James Phelps - Walking The Floor Over You
James Phelps was the last of the great Soul Stirrers lead singers to make the transition from gospel to R&B, and the handful of 45s he made between 1965 and 1972, of which only the first two were hits ("Love Is A Five-Letter Word" and "La De Da, I'm A Fool In Love," both on Argo), are all great records, showing off Phelps' great vocals, aptly described by Barry "Soul Brother" Fowden as being "akin to an earthier Sam Cooke." (Speaking of the Soul Brother, check out this great discography and Phelps interview that Barry has on his Soul Cellar website.) I've featured "The Look On Your Face," James' great 1971 mid-tempo mover, on a previous podcast, and today's feature is a great Northern classic that James recorded for Fontana. "Walking The Floor Over You," an old Ernest Tubb country tune, is given a stomping groove and great female background singers, and Phelps is on fire from the get-go, building in intensity as the song rushes along. It's a soul stirrer!
(EDITOR'S NOTE - I will be traveling this weekend and may not have internet access, so posts will probably resume on Monday or Tuesday.)
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