Ryan Shaw, Cover Songs and Two Coincidences (Pt. 1)

Ryan Shaw - Lookin' for a Love


Jimmy Ellis & The Riverview Spiritual Singers - I'm Waiting on the Lord

It's funny how coincidences can happen. I recently burned an MP3 disc to keep in the car and while listening to it over the last few days it turns out that there are two situations on the disc where new R&B singer Ryan Shaw and vintage gospel artists happened to cover the same classic soul songs. Today I'll feature one such pairing and will discuss the other tomorrow.

Georgia native Ryan Shaw has begun to make some noise with his debut CD, This Is Ryan Shaw (Columbia), which finds the 26-year-old stage veteran (most notably from Tyler Perry's I Know I've Been Changed) doing his thing with covers of an interesting range of soul classics (most notably a fine cover of The Sharpees' "Do The 45") and more contemporary-oriented stuff. I'll defer to his official website for his bio and details about the CD. I'm pretty impressed with the album, although I admit that I think there's just a touch too much of a "pop" sheen to it in some places. His cover of the classic "Lookin' for a Love" is pretty good, although the "pop" problem appears here and there. All in all, though, it's a fun version of the Valentinos / Bobby Womack classic, and I enjoy listening to it.

Gospel covers of soul songs are always interesting, and I encourage everyone to check out the feature that John Glassburner and Karl Tsigdinos did for the Sir Shambling deep soul website on this topic (see links section). To discuss a gospel cover of "Lookin' for a Love," however, is to discuss an unbroken circle of sorts, considering that when the Valentinos made their splash in 1962 with the SAR single they were merely doing a secular version of "Couldn't Hear Nobody Pray," which the group had recorded earlier for the same label as the Womack Brothers. Jimmy Ellis (no relation to the "Preacher" namesake who recorded "Put Your Hoe In My Row" and other rare soul gems) and the Riverview Spiritual Singers' reworking of "Lookin'" seems to have been recorded after Bobby Womack's remake of the tune had topped the R&B charts in the '70s. I particularly like the Ellis track because of the driving "wookah wookah" guitar line, over which the falsetto-heavy group effectively puts over their new lyrics.

(Special thanks to John Glassburner for the Jimmy Ellis track, and thanks to Dale Yarger for the correction re: the group's name.)

I Don't Know Much About It, But I Know I Like It!

Judy Green - I Can't Get Along Without You



As you know, there are times on this blog that I can only say "I don't know much about ..." in reference to some selections that I feature. Sometimes you, the great readers of this blog, come through with nuggets of information, and I am grateful to receive it. Well, today's selection falls within this category, and as always, information is welcome.

I was hipped to Judy Green's "I Can't Get Along Without You" by Kurt Wood, who played it at "Rhythm & Booze" in June. I was taken by the nice groove and good horn work, so I began to seek out the Klondike 45 immediately and got a copy in the following month. My knowledge about the record is very minimal: I know that Klondike Records was a subsidiary of the Holiday Inn label, which was set up by Sam Phillips after he had sold Sun Records to Shelby Singleton (Phillips was an investor in the motel chain), and that Tee Fletcher, the song's writer, is known for his Georgia soul records for Tragar and Shurfine, among others. Beyond that bare-bones information, all I do know is that "I Can't Get Along Without You" is a nice slab of early-'70s Memphis soul, featuring good singing by Green (whose vocals remind me of Judy Clay somewhat), fine background vocals and a horn line that makes me wonder if the words "Memphis Horns Inc." are to be separated from Fletcher's name in the run-on credits at the bottom of the label to establish that the Memphis Horns (Andrew Love, Wayne Jackson and company) are involved with the record. If anyone has any further info let me know. In the meantime, ignorance is bliss, because the groove's just too good!

Sunday Gospel Time!

The Jackson Southernaires - Too Late

Today's selection is one of the first gospel records I remember hearing, along with the Bethlehem Gospel Singers material I have covered in prior posts. The Peacock two-parter "Too Late" by the Jackson Southernaires was different than a lot of the other stuff I was hearing among my parents' records - it was haunting, and although I didn't understand the lyrics, the words "too late" rang out in powerful harmony. As a teenager I rediscovered Part One of the single, but recently I have rediscovered the power of the whole thing, so I present all nine minutes of it for today's selection.

"Too Late" was the group's biggest record for Peacock, and it's clear why it did so well. The dead-slow groove is anchored by powerful guitar chords around which an organ line snakes about, and after it sets an ominous tone, the lead vocal begins to address one of the tune's two topics: Part One of the recording warns the unchurched in no uncertain terms that tomorrow is not promised and that they should get right while they have a chance. Part Two tells the tale of a young man who leaves home and ignores his parents, only to come home "too late" to visit his dying mother. It seems to me that the two parts should have been presented in the other order (story first, warning second), but I guess the mentality was that the warning is more important and that Part 1 would get the most airplay, so the evangelical side won out. At any rate, this tune is one of the darkest, deepest records of its era, but it's one of the most awesome.

Hello, Jimmy Holiday!

Jimmy Holiday - I Found a New Love



The versatile singer/songwriter Jimmy Holiday is no stranger to this blog, as he has appeared in several posts (including one from the very first week of the blog, and a name check in yesterday's post!) and other tunes have appeared on podcasts. To close out the week I turn once again to the soul master and yet another one of his tender ballads. "I Found a New Love" was the flip of "I'm Gonna Use What I Got," a nice ballad in its own right. Love's been good to Jimmy, and the joy that radiates throughout the atmospheric record brings sunshine to an overcast Friday in Atlanta.

Back in the Saddle Again!

Ray Charles - I Told You So

After a nice vacation in L.A., it's back to "bidness" for your ever-lovin' Stepfather of Soul, and today's selection comes from the album that formerly appeared in the blog's "official picture." As I've mentioned several times in past posts, Ray Charles' Doing His Thing LP from 1968 is probably the only album of Ray's ABC discography that you can truly call a complete soul album. That status probably comes in part from the fact that every track on the album was either written or co-written by Jimmy Lewis, who at the time was a Tangerine artist and one of the two Jimmys plying Ray with material (the other was Jimmy Holiday). The entire album really showcases the Ray Charles "soul sound" and Ray scored big with "We Can Make It" and he charted with the duet "If It Wasn't For Bad Luck," which he performed with Lewis. "I Told You So" is the album's final cut and it's a great ballad. Charles and the Raelettes do their usual "church" thing over a sparse backing, and the tune's "revenge" motif (a la "Ain't Nobody Home") is given a great reading by Ray.

Mellowing Out With JB

James Brown - Have a Happy Day

Today is my last day at work before a long-awaited and much-needed vacation. For the next six days my wife and I will be enjoying Los Angeles and the company of my brother and his wife. I don't know if I'll do any posts while in L.A., but I will have internet access and my laptop with me, so I'll probably squeeze a couple of posts in at least. But for a lot of the time, I plan to just enjoy myself and, hopefully, have a nice and mellow vacation. Accordingly, I'd like to do a mellow post featuring James Brown.

I know that last sentence sounds like a mistake, because JB's legacy, of course, rests mainly on his funky masterpieces. But to ignore JB's balladry is to ignore a lot of his recording and performance history: Brown's first hits were ballads; the legendary Live at the Apollo album is made up mainly of ballads that show off JB's abilities to wreck an audience (and his version of "Prisoner of Love" on his second Apollo album shows that he was still wrecking crowds with the slow stuff even by the time he had started to give up the funk); and he did lots jazzy, bluesy, and mellow stuff both in live performance and on vinyl, usually by sprinkling ballads and standards throughout his albums and on various 45s. As his chart dominance began to wane in the mid-'70s, JB's records upped the non-funk quotient not only in attempts to get on the disco bandwagon but also by the inclusion of a wide range of ballads. Despite scoring minor hits like "Kiss in '77," the concept of Brown the balladeer did not abate his career's downward turn, but it did result in several interesting and sometimes fantastic records. "Have a Happy Day" was paired with "Love Me Tender" for a 1978 Polydor release, and it is absolutely stunning. Here, JB is back in town and is aware that his woman has moved on and that it's his fault. He'd like to have her back, but he also wants her to be happy. The lyrics really lay this out, and Brown's vocal really captures the feeling of the song. The background singers also provide excellent support to make the tune work. Have a happy day, y'all - I hope to have six of them in a row, starting tomorrow!

The King of Soul-Funk-Blues Harmonica!

Little Sonny - Sonny's Bag

Little Sonny and his soul-funk-blues thing has been covered in a prior post, so I'll forego additional discussion. Today's selection initially appeared on Episode 13 of the podcast, but I'm feeling its groove today. "Sonny's Bag" was the instrumental flip of "We Got a Groove," Sonny's last 45 for Revilot before he moved on to Stax, and although the tune isn't very flashy, there's something about the guitar work in the background and the organ interplay on this one that I really enjoy, and has made it a favorite of mine ever since I first heard it (although it was only a backdrop for DJ patter) on "Downtown Soulville" a few years ago.

Keep on Movin'!

Inez & Charlie Foxx & Their Mockin' Band - Speed Ticket

This morning finds the Stepfather of Soul feeling very ebullient, having completed his summer exams and finally able to enjoy some time off before diving into the next (and final) year of law school, so the only appropriate thing to post is something "get down"-worthy!

Inez and Charlie Foxx were the "Carpenters" of R&B, recording a nice string of records from 1963 to 1969 including hits like "Mockingbird," soul fan favorites like "(1-2-3-4-5-6-7) Count The Days" and "Come By Here" and today's selection, one of their more funkier numbers and the duo's last 45 before Inez went solo (her final LP, At Memphis, was released on Volt in 1973 - one number, "The Lady, The Doctor & The Prescription," has been featured in a prior post). "Speed Ticket" is a hard-driving instrumental over which the Foxxes do a little skit about Charlie driving waaaaaay too fast, to Inez's chagrin. Truthfully, it's pretty corny, but for some strange reason it works. Maybe it's because the groove is so strong. Or maybe it's because Inez also provides a great background vocal that is in counterpoint to her lines in the sketch. While Inez is complaining about how fast Charlie is going (and threatening not to bail Charlie out if he ends up going to jail, the threat of which appears at multiple points in the tune with some siren sound effects that are thrown in the mix), in the background she's wailing "keep on moo-oo-oo-vin'" and "don't stop." It's a strange tune, to be sure, but it's a good groover for me to celebrate with!

Freedom For The Soul Man

Joe Tex - I Wanna Be Free

When Joe Tex broke into the R&B Top 10 with "Hold What You Got" in 1964 he did so at the most opportune time. Although Tex had been performing professionally since the mid-to-late '50s and had been recording with Buddy Killen for Killen's Dial label since 1961, major success had eluded him; the sessions giving rise to "Hold What You Got" were the singer's erstwhile last shot with Killen. Of course, the fates smiled on the raggedy performance that Killen edited together into the cornerstone of a career that would take Joe from soul to funk to disco for the next decade and a half.

To consider "Hold What You Got" to be the beginning of the classic Dial era, however, is to miss out on some very good recordings that, for various reasons, didn't make it in the prior four years. Although some of the stuff does reflect the fact that Joe was still developing his style, tunes like today's selection leave one struggling to explain what kept them out of the charts. The fine dancer "I Wanna Be Free" from 1963 features a nice, brassy arrangement with very strong singing from Tex.

Get on Down With Wilson Pickett and Tele House!

I found this on YouTube last night while looking at some vintage Chicago television clips. Dig Wilson Pickett, shilling Dance Dance Dance, a dance oldies compilation, for Tele House Records (also known as Dynamic House and, most famously, as Adam VIII, Ltd.; these guys were K-Tel's major competitor throughout the '70s). I suppose this is from the mid-70s, and it features Pickett and a group of dancers enjoying some good music. It's interesting how Tele House chose to market the set (which is, not surprisingly, R&B-heavy) as "rock and roll" and how, accordingly, Pickett is surrounded in the commercial by mostly white people. It's a great comp, though - although it's hard to see due to the fading of the video, the scrolling track list includes everything from Jimmy McCracklin's "The Walk" through to Rufus Thomas' "(Do The) Push and Pull"! Makes me want to spring for the $10.98 to get the 8-track tapes!

Getting Away With Ruby (And The Bass Man)!

Ruby Andrews - Away From The Crowd



Chicago soulstress Ruby Andrews' great 1967 record "Casanova (Your Playing Days Are Over)" is, in my opinion, one of the best Chicago soul records of the '60s, and her recordings for Zodiac from 1967 to 1973, which includes hits like "You Made a Believer Out of Me," the Northern Soul classic "Just Loving You," and funkier fare like "You Ole Boo Boo You" and today's selection, show that Andrews possessed a versatility that resulted in a delightfully diverse and definitely soulful body of work. For quite some time it was hard to enjoy the full breadth of her Zodiac sides absent hunting for the 45s, some of which are somewhat pricey. Collectibles Records did a comp entitled Casanova that touched on the highest points but left a lot of material out. Fortunately, Grapevine rectified this lack of coverage a couple of years ago with Just Loving You.

"Away From The Crowd" was the flip of her 1971 funky 45 reading of "Hound Dog." Although the A-side is a good tune, there's something about the groove and production on this one (via the Brothers of Soul, who had written and produced a great deal of her Zodiac material from the late '60s into the '70s) that grabs me and makes this my favorite Andrews 45. Ruby encourages her man to join her on a retreat from the "hustling, bustling crowd, all the hurrying and rushing around" to a place where they can "lay back, make love and relax." (Now that's a message to take into the weekend, isn't it!) The groove on this is a slow, bumping funk featuring nice string charts and strong background vocals. Those backing vocals are also what really makes this record a favorite of mine, for an oddball reason: on the choruses, there's this bass singer who is abnormally high in the mix. I don't know if that was by accident or by design, but it adds a little "flavor" to the chourus that really works for me.

A Little Taste of Soul

The Sims Twins - Shake It On Up

In a perfect world, talented acts like the Sims (alternatively spelled "Simms") Twins would've been as big as Sam & Dave, who they influenced, or would have the soul fan cult following that Eddie & Ernie have. Their handful of sides for Sam Cooke's SAR concern were the commercial high point of their career, particularly in their lone big hit, "Soothe Me." After SAR folded following Sam's death, the duo moved from label to label, leaving behind lots of good, if not brilliant, material but never hitting the big time. I don't think this happened because of any lack of talent by the Sims brothers, but perhaps because of poor choices, both personal (Peter Guralnick relates in the Sam Cooke bio Dream Boogie that Sam, ever the businessman and professional, was aggrieved by their lack of discipline) and professional (it seems that J. W. Alexander, one of the SAR principals, was involved in most of their post-SAR career; not to knock Alexander, but he wasn't quite the "mover and shaker" in the business that Sam was as a songwriter or producer). I think also that they were generally saddled with songs that were good enough to show off their great vocal chops but not really special enough to break on through. Today's selection is a good example of this.

"Shake It On Up," which was co-written and produced by J.W. Alexander, was a 1972 release on the reactivated Specialty label. The lyrics have a nice "dance, girl" flavor and the juxtaposition of such lyrics against a mellower groove than you would imagine a song like this having is very appealing, but the tune is almost like a petit amuse, just a little palate cleanser of soul to enjoy before getting into some more filling stuff. But, of course, the amuse is as much a part of a meal as an entree, so I present it for today's menu.