Episode #4 of the podcast is now available! Here's the playlist:
1. Lowell Fulsom, "Make a Little Love"
2. Jeanne & The Darlings, "How Can You Mistreat the One You Love"
3. Roscoe Robinson, "How Much Pressure (Do You Think I Can Stand)"
4. Ruby Andrews, "Let's Get a Groove Going On"
5. Gladys Knight & The Pips, Coca-Cola Ad
6. Hoagy Lands, "Baby Let Me Hold Your Hand"
7. James Phelps, "The Look on Your Face"
8. The Soul Clan, "Soul Meeting"
9. Al Perkins, "Nothing Is Impossible"
10. Albert King, "I Love Lucy"
11. Alvin Cash, "Funky '69"
12. Kool Cigarettes Ad
13. Percy Sledge, "Out of Left Field"
14. Pigmeat Markham, "The Hip Judge"
15. Andre Williams, "Cadillac Jack"
16. Little Archie, "You Can't Tie Me Down"
17. Mable John, "It's Catching"
18. Betty Harris, "Ride Your Pony"
19. Johnson, Hawkins, Tatum & Durr, "You're All I Need To Make It"
20. Connie Austin, "Ball of Fire"
21. Billy Young, "Nothing's Too Much (Nothing's Too Good)"
22. The Lafayette Leake Trio, "After Hours" (closing theme)
Enjoy!
Tuesday, January 31, 2006
Monday, January 30, 2006
Sharon Jones!
Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings - How Long Do I Have To Wait For You?
Today's post is a deviation from the norm, as I'm featuring a "contemporary" act. I use those quotation marks, however, because Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings are the hottest proponents of the "deep funk" revival of the last decade or so. Jones and other artists on labels such as Daptone, its predecessor Desco, and Soul Fire record funky 45s and albums that capture the style, flavor and substance of '60s and '70s funk. This stuff is not Afro-wig-wearing postmodernist kitsch. These artists treat their music as if it was still 1968 and they were trying to get a hit record out. I will forego discussing Jones and the Dap-Kings to save space; here's a link to the Daptone Records website's bio of Sharon. If you are in the Atlanta area, Sharon and the band will be performing at The Earl, and opening for them will be the band Cadillac Jones. Georgia Soul maven Brian Poust (my main man!) will be spinning those soul and funk 45s as only he can! It's going to be great! Come out and see them: I saw the band in Chicago almost 3 years ago and it's a killer show.
Today's selection was the lead-off single from their sophomore album, Naturally, and it's a cooker. Dusty Groove America's description of the single accurately puts it in an early '70s, Hot Wax kind of groove. You won't be able to sit still on this one!
SITE ANNOUNCEMENTS:
1. February is Black History Month and what I hope to do to commemorate it is to do a series here entitled "The Soul of the Movement," featuring soul songs that fit within the black empowerment / black power / "Black is Beautiful" groove. Some of the stuff I'll be posting here will be more "mainstream" than usual but I think they are equally important. I hope you will enjoy it!
2. The playlist for Episode #4 of the podcast is complete and I hope to have the finished show on here later tonight (when I get home from class tonight I plan to record it). So watch this space! :)
Today's post is a deviation from the norm, as I'm featuring a "contemporary" act. I use those quotation marks, however, because Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings are the hottest proponents of the "deep funk" revival of the last decade or so. Jones and other artists on labels such as Daptone, its predecessor Desco, and Soul Fire record funky 45s and albums that capture the style, flavor and substance of '60s and '70s funk. This stuff is not Afro-wig-wearing postmodernist kitsch. These artists treat their music as if it was still 1968 and they were trying to get a hit record out. I will forego discussing Jones and the Dap-Kings to save space; here's a link to the Daptone Records website's bio of Sharon. If you are in the Atlanta area, Sharon and the band will be performing at The Earl, and opening for them will be the band Cadillac Jones. Georgia Soul maven Brian Poust (my main man!) will be spinning those soul and funk 45s as only he can! It's going to be great! Come out and see them: I saw the band in Chicago almost 3 years ago and it's a killer show.
Today's selection was the lead-off single from their sophomore album, Naturally, and it's a cooker. Dusty Groove America's description of the single accurately puts it in an early '70s, Hot Wax kind of groove. You won't be able to sit still on this one!
SITE ANNOUNCEMENTS:
1. February is Black History Month and what I hope to do to commemorate it is to do a series here entitled "The Soul of the Movement," featuring soul songs that fit within the black empowerment / black power / "Black is Beautiful" groove. Some of the stuff I'll be posting here will be more "mainstream" than usual but I think they are equally important. I hope you will enjoy it!
2. The playlist for Episode #4 of the podcast is complete and I hope to have the finished show on here later tonight (when I get home from class tonight I plan to record it). So watch this space! :)
Sunday, January 29, 2006
Sunday Gospel Time
The Bells of Joy - Let's Talk About Jesus
The Houston record man Don Robey took credit for changing the face of recorded gospel by adding drums to gospel group recordings. Whether or not this was truly his invention is questionable (this is, after all, the man who bought songs from songwriters and then took credit for them under the nom de plume "Deadric Malone"), but today's selection was one of the first gospel hits to feature a good drum beat, and it's one of my favorites from the early '50s.
The Houston record man Don Robey took credit for changing the face of recorded gospel by adding drums to gospel group recordings. Whether or not this was truly his invention is questionable (this is, after all, the man who bought songs from songwriters and then took credit for them under the nom de plume "Deadric Malone"), but today's selection was one of the first gospel hits to feature a good drum beat, and it's one of my favorites from the early '50s.
Friday, January 27, 2006
Do the Funky Chicken (Duck, Pig, Cow ...)
Rufus Thomas - Old McDonald Had a Farm (Pt. 2)
As discussed in the previous post, today's selection is Rufus Thomas' funky "Part Two" version of "Old McDonald" from Do the Funky Chicken. After a scatted intro, the band gets to business and Rufus romps along. Get your kids for this one, because they know the song and they'll love the little "country" interludes between verses. I bet, though, by the end of the tune, when the groove is cooking, the horns are blaring and Rufus is scatting all over the place, you'll be getting down yourself!
(Look out later this weekend or early next week for Episode #4 of the podcast!)
As discussed in the previous post, today's selection is Rufus Thomas' funky "Part Two" version of "Old McDonald" from Do the Funky Chicken. After a scatted intro, the band gets to business and Rufus romps along. Get your kids for this one, because they know the song and they'll love the little "country" interludes between verses. I bet, though, by the end of the tune, when the groove is cooking, the horns are blaring and Rufus is scatting all over the place, you'll be getting down yourself!
(Look out later this weekend or early next week for Episode #4 of the podcast!)
Rufus Takes It To Chuuch!
Rufus Thomas - Old McDonald Had a Farm (live)
Today's post and tomorrow's post will feature one of the more unusual recordings in the Rufus Thomas catalogue. Rufus recorded an interesting, two-part rendition of the children's song "Old McDonald Had a Farm" for the Do the Funky Chicken album. Part One found Rufus turning the song into an ersatz gospel number with Ollie & The Nightingales singing backgrounds, and Part Two found him turning the song into a funky Stax workout. Today's selection is a live performance of the "gospel" version. After explaining that soul came from "a little church, on the hill, waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay back in the country," Thomas gets to work, and his audience gets right in the spirit of things. The end result is just too much fun.
This version of "Old McDonald" appeared on the 1970 Stax LP Doing the Push and Pull at P.J.'s, which was reissued, along with Thomas' "Wattstax" performances, on the great Fantasy/Stax CD "Rufus Thomas Live!" It's a worthwhile purchase, as it paints a great picture of the masterful showmanship Rufus possessed (and, if for no other reason, for the great blue standup comedy he does at the beginning!)
Today's post and tomorrow's post will feature one of the more unusual recordings in the Rufus Thomas catalogue. Rufus recorded an interesting, two-part rendition of the children's song "Old McDonald Had a Farm" for the Do the Funky Chicken album. Part One found Rufus turning the song into an ersatz gospel number with Ollie & The Nightingales singing backgrounds, and Part Two found him turning the song into a funky Stax workout. Today's selection is a live performance of the "gospel" version. After explaining that soul came from "a little church, on the hill, waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay back in the country," Thomas gets to work, and his audience gets right in the spirit of things. The end result is just too much fun.
This version of "Old McDonald" appeared on the 1970 Stax LP Doing the Push and Pull at P.J.'s, which was reissued, along with Thomas' "Wattstax" performances, on the great Fantasy/Stax CD "Rufus Thomas Live!" It's a worthwhile purchase, as it paints a great picture of the masterful showmanship Rufus possessed (and, if for no other reason, for the great blue standup comedy he does at the beginning!)
Thursday, January 26, 2006
I Got a Sure Thing!
Ollie & The Nightingales - I Got a Sure Thing
I discussed the story of Ollie & The Nightingales briefly in my Ollie Nightingale post in November. "I Got a Sure Thing" was the group's first secular single and was their biggest hit. The song features a groove not dissimilar to that of Eddie Floyd's later hit "I Never Found a Girl," and the group's vocal stylings show that you can take a gospel group out of gospel into soul, but you can't take the gospel out of their singing! (Listen to some of the very gospel-oriented harmonies they use.)
I discussed the story of Ollie & The Nightingales briefly in my Ollie Nightingale post in November. "I Got a Sure Thing" was the group's first secular single and was their biggest hit. The song features a groove not dissimilar to that of Eddie Floyd's later hit "I Never Found a Girl," and the group's vocal stylings show that you can take a gospel group out of gospel into soul, but you can't take the gospel out of their singing! (Listen to some of the very gospel-oriented harmonies they use.)
Wednesday, January 25, 2006
The Final Pickett Tribute
Wilson Pickett - Mama Told Me Not to Come
Today's selection joins "Hey Jude," "Sugar Sugar," and "Hey Joe" as examples of Pickett's great ability to cover pop songs in his own style.
I hope that over the last five or six days I've presented an enjoyable array of Pickett material in tribute to him. I have been very happy to see all the tributes to Wilson Pickett that have taken place over the last few days, whether on other blogs, on soul radio shows, or at soul events such as Rhythm & Booze in Atlanta, where there was an excellent selection of Pickett material played. Wilson Pickett was truly an original, a "character," and an embodiment of the word "soul." May he rest in peace.
Today's selection joins "Hey Jude," "Sugar Sugar," and "Hey Joe" as examples of Pickett's great ability to cover pop songs in his own style.
I hope that over the last five or six days I've presented an enjoyable array of Pickett material in tribute to him. I have been very happy to see all the tributes to Wilson Pickett that have taken place over the last few days, whether on other blogs, on soul radio shows, or at soul events such as Rhythm & Booze in Atlanta, where there was an excellent selection of Pickett material played. Wilson Pickett was truly an original, a "character," and an embodiment of the word "soul." May he rest in peace.
Tuesday, January 24, 2006
Pickett's Helping Hand
Wilson Pickett - I'm a Midnight Mover
Today's selection is the second Pickett track from the great The Midnight Mover album that Pickett recorded at the American studios in Memphis. Playing guitar on those sessions and penning several of the songs (including today's selection) was the soul legend Bobby Womack, who, at that time, was a persona non grata in the soul music business after marrying Sam Cooke's widow shortly after Sam's death. Disc jockeys were refusing to play his records and he was doing session work to pay the bills. Pickett was impressed with Womack's songs and hit with both "I'm a Midnight Mover" and "I'm in Love," effectively revitalizing Womack's career. By the end of the decade Womack would hit on Minit with several songs and would become a major success in the '70s, thanks to Pickett's helping hand.
Today's selection is the second Pickett track from the great The Midnight Mover album that Pickett recorded at the American studios in Memphis. Playing guitar on those sessions and penning several of the songs (including today's selection) was the soul legend Bobby Womack, who, at that time, was a persona non grata in the soul music business after marrying Sam Cooke's widow shortly after Sam's death. Disc jockeys were refusing to play his records and he was doing session work to pay the bills. Pickett was impressed with Womack's songs and hit with both "I'm a Midnight Mover" and "I'm in Love," effectively revitalizing Womack's career. By the end of the decade Womack would hit on Minit with several songs and would become a major success in the '70s, thanks to Pickett's helping hand.
Monday, January 23, 2006
Pickett's Gone Italian
Wilson Pickett - Deborah
As I've mentioned earlier, one of the things that I appreciate about Wilson Pickett is that his recorded work was pretty broad in reach. Today's selection was Wilson's entry into a 1968 Italian music festival, if I recall the liner notes to The Midnight Mover correctly. "Deborah" is sung in Italian and in English, and Pickett gives it his all. I'm sure his Italian was not perfect, but it's not ludicrous (much better, say, than the Spanish version of "Please Please Please" James Brown did on one of his mid-'70s albums), and the soul is there regardless of the language.
As I've mentioned earlier, one of the things that I appreciate about Wilson Pickett is that his recorded work was pretty broad in reach. Today's selection was Wilson's entry into a 1968 Italian music festival, if I recall the liner notes to The Midnight Mover correctly. "Deborah" is sung in Italian and in English, and Pickett gives it his all. I'm sure his Italian was not perfect, but it's not ludicrous (much better, say, than the Spanish version of "Please Please Please" James Brown did on one of his mid-'70s albums), and the soul is there regardless of the language.
Sunday, January 22, 2006
Pickett's Gospel Hero
The Sensational Nightingales - Somewhere to Lay My Head
Pickett started out in gospel, as did many of his contemporaries. A major influence in Pickett's vocal style was Rev. Julius Cheeks, long-time lead singer of the Sensational Nightingales. Listening to a wide variety of Nightingales performances from the mid-fifties to Cheeks' departure from the group in the early '60s, and Cheeks' own recordings of the later '60s could easily have been Pickett recordings. Here is one of the earlier performances by that group.
(NOTE: Pickett's gospel career was at its biggest when Pickett was a member of the Violinaires; unfortunately, by the time the Violinaires made their splash on Checker, Pickett had already joined the Falcons.)
Pickett started out in gospel, as did many of his contemporaries. A major influence in Pickett's vocal style was Rev. Julius Cheeks, long-time lead singer of the Sensational Nightingales. Listening to a wide variety of Nightingales performances from the mid-fifties to Cheeks' departure from the group in the early '60s, and Cheeks' own recordings of the later '60s could easily have been Pickett recordings. Here is one of the earlier performances by that group.
(NOTE: Pickett's gospel career was at its biggest when Pickett was a member of the Violinaires; unfortunately, by the time the Violinaires made their splash on Checker, Pickett had already joined the Falcons.)
Saturday, January 21, 2006
Pickett in Philadelphia
Wilson Pickett - Get Me Back on Time, Engine Number 9
As I mentioned in my Live Journal post from some time ago, Wilson Pickett's greatness, in part, came from his amazing versatility. Although at the core a Southern soul singer, his recorded work included covers of pop songs and several different styles. At the dawn of the '70s Pickett hooked up with Gamble & Huff for a great album, In Philadelphia, which featured today's selection. "Engine No. 9" is a piece of solid voodoo funk featuring a fantastic bass intro and great singing by Pickett.
As I mentioned in my Live Journal post from some time ago, Wilson Pickett's greatness, in part, came from his amazing versatility. Although at the core a Southern soul singer, his recorded work included covers of pop songs and several different styles. At the dawn of the '70s Pickett hooked up with Gamble & Huff for a great album, In Philadelphia, which featured today's selection. "Engine No. 9" is a piece of solid voodoo funk featuring a fantastic bass intro and great singing by Pickett.
Thursday, January 19, 2006
Wilson Pickett Tribute Set
My tribute to Wilson Pickett is available here. There is so much material to pick from, so I've decided to do this set and then to feature other Pickett tracks from Saturday into next week (this post will replace my usual Friday posting). The playlist below was designed to go beyond Pickett's most-known hits. Upon reviewing what other sites are posting, I'll pick a range of material to present from Saturday forward.
The playlist:
1. I Found a Love (The Falcons & Band)
2. That's a Man's Way
3. Ninety-Nine and a Half (Just Won't Do)
4. For Better or Worse
5. I Found a True Love
6. I'm in Love
7. Hey Jude
8. Sugar Sugar
9. Don't Knock My Love (Pt. 1)
10. Soft Soul Boogie Woogie
11. Outskirts of Town
12. Cole, Cooke & Redding
I tried to stick to a roughly chronological format, ranging from his first hit with the Falcons, through the Atlantic era, his last top 20 R&B hit ("Soft Soul Boogie Woogie," released on RCA), and my favorite track from his Handy Award-winning comeback CD "It's Getting Harder." I closed with his 1970 hit "Cole, Cooke & Redding." The song is actually "Abraham, Martin & John" done in honor of Nat "King" Cole, Sam Cooke and Otis Redding, but the final minute and a half or so is so touching and I knew the tribute had to include the song. Pickett said that although his friends had gone on, he knew they'd be waiting for him in heaven. Well, now it's Cole, Cooke, Redding and Pickett, and what a soul hootenanny they'll have!
In my Live Journal I have written some words of eulogy about Pickett, and you are welcome to check them out. I look forward to honoring his great work on this blog for a few days.
The playlist:
1. I Found a Love (The Falcons & Band)
2. That's a Man's Way
3. Ninety-Nine and a Half (Just Won't Do)
4. For Better or Worse
5. I Found a True Love
6. I'm in Love
7. Hey Jude
8. Sugar Sugar
9. Don't Knock My Love (Pt. 1)
10. Soft Soul Boogie Woogie
11. Outskirts of Town
12. Cole, Cooke & Redding
I tried to stick to a roughly chronological format, ranging from his first hit with the Falcons, through the Atlantic era, his last top 20 R&B hit ("Soft Soul Boogie Woogie," released on RCA), and my favorite track from his Handy Award-winning comeback CD "It's Getting Harder." I closed with his 1970 hit "Cole, Cooke & Redding." The song is actually "Abraham, Martin & John" done in honor of Nat "King" Cole, Sam Cooke and Otis Redding, but the final minute and a half or so is so touching and I knew the tribute had to include the song. Pickett said that although his friends had gone on, he knew they'd be waiting for him in heaven. Well, now it's Cole, Cooke, Redding and Pickett, and what a soul hootenanny they'll have!
In my Live Journal I have written some words of eulogy about Pickett, and you are welcome to check them out. I look forward to honoring his great work on this blog for a few days.
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