Get On Down With The Stepfather Of Soul!

Soul Heaven Is Getting Mighty Crowded! (Episode #43)

2012-01-21T18:31:00.002-05:00

Unfortunately, many artists have passed away since the last show was recorded, most notably Etta James, Johnny Otis, Jimmy Castor, Howard Tate, J. Blackfoot, Lee "Shot" Williams, Dobie Gray and Hubert Sumlin. All of these artists and more are featured in this show.

1. Etta James - You Got It
2. Howard Tate - I'm Your Servant
3. The Johnny Otis Show - Keep the Faith (Pt. 2)
4. Jimmy Castor - Ham Hocks Espanol
5. Johnny Otis - Sulfur 8 Radio Ad
6. Howlin' Wolf - Moving
7. James Ellis - Ain't Gonna Cry No More
8. Hal Hardy - Tears of Joy
9. Larry & The Accommodations - Love Is the Answer
10. Floyd Morris & Company - Bouncing Around
11. Bettye Swann - I Think I'm Falling in Love
12. The Soul Children - Move Over
13. "The New Johnny Otis Show" Radio Ad
14. Johnny Otis - She's All Right
15. Etta James - Seven Day Fool
16. Dobie Gray - River Deep, Mountain High
17. Lee "Shot" Williams - I Hurt Myself
18. Howard Tate - That's What Happens
19. Little Royal - Talking About Trouble
20. The Soul Children - Hearsay
21. Maury Wills - "Vote for Johnny Otis" Radio Ad
22. Bettye LaVette - Hey Love
23. Etta James - My Man Is Together
24. Howard Tate - Pride
25. E. Rodney Jones & Friends - Soul Heaven (instrumental)

Episode #42 Is Now Online!

2011-11-03T01:14:00.001-04:00

Episode #42 of the "Get on Down " podcast features an assortment of soul sounds guaranteed to make you wanna move and groove! Enjoy!

1. Loleatta Holloway - Bring It On Up
2. Martha Reeves & The Vandellas - I Want You Back
3. Calvin Arnold - Scoobie Do
4. Tommy Youngblood - Back in the Saddle
5. Ella Washington - You're Gonna Cry, Cry, Cry
6. The Drifters - Coca-Cola Radio Ad
7. The Magnetics - Wasting Time
8. Jackie Ross - Walk on My Side
9. The Bar-Kays - Sock Soul
10. Clarence Carter - Getting the Bills (But No Merchandise)
11. Mighty Joe Young - Henpecked
12. Oscar Wright - Leave Me Alone
13. Otis Redding - "Stay in School" PSA
14. Bobby Newsome - Jody, Come Back and Get Your Shoes
15. Rufus Thomas - So Hard to Get Along With
16. Bishop Manning & The Manning Family - This Is Everybody's Song
17. Pigmeat Markham - Pig's Popcorn
18. The Impressions - Do You Wanna Win
19. Dave Hamilton - The Deacons
20. Eula Cooper - Shake Daddy Shake
21. Syl Johnson - Age Ain't Nothing But a Number
22. Jimmy Richards - My New Found Joy
23. Johnny Copeland - Slow Walk You Down
24. The M.G.'s - Neck Bone

Let's Have Some Fun with Episode #41!

2011-09-10T20:51:00.002-04:00

From the jaunty title track through to its instrumental reprise at the end, "Let's Have Some Fun!" is a fitting name for Episode #41 of the "Get on Down ..." podcast! This show, recorded while your ever-lovin' Stepfather of Soul is recuperating from (relatively) minor surgery, includes a few tunes in honor of Nick Ashford and Wardell Quezergue, both of whom found fame in the writing/producing credits of songs, though Ashford also had success in front of mic as well. Get on down! Let's have some fun!

1. The Mod Singers & The Mod Lads - Let's Have Some Fun (Pt. 1)
2. Jerry Butler - How Did We Lose It Baby
3. Lonette - Stop (Don't Worry About It)
4. James Fountain - Malnutrition
5. Otis Redding - "Stay in School" PSA
6. Freda Allyne - Money, and All Your Love
7. Rev. Claude Jeter - You Can Whisper a Little Prayer
8. Charles Wright - Gimme That Sammich
9. Nick Ashford - I Don't Need No Doctor
10. Bo Dud & Jonny Twist - The Get It
11. Richard Brown - Sweet and Kind
12. Aretha Franklin - Coca-Cola Radio Ad
13. Aretha Franklin - Cry Like a Baby
14. Robert Parker - I Caught You in a Lie
15. Senator Jones - What You Gonna Do
16. James Moore - Feet
17. Ann Mason - You Can't Love Me (In the Midnight Hour)
18. Ruby Johnson - I'd Rather Fight Than Switch
19. Ernie Lucas - What We Pay for Love
20. Jimmy Ruffin - Our Favorite Melody
21. "Dusk 'Til Dawn Drive-In Movie Marathon" Radio Ad
22. Warren Lee - Underdog Backstreet
23. Sisters and Brothers - The Jed Clampett (Pt. 1)
24. The Mod Lads - Fun Time (Pt. 2)

Got to Get Back with The Bo-Keys!

2011-06-10T16:19:00.004-04:00

The Memphis soul group The Bo-Keys have been going great guns since bassist Scott Bomar formed the group over ten years ago. Bomar's appreciation of the Stax/Volt and Hi sounds gave way to what must be a dream opportunity: to work regularly with some of the cream of the classic Memphis soul crop such as Hi Rhythm Section members Howard Grimes and Archie Turner, long-time Isaac Hayes guitarist and Stax sideman Charles "Skip" Pitts, and Ben Cauley, trumpeter for the legendary Bar-Kays. The Bo-Keys have a new album coming out on the Electraphonic label entitled "Got to Get Back," which drops on June 21. The group's first album achieved instant critical acclaim, and there's no reason why this one won't, either, especially since William Bell and Otis Clay grace some of the cuts!

If my remarks here aren't enough of an endorsement, here's a video covering the making of the album, which features interviews with Bomar, Grimes, Turner, Pitts and Clay. I gotta get "Got to Get Back!"

The Bo-Keys "Got to Get Back !" Mini Doc from Electraphonic Recording on Vimeo.

Episode 40 - Music!

2011-06-09T23:42:00.003-04:00

This episode is entitled "Music" and there's plenty of it here!

1. Jr. Walker & The All-Stars - Clinging to the Thought That She's Coming Back
2. Buster Benton - Catch Up with the World
3. Padded Cell - Nothing to Look Forward To
4. The Spinners - My Whole World Ended (The Moment You Left Me)
5. Percy Sledge - The Teem Theme Song
6. Bobby Moore & The Rhythm Aces - The Hamburger Song
7. Jackie Hairston - Monkey on My Back
8. Shorty Billups - Black Cats
9. Little Richie - Just Another Heartache
10. Billy McGregor - Fall Down on My Knees
11. The Brothers & Sisters - Make Me Sad
12. Linda Jones - My Heart Needs a Break
13. Liz McCall - Double Determination
14. Rudy Ray Moore - "The Human Tornado" Radio Ad
15. Candace Love - Uh! Uh! Boy, That's a No No
16. The Soul Partners - Walk On Judge
17. Jackie Wilson - Didn't I
18. The Brothers of Love - Yes I Am
19. The Violinaires - Practice What You Preach
20. Carl Carlton - Don't Walk Away
21. Mavis Staples - You're Driving Me (To the Arms of a Stranger)
22. Charles Wright & The Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band "Express Yourself" Radio Ad
23. Little Mack Simmons - A Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (Stop Looting and Rioting)
24. Eddy Giles - Music
25. Kay Robinson - We Can't Rest
26. Young-Holt Unlimited - Young and Holtful

Episode #39B Is Now Online!

2011-04-07T22:23:00.003-04:00

Episode #39B of the Get on Down podcast stuffs a lot of soul power into 59:57, with a funkier touch than usual but still presenting a diverse sampling of sounds!

1. Little Denise - Check Me Out
2. The People's Choice - Destruction
3. Bobby Rush - Wake Up
4. Fred Hughes - Don't Let This Happen to Us
5. The Forevers - What Goes Around (Comes Around)
6. Lorraine Rudolph - Keep Coming Back for More
7. Bobby Byrd - "Fight Against Drug Abuse" PSA
8. Jackey Beavers - There's a Heartbreak Somewhere
9. Bobby Patterson - The Good Ol Days
10. Edith Brown - You Think Love Is Something to Play With
11. Ike Turner - Love Is a Game
12. Mask Man & The Cap-Tans - It's the Thing
13. Roy Ward - Horse with a Freeze (Pt. 1)
14. Big Bill Collins - City BBQ Radio Ad
15. Little Ben & The Cheers - Beggar of Love
16. The Valentinos - You've Got the Kind of Love That's for Real
17. Johnnie Mae Matthews - You Make Me Feel Good
18. Charlie & Inez Foxx & Their Mockin' Band - Speed Ticket
19. The Debonaires - Eenie Meenie Gypsaleenie
20. Ray Bryant - Up Above the Rock
21. Gimbles Department Store Radio Ad
22. The Li'l Soul Brothers - I've Got Heartaches
23. Tom & Jerrio - Great Googa Mooga
24. Freedom Now Brothers - It's Our Thing
25. Belva & The Randolph Brothers - Happy Fool
26. The Toddlin' Town Sounds - The Dud

Call Him "Sir!" A Tribute to Lattimore Brown

2011-04-03T22:31:00.003-04:00

I wanted to put together a podcast to pay tribute to Sir Lattimore Brown, who will be buried on Tuesday with full military honors in Pensacola, Florida (see the official Lattimore Brown website for more information and to leave a comment on the memorial page). Although there is some overlap, this podcast is intended to be a complement to Red Kelly's "I'm Not Through" podcast, which also includes material from some of Lattimore's Sound Stage Seven labelmates.

Rest in peace, Lattimore. You were loved and will be missed.

1. I'm Not Through Loving You
2. Chick Chick Chicky Chick
3. Teenie Weenie
4. Night Time Is the Right Time
5. Shake and Vibrate
6. Little Bag of Tricks
7. I Will
8. It's Such a Sad, Sad World
9. Somebody's Gonna Miss Me
10. Nobody Has to Tell Me
11. Cruise on Fannie (Cruise On)

INTERMISSION - John R, "Soul Medallion" Radio Ad

12. Warm and Tender Love
13. Please Please Please
14. Sweet Desiree
15. Everyday I Have to Cry Some
16. What Have I Done Wrong
17. Yak-a-Poo
18. It Hurts So Bad
19. I Wish I Felt This Way at Home
20. You Don't Know Like I Know (with Bobby Marchan)
21. I Got You (I Feel Good) (live on "The Beat!!!!")
22. Treat Her Right (live on "The Beat!!!!")
23. Bless Your Heart (I Love You)

RIP Sir Lattimore Brown

2011-03-27T13:35:00.003-04:00

Sir Lattimore Brown - It's a Sad, Sad World

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.

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.

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.

I will post more as more information is available. Rest in peace, Lattimore. It's a sad, sad world indeed today.

Soul on the Air #16 - Mr. V, 1972

2011-02-04T12:18:00.009-05:00

Part One:

Part Two:

Today's "Soul on the Air" feature returns to Chicago's WGRT, which, 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. Despite this lack of renown, audio evidence shows that 'GRT had "great" taste in music, as illustrated by this aircheck.

I haven't been able to find out anything about Mr. V, which is unfortunate. This aircheck features V 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. V - and "Our Favorite Melody" by Jimmy Ruffin.

There's other fun stuff here: there's an ad for Soul Soldier, 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 ("(Pisces) Sign of the Zodiac" by the South Suburban Electric Strings, 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).

It's not surprising that this aircheck often pops up on eBay, because it's one of the better ones out there.

Get on Down with the Stepfather of Soul ...on Rockin' Radio!

2011-01-13T10:31:00.002-05:00

Right after my guest appearance on Rockin' Radio's "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 Rockin' Radio 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 Rockin' Radio family!

Everybody's Doin' It (Doin' It), Doin' It (Doin' It)?

2010-12-28T22:04:00.002-05:00

B.B. King - The B.B. Jones

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 The Electro-Phonic Sound of Brian Phillips over at Rockin' Radio. 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!

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 For Love of Ivy, 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 "Get Myself Somebody," a groovy dancer that's a personal favorite of mine.

"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.

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 Billboard'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.)

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.

As I once noted on this blog when discussing Johnnie Taylor's "Don't You Fool With My Soul," 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.

Episode #38B Is Now Online!

2010-10-16T15:11:00.002-04:00

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!

1. Albertina Walker & The Caravans - Certainly Lord
2. Junior Wells - It's All Soul
3. Chairmen of the Board - When Will She Tell Me She Needs Me
4. Tenison Stephens - Love Is Blind
5. James Brown - I'm Shook
6. James Brown - "Take Him to the Man" PSA
7. "Shaft" Radio Ad
8. Little Oscar - (Sing About It, Shout About) Justice
9. Chairmen of the Board - I Can't Find Myself
10. J.J. Barnes - Snow Flakes
11. Harvey Scales & The Seven Sounds - Sun Won't Come Out
12. The Salem Travelers - Wade in the Water
13. Luther Ingram Radio Ad
14. Clydie King - Direct Me
15. Robert & Ron - I Ain't Finished Yet
16. Barbara & The Uniques - What's the Use
17. Solomon Burke - I'll Never Stop Loving You (Never Ever Song)
18. General Johnson - Only Time Will Tell
19. Bobby Byrd - "Fight Against Drug Abuse" PSA
20. Richard Barbary - Get Right
21. Simtec & Wylie - Can't Break Away
22. Chairmen of the Board - I'm on My Way to a Better Place
23. The Caravans - Amazing Grace
24. The Music Makers - Spring Fever (Pt. 1)

The Solomon Burke Tribute Podcast Is Now Online!

2010-10-13T00:28:00.004-04:00

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!

SEGMENT ONE - Get on Down with Solomon Burke! (Pt. 1)

1. Get Out of My Life, Woman
2. Stupidity
3. Soul Meeting (The Soul Clan)
4. It's Been a Change

SEGMENT TWO - Soul Alive!

5. Medley:

a) Tonight's the Night
b) Beautiful Brown Eyes
c) It's Just a Matter of Time
d) The Women of Today (monologue)
e) Hold What You Got
f) He'll Have to Go

SEGMENT THREE - Get on Down with Solomon Burke! (Pt. 2)

6. Generation of Revelations
7. Ookie Bookie Man
8. Boo Hoo Hoo (Cra-Cra-Craya)
9. Cry to Me

SEGMENT FOUR - Solomon Country!

10. That's How I Got to Memphis
11. Sit This One Out
12. Can't Nobody Love You
13. Just Out of Reach
14. The Electronic Magnetism (That's Heavy Baby)

SEGMENT FIVE - Music to Make Love By

15. Let Me Wrap My Arms Around You
16. Over and Over (Kissing and Hugging)
17. You and Your Baby Blues
18. Dreams

SEGMENT SIX - 21st Century Solomon!

19. Send for Me
20. Nothing's Impossible
21. Don't Give Up on Me

(EDITOR'S NOTE - Episode #38B, a "normal" episode of the podcast, will be posted later this week, if time permits.)

The Stepfather of Soul Supports National Coming Out Day!

2010-10-11T10:48:00.007-04:00

Harrison Kennedy - Closet Queen

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.

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, I am certainly unqualified to judge others; Lord knows I've got my own problems!

Back in 2007 I featured Harrison Kennedy's "Closet Queen" on this blog, 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 Hypnotic Music 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?"

RIP Solomon Burke, 1940-2010

2010-10-10T11:56:00.005-04:00

The "King of Rock 'n' Soul," Solomon Burke, has passed away. 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 Don't Give Up on Me 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!

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.

Pickett in Atlanta!

2010-09-11T15:25:00.005-04:00

Wilson Pickett - Only I Can Sing This Song

On Thursday I received an announcement on Facebook that the Auburn Avenue Research Library is hosting "25 at the Top," an exhibit about Wilson Pickett and his career that will run until mid-October. After making a few calendar adjustments, I made it to the Library for the exhibit's kickoff reception.

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.

The exhibit features lots of great stuff, including the red velvet suit Pickett wore for the cover art of Mr. Magic Man, several gold records and BMI citations, tons of press clippings - both covering his successes, including one album review for Don't Knock My Love 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.

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 original post about the song for that discussion.

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 the official Wilson Pickett website, second to come to the Library to see the exhibit, and third, to come see "In the Midnight Hour: The Music of Wilson Pickett", 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!

Eli's Big Break

2010-08-20T11:54:00.005-04:00

Eli "Paperboy" Reed & The True Loves - Help Me

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 Come and Get It, 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 Billboard's Heatseekers chart and is among iTunes' Pop Album Chart Top 30; he's been featured on CNN, and the album's title track has managed to sneak into the Billboard Hot 100. I wish I could say the same about the R&B charts, but that's a discussion for another day.)

Come and Get It 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!

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 Roll With You, his last album. I decided to go with "Help Me," which has grown on me over repeated plays.

"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.

Come and Get It 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, there's an LP as well!)

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.," is available for listening and purchase from Q-Dee Records (on which Roll With You was released). Check it out!

Pickett, Out of Pocket?

2010-08-13T10:54:00.002-04:00

Wilson Pickett - Love Will Keep Us Together

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!

As I noted at the end of a series of tributes to Pickett I did back then, 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!

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.

(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.)

"Get on Down" #37 - The Stepfather's Soulful Allsorts!

2010-08-04T12:14:00.005-04:00

Episode 37 of the "Get on Down" podcast is now coming your way with an assortment of soulful goodies! Here's the playlist:

1. Spencer Wiggins - Love Machine
2. Melvin Carter - One Too Many
3. Wilbur Bascomb & The Zodiac - Just a Groove in "G"
4. Bettye LaVette - Ticket to the Moon
5. Irene Scott - Everyday Worries
6. Carla Thomas - Coca-Cola Radio Ad
7. Brooks & Jerry - I Got What It Takes, Pts. 1 & 2 & 3 (If We Have Time)
8. Homer Banks - A Lot of Love
9. Sam Dees - Lonely for You Baby
10. Freddie & The Kinfolk - Mashed Potato Pop Corn
11. Ruby Andrews - You Made a Believer out of Me
12. Big Bill Collins - City BBQ Radio Ad
13. John KaSandra - Down Home Ups / Good Whiskey & Bad Women
14. Howard Tate - Girl from the North Country
15. Little Lois Barber - Thank You Baby
16. Lynn Williams - How Can You Call Love Fascination
17. Little Milton - Coca-Cola Radio Ad
18. Ike Lovely - Fool's Hall of Fame
19. The Superlatives - Don't Let True Love Die
20. The Notations - A New Day
21. Booker T. & The M.G's - Steve's Stroll

A "Triple-Double" of Chicago/Detroit Soul

2010-07-09T21:04:00.013-04:00

Jo Ann Garrett - I'm a Now Girl (Do It Now)

Sheryl Swope - Are You Gonna Do Right This Time

The Love Column Featuring John Sibley - You Made Me So Very Happy

It's no secret to any readers of this blog that your ever-lovin' Stepfather of Soul is a serious fan of Chicago soul records. There were so many labels in the Windy City putting out fine soul sounds, and Duo, a lesser-known label run by Chicago record distributors Jack White and Seymour Greenspan, was no exception. Sixteen singles were released on Duo between 1967 and 1971, none of which attained significant national success despite the veritable "Who's Who" of Chicago and Detroit soul involved with most of the releases on the writing and producing end: Andre Williams, The Brothers of Soul (Bridges-Knight-Eaton), Mike Terry, Billy Butler, Leo Graham and Deke Atkins, to name a few, are named on many of the sides. (This sort of Chicago-Detroit hybridization was fairly common at the time; for example, Jackie Wilson's "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher" was recorded in Chicago with Carl Davis producing and the Funk Brothers playing!) Fortunately, several of the label's top-notch sides have been championed by rare soul and funk aficionados: "One Woman" by Jo Ann Garrett is a favorite of many, as is the funk monster "The Sad Chicken" by Leroy & The Drivers. Today's selections are a "trio of Duos" - a "triple-double," if you will - that I have been digging these days.

Jo Ann Garrett has appeared in three episodes of the Get on Down podcast - her Duo 45 "That Little Brown Letter" is part of Episode 36 - and her sides for Chess, Duo and other labels comprise a nice body of work that just didn't get the broader audience it deserved. Garrett worked frequently with Andre Williams, who produced and co-wrote the sassy and funky "I'm a Now Girl (Do It Now)" from 1968. Jo Ann's vocals are framed nicely by a strutting groove and some tasty guitar work.

Sheryl Swope crossed paths with B-K-E through a mutual acquaintance, and the Brothers of Soul's usual magic is present on "Are You Gonna Do Right This Time," which was released in 1969. Amidst another strutting groove and some very atmospheric background vocals, Swope expresses cautious optimism in taking back her man. "You were a wanderer, it's true, that's why I strayed away from you," she states. "But if I'll be a little kind, will you promise you'll be mine?" It's good stuff.

I don't know anything about The Love Column or the featured male vocalist, John Sibley, but the group's sole Duo 45 from 1970 was produced by Leo Graham, better known for producing Tyrone Davis's '70s hits, and Floyd Smith. The A-side, a Chicago soul take on the Brenda Holloway / Blood, Sweat & Tears classic "You Made Me So Very Happy" (which was also given a fine soul reading by Lou Rawls, incidentally) shows how the song can really work as a male-female duet, as Sibley and an uncredited female vocalist put over the right chemistry as they switch off lines. The arrangement plays it pretty safe for most of the song, adding some female cooing and (yes, I'm saying it again) some strut to the rhythm and string tracks, but then some chugging background vocals drop in with a neat "can't you love me just one more time" refrain near the end to make the end result pretty unique.

Bigg Robb's "Southern" Soul-Blues

2010-06-30T14:29:00.005-04:00

Bigg Robb - The Bigg Woman Song

Da Problem Solvas - Running Out of Lies Medley (some adult themes; listener discretion advised)

It's been quite awhile since any soul-blues has graced the blog, so today's feature is a soul-blues double play. Bigg Robb (born Ohio Robert Smith) has made quite a name for himself during this decade among the soul-blues crowd with his "grown folks music" CDs, but he has been involved with show biz since the age of 11(!), when he began broadcasting on Cincinnati's WAIF as the "Sugar Daddy from Cincinnati." After his preteen and teenage radio years, he hooked up with Roger Troutman and toured with Zapp before making his own music, both as a solo act and as part of a trio named Da Problem Solvas.

Robb's music is marketed as "Southern soul," a term which makes old-school soul fans like me somewhat uneasy, being that that term is generally used by our ilk to mean Otis Redding, James Carr, Candi Staton, etc. to the exclusion of the synth-heavy moden soul-blues sound. The reality of the issue is, however, that his soul-blues sound is mostly popular with Southern black folks, and his songs have particular appeal to the ladies in that audience, who seem to appreciate his pro-woman lyrics. Marketing labels aside, however, he does have some appealing tracks, like the two featured today.

"The Bigg Woman Song" is Robb's paean to the full-figured woman, and though it's synth-heavy arrangement is probably not for everyone's tastes, in my opinion, it's just a nice slab of fun. The tune starts off with some deejay patter praising big women, after which a swaggering Zapp-flavored groove kicks in and Robb takes his time encouraging said women to be proud of who they are and explaining what he likes about them.

"Running Out of Lies" immediately captured my attention, as it totally appropriates the sensuous, almost-sinister groove of the Johnnie Taylor classic. To refer to the song as a "medley" is inaccurate, as Da Problem Solvas discard the original lyrics and instead issue a warning to the male listeners that "ladies are getting tired" of being mistreated and neglected. It's clearly the stronger of the two tracks here today, but listener discretion is advised: this is truly "grown folks music," with some frank discussion of where men are going wrong and how to correct the problem!

Bettye LaVette's 1969 Interpretation!

2010-06-23T00:10:00.002-04:00

Bettye LaVette - Hey Love

Bettye LaVette's newest album is entitled Interpretations: The British Rock Songbook and, in keeping with Bettye's track record over the last few years, the soul veteran continues to make converts out of her listeners. It is insufficient to say that Bettye covers songs; her very personal style turns others' songs into her own (Ray Charles' similar skill comes to mind right away). Her version of Dolly Parton's "Little Sparrow" from her "comeback" album I've Got My Own Hell to Raise, her duet with John Bon Jovi at the Obama pre-inaugural concert on Sam Cooke's "A Change Is Gonna Come" and her thrilling version of The Who's "Love Reign O'er Me" from the new project exemplify LaVette's skill.

Take note, though, that Bettye's been showing off her ability to masterfully interpret songs for many years. Although Bettye's take on the Kenny Rogers classic "What Condition My Condition Was In" is often presented as one of her classic '60s covers by rare soul fans, I am very partial to her version of Stevie Wonder's "Hey Love." I consider "Hey Love" to be one of my favorite '60s sides of Stevie's, in part because to my ears the song sounds more like a Chicago soul floater than a Motown record. Ollie McLaughlin produced the LaVette record and released it on Karen in 1969. The "blue light" groove of the original is augmented by a nice strutting groove over which LaVette's intense vocals really shine.

That Thing (That Thing, That Thi-i-i-ing) The Esquires Did!

2010-06-18T12:03:00.003-04:00

The Esquires - Ain't Gonna Give It Up (Baba-Daba-Dop)

I had intended to include today's selection in Episode 35 and then in Episode 36 of the podcast, but in the former case the playlist veered from a good fit, and I simply forgot about it last weekend. I heard the song in my car yesterday, however, and I knew that it had to grace the blog today!

The Esquires, a Chicago soul group based in Milwaukee, hooked up with Bill "Bunky" Sheppard in the mid-'60s and found themselves enjoying a smash hit with "Get on Up." The group stayed with Sheppard for the rest of the '60s and into the '70s, picking up hits along the way but never reaching those lofty heights again. That, as always, is not to say that they didn't make good records, as evidenced here. "Ain't Gonna Give It Up (Baba-Daba-Dop)" was the flip to their early-'70s hit "Girls in the City," and although I find "Girls" to be a beautiful piece of laid-back Chicago soul, the bright, cheerful groove and vocals captured here really are the bee's knees for me. It hit the spot for Lauryn Hill, too, as she interpolated some of the song in her '90s smash "Doo Wop (That Thing)."

"Get on Down" Episode 36 Is Now Available!

2010-06-13T16:46:00.004-04:00

The new podcast is now online and available at iTunes! Here's the playlist:

1. Jesse James - Don't Nobody Want to Get Married (Pt. 1)
2. Jimmy "Bo" Horne - Hey There Jim
3. The Isley Brothers - Cold Bologna
4. Stacy Lane - No Ending
5. Bethea the Maskman & The Agents - Get Away Dreams
6. Rufus Thomas - "Pink Pussycat Wine" Radio Ad
7. Susan King - I Got a Good Thing
8. The Festivals - Checkin' Out
9. Tony Clarke - (No Conception) No Sense of Direction
10. The Profiles - You Don't Care About Me
11. Martha & The Vandellas - Bless You
12. Sly & The Family Stone - Advice
13. John R - "Soul Medallion" Radio Ad
14. Jimmy "Soul" Clark - If I Only Knew Then (What I Know Now)
15. Jo Ann Garrett - That Little Brown Letter
16. King Hannibal - Good Times
17. Marva Whitney - This Girl's in Love with You
18. Gloria Barnes - I'll Call You Back Later
19. Kool Cigarettes Radio Ad
20. George & Teddy - It's a Heartache
21. Barbara Randolph - Can I Get a Witness
22. Emanuel Laskey - Never My Love
23. Bobbe Norris - Thank You Love
24. Little Milton - More and More
25. The Jazz Crusaders - Way Back Home

It's a Promo Day: Stax Is Back on the Scene!

2010-06-12T18:18:00.007-04:00

Leela James - Let It Roll

When the Concord Group bought Fantasy Records and the panoply of label catalogues it owned, Concord announced plans to revive the Stax label. On the Internet, various soul fans worried about possible damage to the Stax legacy, particularly should the "new" Stax feature music not aligned with the label's legend. (Previously, a rumor that Justin Timberlake planned to revive Stax had set off a similar spate of handwringing.) Honestlly, I dismissed such fears. Motown has kept an active artist roster from its founding to the present day, and although some of its artists veer far from the legendary '60s and '70s classics, its "aura" has not been diminished. Why should Stax, whose history did not reach the ascendant heights of Motown's, be locked into a 1959-1975 timeline (conveniently omitting Fantasy's revival of the label for a couple of years in the late '70s and an attempt to revive Volt in the '90s) when its legendary recordings have stood the test of time and continue to do so?

As a fan of neo-soul, I have been pleased with the direction Concord has taken with the revived Stax label, mixing new releases by both newcomers/non-Stax artists and Stax veterans with repackaged reissues and first-time issues of vintage material, such as the Live at the Bohemian Caverns and Live at the Summit Club sets on Carla Thomas and Johnnie Taylor, respectively, and I am extra happy to see that two projects from the label featuring new material have done particularly well. Angie Stone's Art of Love and War did well, with the single "Baby" giving Stax it's first Billboard chart hit since the late '70s. Now Leela James, neo-soul songstress (some of you may remember her excellent version of "A Change Is Gonna Come" from a few years back) and BET's My Black Is Beautiful co-host, has come out with My Soul, whose lead-off single, "Tell Me You Love Me," has helped the album make it into the top ten of Billboard's R&B Album Chart and into the top thirty of the Top 200 Album Chart. Stax is back on the scene!

The good folks at Giant Step sent me a review copy of the album, and I must say that though several of the tracks on My Soul won't meet with approval from the Stax purists, there are several tunes that make James' statement in the liner notes that it's appropriate to have a home at a "real soul" label like Stax quite valid. "Let It Roll" is one of the more retro-sounding tracks, full of swagger and energy. I would recommend the CD heartily to readers of this blog who do have a thing for neo-soul, because James is in great form throughout.

Soul on the Air #15 - Dr. Bop, 1973

2010-06-11T22:23:00.004-04:00

The "Soul on the Air" feature returns to "Get on Down ..." with Hoyt Locke aka Dr. Bop from WAWA, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I don't know much about Dr. Bop except that he was a popular R&B jock who passed away in 1976. The good Doctor is in good form in this 30-minute aircheck from November 1973. After a boisterous series of boasts made while Jr. Walker's "Way Back Home" plays in the background, he lays down some solid soul sounds, including James Brown's "Stone to the Bone," two of Al Green's hits, "Show and Tell" by Al Wilson, and the Patterson Twins' exquisite "Back in Love Again." WAWA's AM frequency signed off at sundown, and at the end of the aircheck, we're told to switch over to the FM band to keep on jamming. Oh, if I only could! This is a fun aircheck that's just too short!

Soul Brothers Six, Soul Preachin'!

2010-05-13T12:10:00.004-04:00

Soul Brothers Six - Don't Neglect Your Baby

Willie John Ellison and his group, the Soul Brothers Six, have graced this blog and the podcast previously, so I'll simply present today's selection, one of the group's first singles. "Don't Neglect Your Baby," a 1966 Lyndell 45, finds Ellison spending over half of the song's length preaching about how men need to get out of the street and take care of their homework over a slow, churchy groove and the groups' moaning background vocals. After explaining how such behavior results in good women going bad, he exhorts, "You'd better wake up before it's too late! Don't be like me! See, I overslept, so I ain't got nobody." After the message is thusly delivered, Ellison launches into song to carry the record home.

Jazz-a-ma-tazz!

2010-05-10T15:58:00.002-04:00

The Ramsey Lewis Trio - Hello, Cello!

Please indulge your ever-lovin' Stepfather of Soul today to lay a little jazz on you here at "Get on Down ," because I've been looking for this tune for the longest time and am delighted to finally have it!

Ramsey Lewis, Eldee Young, and Redd Holt are no strangers to soul fans thanks to their awesome '60s and '70s soul jazz recordings as the Ramsey Lewis Trio, the Young-Holt Trio, Young-Holt Unlimited, etc., etc. But before there was "The In Crowd," "Wade in the Water, "Wack Wack," "Soulful Strut" and other fine sides, the Messrs. Lewis, Young and Holt were laying down very nice straight-ahead jazz on the Argo (later Cadet) label.

Today's selection was a 1961 Argo single that was also part of the LP More Music from the Soil, from which I heard the tune. (Thanks to the Adair County Public Library, from whom I learned a lot about jazz, thanks to their possession of records like this and the series of jazz anthologies from New World Records that Gunther Schuller worked on.) "Hello, Cello!" is a swinging little thing on which Eldee Young trades his bass for a cello and steps to the front to pluck out a cheerful melody and to work it out over some breaks.

The "Get on Down ..." Podcast Is Back!

2010-04-25T21:16:00.002-04:00

After waaaaaaay too long an absence, Episode #35 of the "Get on Down ..." podcast is now online and available on iTunes! The playlist, for the most part, is '70s-slanted and is bookended with some disco sounds, but it's got a lot of groove going on! Enjoy!

Playlist

1. Spanky Wilson - Non-Stop Flight
2. Joe Tex - Don't Cry Over Spilled Milk
3. The Crowns - Jerking the Dog
4. Mack Rice - Coal Man
5. Little Rose Little - Tennessee Waltz
6. "Three Tough Guys" Radio Ad
7. The Whispers - Cracker Jack
8. Jack & The Mods - It's Your Thing
9. Samson & Delilah - Will You Be Ready?
10. Big Maybelle - It's Been Raining
11. Maxine Brown - In My Entire Life
12. Sidney Barnes - Ember Furniture Song
13. Deniece Chandler & Lee Sain - Hey Baby
14. Maurice & Mac - Use That Good Thing
15. Clay Tyson - Moon Man
16. Johnnie Taylor - Love Depression
17. Robert Kelly - My Time To Win
18. Detroit Emeralds Radio Ad
19. Jackie Ross - Don't Change Your Mind
20. Jimmy Ruffin - Tell Me What You Want
21. Eddie Kendricks - He's a Friend
22. Betty Everett - Hey Lucinda
23. Isaac Hayes - Shaft's Cab Ride

TGIF!

2010-04-23T10:54:00.004-04:00

The Forevers - What Goes Around (Comes Around)

I don't know about you this Friday morning, but your ever-lovin' Stepfather of Soul is standing in the need of some serious "get on down" music today to make it through!

The Forevers' "Soul Town," a 45 on the Chicago-based, Stax-distributed Weis label, is a rare funk favorite, and for good reason. In my opinion, however, the record's B-side, featured today, is the superior side. "What Goes Around" is an uptempo groover with serious gusto. From the confident lead vocals to the background singers to the nice horn work and vibe accents, the tune has a crackling energy that makes me sit up, pay attention and then play it again and again.

Here's Jr.!

2010-04-22T10:58:00.003-04:00

Jr. Walker - I Could Never Love Another (After Loving You)

Jr. Walker entered the '70s at the top of his game with hits like "What Does It Take (To Win Your Love)," but as the decade rolled along, Jr.'s hits began to dry up despite his adapting to changing sounds and making great records. Motown did not lose faith in the sax master, though, releasing records on him until he moved on to Norman Whitfield's eponymous label at the end of decade. Today's selection was a cut from his last LP for Motown's Soul subsidiary, Whopper Bopper Show Stopper from 1978.

The Temptations topped the R&B charts in 1968 with "I Could Never Love Another (After Loving You)," the last hit by the group to feature David Ruffin's lead. Walker's version opens with a churchy opening but then dispenses with the galloping groove of the Temps' record in favor of a fast funky beat over which Walker shouts the lyrics and works it out with his sax while a chorus lends support. Get on down, Jr.!

Tuesday Is Blues Day!

2010-04-20T12:28:00.002-04:00

Rufus Thomas - Fine and Mellow

It's been quite a spell since the last "Tuesday Is Blues Day" feature, so today some Rufus Thomas, who is definitely no stranger to this blog, is in order. Quite a few of Rufus' "Blue Stax" 45s allowed Rufus to stretch out with some blues, and "Fine and Mellow" was one of the B-sides to his 1963 smash "Walking the Dog" (most copies of the 45 have "You Said" as the flip). For the most part, Thomas keeps his singing on the mellow side (as would be expected from the title), and the Stax regulars provide fine accompaniment, especially Steve Cropper with his guitar responses.

Jimmy Hughes!

2010-04-15T17:52:00.002-04:00

Jimmy Hughes - You Really Know How to Hurt a Guy (You Really Know How to Make Him Cry)

It's been over a year now since material from the FAME Records catalog has finally seen official CD reissue, and although at this time the CD output has been centered on Jimmy Hughes, with the US "Best Of" collection and Kent's coverage of Hughes' entire FAME output, that's not a bad place to start, to say the least! I am excited to see what else will follow! (I am aware that a Dan Penn project is in the making, but I'm pining for a great various artists comp or even a box set.)

Today's selection is one of my favorite Jimmy Hughes FAME sides. The Dan Penn-Spooner Oldham penned "You Really Know How to Hurt a Guy" is a nice mid-tempo piece with great atmosphere and strong vocals by Hughes which capture the longing yet suffering the song's subject brings about. "It don't bother you in the least," Hughes muses, "that you're breaking me up piece by piece." I've been a fan of this tune since I first heard it on a Yoni Neeman "Soul of the Net" show (I can't call it a "podcast," as such a term didn't exist then) back in the '90s, and I'm glad to present the song in cleaner form than the fairly scratchy FAME 45 from my collection.

RIP Harmon Bethea, Albeit Belated

2010-04-14T11:10:00.004-04:00

Maskman & The Agents - Put on Your Shoes and Walk

During the unfortuante period in which this blog was inactive, R&B's "Maskman," Harmon Bethea, passed away at the age of 86. Bethea was no stranger to this blog, and various recordings of his under his name or "Maskman & The Agents" appeared in features or in podcasts. Bethea's '60s and '70s soul and funk records generally took on a humorous slant, as best demonstrated by his hit "One Eye Open" and a slew of follow-ups, but he could also deliver the goods on more serious material.

Today's selection is an example of a non-comic side. "Put on Your Shoes and Walk," as recorded by Clarence Carter in 1973, was featured in the earliest days of this blog, but I have since learned that Maskman & The Agents recorded the song in 1970. Although the stepping groove of the Carter record makes it a slight favorite of mine between the two, I do think that Maskman and company handle the song's lyrics better, and the tune's funky groove is appealing.

Goin' Back to the Well!

2010-04-12T18:13:00.004-04:00

Joe Simon - Music in My Bones

It's not uncommon for an artist to follow a big hit with a soundalike. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't, but when the artist brings a certain artistry to the follow-up or something about it "just clicks," the former is more likely to occur.

Joe Simon earned his third Billboard R&B #1 in 1975 with the disco-tinged "Get Down, Get Down (Get on the Floor)," and today's selection was the follow-up. To be honest, it sounds like "Music in My Bones" is really just extra material from the "Get Down" master tape (a la "My Part - Make It Funky, Pts. 3 and 4" by James Brown), as the groove is virtually the same, Joe seems to be carrying on the ad-libbing he was doing at the end of "Get Down," and the backing vocalist's use of a "music in my bones and I can't sit down" refrain provides the only substantive variation. To my ears, however, the tune still works, because the groove was so good and Joe's really getting into the "let's have a ball" flavor of the lyrics. Joe's fans agreed, and the song made it to #9 on the R&B chart.

I've read the In the Basement feature from 2008 on Bishop Simon, who left R&B behind for the ministry in the 1980s, and he mentions several times that at the time he was recording his hits he actually hated R&B. Although I respect his stated views and would by no means say that he is being insincere, the fun sound of "Music in My Bones" seems to belie such a sentiment!

Howlin' Wolf's Soul Message

2010-04-09T12:34:00.005-04:00

Howlin' Wolf - She's Looking Good

TGIF, so says your ever-lovin' Stepfather of Soul, and I am glad to bring another groove your way to take into the weekend!

Chess Records' attempts to "modernize" the sounds of (and increase record sales on) Howlin' Wolf and Muddy Waters have been discussed on this blog previously, and today's selection comes from the second "modern" Howlin' Wolf album Message to the Young. Alongside the interesting but somewhat corny title track, in which Wolf encourages the love crowd to be themselves ("if you wanna wear your hair long, wear your hair long ... you girls, if you wanna wear your dresses short ... I'll appeciate it if don't nobody else will") but also to "love your mother and father," acid rock-tinged stuff like "Miss Jane" and funky tracks like "I Smell a Rat" is Wolf's cover of Rodger Collins' "She's Looking Good." With assistance from the hot track laid down by the Chess house band, especially Gene Barge's horn charts, Wolf actually pulls off a great reading of the song and even manages to get some of his trademark howlin' in there.

Get on Down With Mel & Tim!

2010-04-08T12:01:00.002-04:00

Mel & Tim - Good Guys Only Win in the Movies

The Chicago- and Southern-soul duo Mel & Tim have been featured on the blog before, so I'll dispense with biographical details. Today's selection was a Bamboo 45 by the duo and also the title track of their sole Bamboo LP. "Good Guys Only Win in the Movies" opens with the archetypal, laconic guitar riff from western movies and some horse sound effects but then slides into a nice Chicago soul groove, over which the two really deliver the song's sad-sack story. About mid-song, the "cowboy" riff comes back, but this time as the basis for a great breakdown. Get on down with this one!

Southern Soul Struttin'

2010-04-07T13:09:00.010-04:00

Ella Washington - You're Gonna Cry, Cry, Cry

Ella Washington's tenure with Monument's Sound Stage Seven label only resulted in one chart hit, "He Called Me Baby," which would go on to become a Southern soul standard covered by Candi Staton and others. I've always been partial to her up-tempo stuff, though, and today's selection, the flip of "He Called Me Baby," is only second to "Sweeter and Sweeter (Ray, Ray, Ray)" as my favorite of her SS7 sides. Here, Washington spins her revenge story over a nice strutting groove with lots of good horn work to push her vocals, which to me are redolent of Bettye Swann in places, along.

The Stepfather is back in stride!

Jackie's Got a Brand New Bag!

2010-04-06T13:15:00.004-04:00

Today's post features the notorious Jackie Shane, who has featured in a prior post. Since I wrote that post over two years ago, a CBC radio documentary, I Got Mine: The Story of Jackie Shane, has given Shane's story the treatment it has long deserved. Since the program aired, soul fans have been digging, and rumors that Shane was murdered years ago have now been debunked, as it has been revealed that Shane is alive and well and living in Nashville, Tennessee, his hometown.

Fortunately for those of us who did not have the chance to see Shane do his thing, there are two resources available. In 1965 or '66 Jackie appeared on the seminal Nashville TV show Night Train (a YouTube video of the appearance is in the prior blog post), video from which is believed to be the only film footage of him. For a better record, though, there's the LP Jackie Shane Live, which presents a Toronto nightclub show in which Jackie performs his 1963 hit "Any Other Way" and covers of soul hits of the day. Jackie's colorful stage performance style is showcased throughout the album, particularly in extended monologues in "Money (That's What I Want)" and others, in which he presents himself as being proud of who he is - quite a statement to make at that time - because, as he put it, "I got mine."

His take on James Brown's "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" from the album, like his version of "Walking the Dog" on the Night Train clip, has a touch of sass but nothing short of a metric ton of soul. His version joins Otis Redding's in my list of the best James Brown covers ever made. Get on down, Jackie!

Long Time, No Joe!

2010-04-05T11:44:00.004-04:00

Joe Tex - Get It

Lately your ever-lovin' Stepfather has been on a serious Joe Tex kick, listening to everything from his '50s sides through his disco-era stuff. Of course, I've been a Joe Tex fan for years and he is no stranger to this blog, but sometimes it's good to go back to the old favorites, you know?

Today's selection comes from Joe's Epic LP Rub Down, which has accurately been described by some music critics as seeming to consist of leftover material from the Bumps and Bruises sessions from which "Ain't Gonna Bump No More With No Big Fat Woman" emerged as a hit (the title track, for instance, borrows the structure of "Bump"). As I noted in an earlier post featuring "Leaving You Dinner" from Bumps and Bruises, Tex didn't just do the disco thang on the two LPs, though, and "Get It," an album cut from Rub Down, provides an example of a nice Southern-tinged groove that's good for a "get down" or two.

Soul on the Air #14 - "Ugly" Al Dixon, 1975

2009-12-14T14:54:00.007-05:00

I am thrilled to get back to business with Get on Down ... after a too-long hiatus! Honestly, between a lack of time and some personal doldrums I was about to toss in the towel on the blog, but I've found some new inspiration, my energy is rebuilding and I am ready to get back to sharing this great music! Let's start with an aircheck, shall we?

Today's feature is an awesome 37 minutes from February 24, 1975 from Rev. Alvin (aka "Ugly Al") Dixon on Montgomery, Alabama's WAPX. The aircheck is sheer fun, as discussed later, but research about the man proved to be quite interesting.

I was able to find out more online about Dixon that many other soul jocks, because in 1969 he became the national president of the National Association of Television and Radio Announcers, an organization of black disc jockeys and television personalities, after serving as a regional president. Dixon headed NATRA for two years before forming a splinter group, Broadcast and Musical Arts, whose "BAMA" acronym reflected the sentiment of its members that the concerns of southern disc jockeys were not taken seriously by the northern jocks in NATRA. (See this Jet article from 1972 about the split, archived at Google Books.) I'm not sure what happened to BAMA, but I know that Dixon became a minister in the early '80s and later founded the Montgomery-Tuskeegee Times newspaper.

It is clear that Dixon considered himself a "race man" first and foremost. An opinion piece he wrote for a Billboard Magazine's "World of Soul" feature in 1970 pulls no punches:

Soul music has been adulterated, castigated, renovated, analyzed, televised, utilized, used, abused, confused, directed, reflected, selected, collected, protected, affected, taken and foresaken ... [t]he destiny of soul music depends upon the Black broadcaster ... who is black enough to continue to program the real Black soul music and restore the music formats, the jazz that ethnic-appeal station owners and managers have systematically taken from the ears of Black people. (Emphasis in the original; read the entire article at Google Books and scroll through to see the entire issue, which is very fascinating.)

And here's Al commenting on why he started a newspaper:

Starting the newspaper developed out of a need for a source of information for us by us, written by black folks, controlled by black folks, seeing what the interest of black folks and doing it from a first hand perspective because I am black.

The politics of Al Dixon, however, are nowhere to be seen in this funny aircheck. Dixon holds court over some fine soul and funk from Al Green, Barry White, Bobby Byrd, Willie Hutch and others, spinning solid patter for the platters. "Here's my namesake, his name is Al, too," Dixon says as Al Green's "L-O-V-E" begins. "Oh, I don't know whether they call him 'ugly' or not ... he's one of the Green boys ... well, he may be Jolly Green Giant's brother! Or cousin or something." That's just a taste of the fun on this aircheck - his discussion later in the aircheck about being a "cocky disc jockey" and how WAPX dominates the competition is fantastic.

It's Promo Day!

2009-08-24T22:14:00.002-04:00

I haven't done a "promo day" post in awhile, where I take a moment to talk up stuff that usually may not usually appear on this blog, but (1) I do like it and (2) kind folks have shared it with me. Today I'll feature two tracks that I'm really enjoying these days. One is by a very familiar name, the other is a hip-hop treat.

1. "Don't Know Why" - Smokey Robinson

Motown's poet laureate is certainly not a person who's out of place on Get on Down ..., and his new CD, Time Flies When You're Having Fun (Robso), a celebration of Robinson's 50 years in the business, shows that Smokey can still craft fine songs. Interestingly, though, the first track from the CD to get attention is a cover. Norah Jones' hit "Don't Know Why" gets a delightfully jazzy, "after hours" reading by Robinson, and it really works. The rest of the CD features a decidedly "quiet storm" bent, but Smokey's in good form, and guest turns by Joss Stone, Carlos Santana and Inda.Arie are also good.

2. "Don't Be Sheep (On Friday Night)" - Audible Mainframe

Hip-hop doesn't get much attention on this blog, but I do enjoy it, and I particularly enjoy stuff that's outside of the mainstream sounds that flow, unfortunately sometimes noxiously, from urban radio. I've found that hip-hop bands tend to be much more palatable, and the band Audible Mainframe's new CD, Transients, which is out tomorrow, is a great mixture of thoughtful, intelligent rap and fantastic music. The rock guitar-lead "Don't Be Sheep" is really doing it for me these days. The groove rushes along, and the catchy chorus will stick with you. It's a great slab of "get on down" that stands out on the album.

I'll try to do another "Promo Day" feature later in the week. But for now, dig these two!

Soul on the Air #13 - Butterball, 1967

2009-08-11T12:56:00.004-04:00

Part One

Part Two

The parade of WVON "Good Guys" continues with today's "Soul on the Air" feature, and of all the "Good Guys," I have received more than a few requests for today's subject, Bill "Butterball" Crane. Although Bill Crane was not the only "Butterball" plying his trade on R&B radio in the '60s and '70s - there was a Butterball in Philadelphia, and a "Butterball Jr." in Detroit, to name two - he's the only one for whom I've found any airchecks.

Bill Crane grew up in Chicago's Ida B. Wells housing projects, where he cultivated a love of radio and electronics. Crane parlayed this interest into a radio career, and after a stint at Chicago's ill-fated WYNR he joined the WVON stable and local fame followed. I don't know much about his post-WVON career except that at the dawn of the twenty-first century he was a senior engineer for WGN radio, and I found a post on Soulful Detroit stating that he is alive and well. Hopefully I will be able to get more information after this post!

On to the aircheck itself. Today's feature finds Butterball holding court on August 25, 1967. In addition to Butterball's patter and the records, there's a lot of good stuff, ranging from the usual commercials of the era to an "On the Scene With Geraldine" segment ("On the Scene" featured ladies' fashion and homemaking advice by Geraldine C. Washington, one of the station's two female "Good Guys" - the other was Sunday gospel host Isabel Joseph Johnson) and a news break focused on the Democratic primaries in Jackson, Mississippi, in which black voters were expected to make an impact with their relatively-new freedom to vote. All of that good stuff, however, is just icing on the cake, as Butterball's slick and funny patter really shines among the great soul records that fill the aircheck. Dig Butterball's intro to Linda Jones' "Hypnotized," his plea to the engineer to allow him to play "O-O I Love You" by the Dells twice in a row, his comment about his "raggedy" "natural" hairdo during a Billy Stewart record and his shouting over King Curtis' "Memphis Soul Stew" that kicks off the second part of the aircheck. "Who's that ringing my telephone? Who's calling me?" he bellows. "Mr. Chess [either Leonard or Phil, Chess Records and WVON owners] says I can't have no company, y'all!" Although Herb Kent makes it clear in his memoirs that such a rule wasn't always followed (he mentions that sometimes he and other jocks would pay the engineer to set up long uninterrupted sets so that the jocks could, ahem, entertain), it tickles me every time I hear it. Near the end of the aircheck, Butterball hands off to E. Rodney Jones, and the first few minutes of his show close out the aircheck.

One last note about the various "Butterballs": Crane and at least one of the other "Butterballs" also were part of the parade of soul DJs who tried their hand at making soul records. Our Butterball's Lock two-parter "Steppin' Tall" is a funk favorite, but even bigger among funk fans is a "Butterball" (from where, I don't know) whose "Butterballs" is a seriously-slamming, hard-hitting, piece of funk that features some of the strongest proto-rap I've heard on any 45 by a soul jock. Both tunes are very good, though, and I will try to feature them on the blog at some point. But for now, get on down with the Butterball of WVON!

CORRECTION - The "On the Scene" program named above was "On the Scene With Bernadine," hosted by Bernadine C. Washington. Thanks to the commenter who caught this mistake!

A Little Self-Promotion Never Hurt, Right?

2009-07-27T10:49:00.002-04:00

Bobby Jones - Talkin' 'Bout Jones

Today's selection is from Bobby Jones, who I mentioned oh-so-briefly in a post from some time back featuring the Expo 45 "No Messin' Around" by Jones and Pauline Chivers (Shivers). As I noted then, Jones never broke into the big time on a national level, but "Talkin' 'Bout Jones" made a lot of noise in Chicago in '68 or thereabouts. "Jones" has a tasty Chicago soul groove over which Bobby lays down "no brags, just facts" about how great a lover he is - with touches of Clarence Carter in his voice - while a femme chorus chirps supportingly. It's a nice dancer, and I understand that the backing track also fueled Chris Campbell's USA 45 "You Gotta Pay Your Dues." Not sure which came first, but I'm sure the Campbell record also made good use of the groove. But this post isn't about Campbell - we're talkin' 'bout Jones!

Please Support "Loaves & Fishes"

2009-07-02T13:01:00.002-04:00

Red Kelly has posted on The B-Side that Loaves & Fishes, a soup kitchen in Biloxi, Mississippi, is experiencing financial difficulties that may force it to close next month. Loaves & Fishes has provided lots to the community since its inception, including providing food for Sir Lattimore Brown. Please go to The B-Side for more info and to see a video featuring Lattimore about Loaves & Fishes. Your support would be greatly appreciated. You can make a donation through Red's site, or you can contribute below. As we roll into Independence Day here in the States, it's important to remember that as long as the "least of these" are left without help, none of us are free.

Get on Down With the Stepbrothers of Soul!

2009-06-28T01:47:00.004-04:00

After quite a hiatus, the "Get on Down ..." podcast is back, and joining the Stepfather of Soul is the Electro-Phonic Brian Phillips. The show was fun to do, despite having to address the recent passing of Koko Taylor and Michael Jackson. Here is the playlist:

1. Eloise Laws - You Made Me an Offer I Can't Refuse
2. Jimmy Hughes - Which Side of the Door
3. Mitty Collier - I Can't Lose
4. Tender Joe Richardson - The Choo Choo
5. Sir Arthur - Louie, Louie
6. Carla Thomas - Sweet Sensation
7. Darrow Fletcher - My Young Misery
8. Vernon & Jewell - Just To Hold My Hand
9. Koko Taylor - Egg or the Hen
10. Top Hat & Little Jeff - Mississippi Bump
11. The O'Jays - That's Alright
12. The Olympics - Girl, You're My Kind of People
13. Jean Battle - When a Woman Loves a Man
14. The Ovations - Mr. River
15. Little Johnny Taylor & Ted Taylor - Cry It Out Baby
16. Theron & Darrell - I Was Made To Love Her
17. Ricky Allen - Can I Come Back Home
18. Van Preston & The Night Rockers - Who Done It
19. Otis Redding - Scratch My Back
20. The Jackson 5 - Big Boy

RIP Michael Jackson

2009-06-25T20:12:00.005-04:00

The Jacksons - Enjoy Yourself

Wow ... where does one begin in writing a post eulogizing the King of Pop, Michael Jackson? I suppose I should take a page from my James Brown posts from a couple of years ago. With that in mind, let me talk a moment about MJ and then I'll talk about the first Michael Jackson-related record I ever heard.

As a child of the '70s and '80s, Michael Jackson was iconic. We had a copy of Thriller, and the title track was such a favorite that my brother and I would "perform" the song, with my brother singing and me doing the Vincent Price part at the end. (I was dared at a work social to do it, but I can't remember all of it now.) So many of his songs were favorites of mine, and to watch him perform was completely electrifying. Of course, like everyone else I was aware of all the scandal that surrounded him, and joined many "Lord help that man" conversations that put more emphasis on his man-child eccentricities than his talent. But to say I was shocked to hear that Michael was dead is an understatement. As soon as I heard the news I called my wife, and I told her that his passing was our generation's version of Elvis' passing (my mother can tell you exactly where she was and who she was with when she learned that Presley was dead). I know the blogosphere will have plenty of memorials to Jackson in due time, and they will all be truly deserved.

Now, on to some music. My mother's copy of the 45 of "Enjoy Yourself" by The Jacksons got a lot of spins when I was growing up. The funky groover from 1976 kicked off the post-Motown era for Michael and his family members (the Jackson Five had left Motown - and brother Jermaine, who was married to Berry Gordy's daughter - in the middle of the '70s, and Gordy retained the rights to the group's name; they added a few of the younger siblings and kept on going). "Enjoy Yourself" was a Gamble-Huff composition and production that was released on a joint Epic/Philadelphia International label, and it rocketed up the charts upon release. It's easy to see why, because from the funky guitar intro to the bumping groove to Michael's invitation to the girl "sitting over there, staring into space" to get up and boogie, it's a solid record. Of course, Michael would stay with Epic for nearly two decades, and would turn the music world upside down in the '80s. What a way to start, though!

RIP Michael Jackson. Although the last two decades weren't the kindest to you, your singing, dancing, music videos and overall talent will forever enshrine you as part of the legacy of total entertainers like Sammy Davis, Jr. and James Brown. Thank you for making the world a better place with your music.

A Motown Moment With Chuck Jackson

2009-06-24T16:28:00.003-04:00

Chuck Jackson - Pet Names

Chuck Jackson's legacy in the annals of R&B history are linked to his great records for Wand, where uptown arrangements and Chuck's fiery baritone made for fine alchemy. When Jackson and Wand boss Florence Greenberg fell out by the end of the '60s, he moved over to Motown and recorded for a few years. Although Chuck's recordings on Motown and then V.I.P. (can you say, "demotion"?) are not bad at all, the Motown sound just didn't create the same kind of magic that he'd enjoyed earlier. Today's selection was Jackson's final V.I.P. 45 from 1971. Smokey Robinson wrote and produced "Pet Names," which joined Jackson's string of non-hits for the label. Probably the song was too sweet and maybe even somewhat corny at a time when the Temptations, Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder were laying down substantially heavier material (maybe this would've been a better Jackson Five side). There's something about it, though, that I do like, so I invite you to listen and to judge for yourself.

We're Not Through With Sir Lattimore Brown!

2009-06-19T20:39:00.003-04:00

The excitement behind the Sir Lattimore Brown story never seems to abate. Film maker Chase Thompson, whose Roy C Forever, featuring "Sex & Soul" artist Roy C. Hammond, is forthcoming, has also begun the task of documenting the rediscovery and triumphant New Orleans stage return of Sir Lattimore Brown in I'm Not Through, a Soul Detective production from my main man, Red Kelly. Here's the fantastic trailer!

We're not through with Sir Lattimore Brown!

A New Soul Commitment From Ireland!

2009-06-14T16:19:00.003-04:00

Laura Izibor - From My Heart to Yours

A few weeks ago I was introduced to the new R&B singer Laura Izibor, whose "From My Heart to Yours," today's selection, is making quite a bit of news in R&B circles. This past Friday I had the pleasure of attending a concert by Izibor in Atlanta in anticipation of her album, Let the Truth Be Told (Atlantic), which will be released this Tuesday. Vintage soul fans, look out - Laura's got the goods to join Mmes. Winehouse, Duffy, and Stone in the pantheon of newer singers who appreciate the sounds of classic R&B and bring refreshment to the wrecked shoals of contemporary R&B - no Autotune here!

Izibor is a native of Ireland, a fact that she joked about at the show ("Do you guys know where I'm from? Did you know there are black people in Ireland?" she playfully asked), and I'm glad to say that not only "The Commitments" bring the sounds of soul from the Emerald Isle. Laura, backed by a top-notch band, ran through her album, which in parts summons forth the sounds of '70s soul and funk with just a few touches to give it a modern R&B flavor. I've pre-ordered the album and I'm already deeming it a classic. (It doesn't hurt matters that the album art is redolent of the Atlantic LPs of the '60s!) If you'd like to sample the album, you can go to VH-1's website, where the whole thing is steamable! Check this out right away!

"From My Heart to Yours" features a nice bouncy groove and Izibor's fine vocals and piano playing. When she performed it in Atlanta the crowd ate it up, and I think you will too. There are tunes on the album that I think will please the discerning soul fan even more. I recommend it heartily! Get on down, Laura!

(EDITOR'S NOTE - I'm hoping to get a new podcast up one of these days; please bear with me!)

RIP Koko Taylor

2009-06-03T22:36:00.002-04:00

Koko Taylor - That's Why I'm Crying

I have learned that the "Queen of the Blues," Cora "Koko" Taylor, has passed away at the age of 80. Throughout her long career, Taylor was a fixture in Chicago, recording for Checker and Alligator and at one point owning a blues club. It was at this club, the Celebrity Lounge, that I had the pleasure of meeting Taylor back in 1999. My wife and I dropped in one Saturday night to see Roy Hytower perform. While Hytower put on his goodtimey show, Taylor came in donning a glittering jacket and sat quietly at the bar. When Hytower finished singing he announced her presence and she received a hearty round of applause from the crowd. When my wife and I got up to go home later in the evening, Taylor took our hands and sincerely thanked us for coming to the club. I will never forget the warmth and kindness she showed us that night.

Although I'm partial to Taylor's Checker sides, especially sock soul-slanted tunes like "Fire" and "Separate or Integrate," her Alligator material is of high quality and today's selection comes from her first Alligator LP. "That's Why I'm Crying" finds Taylor toning down the shouting style from some of my favorite Checker sides, instead laying down some smoldering vocals while the band, featuring Mighty Joe Young on guitar, lays down a slinky minor-key blues.

RIP Koko. There is no one who will be able to "pitch a wang dang doodle" like you.

Bellson, Nelson and Brown

2009-05-28T11:23:00.004-04:00

James Brown - The Man in the Glass (Pt. 1)

I was inspired to do a James Brown post today after having seen a set of great JB videos on YouTube this weekend. One contributor has added some great stuff, including a medley of "Get Up, Get Into It, Get Involved" and "Soul Power," performed by James (in an awesome outfit, I must add) and Bobby Byrd on a soundstage, and a guest spot by James on "Dinah's Place," where James, backed by the show's house band (led by Fred Wesley), tears through "Get on the Good Foot." Get over to YouTube and do a search for this stuff; you'll be glad you did.

Today's selection was the fruit of the Soul on Top sessions, in which JB recorded a mix of standards, show tunes, a few new songs and remakes of some of his hits backed by jazz drummer Louis Bellson's big band, conducted by Oliver Nelson. Although the concept sounds somewhat baffling on paper, and the 1970 LP did not sell well at the time, the truth is that the material is actually very good. James' vocals are powerful, the song selection is strong and the band actually grooves nicely. Fortunately for soul fans, the LP has had a CD reissue on Verve. "The Man in the Glass," credited to Brown's long-time associate Bud Hobgood, was part of the album and a portion of an alternate version, which is featured here, was also included on Brown's 1970 LP It's a New Day So Let a Man Come In. "Man in the Glass" fits right in with tunes like "World" and "I'm Not Demanding" (which was also included on It's a New Day and was scheduled for two 45 releases, both of which were scrapped). On all three songs, Brown does some serious emoting about serious topics in dramatic arrangements that were unlike a lot of what JB was doing at the time. The "man in the mirror" lyrics of today's selection are powerful and even thought-provoking. Dig them!

And Now ... The Rest of the Story(?)

2009-05-12T19:40:00.023-04:00

Lattimore Brown - Little Bag of Tricks

My man Red Kelly has posted his chronicles of Sir Lattimore Brown's return to the stage and related events over at The B-Side. I wanted to wait until Red had told his tale, because I knew he would have some awesome stuff to share. He's got the story, great pics, outstanding video and more, so go check it out. But come on back to read my account, okay? Okay.

[Awaiting your return.]

When Red informed me that he had managed to put together Lattimore's performance at the Banks Street Bar in New Orleans, I knew I just had to be there. Since the Jazz Fest was also going on, and since neither me nor my wife had ever been to New Orleans, we decided to make a mini-vacation of the trip.

We went to the Jazz Fest on Sunday, April 26, and after a long, exasperating walk from the final streetcar stop to the fairgrounds, we encamped at the Blues Tent, arriving just in time for the New Orleans R&B Revue. Eddie Bo was supposed to be part of the Revue, had he lived, and his absence was noted by Deacon John Moore, who did a set and served as the bandleader and emcee of the program. I won't go into a full concert review here, but the show was quite enjoyable. Wanda Rouzan (of the Rouzan Sisters, of "Men of War" fame) lit up the stage with a good-timey set of songs, including a version of "Mama (He Treats Your Daughter Mean)." Al Johnson, who was profiled in the Times-Picayune that weekend as the recipient of a home in "Musicians Village," a development designed to provide housing for New Orleans msusicians affected by Hurricane Katrina, did a quick set capped off with his Mardi Gras perennial, "Carnival Time." (I didn't get any pictures of the crowd, but once "Carnival Time" started out came the umbrellas and handkerchiefs among the crowd!) Robert Parker, who I had been most interested in seeing, came out and did a perfunctory, if not exactly electrifying, set of blues and his classics "Where the Action Is" and "Barefootin'." Allen Toussaint was the headliner, and he did a fine set which featured "Here Comes the Girls" (which was slightly marred by the inability of Deacon John's drummer to accurately combine the military and funk elements of the tune) and a great extended take on "Yes We Can."

After the Revue, Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings took to the stage and gave up the funk as only they know how. The crowd was full of people who were not familiar with the high-octane show, but Sharon made converts of them all. (Their set also kept the Jazz Fest security busy, as they had to continually shoo dancing people out of the aisles!

After the festivities ended, it was time to get to the mission at hand: Red had invited us to join him and Lattimore for dinner at Mother's, a no-frills New Orleans landmark known for its po' boys. Joining us for dinner was filmmaker Chase Thompson, who has documented the entire Lattimore Brown story, WWOZ personality Allan "Alski" Laskey, and graphic designer Paul Pollman and his wife, Honey. Lattimore was a bit tired, so he stayed fairly quiet, but the conversation buzzing around the table was as good as Mother's food!

Lattimore, Red, Chase and me; Alski and Paul.

The next day, my wife and I decided to do some sightseeing, but we managed to hear Lattimore's appearance on WWOZ. Although, as Red noted, Lattimore's singing of "It's a Sad Sad World" didn't exactly "click," I was very excited by Lattimore's storytelling and promotion of his show ("we're gonna do like Koko Taylor and pitch a wang dang doodle," he proclaimed several times), and when he sang "I Know I'm Gonna Miss You" (Red, who sang the Roscoe Shelton part?) it was very nice. After sightseeing and a trip to Louisiana Music Factory for some record digging, I hustled over to the Banks Street Bar for the rehearsal.

Red has chronicled the rehearsal, so I won't go into a lot of detail. In addition to meeting Wraquel and Wanda, I got to meet Cies from the Just Moving On gospel website and blog, and we had a great conversation. When Lattimore took to the stage at around five-thirty, I saw a fire in his eyes that thrilled my soul. Although the Banks Street Bar stage at that time of day is not exactly the most thrilling sight, to watch Lattimore work the stage made the place feel like the Apollo Theater! (I put up a video a few days ago from the rehearsal.) I left for dinner knowing that the evening was going to be special.

Red has adequately described what went down that night at the actual show. Like Red, I did not get to take any pictures, since I was working the door. Yes, the show had moments that were great, some not-so-great, and some that were somewhat cringeworthy, but all in all it was clear that Lattimore Brown had made a triumphant return, and everyone from Jazz Fest visitors to WFMU deejays to music journalists had witnessed it.

I didn't have time to stay in New Orleans for the Ponderosa Stomp and the second weekend of the Jazz Fest, although I would've loved to, so I was as upset as I was pleased to get a text message from Red the next say saying that Lattimore was going to be appearing at the Stomp with Wiley & The Checkmates, and then to get a text message two days later saying that Lattimore had "tore it up"! Wow!

When the Lattimore Brown story first appeared on Red's blog and on mine, the phrase "this ain't nothing but God" captured the spirit of what had happened. I am glad to report that the phrase is equally meaningful after the New Orleans weekend: Lattimore met his daughter after nearly forty-one years (and to think that she found out about him via the internet, just like the kind nurse did when she contacted me so long ago); Lattimore made a triumphant return to the stage (and a debut in the New York Times); Red, Cies and I, brothers-in-arms online, got to meet each other in person for the first time, and we got along as if we hung out regularly; and I got the see how my relatively insignificant act of writing about Lattimore on my blog served as a catalyst for all of this. I am still on a "high" from it all.

I must take a moment to give major "props" to Red Kelly, whose hard work in finding Lattimore, chronicling his story and getting Lattimore back on stage proves that God is truly with him. I have a feeling that, although the New Orleans weekend makes for a great closing to a "movie-ready" story, that more is yet to come - the Man Upstairs has a "bag of tricks" of His own!

The "Price" Is Right!

2009-05-11T11:30:00.005-04:00

Gloria Taylor - You Got to Pay the Price

Al Kent's Detroit soul instrumental "You Got to Pay the Price" is a staple record among the Northern Soul crowd, and is one of the easier 45s to acquire out of the "Northern Soul Top 500." The Ric-Tic single is a sho' 'nuff floater good for winding down an all-nighter, with Dennis Coffey's guitar riffs pleasantly riding the shuffling groove. Although I had figured that the track was intended to back a vocalist, I didn't hear vocal versions of the song until many years after I had heard the Kent record. ~~Diana Ross &~~
The Supremes did a version of the song that I suppose came about after Berry Gordy bought out Ed Wingate and acquired the Golden World/Ric-Tic/Wingate labels. Their fine reading of the song, however, went unreleased until it was included in one of the Cellarful of Motown compilations. Gloria Taylor, known among soul fans for her reading of J.J. Barnes' "Poor Unfortunate Me" and for the two-parter "Grounded," among others, did a version of the song that was released on Glo-Whiz and on Leland Rogers' Silver Fox concern that did merit release, although it didn't go anywhere. Taylors' vocals show a fine melody that really works with the famous groove.

More Lattimore on YouTube!

2009-05-07T20:13:00.002-04:00

Paul Pollman managed to capture Lattimore Brown's performance with Wiley & The Checkmates at the Ponderosa Stomp and has put it up on YouTube! Are you ready for Star Time?

Sweet and Rough, Smart Brothers Style

2009-05-07T11:07:00.008-04:00

The Lattimore Brown story is forthcoming, but in the meantime ...

Theron & Darrell - I Was Made to Love Her

Once again the fine folks at Numero have hit one out of the park with their Eccentric Soul series. The newest disc, Eccentric Soul: Smart's Palace features the soul sounds of Wichita, Kansas, as recorded by Dick Smart, whose Solo and other labels augmented his entertainment empire, whose roots lay in the Smart's Palace club, where he and his brothers had a high-powered act (the comp's striking cover art is a picture of one of the Smarts doing a handstand while performing). The CD features a variety of great tracks from the Smart Brothers and others, and quite a few sides have a delightful roughness about them that really lends atmosphere to the material.

Today's selection is a good example of this. Theron Gafford and Darrell Buckner had a band that filled in at Smart's Palace whenever the Smart Brothers were away, and the duo's 1970 Solo 45 "I Was Made to Love Her" did very well locally, but like so many other artists featured in the Eccentric Soul series, not much else followed. That's a shame, though, because despite the roughness of the production, Theron and Darrell really bring home the bacon with this strutting piece of sweet soul. The duo alternate between trading off lines and singing harmony parts, and the whole thing really works. I particularly love the "to be mine" part later in the song, especially near the end, where they drop off to give the band a rough but funky vamp. The whole CD is outstanding, but this tune alone makes the price worthwhile.

(EDITOR'S NOTE - I did not know until today that Numero has a blog; it's very entertaining, and some great stories about the development of the CD are there. I will add it, along with several other fine blogs I've been introduced to lately, to the blogroll pretty soon.)

Get on Down With Lattimore Brown on YouTube!

2009-05-03T22:51:00.003-04:00

Here's a short vid of Sir Lattimore Brown rehearsing for his show, with help from Wiley & The Checkmates.

I'm waiting to coordinate posting with Red before I do the full account of the Lattimore Brown weekend, so bear with me. I'll do some regular posts in the meantime!

A Little More Lattimore, And a Lot More Lattimore to Come!

2009-04-29T12:34:00.008-04:00

Friends, your ever-lovin' Stepfather of Soul is back from New Orleans, having had the marvelous opportunity to meet Sir Lattimore Brown and to be present at his return to the stage on Monday night!

There's a lot to tell - the "this ain't nothing but God!" continues - and when I get a minute to sort out pictures, co-ordinate postings with Red Kelly (who did an outstanding job getting things organized), and write, I'll give my account of the weekend and that Monday, which also included one day of the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival and Hip Drop III, the DJ-laden pre-party for the Ponderosa Stomp. Until then, here's a picture of Sir Lattimore, Red, documentarian Chase Thompson and yours truly enjoying dinner at the legendary Mother's Restaurant in New Orleans the night before the show.

BREAKING NEWS - For those of you who are attending the Ponderosa Stomp, Lattimore will be performing TONIGHT as a guest of Wiley & The Checkmates! So just like that, Lattimore will have been part of two gigs!

Get on Down With Lattimore Brown in New Orleans Monday!

2009-04-24T18:04:00.005-04:00

The time has come, friends - on Monday, at Banks Street Bar in New Orleans, Sir Lattimore Brown will make his return to the stage after a 35-year absence, backed by the awesome Wiley & The Checkmates! Your ever-lovin' Stepfather of Soul will be there, and I can't begin to tell you how excited I am to meet the man whose unlikely rediscovery and amazing life story came out of a kind nurse who Googled this blog. It'll also be awesome to meet my fellow soul blogger and Guardian honoree Red Kelly! It's going to be a soulful night, for sure, with Lattimore and Wiley putting it down on stage and WWOZ's Alski working it out on the "ones and twos"!

If you haven't already, get to Red's info page at Soul Detective to get more info about the show and the Banks Street Bar. If you're going to be in NOLA for Jazz Fest or for the Ponderosa Stomp (which I wish I had the time and money to attend as well), if you can spare the Monday night, come out and support Lattimore on this spectacular occasion! If you do, please drop by and say "hi!"

I'm off to New Orleans, with camera in tow - hopefully I'll have great pictures and stories to share on my return!

Blackmail!

2009-04-20T11:11:00.002-04:00

Bobby Taylor - Blackmail

Bobby Taylor & The Vancouvers, an interracial act signed to Motown in the late '60s, is probably best known for three things: their 1968 hit "Does Your Mama Know About Me," that frontman Taylor (not Diana Ross, as is often reported) "discovered" the Jackson Five (WVON jock Pervis Spann has disagreed with this narrative, though, claiming that his initial promotional efforts with the group paved the way to their success), and that guitarist Tommy Chong would later find fame with "Cheech" Marin as the stoner comedy act "Cheech & Chong." Taylor stuck with the label after the group disbanded and recorded a handful of sides that were released on V.I.P. Today's selection, a Gloria Jones-Pam Sawyer composition (Jones was billed on the label under her pseudonym, "LaVerne Ware"), was a 1970 single. Although the dandy, shuffling flip, "Oh, I've Been Bless'd," has found more favor among the rare soul set, Taylor steps up to the plate on "Blackmail" and effectively captures the anger, fear and confusion that the song's lyrics and surging arrangement portray. "I hardly touched that evil girl; to lose my bride-to-be would surely end my world," Taylor sings. What a predicament!

Guy's Cool Breeze

2009-04-16T11:31:00.003-04:00

Vernon Guy - Anything - To Make It With You

Vernon Guy's most successful work was as a member of the Chicago soul group The Sharpees, who, despite some nice harder-hitting sides on One-Derful! and Midas, never broke through to the big time. (On the Bill Kenner aircheck featured in the "Soul on the Air" series, "The Sock" is played.) Prior to his involvement with The Sharpees, Guy was part of the Ike & Tina Turner Revue along with future fellow Sharpee Stacey Johnson, and Guy had two single releases, including today's selection, with Ike Turner at the helm (Johnson, for his part, had two Ike Turner-related releases as well). "Anything - To Make It With You," a 1963 Sonja single, is a very atmospheric number, featuring a sweet vocal by Guy and a light rhumba tinge in the verses, followed by a chunky shuffle in the choruses not unlike the groove that graced a lot of Ike & Tina sides in those days. It's a cool breeze that sticks with the listener longer than it would initially appear.

Get on Down With Big Bad Bo!

2009-04-15T10:16:00.003-04:00

Bo Diddley - Stop the Pusher

The late Bo Diddley's '70s recordings for Chess did not escalate the rock-n-roll pioneer to the levels of fame he enjoyed back in the '50s; to be frank, they were not well-received at the time, as was the case for most of Chess Records' experiments in "modernizing" the sound of their older stars. Fortunately for us soul fans, Bo was better at "giving up the funk" than Muddy Waters or Howlin' Wolf were, and now albums like Black Gladiator, Another Dimension and Big Bad Bo, from which today's selection comes, are viewed as funky masterpieces.

The funky "Stop the Pusher" features a bumping groove accompanied by good horn work. Bo, for his part, does a great job with the anti-drug lyrics. "The only way to hurt the pusher is don't buy - and the pusher will die," Bo intones, with some nice background help (overdubs maybe?) on the last part of the line. In the coda, Bo encourages his 1974 audience to check out his new sound: he encourages anyone wanting to feel good to seek him out, declaring "I'm a different kind of pusher - I push soul!" Amen to that!

Tuesday Is (Jazzy, Funky, Eccentric) Blues Day!

2009-04-14T13:57:00.003-04:00

Mel Brown - Eighteen Pounds of Unclean Chitlins

Right around the time that I was about to put together Episode #33 of the podcast, the news came along that Eddie Bo had died, followed with news of Ted Jarrett's passing. Right before I recorded the show I learned that guitarist Mel Brown had died, and to honor him I put "W-2 Withholding" in the playlist. I've given an overview of Brown's history previously. Today's selection is one of the more eccentric tunes in Brown's catalogue. "Eighteen Pounds of Unclean Chitlins" is eleven-plus minutes of Brown working it out over a shape-shifting groove that is at times funky (I would imagine the title ties into a phrase like "funkier than ...") but at other times sparse and ominous. It's probably not everyone's taste, but then, neither are chitterlings, so sample this one and hopefully enjoy it.

Johnny Otis Meets the Kelly Brothers

2009-04-09T10:46:00.002-04:00

Johnny Otis - She's All Right

R&B singer/songwriter/bandleader/disc jockey/TV host/health food impresario/minister/etc., etc. Johnny Otis' long career covers so many bases, ranging from his '40s and '50s work with his impressive orchestra and vocalists, to his discovery and/or development of artists like Little Esther Phillips and Etta James to hits like "Willie and the Hand Jive" and '60s soul sides for Kent, which by that time featured his son Shuggie, a guitar prodigy whose '70s solo recordings have achieved cult status and whose "Strawberry Letter 23" topped the charts when covered by the Brothers Johnson late rin the decade. Not too bad for a Greek-American (born John Veliotes) who was black in all ways but in skin tone!

In the midst of all this activity on a wide range of labels, Otis stopped by King Records to record a handful of sides in 1961 and 1962. At the time of his sojourn with the label, the Kelly Brothers, certainly no strangers to this blog, were on Federal as a gospel act, just a year or two away from secular success as "The King Pins" with "It Won't Be This Way (Always)." One of their gospel sides was the Soul Stirrers-sounding "He's Alright," a swinging thing from 1961, and Otis took a page from the Ray Charles playbook and tweaked the song to make it the secular "She's All Right" in 1962. I'm not sure if the Kelly Brothers were providing the fine backup vocals here, but the fine gospel background fits Otis' relaxed but soulful lead vocal nicely.

Sir Lattimore Brown: Live in NOLA - Coming Soon!

2009-04-03T11:36:00.008-04:00

There's nothing better than a Friday full of good news!

For those of you who have followed the accounts by Red Kelly and myself with respect to rediscovered soul man Sir Lattimore Brown (see the sidebar links if you haven't), there's big news: on April 27, Brown will be taking to the stage (after 35 years' absence) at the Banks Street Bar in New Orleans! Head on over to Red's The B-Side blog for details from Red about the show, at which Lattimore will be backed by Wiley & The Checkmates, and Lattimore's present situation. Red's also re-upped his "I'm Not Through" Lattimore podcast.

I'm working on travel plans now! I hope to see you there!

"Get on Down ..." #33 Is Online!

2009-03-31T22:01:00.002-04:00

What was going to be simply a show dedicated to the Adair County High School Academic Team, of which your ever-lovin' Stepfather of Soul is an alumnus, and its coach, "Get on Down ..." listener Brett Reliford, ended up being a memorial to Eddie Bo, Ted Jarrett and Mel Brown as well. There's plenty of "get down" in here, though, and some Wylie Dixon for Mr. Reliford! Here's the playlist:

1. Eddie Bo - Hook & Sling (Pts. 1 & 2)
2. Betty Wright - I'm Gonna Hate Myself in the Morning
3. Larry Birdsong - Digging Your Potatoes
4. Buddy Ace - Jump Up and Shout
5. The Explosions - Garden of Four Trees
6. James Brown "Take Him to the Man" PSA
7. "Save the Children" Radio Ad
8. Danny Hernandez & The Ones - One Little Teardrop
9. Eddie Bo - That Certain Someone
10. Freddie & The Kinfolk - Last Take
11. Wylie Dixon - When Will It End
12. Pauline & Bobby - No Messin' Around
13. Mel Brown - W-2 Withholding
14. Etta James - Miss Pitiful
15. Aretha Franklin Coca-Cola Radio Ad
16. The Avons - Tell Me Baby (Who Would I Be)
17. Shirley Walton - The One You Can't Have (All By Yourself)
18. Tennison Stephens - Where Would You Be
19. Koko Taylor - Separate or Integrate
20. Clea Bradford - My Love's a Monster
21. Gordon Staples & The String Thing - Get Down
22. Freddie Waters - It's a Little Bit Late
23. Skip Easterling - The Grass Looks Greener
24. The Tempo Rhythms - Oriental Soul

RIP Ted Jarrett

2009-03-23T22:37:00.004-04:00

Gene Allison - I Understand (alternate take)

The parade to "soul heaven" continues, unfortunately, with the passing of Nashville R&B impresario Ted Jarrett. As a longtime champion of Nashville soul on this blog, I've featured Jarrett compositions, productions and releases on some of his labels. I suppose in my next podcast, which I intend to put together at some point this week, I'll have to get some Nashville in there to go with the New Orleans.

One of Jarrett's biggest successes was with Gene Allison, who hit big with "You Can Make It If You Try." Like Allison's contemporaries Earl Gaines and Larry Birdsong, Gene stuck around with Jarrett for quite some time. The fine Southern soul ballad "I Understand" was released as a Ref-O-Ree single in 1969. Today's selection is an alternate take of the tune, which was included on the The Ref-O-Ree Records Story.

Hopefully this will be the last RIP post, at least for awhile!

RIP Eddie Bo

2009-03-21T09:42:00.003-04:00

The Explosions - Hip Drop (Pts. 1 & 2)

The bad part about having a vintage soul blog is that multiple times throughout the year I have to report the passing of yet another fine artist. New Orleans singer/pianist/songwriter/producer/label owner Eddie Bo has passed away at age 79. Bo's long career cut across R&B, soul and funk, and it's the latter category for which he's probably best known, thanks to his 1969 hit "Hook and Sling" and scads of other gems that are highly-favored by funk fans. A quick survey of my links section will give you a taste of "Hook and Sling," "Check the Bucket" and others, but I'll feature the femme funk classic "Hip Drop," which he wrote and produced for the Explosions for the tiny Gold Cup label. Everything about this record is right: the singalong line "Hip Drop, come on and Hip Drop," to Juanita Brooks' strong lead vocal, to some nice drum breaks, to the goofy interjections (by Eddie maybe?) of "I tried the Hip Drop and I liked it!" and "Mr. Whipple - he can do the Hip Drop, too!" It's just a funky good time that is one of my favorite Bo productions.

RIP Eddie Bo. Your contributions to New Orleans music and to funk were immense and are apprciated among the rare soul community.

Act I: Z.Z. vs. Ethel

2009-03-17T10:11:00.005-04:00

Z.Z. Hill:

It Ain't No Use

Ha Ha (Laughing Song)

Today's selections make up one of the 45s that I heard growing up that helped shape my appreciation for vintage soul music. My mother would play both sides of Z.Z. Hill's Mankind single "It Ain't No Use" b/w "Ha Ha (Laughing Song)" and I loved it, even though I didn't quite understand the seriousness of the lyrics. I don't know why I failed to mention the 45 in my 2007 Vinyl Record Day post, but I suppose it's better late than never to feature it, right?

Red Kelly has an excellent biography of the late soul blues superstar on The B-Side, so I'll just get to the music. The 45 was one of several successful singles pulled from The Brand New Z.Z. Hill, a Swamp Dogg-produced (he wrote or co-wrote many of the songs - including today's selections - as well) soul "opera" of sorts. Today's selections constituted the first two "scenes" of "Act I." On "It Ain't No Use," we meet Z.Z. and his new woman as they return to his pad for some drinks and romance. As the bluesy groove shuffles along, Hill is working on his mack, offering to make a drink ("put a little ice in it ... make some Kool Aid") and anticiping a good time ("heeeeeeeey, mama, girl that's out of sight!" he hollers as she makes her move). But before any "getting on" starts, the proceedings are interrupted by a knock on the door by his ex-flame, Ethel, whose initial tough posturing ("open this damn door, I wanna talk to you") quickly fades into a tearful plea for forgiveness. Hill's not hearing it, though, so he launches into the song, whose blunt lyrics were lost on me as a child (I was still hung up on the "Kool Aid" part). "Ha Ha" continues the withering dismissal, albeit with a funky groove this time. In the dramatic portion, Hill sends his unfortunate guest home and further expands on how Ethel mistreated him to the point that folks were laughing at him ("it's got so good now, they just kind of walk up and giggle in my face," he asserts). The lyrics to "Ha Ha" aren't as sharp as those in "It Ain't No Use," but the groove romps along and there's a great horn vamp before the final verse.

Oh, in case you want to know what happens in the rest of the album - Ethel eventually is forgiven and they get married at the end! How about that?

Gotta Catch Up on the "Get Down" #2

2009-03-13T10:12:00.002-04:00

Bohannon - Stop and Go

Back in the fall I featured '70s groovemaster Hamilton Bohannon on the blog, and another one of his groove-heavy tunes will grace the blog today. "Stop and Go" was the title track of his 1973 Dakar debut and, as I noted in the prior post, it's easy to get caught up in the hypnotic groove Bohannon gets going. Although it's not as catchy as "South African Man," listening to it is a great way to move into a weekend. Get on down, y'all! TGIF!

Soul on the Air #12: Richard Pegue, 1975 (RIP)

2009-03-05T16:25:00.014-05:00

I hadn't planned to do a "Soul on the Air" feature so close to the installment featuring KCOH's Gladys "Gee Gee" Hill from a couple of weeks back, but I have just learned from Mary Mitchell's column in The Chicago Sun-Times that Richard Pegue (rhymes with "McGee"), one of the latter-day WVON "Good Guys" and Chicago soul musician, arranger and record label owner, has passed away at the age of 65. Pegue joined the WVON line-up at the end of the '60s, and his cool style and sharp wit, not to mention a few squeaks from what he called a "Dubber Ruckie," fit right in with the station's style. I'll defer to Pegue's Best Music of Your Life website bio page for a chronology of his radio career. I remember that when I moved to Chicago in 1997 he was doing his thing on WGCI-AM (the former WVON, at 1390 on the dial), which would eventually turn into a full-time gospel station (although during the early gospel days, Pegue got to keep a late-night soul show). Afterwards he could be heard both on the revived WVON (when 'VON moved to 1390 in the mid-'70s, Pervis Spann acquired rights to the 1450 frequency, where he ran WXOL until 'VON changed its calls to WGCI and Spann snapped up the legendary calls), holding down Spann's all-night slot a few nights a month, and on Kennedy-King College's WKKC-FM, all programs of which I always enjoyed. I'll stop writing a biography of Pegue here and refer you to this excellent 2004 episode of WHPK's Sitting in the Park in which host Bob Abrahamian interviews Pegue and features lots of his productions. (If you haven't been to the show's website, do go and enjoy interviews with many of the greats of Chicago soul!) I certainly enjoyed listening to Pegue when I lived in Chicago and enjoy records he had a hand in. May he rest in peace.

Today's selection is from June 9, 1975. Pegue plays a nice mixture of hits of the day and some soul from a few years earlier while laying down some nice cool patter and singing along with songs as they fade out. As Herb Kent mentioned in his excellent new autobiography, The Cool Gent: The Nine Lives of Radio Legend Herb Kent, which I heartily recommend to any R&B fan, radio fan or Herb Kent fan, by this time WVON had lost its ratings dominance due to the rise of FM radio and the "less talk, more music" trend in broadcasting (a trend that some of the "Good Guys" weren't able or willing to adapt to), but several, including Kent, Pegue and Cecil Hale (many thanks to the good Dr. Hale for recently commenting on an earlier "Soul on the Air" feature to answer a commenter's question) went along with the flow and kept the soul going for a few more years, as demonstrated here.

Shufflin' Along

2009-03-04T11:22:00.004-05:00

Vi Campbell - Seven Doors

I think I've stated on this blog before, and I know lots of soul fans agree with me on this, but I really hope that somehow there can be a definitive Duke/Peacock/Back Beat/Sure Shot soul comp released at some point. I am continually pleased to hear more and more fine soul and funk sides from those labels, but to know there's more out there keeps me longing for more than the ABCs of Soul CDs of the '90s which covered only the biggest hits. (There is a CD called The Northern Soul of Texas which covers quite a bit of material, but I'm not sure as to its legitimacy.) When there are records out there like today's selection, why must we fans suffer?

The 1966 Peacock single "Seven Doors" is a swinging shuffler with a Bobby Bland-styled groove over which Vi Campbell, about whom I know absolutely nothing, strongly delivers her accusations and predicts her revenge. (The Bobby Bland flavor is no accident, as Bland's bandleader and arranger Joe Scott had a hand in the record.) As far as I can tell, this was her only 45, but what a recording!

Ooh! Aah! Ooh-Aah-Ooh-Aah!

2009-02-27T11:52:00.003-05:00

Alvin Cash - Twine Time (funk version)

TGIF, so says your ever-lovin' Stepfather of Soul, and to ring in the weekend is Chicago's dance master Alvin Cash, who is no stranger to this blog by post or by podcast. By the '70s, Cash floated from label to label, laying down slabs of funk punctuated by his chants and calls, and this release on the Memphis-based XL label was part of that sojourn. His remake of "Twine Time," the record that kicked off his hitmaking career, successfully updated the Chicago soul groove for the funk era, but kept the flavor of the original, even down to the "ooh aah" opening, although Cash punctures it with one of his trademark "oooooooooooooooooowwwweeeee" shouts. "Ooo wee" is right, though, because it's a nice piece of get down. Have a great weekend everybody!

In a Mellow Mood ...

2009-02-25T10:48:00.003-05:00

Frankie Karl & The Dreams - I'm So Glad

Today I'm needing something mellow instead of a "get down," so some doo-wop flavored soul fits the bill nicely. I'll defer to Colin Dilnot's obituary of Frankie Karl at In Dangerous Rhythm for more details about Frankie Karl and his 1968 throwback hit "Don't Be Afraid (Do As I Say)," recorded with the mixed group The Dreams. "I'm So Glad" is the flip of that 45, and it is similarly smooth and doo-wop tinged. This is the type of song that should close out a DJ set or a podcast, especially in the former case if there are a lot of couples dancing. Maybe someday I'll try that out to see if my theory works!

Tuesday Is Blues (By Way of Chicago Soul) Day!

2009-02-24T11:54:00.005-05:00

B.B. King - Just Can't Please You

The late Jimmy "Preacher" Robins' "I Can't Please You" is one of my favorite Chicago soul records, and I hastily posted it some time ago on the blog when I didn't have time to do a fuller write-up. That's a shame, because at the time I learned that, although Robert Pruter's Chicago Soul made it sound like Robins fell off the end of the world after "I Can't Please You" made noise, the truth is that Robins continued to record and, by the time he died on Christmas Eve 2007, he had established quite a CV in New York as "The King of Harlem Soul," an all-around entertainer (including acting credits), and as a businessman (in addition to musical enterprises, he owned a limousine service).

The neat thing about the classic soul era was that cover versions of lots of tunes abounded, which demonstrate the strength of the songs. B.B. King, no stranger to cutting soul-slanted sides by 1972, did a version of "I Can't Please You" (now entitled "Just Can't Please You") for his Guess Who LP. The bouncy blues feel King gives the tune is light years away from the darker, heavier groove of the original, but King's vocals do the song justice and Lucille gets some tasty licks in there. It's a nice toe tapper that, although not as good as the original, still brings home the goods for the listener.

Mixing It Up With Wiley & The Checkmates

2009-02-23T10:41:00.002-05:00

Wiley & The Checkmates - Ode to Billie Joe / Hip Hug-Her

Wiley & The Checkmates were featured on the blog last summer, so I'll just discuss today's feature, a track from the group's Rabbit Factory CD We Call It Soul. To mix the pop classic "Ode to Billie Joe" with the Stax classic instro "Hip Hug-Her" was a brilliant choice, and the group really does a good job with it. The Bobbie Gentry hit is already soulful and danceable, but the arrangement takes it to the next level.

Thursday Is Blues Day?

2009-02-19T10:32:00.002-05:00

Buster Brown - John Henry

Time to break the "only on Wednesday" slump I've been in, and why not do a "Thursday Is Blues Day" to accomplish that?

Blues singer and harmonica player Buster Brown (birth name Wayman Glasco) has been featured on this blog before. "John Henry" was Brown's second Fire single. The band rambles along on this one while Brown sings about the "steel drivin' man" of folklore, breaking after a few verses to do some of his trademark whooping and harmonica playing. It's a nice piece of danceable R&B that, although not enough to make the title of his Fire LP New King of the Blues a fitting moniker, is worth a listen.

Get on Down ... on Wednesday, Again

2009-02-18T17:29:00.003-05:00

Freda Allyne - Money, And All Your Love

The new Kent CD J & S Harlem Soul, a comp featuring releases on Zell Sanders' J&S and affiliate labels, is getting quite a few plays at the Stepfather's house since it arrived in the mail this weekend. The CD gravitates towards harder-hitting soul and R&B and some of the more obscure Sanders productions, as exemplified by today's selection. Freda Allyne's "Money, And All Your Love" was a 1963 J&S single featuring a piano-driven proto-funk groove punctuated by horn riffs, over which Allyne describes how she has everything going her way save for the title subjects. This is a solid cooker, and I would love to have a vinyl copy of it, that is, if I could overcome the relative scarcity and steep price of the 45!

The arrangement is credited to a Cliff Drivers, who the liner notes state had an instrumental release on the label in 1959. Is this the same person as Cliff Driver, the musical director for Daptone gospel group Naomi Davis and the Gospel Queens?

Soul on the Air #11: Gladys "Gee Gee" Hill, 1970

2009-02-11T11:57:00.006-05:00

I've really got to get back to a normal posting schedule, friends, or else I'll have to change the name of this blog to Get on Down With the Stepfather of Soul on Wednesday! But thanks to all of you for sticking with me despite the slower pace of posting.

Today is a return to the Soul on the Air series, this time featuring the late Gladys "Gee Gee" Hill from Houston's KCOH. The station, the first black-oriented radio station in Texas, started in 1953 as a "sunup to sundown" broadcaster and is still on the air today, bringing a mixture of talk, R&B, zydeco, gospel and more from the 1430 spot on the dial, twenty-four hours a day. Hill was one of a handful of female DJs to make a mark in the history of classic R&B radio (Detroit's Martha Jean "The Queen" and Chicago's Merry Dee and Yvonne Daniels are the only ones to spring to mind immediately), and is the only one for whom I have been able to locate any airchecks (it's hard enough to find R&B airchecks, much less those featuring female jocks). I haven't been able to find out much information about Hill, but I do know that she was well-regarded in Houston and is notable for helping break Archie Bell & The Drells' classic "Tighten Up": the tune was initially released on fellow KCOH jock (and co-owner) Skipper Lee Frazier's Ovide label, but Frazier was plugging the flip, "Dog Eat Dog," until Hill convinced him that the other side was the hit. The rest, as the saying goes, is history.

This aircheck finds Hill doing her thing in 1970, playing a wide range of blues, jazz and soul, ranging from The Glass House to Albert King to the Merced Blue Notes. Near the twenty-minute mark, there's a sports news break featuring a pinch-hitting Lee Dickerson, whose somewhat stumbling reading of the news finds him correcting a report he'd made earlier and smoothly setting up a Schlitz beer commercial in the middle.

(EDITOR'S NOTE - Thanks to blogger Daddy's Girl, who commented on the last Soul on the Air feature. I look forward to her blog, "My Dad, Ed Cook" and hope to communicate with her soon about her dad and WVON!)

(Gotta Get Over The) Hump Day!

2009-02-04T10:47:00.002-05:00

Carla Thomas - (Your Love Is A) Life Saver

Interestingly enough, the last time I did a Carla Thomas post on this blog was a Wednesday, and one that didn't find me in the best of moods, so I suppose it's deja vu all over again, as Yogi Berra would sasy, that Carla Thomas graces another Wednesday post. Today's feature is a Bettye Crutcher composition that did not see the light of day until Fantasy released the Carla comp Hidden Gems back in the '90s. I really can't see what kept "(Your Love Is A) Life Saver" from getting a "stax-o-wax" 45 release, as it is a solid piece of get-down on which Thomas brings a mix of toughness and vulnerability to her vocal and Booker T. & The M.G.'s lay down a hard-hitting groove featuring some nice guitar and bass interplay and then a great funky breakdown in which Steve Cropper lays down drawling licks to complement Al Jackson's drum work. Get on down, Carla!

Wednesday "Blues"

2009-01-28T10:52:00.002-05:00

Lenny Williams - Feeling Blue

Although Fantasy Records' Galaxy imprint did not set the R&B charts ablaze during its run in the '60s and early '70s, a few major hits did emerge on acts like Rodger Collins, Little Johnny Taylor, Bobby Rush and Bill Coday, and definitely fine records were released that have pleased soul fans to the present day. Today's selection is from Lenny Williams, who would go on to have significant success in the '70s both with Tower of Power and then as a solo act. Williams started out in Oakland and was one of Galaxy's homegrown acts when he covered Fantasy labelmate Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Feeling Blue." The Forgarty tune features a Stax-slanted groove, although surprisingly toned down for the Williams record (in my opinion, the CCR record sounds almost as if the band crashed 926 East McLemore one night and cut the track), but Lenny rides it for all it's worth.

Episode #32 Is Online!

2009-01-25T18:54:00.002-05:00

The new Get on Down With the Stepfather of Soul! podcast is now online, and it honors our new President, Barack Obama, and it also features 2009 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Bobby Womack. Here's the playlist:

1. The Soul Stirrers - My Loved Ones Are Waiting for Me (Waiting and Watching)
2. Betty Adams - Make It Real (Ride On)
3. The Detroit Executives - Cool Off
4. Big Bill Collins - H&A Restaurant Radio Ad
5. Mrs. Odell Knox & The Famous South Land Singers - I Have a Dream
6. Bobby Womack - Love, the Time Is Now
7. Jean Wells - Try Me and See
8. B. B. Brown - I Weep
9. Moses Dillard & The Tex-Town Display - Are You For Real
10. The Triumphs - Walkin' the Duck
11. Jo Ann Garrett & The Dells - You Can't Come In (Big Bad Wolf)
12. Bobby Womack - What You Gonna Do (When Your Love Is Gone)
13. Al Green & The Soul Mates - I'll Be Good to You
14. Big Bill Collins - City Bar-B-Q Radio Ad
15. The Coasters - Talkin' 'Bout a Woman (aka She Can)
16. Lou Courtney - I Can Always Tell
17. James Barnes & The Agents - Good & Funky
18. Bill Thomas & The Fendells - Southern Fried Chicken (Pts. 1 & 2)
19. Louis Chachere - The Hen (Pt. 1)
20. Darrell Banks - I'm the One Who Loves You
21. Bobby Womack - Baby I Can't Stand It
22. The Meditation Singers - A Change Is Gonna Come
23. James Brown - Funky President (People It's Bad)

Late on the "Motown 50" Thing

2009-01-23T11:38:00.002-05:00

Gladys Knight & The Pips - The End of Our Road

I suppose I really shouldn't have the ambivalence I feel about Motown. The contributions of the label to the fabric of American music are legion, and the material released on the Motown, Tamla, Gordy, Soul and other labels is very good and, as the Complete Motown Singles series of boxed sets has demonstrated, more diverse than the standard "oldies" radio station would lead one to believe. I suppose it's a battle any anorak faces: how do you dive deep into the rare and obscure yet embrace the "common" stuff?

That philosophical issue will have to be resolved another day. I have been remiss in not joining the celebration of Motown Records' 50th anniversary, and so today I'll feature something that sort of bridges both sides of the problem. By 1968, Gladys Knight and the Pips had been with Motown awhile, and they had scored a major hit on the Soul label with their version of "I Heard It Through the Grapevine," which topped the Billboard R&B charts for six weeks. (Marvin's version would come later in the year and would be a sit at #1 even longer on its route to music immortality. Truth be told, I like Gladys and the Pips' version better.) "The End of Our Road" clearly went back to the "Grapevine" well in its feel, but to me the tune represents what I like best about a lot of Motown stuff: the groove is hot, full of that funky drumming and churchy tambourine; Gladys' vocals are full of gospel fire, and the Pips provide their usual top-notch backings. You can't just sit still with it, as was the case of a lot of uptempo Motown stuff, and I'm comfy with it being my "Motown 50" post, despite my Motown conundrum.

Sir Elton Meets TSOP

2009-01-22T15:08:00.003-05:00

MFSB - Philadelphia Freedom

Your ever-lovin' Stepfather of Soul has just returned from Washington, D.C. and the inauguration of Barack Obama as the nation's 44th President. Quite a few media outlets, including blogs, have pointed out the euphoria that gripped the city and how the very diverse crowd coexisted in a spirit of "love and unity" to the extent that one blogger called it "Woodstock without the mud." From my firm's D.C. office I was able to watch the swearing-in ceremonies on TV and then see the parade pass right by the window, although the President and First Lady ended their short walk outside of their limousine just short of where our building was located (darn)! Anyway, in the midst of all of the fun, I overheard a few Philadelphia soul classics (especially McFadden & Whitehead's anthemic "Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now"), and so the Philly sound has been stuck in my head. Just a few minutes ago, in an "a-ha" moment, I realized that today's selection fits nicely in line with the excitement and national pride that made for a great time in D.C.

Elton John and Bernie Taupin wrote "Philadelphia Freedom" in honor of tennis legend Billie Jean King and her team, the Philadelphia Freedoms. Gene Page, then hot with his arrangements for Barry White, gave a helping hand with the string arrangement, and the Muscle Shoals Horns contributed the horn charts. The soulful, patriotic-sounding single, credited to the "Elton John Band," shot to #1 on the pop charts in 1975. (Being a 1974 baby, "Philadelphia Freedom" is actually one of the very first songs I remember hearing as a child.) It's probably not surprising that since the future Sir Elton cribbed a page from the Philly soul playbook for the song that some soul cover versions would emerge. I've heard several, with Esther Phillips' Kudu reading being one of my favorites, but for today I'm going with MFSB's instrumental take of the tune, which was a hit for them that year. The already-danceable tune is geared even more for the disco dancefloor in MFSB's collective hands, but the uplifting spirit of the tune rings through all the same.

(EDITOR'S NOTE) - Hopefully, this weekend I can get around to posting ...

BW Goes CW (And To The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame)!

2009-01-16T13:47:00.004-05:00

Bobby Womack - Point of No Return

Congratulations are in order for legendary soul singer/songwriter Bobby Womack, who has been named as one of the 2009 inductees to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. From his early associations with Sam Cooke (first as a member of gospel's The Womack Brothers and then as one of The Valentinos) to his streak of songwriting successes for Wilson Pickett in the '60s, to his major successes as a solo artist in the '70s, Womack is truly deserving of the honor. (It should be noted that Spooner Oldham, Southern soul songwriter, will also be inducted, under the "sideman" category; ~~although~~ he has written and co-written so many great songs that make him worthy of the honor~~, the mere fact that he co-wrote "Dark End of the Street" is enough, in my book~~!)

Bobby Womack would directly take on country music with his 1976 LP B.W. Goes C.W., the commercial failure of which closed out his tenure with United Artists Records, but "Point of No Return," from 1974's Lookin' For a Love Again, is a fine country song given a great reading by Womack, who does a great job building up the song's intensity as he expresses mounting frustration, from the introductory accusation, "baby, if the cake ain't missing, how'd that icing get all over you?" onwards. Congrats Bobby!

(CORRECTION SECTION - As the commenter below noted, I got my songwriters mixed up re: "Dark End of the Street." The songs the commenter correctly names as Oldham compositions are all very good.)

Going to the River With Ollie & The Nightingales

2009-01-13T10:04:00.002-05:00

Ollie & The Nightingales - A Smile Can't Hide (A Broken Heart)

The Ace/Kent setup in the UK has been rolling out lots of great stuff lately, and their new boxed set Take Me To The River: A Southern Soul Story 1961-1977 continues the trend. Over three CDs, Southern soul chestnuts and absolute rarities sit side by side. Naturally, Memphis soul is highly represented, and Stax sides make up a good number of tracks. A treat from the Stax stable in the set is today's selection.

William Bell released "A Smile Can't Hide (A Broken Heart)" as the B-side to his version of the Albert King classic "Born Under a Bad Sign." Ollie & The Nightingales cut a version as well that languished in the can but is now available on Take Me To The River. The mid-tempo groove gives the group plenty of room to do its gospel harmonizing and for Ollie Nightingale to bring his piercing lead vocals. The unearthing of this side makes me wonder if anyone plans to release their "Heartaches Mountain," which I have not heard, which was released only on the Stax various artists double LP Soul Explosion, several tracks of which have still not seen CD reissue. One can only hope!

Get on Down With Little Willie John!

2009-01-09T10:57:00.004-05:00

Little Willie John - I Had a Dream (Take 7)

Today's post features a track from the outstanding Kent CD Nineteen Sixty Six: The David Axelrod and HB Barnum Sessions, a set of recordings the '50s R&B legend made for Capitol in the title year while out on (a losing) appeal from his 1964 murder conviction. The recordings were made, King Records (his previous label) blocked their release, John lost his appeal and then died in prison in 1968. The material never received a proper release (a low-fi and possibly bootlegged release of some of the stuff made it out, but that was it) until Kent put it out, alternate takes and all, in 2008. It's a serious treat for soul fans, because John's in fine voice and the dynamic duo of David Axelrod (producer) and H.B. Barnum (arranger), who were crafting a hit sound for Lou Rawls around that time, really put together some solid sounds behind him that capture a bit of jazz, a bit of blues, and the soul sound.

The funky blues "I Had a Dream," not to be confused with the Hayes-Porter composition of the same name that was Johnnie Taylor's Stax debut, opens with some sinister-sounding electric piano before opening up into a nice strutting groove with good horn charts, over which John's cool vocals really cook.

Tuesday Is (Country With) Soul Blues Day!

2009-01-06T12:20:00.004-05:00

Rufus Thomas - Today I Started Loving You Again (live)

Today's "Tuesday Is Blues Day" feature is from Rufus Thomas' 1998 Ecko CD Rufus Live!, which was recorded in Atlanta in 1996. Performing as part of a Memphis soul package for the Summer Olympics, Rufus' set finds the World's Oldest Teenager mastering the crowd with the same ease he managed the infamous Wattstax audience in 1972. The CD is somewhat difficult to find these days, but it's worth purchasing, as Thomas lays down a little soul and blues, walks the dog and does the funky chicken as only he could.

As fun as the uptempo things are on the CD, however, Rufus' 18 minutes-plus take on the country classic "Today I Started Loving You Today" is nothing short of a tour de force. After acknowledging Nashville as the home of country music and name-checking a few country singers (including, interestingly, Jerry Lee Lewis, who, although indeed a hit country act from the late '60s onward, would seem to be linked more to Memphis and rock'n'roll), Thomas distinguishes himself from that crew, declaring that they sing country "country" but he sings country with soul (dig the neat change in the piano background in the introduction at that point) and then gets to work on the meat of the song. After a couple of verses, however, Rufus engages in a lengthy monologue that ranges from what a man would like from his woman when he comes home from work to the power of love to clowning with some female audience members, switching from being serious to being silly but keeping the soul quotient very high and showing how the old soul masters could spin a captivating web around an audience and then work their magic in monologues. (Listen to this and then listen to similar portions of Solomon Burke's Soul Alive album and you'll get my point.)

(The Monday Return Of) Sunday Gospel Time!

2009-01-05T13:17:00.002-05:00

The Virginia State Ensemble:

If I Had My Wings

I Work For God

For the first time in awhile, albeit on Monday (internet connection issues prevented yesterday's post from getting off the ground), "Sunday Gospel Time" makes an appearance on the blog with this nifty two-sider. I don't know (and couldn't find) anything about the Virginia State Ensemble, but I do know that these two sides were released as a Weis single, and I know that Weis was one of the handful of small labels (such as Warren, Front Page, Arch and Dig) that Stax distributed in the early '70s. Future Spinners lead singer John Edwards had a release on the label, and tunes like Bobby Holley's "Moving Dancer" and "Soultown" by The Forevers have become funky 45 faves.

"If I Had My Wings" is a rambling, organ-led number based on the spiritual "I Got Shoes," and the male lead enthusiastically engages the chorus in call-and-response. This record is this/close to being suitable to play for dancers as well as church folk. As nice as it is, however, the flip, "I Work For God," is an outstanding ballad featuring solid singing by the chorus and a fine vocal by the female lead. I really wish I knew more about this group!

Reachin' Out in 2009!

2009-01-02T15:37:00.002-05:00

Bobby Moore & The Rhythm Aces - Reaching Out

My New Year's resolution for 2009 is to bring the activity level of this blog back to what it used to be. I want to "get on down" as much as I can! So Happy New Year to all of you, dear readers, and let's get down to cases!

I've written about the Muscle Shoals combo Bobby Moore & The Rhythm Aces before, so I'll just note that "Reaching Out" is an appealing tune that shifts between Southern soul balladry on the choruses and a rushed groove in the verses before closing out up-tempo. Although the tempo shifts make the song unfit for dancing, it's a nice number with a nice spirit to it.

RIP Benny Gordon

2008-12-29T14:19:00.002-05:00

Benny Gordon & The Soul Brothers - Give a Damn (About Your Fellow Man)

I hate it when RIP posts start springing up throughout the soul blogosphere, but I have learned from my man Red Kelly that Benny Gordon passed away on Christmas Eve. I'll defer to Red's blog for more info about Gordon and will simply post a tune I'd been intending to feature for awhile anyway. The funk favorite "Give a Dam" is a stone groover from the get-go, with Gordon kicking things off with a James Brown-ish grunt and then pushing through the awesome call-and-response message song, summoning a little Edwin Starr along the way. "War! Stop the war somebody, please ... I ask ya what's it for ... I tell ya it's a shame, when you have to kill a man, Lord, and you don't know his name." Powerful stuff indeed! RIP Benny.

RIP Robert Ward

2008-12-27T15:03:00.002-05:00

Robert Ward & The Ohio Untouchables - Touch Me Not

Greetings, wonderful people! I hope the holiday season has been good to you! I know that my posting here has been very very sporadic lately. Honestly, the situation discussed in the "DMCA Blues" post almost brought me to the verge of closing down the site, but I think I'll just soldier on for awhile, and I think if push comes to shove, I'll just take the site private. We'll see how that goes. My resolution for 2009, at any rate, is to pick up the frequency of my posting to the level it was at prior to my taking the bar exam, etc. There's too much good soul music to discuss!

This week, the singer/guitarist Robert Ward, whose comeback story resulted in some fine blues albums of the '90s and beyond after an earlier stab at success as the leader of the Ohio Untouchables (who became the Ohio Players some time after he left the group in 1965) and as a session musician, passed away. Ward's watery guitar sound, by way of a Magneto amp, resulted in lots of fine sides in the early '60s for LuPine, including today's selection. "Touch Me Not" is an awesome instrumental which, despite featuring some hot saxophone solos, shows off Ward's guitar work over a groove that leaves the listener with no choice but to "get on down"!

It's fortunate that Ward was rediscovered in the early '90s and got the chance to get the recognition he deserved before his death. His fine talent will be missed.

Georgia Soul Time!

2008-12-10T11:13:00.002-05:00

Langston & French - Tumbling Down (stream only)

Kudos are in order for Georgia Soul's Brian Poust, who is featured in the new issue of Stomp and Stammer in connection with the magazine's feature on the Numero comp Eccentric Soul: The Tragar and Note Labels, which Brian helped put together. The article spotlights Poust's journey in unearthing information and recordings from the Atlanta soul label and some of the musicians who made the rare records featured on the two-disc comp.

Today's selection comes from that comp. Langston George was the "fourth Pip" in the early years of Gladys Knight & The Pips, and he hooked up with Charles French to record the great Southern soul ballad "Tumbling Down," not to be confused with the James Fry record on Hi of the same name. The two men nail the ballad with their solo parts and harmonizing, and their voices remind me somewhat of Nashville soulsters Earl Gaines and Jimmy Church. It's a fine recording, one of the many that earn that distinction on the comp!

DMCA Blues

2008-12-07T13:13:00.002-05:00

I received this email from Blogger yesterday:

Blogger has been notified, according to the terms of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), that certain content in your blog infringes upon the copyrights of others. The URL(s) of the allegedly infringing post(s) may be found at the end of this message.

The notice that we received from the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) and the record companies it represents, with any personally identifying information removed, will be posted online by a service called Chilling Effects at http://www.chillingeffects.org. We do this in accordance with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). Please note that it may take Chilling Effects up to several weeks to post the notice online at the link provided.

The IFPI is a trade association that represents over 1,400 major and independent record companies in the US and internationally who create, manufacture and distribute sound recordings (the "IFPI Represented Companies").

The DMCA is a United States copyright law that provides guidelines for online service provider liability in case of copyright infringement. We are in the process of removing from our servers the links that allegedly infringe upon the copyrights of others. If we did not do so, we would be subject to a claim of copyright infringement, regardless of its merits. See http://www.educause.edu/Browse/645?PARENT_ID=254 for more information about the DMCA, and see http://www.google.com/dmca.html for the process that Blogger requires in order to make a DMCA complaint.

Blogger can reinstate these posts upon receipt of a counter notification pursuant to sections 512(g)(2) and 3) of the DMCA. For more information about the requirements of a counter notification and a link to a sample counter notification, see http://www.google.com/dmca.html#counter.

Please note that repeated violations to our Terms of Service may result in further remedial action taken against your Blogger account. If you have legal questions about this notification, you should retain your own legal counsel. If you have any other questions about this notification, please let us know.

Sincerely,

The Blogger Team

Affected URLs:

http://stepfatherofsoul.blogspot.com/2007/12/rip-ike-turner.html

Several of my fellow soul bloggers have received similar notices fairly recently, which means that the copyright battle about online music has now moved from the world of Napster and file sharing to the blogging world. I had expected for some time that such a notice would cross my path, considering the relatively prolific posting that I do. As an attorney who has taken an intellectual property class or two, I am quite aware of the arguments made by the music industry about digital music sources, and in general I agree with them. It was in consideration of these arguments that I put a disclaimer on this blog some time ago to the effect that all material on this blog is copyrighted, that it is only here for noncommercial use (per the "fair use doctrine") and that if any objections existed that I would remove such offending material. I think it is clear that all music bloggers operate under such good faith attempts to share great music without breaking copyright law, but one man's "good faith" is another man's thievery, and Blogger, understandably, wants to stay out of the fray as much as possible. However, it does sadden me to see that I have to share my passion for great music under the cloud of impersonal legalese from Blogger.

So what to do? I am certainly disinclined to close up shop and file "Get on Down ..." away as a pleasant three-year online adventure, but I don't want Blogger to close down the blog arbitrarily should the IFPI, RIAA or any other organization protest about any content I have here. For the moment, my attempt at a compromise will be to continue the blog here on Blogger but make all posts "stream only" while I search for a different location to host the blog. Can any of my fellow bloggers who use Wordpress offer their opinion as to such matters? I would appreciate it.

Get on Down ... #31!

2008-11-23T22:25:00.003-05:00

The Third Anniversary show is now online and will be on iTunes soon! Enjoy! Here's the playlist:

1. The Holidays - All That Is Required Is You
2. The Artistics - Hard to Carry On
3. Smokey Robinson & The Miracles - If You Can Want
4. Ocie Smith - Everybody But Me
5. Rose Batiste - Come Back in a Hurry
6. Garnet Mimms - Stop and Think It Over
7. Terri Bryant - (You'd Better) Straighten Up and Fly Right
8. The Drifters - Coca-Cola Radio Ad
9. Tammi Terrell - All I Do (Is Think About You)
10. The Profiles - Got to Be Your Lover
11. Roy Lee Johnson - Boogaloo #3
12. Herbie Mann - Philly Dog
13. Stu Gardner - Never Gonna Hurt Again
14. Charles Spurling - That Woman
15. Earl Van Dyke - The Whip A Rang
16. Charles Wright & The Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band "Express Yourself" Radio Ad
17. Helene Smith - I Am Controlled by Your Love
18. Maurice & Mac - Lean on Me
19. Phillip Mitchell - Keep on Talking
20. Percy Sledge - Baby, Help Me
21. Dizzy Jones - Just As Sure (As You Play, You Must Pay)
22. G. L. Crockett - Gonna Make You Love Me
23. Diamond Joe - Fair Play
24. Jr. Walker & The All-Stars - Sweet Soul

The 2008 Soul of Sir Tom!

2008-11-22T19:16:00.005-05:00

Tom Jones - The Hitter (stream only)

Your everlovin' Stepfather of Soul is working on a playlist for a new podcast, but in the meantime, the new CD by Tom Jones, 24 Hours (to be released in the US on Tuesday), has been getting some of my attention since the kind folks at Giant Step sent me a review copy.

Yes, I'm talking about that Tom Jones. The tight slacks-wearing Welshman whose place in the pantheon of cheese sometimes obscures some serious chops and, as I discussed when Luciano Pavarotti died, some serious soul, despite his not being a soul singer, per se. (And, of course, serious soul fans are aware of several Parrot sides of his that meet "soul record" standards. Some of my fellow soul bloggers have covered some of them.)

Anyway, 24 Hours is one of those "autumnal" albums like Solomon Burke's Don't Give Up on Me was: Jones still sounds good at age 68, but time has added something to his voice that makes songs like today's selection particularly poignant. Miami soul queen Betty Wright co-produced Jones' cover of Bruce Springsteen's "The Hitter," and in his hands the song's dark story takes on extra weight thanks to an arrangement that turns Springsteen's song into a Southern Soul-flavored thing with its 12/8 rhythm and strong horn charts. Although the lyrics clearly reflect a broken boxer's return home after a fall from the top, Jones' vocals, which at times sound almost as if channeling Burke, capture the world-weariness of the song perfectly. This is strong stuff! Tom Jones has got soul, y'all!

The Chicago Soul Antidote

2008-11-21T12:07:00.006-05:00

Syl Johnson - Sorry 'Bout Dat!

Last night I fired up the DVR and watched two episodes of the new VH1 Soul series Soul Cities, hosted by Nelson George. The premise of the series is that George visits cities that figure(d) heavily into the soul music scene and explores the music, musicians and culture of said cities. I saw the Philadelphia and Chicago episodes, and ended up disappointed. First of all, the shows are only thirty minutes long, and both cities could have easily yielded an hour's worth of material; as a result, the music history part of the shows is pretty superficial. Second, although I understand that the culture of the cities was to be featured, the segments about Philly cheesesteaks and Chicago deep-dish pizza (in which George went into restaurant kitchens and was shown how these delicacies are prepared) looked more like they belonged on Food Network instead of VH1 Soul, and the time spent on them could've allowed for more music to be featured. Third, I feel like Nelson George was highly under-utilized in the program. George's The Death of Rhythm & Blues was a cornerstone of my education about soul music history, and his writing about newer R&B and hip-hop is equally enlightening, but the overall superficiality of the shows made him appear to me more as a generic travelogue host rather than the insightful music scholar he is.

Now, don't get me wrong - it's highly unlikely that the show was intended for hardcore soul fans, and the need to cover music history, culture, and present music in the cities within a thirty-minute frame means that corners had to be cut. And there were some highlights, such as George's discussion with Gamble and Huff on the Philadelphia show, which included the two doing an impromptu performance of "You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine," a chat with the newly-reunited Labelle (featuring a quick line or two of "For the Love of Money" which proved that Patti, Sarah and Nona are still on-point vocally), a visit to Val Shively's amazingly overwhelming record store (I'm talking floor to ceiling records here), and, if I saw correctly, a visit to Mr. Peabody's in Chicago, which is one of my favorite record shops.

I'm featuring Chicago soul today as an antidote to all that disappointment, which is needed also because Chicago soul and its musicians were given an even shorter shrift in its episode than Philly soul and its artists were on the other episode. Syl Johnson's funky groovers for Twilight/Twinight are not that uncommon to rare soul fans, but they are always a treat to hear. Johnson's wailing is complimented by hard-hitting bands (the Deacons and Pieces of Peace for the Chicago-recorded stuff and the Hi Rhythm Section on Memphis-recorded sides like "Dresses Too Short"), and the tunes crackle with an energy that was somewhat lost when Johnson moved formally to Hi Records and slipped into the velvet grooves that Willie Mitchell was concocting for labelmates Al Green and Ann Peebles. "Sorry 'Bout Dat!" was the B-side of Johnson's second Twinight single, and while the groove surges along, Johnson's tongue-in-cheek apology for making folks dance so hard is worthy of a chuckle.

"Get on Down" ... In It's Fourth Year!

2008-11-16T15:02:00.003-05:00

Rita Dacosta - Don't Bring Me Down

In the flurry of activity that has surrounded bar exam results and new job adjustments, your ever-lovin' Stepfather of Soul has forgotten to celebrate the third anniversary of this blog! Although this year I have not been able to keep the near-daily pace I kept in 2005, 2006 and 2007, I hope that you, dear readers, are still enjoying my offerings! Hopefully, I'll get an anniversary podcast up here soon!

Today's selection is one of the Northern Soul anthems that truly defines the spirit and magic that drove the NS movement in its heyday. "Don't Bring Me Down" by Rita Dacosta is one of those records that sells for big bank today (the original Mohawk 45 sells for around $500 and Mohawk and Contempo reissues come in at around $30), and for good reason. The mysterious Dacosta (my research yielded an album and a discussion of whether she was married to jazz great Stanley Turrentine) brings a classy reading to this stomper, and the optimistic lyrics and dramatic arrangement ("come on up and let me love you, let me love you; we're gonna fly - you've got to try - we're gonna fly - here is the sky") evokes in my mind images of punters working it out at Wigan and other Northern Soul venues, carried away by the tune's surging magic.

Thanks to R. Soos for this track!

Soul Men: Together, Yet Apart

2008-11-06T09:19:00.002-05:00

Sam & Dave - Don't Pull Your Love

Sam Moore must be one of the most litigation-minded soul singers out there. On the right side of justice, he's lobbied for better royalties for classic soul artists, but on the other hand he's taken possessory stances about songs like "Soul Man" which are not legally tenable and make him look, in my opinion, somewhat foolish. His newest foray is a lawsuit against the makers of the Bernie Mac-Samuel L. Jackson movie Soul Men, which opens this weekend. He takes umbrage at the title, of course, but also the story, which he claims is based on the Sam & Dave story. Naturally, there are some parallels (two estranged soul singers who were once very close), but a look at the movie's trailer makes that whole argument sound foolish: at most, this movie is probably going to be a "black Blues Brothers" type of thing. Fortunately, we can always turn to Sam & Dave's music, which is awesome regardless of Moore's quixotic courtroom activities.

"Don't Pull Your Love," a cover of the Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds hit, was a 1971 Atlantic single for Sam & Dave, whose relationship by that time was strictly personal, as the two were not on speaking terms. The estrangement almost shows in the record, as the two men sound as if they recorded their parts separately: Dave handles all of the verses and the song's bridge, and Sam sings the choruses. The arrangement choice was wise, as the brassy groove of the Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds record was replaced by a slower, churchy sound (dig the piano opening). It's a fine recording, certainly better than the record's flip, an answer record to Johnnie Taylor's "Jody's Got Your Girl and Gone" called "Jody Ryder Got Killed"!

We Shall Have Overcome!

2008-11-05T00:00:00.003-05:00

Mahalia Jackson - We Shall Overcome

God has worked in America tonight.

God bless America.