirzJCjX6Jy0HTAWr6lSlOd5bShhvgZ6uPBIXhyphenhyphenSWQ6ImXHux6Z0_1mDd9HOuyunZ9w8Ua6Pif865xGIM6OWoTwrLBu5B6CYdJQN/s320/29790973_1896158527063887_4292497430653141695_n.jpg" width="265" height="320" data-original-width="414" data-original-height="500" /></a></div><p>
Featured here is most of a "Highway to Heaven" episode from January 29, 1965, followed by a portion of a "Sunday Gospel Open House" show from the following Sunday. "Highway to Heaven" is full of great stuff for discerning gospel fans: after Lee thanks "Deacon Pervis Spann" for his preceding blues show, he gets to work, featuring Chicago's legendary "Singing" Sammy Lewis in song and in prayer and playing The Staple Singers' original "Hammer and Nails," which had more explicitly religious lyrics than the better-known version, The Southwest Michigan State Choir's "Write My Name Above," and The Salem Travelers' "Help Me to Hold Out," among other tunes. On "Sunday Gospel Open House," Lee is joined by his co-host, Margarite Turner, at the Southmoor Hotel - where, as is emphasized by Lee, a brand-new Hammond organ has been installed - to present local gospel groups (it goes without saying there was no shortage of gospel quartets and other groups in Chicago, many of which never made the big-time despite having lots of talent) and to announce various gospel concerts taking place throughout the city. <p>
<b>EDITOR'S NOTE: I apologize for not getting more good stuff on this blog - I've got lots of stuff I want to share, but haven't got around to it. I hope to get new material on here very soon! Thank you for your continued support despite my slow upload schedule!</b>
The Stepfather of Soulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14012795861121326506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13397435.post-59531236429946712252016-10-28T07:18:00.001-04:002016-10-30T12:53:39.761-04:00Soul on the Air #23 - Herb Kent, 1965<b>Part One:</b><p>
<a href="http://yourlisten.com/stepfatherofsoul/herb-kent-wvon-aircheck-feb-26-1965-pt-1" id="yl17603265">Play Music - Share Audio - </a><script src="https://yourlisten.com/embed.js?17603265" type="text/javascript" async></script><p>
<b>Part Two:</b><p>
<a href="http://yourlisten.com/stepfatherofsoul/herb-kent-wvon-aircheck-feb-26-1965-pt-2" id="yl17603826">Music File Hosting - Podcast Hosting - </a><script src="https://yourlisten.com/embed.js?17603826" type="text/javascript" async></script><p>
<b>Part Three:</b><p>
<a href="http://yourlisten.com/stepfatherofsoul/herb-kent-wvon-aircheck-feb-26-1965-pt-3" id="yl17603829">Music podcasts - Share Audio - </a><script src="https://yourlisten.com/embed.js?17603829" type="text/javascript" async></script><p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLsZLik_9SEbLKaNlxUar_hhqrlvreqPlhA5HuzpnQH1EQVpP3hK9BSQEX2PxAeC0adFG_DR_tReBUSC-gOpR2xoSnPeiwFBtlGfxDYtRs1VmXjiXVph27h21t21hO8YaLrwzT/s1600/14523052_10207630164736852_1329165928737990193_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLsZLik_9SEbLKaNlxUar_hhqrlvreqPlhA5HuzpnQH1EQVpP3hK9BSQEX2PxAeC0adFG_DR_tReBUSC-gOpR2xoSnPeiwFBtlGfxDYtRs1VmXjiXVph27h21t21hO8YaLrwzT/s320/14523052_10207630164736852_1329165928737990193_n.jpg" width="320" height="320" /></a></div><p>
I was saddened by news over the past weekend that Radio Hall of Fame DJ Herb Kent passed away at age 88. Kent started his career in radio in the '40s and was on the air until the very end, having completed his regular Saturday morning show on Chicago's WVAZ before he passed away later that day. Kent's legend rests mostly on his tenure as one of the WVON "Good Guys" from the station's founding 1963 until 1980 or so. Fortunately for Kent, he managed to stay on the air in the Windy City, doing everything from a "Punk Out" show on WXFM (where he became perhaps one of the first black DJs in the country to play punk and new wave) to shows on WGCI and finally doing weekend shows for WVAZ (which is where I first heard him when I moved to Chicago in the '90s).<p>
I never had the chance to meet "The Cool Gent" in person, but I credit him for introducing me to tons of great music and, more close to my heart, for declaring on his Facebook page in 2014 that this blog was a great "back in the day resource." That quiet endorsement meant the world to me, especially because I started the "Soul on the Air" series with one of his airchecks!<p>
Enough of my eulogizing. Because I cannot be in the Chicago area this weekend for the planned memorials for Herb, I thought the least thing I could do would be to share a great Herb Kent aircheck. Presented in its entirety is Herb's Saturday night "Dusty Record Time" edition of his WVON show from February 26, 1965. (Herb coined the term "dusties" for R&B oldies, referring to the dust that gathered in the grooves of old records, and he - along with Richard Pegue - made that term a household word among Chicago radio listeners.) Among other highlights are Herb's playing of Cecil Gant's 1944 hit "I Wonder" alongside more recent and "dusty" material and Herb soliciting support from listeners in the staton's PET Milk contest. As usual, Kent closes out his show with The Gospel Clef's "Open Our Eyes," which I understand Gene Chandler performed at Herb's funeral.<p>
Rest in peace, Herb Kent, "The Mayor of Bronzeville." Your contributions to the world of music are legendary and you truly brightened the lives of thousands - if not millions - of people who listened to you over your 70-plus-year career. Your reward is well-earned.The Stepfather of Soulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14012795861121326506noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13397435.post-32642871751808886532015-12-30T20:50:00.001-05:002016-01-03T14:28:14.006-05:00We're BACK! Soul on the Air #22 - Buddy Lowe, 1965<b>I am so glad to announce that all of the "Soul on the Air" posts on this blog are now back in working order! The player from Yourlisten works very well, and I look forward to picking up the slack and getting lots more good airchecks on here! With that in mind, here's the new entry...</b><p>
<a href="http://yourlisten.com/stepfatherofsoul/buddy-love-wild-aircheck-1965" id="yl17482107">Music podcasts - Download Audio - Buddy Love, WILD Aircheck, 1...</a><script src="http://yourlisten.com/embed.js?17482107" type="text/javascript" async></script><p>
This installment of "Soul on the Air" come>s from Boston's WILD, which operated as a brokered-time station with multi-ethnic programming until 1967, when the station (owned by the same company as sister station WAMO in Pittsburgh and WUFO in Buffalo) went R&B full time under the programming guidance of WAMO's Hal Brown, who was the subject of the <a href="http://stepfatherofsoul.blogspot.com/2015/12/test.html">last "Soul on the Air" feature</a>. I don't know anything about Buddy Lowe, but what I do know is that over the course of twenty minutes, he lays down serious soul, ranging from the throwback "Finger Poppin' Time" by Hank Ballard & The Midnighters, to "The Real Thing" by Tina Britt and "Stop and Get a Hold of Myself" by Gladys Knight & The Pips, interspersed with great commercials, including one for the legendary Skippy White's record store. Great music, great commercials, and great fidelity reign here! Enjoy!<p>
<b>Thanks to a fan for correcting the DJ's name here - it's Walter "Buddy" Lowe you hear here!</b>The Stepfather of Soulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14012795861121326506noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13397435.post-49986795593753501732015-12-20T12:04:00.000-05:002015-12-30T22:10:27.922-05:00"Soul on the Air" #21 - Hal Brown, 1969<a href="http://yourlisten.com/stepfatherofsoul/hal-brown-wamo-aircheck-1969" id="yl17476813">Podcast Hosting - Upload Audio Files - Hal Brown - WAMO Aircheck, 1...</a><script async="" src="http://yourlisten.com/embed.js?17476813" type="text/javascript"></script><p>
Today's short feature is of disc jockey and radio program director Hal Brown from Pittsburgh's legendary R&B station WAMO. During Brown's tenure at WAMO, he also acted as program director for sister stations WILD in Boston (an aircheck from that station will follow later in this series) and Buffalo's WUFO. After Brown retired from radio, he moved to Florida, where he lived until his death in 2011.<p>
Now on to the aircheck. As "Not on the Outside" by The Moments fades out, Brown wastes no time setting up Gloria Walker's "Talking About My Baby," a reworking of "I'd Rather Go Blind" that hit for the Georgia singer on the Flaming Arrow label in 1969 (the 45 is a must-have for soul and funk fans, because the flip side is the funky instrumental "The Gallop" by The Chevelles), followed by the funky and funny "Don't Pat Me on the Back and Call Me Brother" by John KaSandra. It's short and sweet, but a nice little "stocking stuffer" for you, my patient and awesome fans, this Christmas.The Stepfather of Soulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14012795861121326506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13397435.post-23784803859769704652015-12-08T16:09:00.000-05:002015-12-30T20:35:18.029-05:00Technical Difficulties ... <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXNr1-7D1vIlrSmoPH48uTWKIN_U0wQM38vR4ZS1zjunuLgrQ_4V19cS2bHirVy5FCi427IMPiF_czcXrQTnDrACDij8X4JdcJGwe0eZSpD3zOjMoGPDLehjXAb09kbHIS-z5e/s1600/maxresdefault.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXNr1-7D1vIlrSmoPH48uTWKIN_U0wQM38vR4ZS1zjunuLgrQ_4V19cS2bHirVy5FCi427IMPiF_czcXrQTnDrACDij8X4JdcJGwe0eZSpD3zOjMoGPDLehjXAb09kbHIS-z5e/s400/maxresdefault.jpg" /></a></div><p>
<b>This post formerly explained why none of the "Soul on the Air" features were working. But now they are, so disregard everything about this post except the fun video below!</b><p>
As some of you know, I occasionally get the chance to DJ among rare soul fans and friends, and recently my friend and brother from another mother, Brian Philips, were invited to do a 30-minute set at Hip Drop, the annual Ponderosa Stomp pre-party in New Orleans. Here are excerpt from our set, in which the two of us got our groove on while slinging those soul and funk platters! Enjoy!<p>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4kXR06PQUPg" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>The Stepfather of Soulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14012795861121326506noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13397435.post-45267772720438780192015-01-27T13:35:00.001-05:002015-12-30T20:36:28.020-05:00Soul on the Air #20 - Rudy Runnels, 1966<a href="http://yourlisten.com/stepfatherofsoul/rudy-runnels-wol-aircheck-august-1966" id="yl17476826">Play Music - Free Audio - Rudy Runnels - WOL Aircheck,...</a><script src="http://yourlisten.com/embed.js?17476826" type="text/javascript" async></script><p>
As promised, here's a second installment of "Soul on the Air" for the month of January 2015. After a trio of Chicago airchecks, I'll move on to Washington, D.C. and the "Tall Tan Texan," Rudy Runnels, doing his thing on WOL in August 1966.<p>
WOL, along with WOOK and WUST, was part of D.C.'s soul radio scene. Runnels - who was also the music director of the station - had been on KKSN in Dallas before moving to D.C., where he shared the WOL frequency with Bob "Nighthawk" Terry and black talk radio legend Petey Greene. He eventually moved on to WOOK and then became general manager of WHIH in Norfolk. I'm not sure what followed, though some research suggests that he was involved in Atlanta radio at some point (on WAOK; information is welcomed).<p>
On this 23-minute aircheck, Runnels throws down some serious soul music from artists including Little Milton, Alvin Cash and even the Righteous Brothers, replete with great patter (dig the setup for Little Milton's "Man Loves Two" and Alvin Cash's "Philly Freeze"). Of course, there's the usual fun commercials and jingles as well. The fidelity of this aircheck is stunning, which adds to the greatness of the aircheck, and I hope you enjoy it!The Stepfather of Soulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14012795861121326506noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13397435.post-62594738272639410282015-01-12T13:35:00.001-05:002015-12-30T20:36:43.649-05:00Soul on the Air #19 - Bill "Butterball" Crane, 1968<a href="http://yourlisten.com/stepfatherofsoul/bill-butterball-crane-wvon-aircheck-december-1968" id="yl17476828">Share Music - Audio Hosting - Bill "Butterball" ...</a><script src="http://yourlisten.com/embed.js?17476828" type="text/javascript" async></script><p>
As promised in December, "Soul on the Air" is back on "Get on Down"!<p>
WVON's Bill "Butterball" Crane has been <a href="http://stepfatherofsoul.blogspot.com/2009/08/soul-on-air-13-butterball-1967.html">featured on this blog before</a>, and I will refer you to that post about information about Mr. Crane. As the comments to that post attest, the Butterball aircheck was one of the most popular ones posted here, and I'm glad to bring you more of Crane on WVON, this time from December 15, 1968. In addition to Crane's great patter, there's lots of good stuff here, including records by Jerry Butler, Ike & Tina Turner (who open the aircheck), Otis Redding, Clarence Carter and the Dells, along with a news break announced by WVON newscaster Clair Nelson.<p>
Keep an eye on this page, because another aircheck will be featured this month. Here's a hint: it's from Washington, D.C.!The Stepfather of Soulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14012795861121326506noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13397435.post-45594940554574965932014-12-27T08:57:00.000-05:002015-12-30T21:18:08.092-05:00An Honor and an ExplanationThis morning your ever-lovin' Stepfather of Soul was honored to find that none less than Radio Hall of Fame member Herb Kent had shared my initial "Soul on the Air!" feature on his Facebook page, referring to it as a "great back in the day resource." To get praise from a broadcasting legend set my little heart ablaze, but it also reminded me that I needed to do something here that I've been putting off for a loooooooooooong time: explaining what is going on with this blog.<p>
It's probably no surprise that I haven't done much on this blog in a mighty long time. After doing hundreds of posts on a near-daily basis for a couple of years, "real life" (work, family, etc.) started to get in the way, and to write like that became very tiring. Further, as YouTube and Facebook began to grow, it provided alternative ways for the sharing of this great music. Finally, I was offered the opportunity to do a new "Get on Down with the Stepfather of Soul!" online radio show for Rockin' Radio. In light of all of those things, I decided that I would stop writing the blog in 2013.<p>
When I made that decision, however, I found myself in an interesting position: I realized that the blog actually has two different, and not always overlapping, audiences. Rare soul fans were digging the features on individual records and the podcast, but "Soul on the Air" brought in a new audience: radio aircheck fans were interested, for sure, but more numerous were those who, in reminiscing about the radio stations they enjoyed in their youth, found the blog while doing Google searches on certain DJs and the like. I realized that this blog was a great resource for them, and so I did not pull the plug on the site itself.<p>
<b>Having said all that, I've decided that in 2015 I will focus almost exclusively on the "Soul on the Air" content. I've got many more airchecks to share, and this site will serve more as a repository for the airchecks than it will as a soul music site.</b> <p>
For those of you who enjoyed this site as a soul music site, please note the following (and for the "Soul on the Air" fans, feel free to check these things out as well):<p>
1. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/jason.stone.7121614">I am on Facebook</a>, and I regularly post music there. Feel free to friend me if you haven't already.<p>
2. Since October 2012, I have hosted the "Get on Down with the Stepfather of Soul!" show on <a href="http://rockinradio.com">Rockin' Radio</a>, where I join the rest of the crew there playing the "best oldies you've never heard" and sharing information about the tunes. A new show is uploaded every month on the "Now Playing" page. Make sure to check out the show, as well as those of my compatriots, Rockin' Randy Tivens, Brian Phillips (who is no stranger to this site), and Jim E. Night!<p>
3. All soul content on this site will remain, but I will not renew dead links. If any features catch your attention, please e-mail me (jasonstone60643@gmail.com) and I can share with you any music that may be of interest.<p>
4. Finally, though many of my colleagues in soul blogging have also retired their sites, some for the same reasons I have, there are still many who are still doing their thing. Check out the links section and you'll find that many of the sites listed are still around, especially those sites belonging to my friend Red Kelly, the "Soul Detective." Enjoy those, and forgive me for not getting around to removing dead links.<p>
It has been a pleasure and honor to do the blog for the last nine years, and I look forward to the next chapter in its existence. Let's keep on getting on down!The Stepfather of Soulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14012795861121326506noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13397435.post-3927223320599556082013-03-31T18:26:00.000-04:002015-12-30T20:36:57.482-05:00Soul on the Air #18: Pervis Spann, 1965<a href="http://yourlisten.com/stepfatherofsoul/pervis-spann-wvon-aircheck-jan-29-1965-pt-1" id="yl17476833">Music podcasts - Free Audio - Pervis Spann - WVON Aircheck...</a><script src="http://yourlisten.com/embed.js?17476833" type="text/javascript" async></script><p>
<a href="http://yourlisten.com/stepfatherofsoul/pervis-spann-wvon-aircheck-january-29-1965-pt-2" id="yl17476834">Podcast Hosting - Share Audio - Pervis Spann, WVON Aircheck,...</a><script src="http://yourlisten.com/embed.js?17476834" type="text/javascript" async></script><p>
<a href="http://yourlisten.com/stepfatherofsoul/pervis-spann-wvon-aircheck-january-29-1965-pt-3" id="yl17476840">Play Music - Free Audio - Pervis Spann, WVON Aircheck,...</a><script src="http://yourlisten.com/embed.js?17476840" type="text/javascript" async></script><p>
<a href="http://yourlisten.com/stepfatherofsoul/pervis-spann-wvon-aircheck-january-29-1965-pt-4" id="yl17476847">Listen Music Files - Podcast Hosting - Pervis Spann, WVON Aircheck,...</a><script src="http://yourlisten.com/embed.js?17476847" type="text/javascript" async></script><p>
This "Soul on the Air" post features, in four parts, Pervis Spann, "The Blues Man," whose career at the station covers its past, present and future. Spann was one of the first DJs hired by Leonard Chess when he turned the brokered-time WHFC into "The Voice of the Negro"; when WVON's frequency was moved to 1390 AM by latter owners Globetrotter Communications and the "Good Guys" format was unceremoniously dumped, Spann set up blues station WXOL at the old 1450 frequency; when WVON's calls were changed to WGCI, he snapped them up; and he continues to own the station to the present day, with his daughter, Melody Spann-Cooper, at the helm. <p>
I won't try to tell his multifaceted story here: it will be much better to refer you to <a href="http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/not-so-smooth-operator/Content?oid=904414">this <i>Chicago Reader</i> profile</a> of the legendary DJ/club owner/promoter/TV host/(alleged) huckster, and, if you can find a copy, Spann's book, <i>The 40-Year Spann of WVON</i>, of which I have an autographed copy (I met Spann at a book signing and had a short, but pleasant conversation with him - when he learned I was going to law school part time while working full time, he said "I like you a lot" and proceeded to tell me about one of his hard-working daughters, who was an attorney). Further, if you would like to see the tomfoolery that Spann presided over with comedian/actor Carl Wright for many years on Chicago cable access TV, "Blues and More," look it up on YouTube. It's something else!<p>
On to the aircheck. I have begun acquiring what may be the largest treasure trove of WVON material (and, by extension, R&B airchecks) out there, namely, over 24 hours of WVON broadcasts from Friday, January 29, 1965 through to the following Monday, February 1. This material includes more great stuff by Herb Kent, Ed Cook, Lucky Cordell and E. Rodney Jones, but also material from Spann and other "Good Guys" for whom airchecks were previously not available, such as gospel jock Bill "Doc" Lee, early WVON personality Franklin McCarthy, and talk show host Wesley South. <p>
This aircheck finds Spann laying down soul, blues (of course) and countrified patter for nearly four hours. There are lots of highlights here: "Killing Floor," the then-new Howlin' Wolf single, gets played (it must've been atop the station's hit list at the time, as every other aircheck I've heard so far from this time period includes it), as does "My Girl," then the new Temptations hit; Spann plays the original "Don't Answer the Door" by Jimmy Johnson (later covered by B.B. King; this Jimmy Johnson is not to be confused with Syl's brother, also a fine blues artist), asserting that it's a warning to his fellow "Good Guys";Spann does a sing-along to the Artistics' "Got to Get My Hands on Some Loving"; and he mangles - I mean, reports - the news (interestingly, during his shift, news reports of the funeral of Winston Churchill are not included; those come later in the day). And, of course, there's lots of other good music and commercials to enjoy.The Stepfather of Soulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14012795861121326506noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13397435.post-14606369357778047432012-04-10T13:19:00.002-04:002015-12-30T20:37:12.608-05:00Soul on the Air #17 - Herb Kent, 1971<a href="http://yourlisten.com/stepfatherofsoul/herb-kent-wvon-aircheck-may-19-1971" id="yl17476852">Free Music - Download Audio - Herb Kent, WVON Aircheck, Ma...</a><script src="http://yourlisten.com/embed.js?17476852" type="text/javascript" async></script><p>
It occurred to me that it's been over a year since I presented a new "Soul on the Air" feature on the blog. I decided that I'd put a shorter aircheck up here as an appetizer for what I hope will be a series of posts putting more of these great R&B airchecks out there.<br /><br /><a href="http://stepfatherofsoul.blogspot.com/2007/12/soul-on-air-premiere-herb-kent-1970.html">I kicked off the "Soul on the Air" series a WVON aircheck featuring Radio Hall of Famer Herb Kent,</a> and I return to the "Kool Gent" and 'VON today. Here's sixteen minutes of Kent from 1971, spinning mostly Chicago-related soul records, namely "If You Find a Fool Bump His Head" by Bill Coday (which, though recorded in Memphis and given national release on Galaxy, was a product of Denise LaSalle's Crajon Productions, which was based in Chicago), "A Bumpy Road Ahead" by The Lovelites, and "Shadows," a Nickel 45 produced by fellow 'VON "Good Guy" Richard Pegue on the South Shore Commission, a group that hit nationally in 1975 with the disco classic "Free Man."<br /><br />I say that the playlist is "mostly" Chicago-bent because, after the newscast at the top fo the aircheck, Herb plays "Brown Sugar" by the Rolling Stones, punctuated by interjections about a "5,000-foot chicken." As you may recall, the 1970 aircheck previously posted included a rock item, so it's clear that Kent was not antipathetic to the genre. (On that point, it's interesting to note that at one point after Kent had departed from 'VON, he actually played punk rock on another station!)<br />The Stepfather of Soulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14012795861121326506noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13397435.post-20179933722812559742012-02-01T10:06:00.002-05:002012-02-01T10:08:12.072-05:00RIP Don Cornelius<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF5YAoLVlQ88MXlW95Lk_plrcKP9GDlvgKIxiUb-EZPWltuSBJ-yYTKqnW2xVYPvlYCxy3BiH3WIN5lG895koGEwTTUmXtHWqJ5SnDtjE8a77BkC0UzssVaZIttSTgULeohZbt/s1600/DCRIP.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 278px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF5YAoLVlQ88MXlW95Lk_plrcKP9GDlvgKIxiUb-EZPWltuSBJ-yYTKqnW2xVYPvlYCxy3BiH3WIN5lG895koGEwTTUmXtHWqJ5SnDtjE8a77BkC0UzssVaZIttSTgULeohZbt/s320/DCRIP.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5704184145360620194" /></a><br /><br /><br />Reports are in that "Soul Train" creator and longtime emcee Don Cornelius has died, apparently of suicide, at age 75. DC was an inspiration to me and his influence on black music, culture and television will never be forgotten. May he rest in peace.The Stepfather of Soulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14012795861121326506noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13397435.post-28834334846254357252011-03-27T13:35:00.003-04:002011-03-27T13:45:25.231-04:00RIP Sir Lattimore Brown<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHImyPoBNhSBuYzSSGvpKGqjF02zDZtZJHUw8116BGUvbPRX-6-QzXdwwxY1MsQOgApbtLNySg75ZOChIulSa9bp7dmHGPLXwnRw_x9Kn1uTPUciEfVrkXJ8302aaUWsjuxDOE/s1600/lb660.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHImyPoBNhSBuYzSSGvpKGqjF02zDZtZJHUw8116BGUvbPRX-6-QzXdwwxY1MsQOgApbtLNySg75ZOChIulSa9bp7dmHGPLXwnRw_x9Kn1uTPUciEfVrkXJ8302aaUWsjuxDOE/s320/lb660.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588814933455636434" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis0hkugjVEpPoLkCMVNcPmbe7o1otp39iYiox4NVAJ5d_njUwKGeF8w4esr8RhLEz58XtMFY8eHWR_fEjn6wvvHw7UccmBUr5pK1fl3Pt7YHVTX2Ss9OpdA3cY-rRNukD9mc-t/s1600/slbrip.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 92px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis0hkugjVEpPoLkCMVNcPmbe7o1otp39iYiox4NVAJ5d_njUwKGeF8w4esr8RhLEz58XtMFY8eHWR_fEjn6wvvHw7UccmBUr5pK1fl3Pt7YHVTX2Ss9OpdA3cY-rRNukD9mc-t/s320/slbrip.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588815016481275074" /></a><br /><br /><iframe scrolling='no' frameborder='0' width='246' height='20' src='https://www.hipcast.com/playweb?audioid=P50e262e9a8768523c5cfcf0ab1ac4840Y1t4R1REZ2Fx&buffer=5&fc=FFFFFF&pc=CCFF33&kc=FFCC33&bc=FFFFFF&brand=1&player=ap21'> </iframe><br />Sir Lattimore Brown - It's a Sad, Sad World<br /><br />Red Kelly's e-mail this morning left me stunned. Sir Lattimore Brown was killed on Friday, March 25, when he was hit by a car while crossing the street near his home in Pensacola, Florida.<br /><br />Lattimore was a true "soul survivor." He lost everything in Katrina, was brutally attacked and injured on the streets of Biloxi, Mississippi, and had survived a cancer scare. I know that when God is ready for us to go, it's time to go, but it is still stunning.<br /><br />I cannot help but be thankful, however, that God allowed me, Red Kelly, Papa Don Schroeder, Susan Morris and others to be part of Lattimore's life and to get his story out there after years of terminal obscurity. (If you haven't read this amazing story already, see the Lattimore Brown links in the sidebar.) I will forever remember that April night when Lattimore took to the stage in New Orleans and showed that he remained a showman with a love of performing and a true joy of living.<br /><br />I will post more as more information is available. Rest in peace, Lattimore. It's a sad, sad world indeed today.<br/>The Stepfather of Soulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14012795861121326506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13397435.post-36223108524414082282011-02-04T12:18:00.009-05:002015-12-30T20:37:28.614-05:00Soul on the Air #16 - Mr. Vee, 1972<a href="http://yourlisten.com/stepfatherofsoul/mr-vee-wgrt-aircheck-february-11-1972-pt-1" id="yl17476865">Listen Music - Embed Audio - Mr. Vee - WGRT Aircheck, Feb...</a><script src="http://yourlisten.com/embed.js?17476865" type="text/javascript" async></script><p>
<a href="http://yourlisten.com/stepfatherofsoul/mr-vee-wgrt-aircheck-february-11-1972-pt-2" id="yl17476866">Play Music - Audio Hosting - Mr. Vee - WGRT Aircheck, Feb...</a><script src="http://yourlisten.com/embed.js?17476866" type="text/javascript" async></script><p>
Today's "Soul on the Air" feature returns to Chicago's WGRT, which, <a href='http://stepfatherofsoul.blogspot.com/2008/02/soul-on-air-5-evans-happening-1967.html'>despite successfully running an R&B format alongside WVON throughout the late '60s and into the '70s (during which it changed calls to WJPC), has been overshadowed by 'VON in the history of Chicago radio</a>. Despite this lack of renown, audio evidence shows that 'GRT had "great" taste in music, as illustrated by this aircheck.<br /><br />I haven't been able to find out anything about Mr. Vee, which is unfortunate. This two-part aircheck features Vee holding court for an hour of February 11, 1972. After a news break, he gets the ball rolling with the Detroit Emeralds' "You Want It, You Got It." There's lots of surefire hits in this hour: in addition to the Detroit Emeralds record, Joe Tex's "I Gotcha," James Brown's "Talkin' Loud and Saying Nothing," "Jungle Fever" by the Chakachas and "That's the Way I Feel About Cha" by Bobby Womack get played. Of course, there are lesser-known tunes, such as Chicago soulster Otis Brown's "Who's Gonna Take Me Home" - declared a "Too Great to Wait" record and getting some replay from Mr. Vee - and "Our Favorite Melody" by Jimmy Ruffin.<br /><br />There's other fun stuff here: there's an ad for <i>Soul Soldier</i>, a blaxploitation film about the "Buffalo Soldiers" of the 19th century ("black men who fought the red man for a white government that didn't give a damn about either," declares the announcer) and an Aretha Franklin drop-in when "Oh Me Oh My (I'm a Fool for You Baby)" is played; in addition, there are two playings of the "Sign of the Zodiac" game, whose awesome theme music (<a href='http://stepfatherofsoul.blogspot.com/2008/01/chicago-other-soulful-strings.html'>"(Pisces) Sign of the Zodiac" by the South Suburban Electric Strings</a>, ironically produced by Richard Pegue, then one of the WVON "Good Guys") and groovy astrological profiles are coupled with a small cash prize (I know $8 - the jackpot in one of the games - went a lot farther in 1972 than now, but it seems low to me). <br /><br />It's not surprising that this aircheck often pops up on eBay, because it's one of the better ones out there.<br/>The Stepfather of Soulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14012795861121326506noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13397435.post-1405142921949601772011-01-13T10:31:00.002-05:002011-01-13T10:34:03.909-05:00Get on Down with the Stepfather of Soul ...on Rockin' Radio!Right after my guest appearance on <i>Rockin' Radio's</i> "Electro-Phonic Sound of Brian Phillips," I had the unplanned pleasure of substituting for DJ Blast on his "Oldies Time Traveler" January program. Make sure to go to <a href="rockinradio.com"><i>Rockin' Radio</i></a> and check out the show on the "Now Playing" page, along with all of the other programs! It's always a pleasure to join the <i>Rockin' Radio</i> family!The Stepfather of Soulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14012795861121326506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13397435.post-10716301743797874932010-12-28T22:04:00.002-05:002010-12-28T22:06:40.288-05:00Everybody's Doin' It (Doin' It), Doin' It (Doin' It)?<iframe scrolling='no' frameborder='0' width='246' height='20' src='https://www.hipcast.com/playweb?audioid=P4955c1c987b03ebb9699d0c092b0f2feY1t4R1REZ2F0&buffer=5&fc=FFFFFF&pc=CCFF33&kc=FFCC33&bc=FFFFFF&brand=1&player=ap21'> </iframe><br />B.B. King - The B.B. Jones<br /><br />First, some housekeeping: I can't believe that I was remiss in announcing on this blog that your ever-lovin' Stepfather of Soul and the Electro-Phonic Brian Phillips have collaborated for the December edition of <i>The Electro-Phonic Sound of Brian Phillips</i> over at <a href='http://rockinradio.com'><i>Rockin' Radio</i></a>. Rush on over there and check out the show (via the "Now Playing" page), in which my Stepbrother of Soul and I lay down that good stuff, while it's still online!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7bvlNlK_I4rlpr4fq2IG4e6jzKXmMqfSLqpG1iaP0lecc42HupSN_op_LXeCgoKvdjAORYQmgTGpNkH7wuN0m0tle7v5hlZgmwDdAPHE60F8F6eFuUWXJAVBWbeqXyJ39DmoJ/s1600/LoveofIvyposter.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 252px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7bvlNlK_I4rlpr4fq2IG4e6jzKXmMqfSLqpG1iaP0lecc42HupSN_op_LXeCgoKvdjAORYQmgTGpNkH7wuN0m0tle7v5hlZgmwDdAPHE60F8F6eFuUWXJAVBWbeqXyJ39DmoJ/s320/LoveofIvyposter.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5555935207843013266" /></a><br />Today I feature one of those records that doesn't even come close to representing the best side an artist has ever committed to wax, but for some reason it catches my interest anyway. "The B.B. Jones" was one of three songs B.B. King contributed to the soundtrack of the 1968 Sidney Poitier move <i>For Love of Ivy</i>, the other two being "You Put It on Me" and the instrumental "Messy But Good." The two vocal tracks were co-written by Quincy Jones, who produced all three tunes, and famous poet Maya Angelou, who also co-wrote <a href='http://stepfatherofsoul.blogspot.com/2007/04/bb-maya-on-groovy-blues-day.html'>"Get Myself Somebody," a groovy dancer that's a personal favorite of mine</a>.<br /><br />"The B.B. Jones" meets most of the criteria for being a good '60s soul "dance craze" record: it's got a good rhythm section working under the vocals; there's a femme chorus lending strong backup support; the lyrics talk up the new dance, both by declaring that "everybody's doin' it," regardless of whether the dance actually exists (and in this case, I strongly doubt it), and by name-checking at least one contemporary dance purportedly replaced by it (in this case, the African Twist); and said lyrics provide amazingly vague instructions as to how to do the dance ("you let your shoulders get loose like stockings on a line," King declares at one point). The record doesn't quite pull it off, though, for a few reasons: (1) King, who has stated in many interviews that dancing was something he was never good at, doesn't convincingly sell the song; (2) the verses and chorus alternate between 4/4 and a funky 3/4 meter, making the erstwhile dance record somewhat difficult to dance to; and (3) the song's repetitive chorus, based around the phrases "everybody's doin' it" and "the B.B. Jones," almost gives the impression that the record is skipping when combined with the aforementioned 3/4 meter.<br /><br />Someone at ABC Records believed in the tune, however, or at least in the song's Quincy Jones-Maya Angelou pedigree, as it received two 45 pressings on the BluesWay label, both as the "A" side. Further, someone in radio believed in it as well, as it made #98 on <i>Billboard</i>'s pop charts while missing the R&B charts altogether. (The second pressing flipped the song with "You Put It on Me," a blues more up King's alley, that made it to #25 and #82 on the R&B and pop charts, respectively.) <br /><br />Having stated all of the minuses of the record, I have to admit I like it. I like the groove despite the awkwardness the shifting meter creates, probably because of the song's stripped-down arrangement, and even though B.B. doesn't effectively sell the song, he gives it enough "oomph" to make it interesting for a spin or two. <br /><br /><a hash='06193622da60565fba0dd5c9d9154c6d' share_id='42760&' user_num='20171&' type='0&' action='getshare&' href='http://www.onlinefilefolder.com/index.php?'>As I once noted on this blog when discussing Johnnie Taylor's "Don't You Fool With My Soul,"</a> oddball recordings like "The B.B. Jones" would probably be better received had someone else done them, but they at least give fans a chance to hear something different than the hits they all know and love.<br/>The Stepfather of Soulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14012795861121326506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13397435.post-33850659839677583672010-10-16T15:11:00.002-04:002010-10-16T15:18:42.727-04:00Episode #38B Is Now Online!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYn4wqVv9nc0hpTNJ9Zg5HDDjP-WTdLw5HweCdvpbPBhmvCwXgA2l0ETHGPX1rdn2W7Au9A-f8S3GInNioHqhZoL-EnUnXQve4Ep_rx6Z4Lb7r_jpHKPmtjwQFu5qaNWn635Xm/s1600/GeneralJohnson.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 350px; height: 350px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYn4wqVv9nc0hpTNJ9Zg5HDDjP-WTdLw5HweCdvpbPBhmvCwXgA2l0ETHGPX1rdn2W7Au9A-f8S3GInNioHqhZoL-EnUnXQve4Ep_rx6Z4Lb7r_jpHKPmtjwQFu5qaNWn635Xm/s400/GeneralJohnson.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5528725484545713906" /></a><br /><iframe scrolling='no' frameborder='0' width='246' height='20' src='https://www.hipcast.com/playweb?audioid=P75e0436e9881d9b5e5d02f8efe366c43Y1t4R1REZ2F1&buffer=5&fc=FFFFFF&pc=CCFF33&kc=FFCC33&bc=FFFFFF&brand=1&player=ap21'> </iframe><br /><br />Episode #38B of the "Get on Down" podcast is now online! This podcast features the usual wide range of material but also pauses to honor Albertina Walker and General Johnson, whose deaths bookended Solomon Burke's. May they rest in peace!<br /><br />1. Albertina Walker & The Caravans - Certainly Lord<br />2. Junior Wells - It's All Soul<br />3. Chairmen of the Board - When Will She Tell Me She Needs Me<br />4. Tenison Stephens - Love Is Blind<br />5. James Brown - I'm Shook<br />6. James Brown - "Take Him to the Man" PSA<br />7. "Shaft" Radio Ad<br />8. Little Oscar - (Sing About It, Shout About) Justice<br />9. Chairmen of the Board - I Can't Find Myself<br />10. J.J. Barnes - Snow Flakes<br />11. Harvey Scales & The Seven Sounds - Sun Won't Come Out<br />12. The Salem Travelers - Wade in the Water<br />13. Luther Ingram Radio Ad<br />14. Clydie King - Direct Me<br />15. Robert & Ron - I Ain't Finished Yet<br />16. Barbara & The Uniques - What's the Use<br />17. Solomon Burke - I'll Never Stop Loving You (Never Ever Song)<br />18. General Johnson - Only Time Will Tell<br />19. Bobby Byrd - "Fight Against Drug Abuse" PSA<br />20. Richard Barbary - Get Right<br />21. Simtec & Wylie - Can't Break Away<br />22. Chairmen of the Board - I'm on My Way to a Better Place<br />23. The Caravans - Amazing Grace<br />24. The Music Makers - Spring Fever (Pt. 1)The Stepfather of Soulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14012795861121326506noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13397435.post-15975058931055211342010-10-13T00:28:00.004-04:002010-10-13T00:35:49.304-04:00The Solomon Burke Tribute Podcast Is Now Online!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYZ-p6MRXT7SBPXbbd-0gWOUOGGM2HXXU-yZTadMmsgw78iXc6rvNdEYCMaZ9UBPIsaN6s_gHPk0kOUtf0zKMi00YZ19gdS6VoDvR31nT9qLAQKyHUijHfVSLXHwL2psUHK9TB/s1600/getondown38A.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 139px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYZ-p6MRXT7SBPXbbd-0gWOUOGGM2HXXU-yZTadMmsgw78iXc6rvNdEYCMaZ9UBPIsaN6s_gHPk0kOUtf0zKMi00YZ19gdS6VoDvR31nT9qLAQKyHUijHfVSLXHwL2psUHK9TB/s400/getondown38A.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5527383634293104626" /></a><br /><br /><iframe scrolling='no' frameborder='0' width='246' height='20' src='https://www.hipcast.com/playweb?audioid=P9fd6d9a411dd4caae4a1bddc4fc445a7Y1t4R1REZ2J8&buffer=5&fc=FFFFFF&pc=CCFF33&kc=FFCC33&bc=FFFFFF&brand=1&player=ap21'> </iframe><br /><br />Episode #38A of the "Get on Down" podcast, a 90-minute special, features the diverse music of the "King of Rock 'n' Soul," Solomon Burke, who passed away on October 10, 2010 at age 70. May he rest in peace!<br /><br />SEGMENT ONE - Get on Down with Solomon Burke! (Pt. 1)<br /><br />1. Get Out of My Life, Woman<br />2. Stupidity<br />3. Soul Meeting (The Soul Clan)<br />4. It's Been a Change<br /><br />SEGMENT TWO - Soul Alive!<br /><br />5. Medley:<br /><br /> a) Tonight's the Night<br /> b) Beautiful Brown Eyes<br /> c) It's Just a Matter of Time<br /> d) The Women of Today (monologue)<br /> e) Hold What You Got<br /> f) He'll Have to Go<br /><br />SEGMENT THREE - Get on Down with Solomon Burke! (Pt. 2)<br /><br />6. Generation of Revelations<br />7. Ookie Bookie Man<br />8. Boo Hoo Hoo (Cra-Cra-Craya)<br />9. Cry to Me<br /><br />SEGMENT FOUR - Solomon Country!<br /><br />10. That's How I Got to Memphis<br />11. Sit This One Out<br />12. Can't Nobody Love You<br />13. Just Out of Reach<br />14. The Electronic Magnetism (That's Heavy Baby)<br /><br />SEGMENT FIVE - Music to Make Love By<br /><br />15. Let Me Wrap My Arms Around You<br />16. Over and Over (Kissing and Hugging)<br />17. You and Your Baby Blues<br />18. Dreams<br /><br />SEGMENT SIX - 21st Century Solomon!<br /><br />19. Send for Me<br />20. Nothing's Impossible<br />21. Don't Give Up on Me<br /><br /><b>(EDITOR'S NOTE - Episode #38B, a "normal" episode of the podcast, will be posted later this week, if time permits.)</b><br/>The Stepfather of Soulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14012795861121326506noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13397435.post-39459009440265703822010-10-11T10:48:00.007-04:002010-10-11T11:12:29.624-04:00The Stepfather of Soul Supports National Coming Out Day!<br/><iframe scrolling='no' frameborder='0' width='246' height='20' src='https://www.hipcast.com/playweb?audioid=Peba093e6115ddd21c0147c243f6bf776Y1t4R1REZ2J9&buffer=5&fc=FFFFFF&pc=CCFF33&kc=FFCC33&bc=FFFFFF&brand=1&player=ap21'> </iframe><br />Harrison Kennedy - Closet Queen<br /><br />In addition to today being Columbus Day, today is also National Coming Out Day, a day designed to promote equal treatment of homosexual, bisexual and transgender people by encouraging them and their straight allies to "come out" in favor of the cause. I stand today as an ally to the cause because in America in 2010 there's no reason to stand idly by while rampant discrimination exists on a daily basis.<br /><br />Now, I'm sure some of you will say, "how can you do 'Sunday Gospel Time' posts on this blog but support gay rights?" My answer is simple: no matter what your religious beliefs are, it's impossible to condone the bullying of gay youth (even to the extent that these kids commit suicide), or to deny a gay person from making decisions regarding their partner's health care in a time of medical crisis, or to support the denial of marriage licenses to gay people when any fool can go to a courthouse or Las Vegas and get married, or even to have groups like the Westboro church showing up at military funerals to spout hatred while hiding behind their First Amendment rights. I believe that even if my religious heritage does not endorse homosexuality, <b>I am certainly unqualified to judge others</b>; Lord knows I've got my own problems!<br /><br /><a href="http://stepfatherofsoul.blogspot.com/2007/05/get-on-down-with-harrison-kennedy.html">Back in 2007 I featured Harrison Kennedy's "Closet Queen" on this blog</a>, and today I'm going to "re-up" the song. To take such a pro-gay stance on a soul record in 1972 was pretty heavy, and it ensured that the song would remain strictly an album cut on Kennedy's <i>Hypnotic Music</i> LP. (In today's world of hip-hop braggadocio I'm sure such a message would still receive limited airplay.) The message of the song still rings true today, however, so I dedicate it to all who are participating in National Coming Out Day. Kennedy's question from the song still makes sense: "Is it the different ways we love that hurts? Or the different ways we hate?"The Stepfather of Soulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14012795861121326506noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13397435.post-1648798178319222912010-10-10T11:56:00.005-04:002010-10-10T12:05:42.276-04:00RIP Solomon Burke, 1940-2010<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5O2NOuYgzVinvmDFo_Yk4GpaYJ_tfRoEPzwGeUzIAH5wLp1l8tgyUmTHR8wm1eFt-rcKDmes6KdSafUODuPNuM0vsszzBK9HveyOXxU_4FR7_i_3-1Zj5zwiAbgGVYV4HQ7Q_/s1600/Solomon%2520Burke.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 250px; height: 358px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5O2NOuYgzVinvmDFo_Yk4GpaYJ_tfRoEPzwGeUzIAH5wLp1l8tgyUmTHR8wm1eFt-rcKDmes6KdSafUODuPNuM0vsszzBK9HveyOXxU_4FR7_i_3-1Zj5zwiAbgGVYV4HQ7Q_/s400/Solomon%2520Burke.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526447064606931058" /></a><br />The "King of Rock 'n' Soul," Solomon Burke, <a href="http://www.spinner.com/2010/10/10/solomon-burke-dies-at-70/">has passed away</a>. Your ever-lovin' Stepfather of Soul is saddened to wake up to this news, as Burke is one of my favorite soul artists. From his country-soul early hits to his late-life successes with <i>Don't Give Up on Me</i> and following albums, his amazing talent, his wit and his larger-than-life story and storytelling will forever be remembered. The King is dead! Long live the King!<br /><br />I plan to do some features on Burke and point out posts I'm sure will come from my fellow soul bloggers, and hopefully do a Burke tribute podcast soon.The Stepfather of Soulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14012795861121326506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13397435.post-82425756982250805562010-09-11T15:25:00.005-04:002010-09-28T15:17:05.419-04:00Pickett in Atlanta!<iframe scrolling='no' frameborder='0' width='246' height='20' src='https://www.hipcast.com/playweb?audioid=P67dbbd8b445b0a8c3e8fa7e984b28d3cY1t4R1REZ2Jy&buffer=5&fc=FFFFFF&pc=CCFF33&kc=FFCC33&bc=FFFFFF&brand=1&player=ap21'> </iframe><br />Wilson Pickett - Only I Can Sing This Song<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB8Xrm2y7YSf2EVOPadtygjaO1U_yeZBK7NMrLTXmWlY2LR8ok3sP2EZEUrGASUB-w72wfUhQM1ckbQ8MoHB-uwOR1p5wQXe2Lu4jQxgX50KhfeujOn-7X9lwptijnV-l_bMUd/s1600/Untitled.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB8Xrm2y7YSf2EVOPadtygjaO1U_yeZBK7NMrLTXmWlY2LR8ok3sP2EZEUrGASUB-w72wfUhQM1ckbQ8MoHB-uwOR1p5wQXe2Lu4jQxgX50KhfeujOn-7X9lwptijnV-l_bMUd/s320/Untitled.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5515742027403845602" /></a>On Thursday I received an announcement on Facebook that the Auburn Avenue Research Library is hosting <a page_id='30' href='http://thewilsonpickett.com/wilsonpickett/?'>"25 at the Top," an exhibit about Wilson Pickett and his career</a> that will run until mid-October. After making a few calendar adjustments, I made it to the Library for the exhibit's kickoff reception.<br /><br />The exhibit has been put together by the Library in conjunction with the Pickett family. At the reception, after some soulful renditions of several Pickett songs by local entertainers, Max Pickett and his wife, Pickett's brother and sister-in-law, made a few remarks and took a few questions. (Several other Pickett family members were present, along with one of Pickett's long-time lady friends. In many ways, the event was truly a family affair!) After the Q&A session, the exhibit hall opened.<br /><br />The exhibit features lots of great stuff, including the red velvet suit Pickett wore for the cover art of <i>Mr. Magic Man</i>, several gold records and BMI citations, tons of press clippings - both covering his successes, including one album review for <i>Don't Knock My Love</i> that asserts that James Brown should relinquish his "Soul Brother No. 1" title to Pickett, and his personal problems (the moderator of the earlier discussion cheekily said that some elements of Pickett's life were "T.I.-ish"), and some A/V materials. A popular exhibit was Pickett's Stutz sportscar which, although not the spectacle Isaac Hayes's Caddy at the Stax Museum was, quite a sight on its own.<br /><br />I decided I needed to post "Only I Can Sing This Song" again (a rare "re-up") when I saw a framed lead sheet for it in the exhibit. Please see my <a href="http://stepfatherofsoul.blogspot.com/2007/11/wilson-magic.html">original post about the song</a> for that discussion.<br /><br />I told Max Pickett that I wanted to publicize the exhibit on my blog, and he asked that I invite all of you, first to visit <a href='http://thewilsonpickett.com'>the official Wilson Pickett website</a>, second to come to the Library to see the exhibit, and third, to come see <a page_id='321' href='http://thewilsonpickett.com/wilsonpickett/?'>"In the Midnight Hour: The Music of Wilson Pickett"</a>, a musical featuring Jennifer Holliday and Ann Nesby, which will be performed at the International Chapel at Morehouse College on October 9. I heartily recommend all of you who live in Atlanta or will be visiting to check out the exhibit and/or the musical!<br/>The Stepfather of Soulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14012795861121326506noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13397435.post-33599492128780826862010-08-20T11:54:00.005-04:002010-08-20T12:06:37.765-04:00Eli's Big Break<iframe scrolling='no' frameborder='0' width='246' height='20' src='https://www.hipcast.com/playweb?audioid=P0d65ce0caad25bdef27d4230500cb5b8Y1t4R1REZ2Jz&buffer=5&fc=FFFFFF&pc=CCFF33&kc=FFCC33&bc=FFFFFF&brand=1&player=ap21'> </iframe><br />Eli "Paperboy" Reed & The True Loves - Help Me<br /><br />For at least six years now I've been following the career of Eli "Paperboy" Reed and his band, the True Loves, and I've featured several of their recordings here. Last week was the U.S. release of <i>Come and Get It</i>, the group's album for Capitol Records. The album was released in Europe on Parlaphone in the spring to great notices, and the group toured the continent, receiving lots of press attention and getting radio play as well. Having followed Eli since he was a student/church musician in Chicago, it's my hope that American audiences get exposed to his talent and that the album is a success. (It appears that things are on the upswing already: the album has made <i>Billboard</i>'s Heatseekers chart and is among iTunes' Pop Album Chart Top 30; <a href='http://www.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/showbiz/2010/08/17/yankee.soulman.paperboy.reed.cnn.html'>he's been featured on CNN</a>, and the album's title track has managed to sneak into the <i>Billboard</i> Hot 100. I wish I could say the same about the R&B charts, but that's a discussion for another day.)<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-W3RsBBiNutVlA-QTC5EEmXa6kLN4t_hyphenhyphenL7AmnKtN5fSkA1ByzPVEeBP8oYdqqV3wE8JopQhut9_XsYlrJhsDHsv_5cn1HmTBUaldzCM11K0GzWy8z-77_3lLLGy05y7UOujL/s1600/elireed.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-W3RsBBiNutVlA-QTC5EEmXa6kLN4t_hyphenhyphenL7AmnKtN5fSkA1ByzPVEeBP8oYdqqV3wE8JopQhut9_XsYlrJhsDHsv_5cn1HmTBUaldzCM11K0GzWy8z-77_3lLLGy05y7UOujL/s320/elireed.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5507521554690763602" /></a><i>Come and Get It</i> was produced by Mike Elizondo, and the production is top-notch. I have to laugh as I recall the lower-fi nature of his first recordings (and how he bragged about such "sound"); the tracks here are as bright and shiny as a new dime. Although there's been some grumbles among hidebound soul fans about the album being too slickly-produced, I'm fine with it: I mean, first of all, all of us who've known Eli know that he's the "real deal" when it comes to the sounds of soul we all love; secondly, a label like Capitol is not going to accept anything less; and lastly, I want him to reach as many people as possible, and not just those of us whose tastes venture into the esoteric!<br /><br />Choosing which tune to feature was a bit challenging, as Eli and the band successfully capture several different styles of soul on the album: the title track is a piece of sunny pop-slanted soul with a slight reference to Bob Kuban's "The Cheater" at the end of the first chorus; "Time Will Tell" is a Southern soul ballad; "Young Girl" has a '60s Philly vibe to it, in my opinion; "Explosion" is a bombastic dancer; "Tell Me What I Wanna Hear" has a '60s Motown lope; and "You Can Run On" is another gospel adaptation along the lines of "Take My Love With You" from <i>Roll With You</i>, his last album. I decided to go with "Help Me," which has grown on me over repeated plays. <br /><br />"Help Me," a nice mid-tempo tune with a Southern soul feel, finds Reed seeking his woman's assistance in keeping him on the straight and narrow of fidelity while out on the road. Over a nice guitar and bass heartbeat Reed makes his plea while a femme chorus and nice horn charts provide nice support. Reed's vocals stay at a relative simmer for the most part, letting the rhythm of the tune convey the song's urgency. When he finally opens up for the coda, the band settles into a nice strut that allows him to take it all home.<br /><br /><i>Come and Get It</i> is a great album to introduce Reed to newcomers to his sound, and represents the logical "next step" in the progression for those of us who've been following him over the years. You need to have this album! (For you vinyl fans, <a href="http://elipaperboyreed.com/store/">there's an LP as well!</a>)<br /><br />POST SCRIPT - The True Loves are in top form on this album, both with respect to instrumental backing and background vocals (their harmonies on "You Can Run On" completely capture the flavor of those great gospel quartets, from bass to falsetto, while Reed seems to channel a Valentinos-era Bobby Womack). They also have a record out. Their single, "Crack Symphony" b/w "Plan B / D.T.M.W.I.S.," <a href='http://q-dee.com/track/crack-symphony'>is available for listening and purchase from Q-Dee Records</a> (on which <i>Roll With You</i> was released). Check it out!<br/>The Stepfather of Soulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14012795861121326506noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13397435.post-74743184685629817732010-08-13T10:54:00.002-04:002010-08-13T11:03:20.126-04:00Pickett, Out of Pocket?<iframe scrolling='no' frameborder='0' width='246' height='20' src='https://www.hipcast.com/playweb?audioid=Pf4f7e9d7be4e8baafbf2ebebff87e2aeY1t4R1REZ2Jw&buffer=5&fc=FFFFFF&pc=CCFF33&kc=FFCC33&bc=FFFFFF&brand=1&player=ap21'> </iframe><br />Wilson Pickett - Love Will Keep Us Together<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMwZMYRnWUm2OuZNplrzLaF0e-pdfSYG7xpnHWQFFy4aqConLJIuZLtzYSOHSEUMjCqNLbYd21DYsC0QMzyc7X2F3Me4wca31Rwj4Ez6tdfViktG93guLieZmyfxghaQSqqQfp/s1600/!Bgpc(9!BGk~%24(KGrHqQH-EQEsLpzKKOwBLGDt-S,Rw~~_12.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 319px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMwZMYRnWUm2OuZNplrzLaF0e-pdfSYG7xpnHWQFFy4aqConLJIuZLtzYSOHSEUMjCqNLbYd21DYsC0QMzyc7X2F3Me4wca31Rwj4Ez6tdfViktG93guLieZmyfxghaQSqqQfp/s320/!Bgpc(9!BGk~%24(KGrHqQH-EQEsLpzKKOwBLGDt-S,Rw~~_12.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5504910194106259602" /></a><br /><br />As I write this post I am saddened to realize that it's been nearly five years since Wilson Pickett ascended to "soul heaven." May he continue to rest in piece!<br /><br />As I noted at <a href='http://stepfatherofsoul.blogspot.com/2006/01/final-pickett-tribute.html'>the end of a series of tributes to Pickett I did back then</a>, one of his strengths was that he could take just about any song and make it his own. Today's feature is another example. Although I must agree that Pickett's 1976 take on Neil Sedaka's "Love Will Keep Us Together" (a smash hit for The Captain & Tennille in '75) is not a highlight of his catalogue, I think that it has been unfairly dismissed by many, as is the case with most of his post-Atlantic recordings. The single was released on Wicked, a short-lived, T.K.-distributed label set up by the singer after he left RCA, and it managed to make it to #69 on the R&B charts. Pickett even performed the song on "Soul Train," so clearly it wasn't the disaster it is often described as in retrospectives of Pickett's career! <br /><br />Here, Pickett and producer Brad Shapiro wisely avoided the cheerful bounce of the Captain & Tennille record, choosing instead to use a slower, Miami-flavored groove. With a little support from a femme chorus - whose vocals were less cloying than those on the hit - Pickett sells the song nicely. Again, I wouldn't call it a highlight of Pickett's career, nor would I call it a highlight of his '70s post-Atlantic recordings - his ballads on RCA like "Only I Can Sing This Song" or "I Sho' Love You" would vie for that title - but it's worth a listen.<br /><br />(By the way, your ever-lovin' Stepfather of Soul must disclaim that though terms like "cheerful bounce" and "cloying" were used in this post to differentiate Pickett's version of the song from that of The Captain and Tennille, whenever their version comes on oldies radio I love hearing it. It's a textbook example of the quirky nature of '70s pop.)<br/>The Stepfather of Soulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14012795861121326506noreply@blogger.com2