Soul On The Air #3: George Vinette, 1968

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As promised, here is the third installment of my "Soul On The Air" series of vintage R&B radio airchecks. (The prior two installments appear in the links section.) With New Year's Eve rapidly approaching, I thought that a seasonally-appropriate aircheck would be great. As I write this, I now realize that today's featured aircheck is not only seasonally appropriate, it's also from TODAY'S DATE, 39 years ago!

WYLD-AM (940 on the dial) was one of New Orleans' two R&B radio powerhouses of the '60s and early '70s (the other was WBOK, an aircheck of which - interestingly enough, from the same date as today's feature - will be featured at another time). By the mid-'70s the station switched its contemporary R&B format to its FM frequency and, after a couple of decades as an adult urban contemporary station, became a gospel station ("WYLD for Jesus" is the station's motto). That's really all I know about the station, and I know absolutely nothing about George Vinette, whose entertaining patter and fine selections make this 45-minute slice of December 28, 1968 a real treat.

As always, there's the mix of hits we all know and love, presented in their original context (Johnnie Taylor's "Who's Making Love" starts things off with a bang, and his "Take Care of Your Homework" is played shortly thereafter), and then lesser-known stuff. I first heard James Brown's "Believers Shall Enjoy" and "Little Groove Maker Me" from this aircheck, along with Jackie Moore's "Here I Am," and it's fun to hear a live version of Otis Redding's "Can't Turn You Loose" and Stevie Wonder's "For Once in My Life" getting great voiceover treatment by Vinette. It's also neat to hear about the big New Year's record hop that's about to happen at the I.L.A. Auditorium (am I hearing this correctly?) - George's enthusiasm about the show is infectious and it makes me want to jump into a time machine and go to the show myself! Of all the fun on this aircheck, however, the biggest treat comes at the end. After playing Joe Tex's "That's Your Baby," George picks up the phone and starts to chat with Joe Tex himself. Unfortunately the aircheck ends before the interview concludes, but check out the "skinny legs" story that Vinette and Tex get into right before the cut-off point.

I will be traveling this weekend and will have limited internet access, so this post will be the last of 2007. I want to take this moment to thank all of you for making 2007 a big year for "Get on Down ..." and I look forward to socking more soul power to you in the new year. I wish for nothing less than the very best for all of you in 2008! God bless you all.

(POSTSCRIPT - I'd like to welcome the lovely and knowledgeable edie2k2, aka "Ms. Old School," to the blogosphere! Her brand new blog is now in the links section.)

Funky Hot Mess?

James Brown, Bobby Byrd and Hank Ballard - Funky Side of Town

Yesterday was the first anniversary of the death of James Brown, and it is sad to hear news reports from Monday and yesterday reminding us that so much drama still surrounds the administration of his estate, adding yet another negative shadow to the immense shadow that threatened to choke out Brown's mainstream legacy during the final decades of his life. But today I choose to leave that mess behind and examine a different kind of "mess."



What I think is neat about a lot of JB's records from around 1969 through to the end of his hitmaking era is that a lot of tunes he recorded were nothing but little jam sessions where the band would get a groove going and then James would strike up little conversations or joke around with various band members. To list them all would be too time-consuming, but tunes like "Ain't It Funky Now," "Make It Funky," and "Escape-Ism" come to mind right away. Today's selection falls within that category, and it was part of JB's 1972 Polydor LP Get on the Good Foot, whose title track was a #1 hit for him that year. "Funky Side of Town" finds JB, long-time right-hand man Bobby Byrd and Hank Ballard (whose JB-produced "From the Love Side" was giving him an increasingly-rare taste of chart success) ad-libbing around with the phrase "let's go to the funky side of town," giving "shout-outs" to various musicians (the usual soul suspects plus Johnny Cash and others!) and joking around with each other (at one point JB announces, "ladies and gentlemen, we bring you now the man that sings 'Hot Pants - I'm Coming,' Hank Ballard," in a dig at Byrd, who had hit with the record). In my opinion, this tune is a hot mess, but it's a funky hot mess. Only James Brown could pull off funky hot mess like this, and I'll let it stand as a quirky anniversary tribute to the man.

A quick postscript - although I say in this post that "Funky Side of Town" is a hot mess, the ultimate "hot mess" in the entire James Brown discography also appears on Get on the Good Foot. In the "Recitation by Hank Ballard," Hank comes forth with a mixture of a spoken-word advertisement for the LP and a testimony of how JB had resurrected his career. Although JB-produced testimonials to James Brown had been recorded before, beginning with Florence Farmer's "Living Legend," there's something disturbing about Hank's "recitation" that puts it at the bottom of my JB list.

Just in Time For Christmas!

Episode #24 is now online! This episode is a bit mellower than usual, but there's some good funky soul and Ike Turner-related material in here! From my home to yours, I wish you all a very happy holiday season. I'll be back with my usual features after Christmas. Here's the playlist:

1. Roscoe Robinson - Ooh, Baby I Love You
2. Luther Ingram - Since You Don't Want Me
3. Larry Banks - Ooh It Hurts Me
4. The Ikettes - Don't Feel Sorry for Me
5. Etta James - My Mother-in-Law
6. Smokey Robinson & The Miracles - Swept for You Baby
7. Ike & Tina Turner - It Sho' Ain't Me
8. Carla Thomas & Jerry Butler - Coca-Cola Radio Ad
9. Moses & Joshua Dillard - My Elusive Dreams
10. Lucille Brown & Billy Clark - Both Eyes Open
11. Betty Harris - 12 Red Roses
12. Little Richard - She's Together
13. The Kelly Brothers - Not Enough Action
14. Eddie & Ernie - Woman, What Do You Be Doing
15. Renaldo Domino - Let Me Come Within
16. Otis Redding "Stay in School" PSA
17. Ronnie Mitchell - Soul Meeting
18. The Superlatives - I Don't Know How (To Say I Love You) Don't Walk Away
19. The Whispers - Needle in a Haystack
20. The Brothers of Soul - A Lifetime
21. The Charmels - As Long as I've Got You
22. The Meditation Singers - Blue Christmas
23. Ike Turner & The Kings of Rhythm - Nuttin' Up

(NOTE - Encoding problems hindered both the original mono and stereo mixes of this podcast, but I put the stereo mix online anyway. After listening to it a few times, I realized it would be much better for me to re-record the podcast and attempt to encode it again rather than subject you, my friends, to a podcast that was wretched to listen to in some portions. I recommend that anyone who downloaded the podcast via RSS feed delete the prior copy of the program and get the new mix, which is only available in mono. My apologies for any difficulties this may have caused.)

Jump Back!

Rufus Thomas:


Jump Back '75 (Pt. 1)


Jump Back '75 (Pt. 2)

I suppose it was only fitting that the man who helped get Stax Records off the ground was also the one to be there to see the label fade into the sunset. Rufus and Carla Thomas' local hit "Cause I Love You" made folks (especially Atlantic's Jerry Wexler) take notice of the fledgling Satellite label back in 1960, and today's selection was Rufus' final 45 for Stax and the second-to-last 45 on the label before it was shuttered in bankruptcy in early 1976.

The funky two-parter "Jump Back '75" was a remake of Rufus' 1964 hit "Jump Back," and Rufus delivers the song's nursery rhyme lyrics with his usual aplomb while a background group (which seems to include Carla, whose own solo career at Stax had run its course by 1973) provides call-and-response support (the Drapels had those honors on the original). Part Two continues the groove and features a couple of fun stop-time breaks. When the comp The Funkiest Man came out a few years ago, another Rufus remake, "Memphis Train '75," was included. I take it that had Stax not gone out of business, that fine record would've been released, but at least Thomas took 1975 (and Stax) out with a great groove on "Jump Back."

(EDITOR'S NOTE - The podcast should be up either tonight or tomorrow morning.)

It's "Get Down Time," So Who Do You Call? Jr. Walker!

Jr. Walker & The All-Stars - Gimme That Beat (Pt. 1)

GLORYHALLELUJAHANDHOTPASTRAMI, your ever-lovin' Stepfather of Soul is so glad to have completed exams and to be only one semester away from finishing law school! Considering my ebullient mood, I hope it's okay with you, kind reader, that I feature something I can "get down" to today!

Jr. Walker's "Gimme That Beat" failed to catch fire when it was released in 1973, reaching only #50 on the R&B charts and just "bubbling under" the Hot 100 at #101. To be fair, by that time, Jr.'s commercial streak was on the way out and "Gimme That Beat" isn't the strongest tune out there, lyrics-wise. But I don't think anyone with any "boogie" in their body could sit still while the groove on "Gimme That Beat" pumped along and Jr. shouted the "dance-and-party" lyrics with his trademark gusto. "Look at Mary, boy, she's walkin' that penguin walk while the disc jockey's sittin' there spinnin' them records and talking that crazy talk," Jr. wails. That sounds like one hell of a party, Jr. - I want to be there! I've got a reason to celebrate!

(EDITOR'S NOTE - Look out for a new episode of the podcast, which I hope to record sometime between now and Friday. And late next week, "Soul on the Air" returns with a New Year's Eve treat.)

Another Italian Pickett Moment, in Audio and Video!

Wilson Pickett - Un'avventura

Soul songs recorded by American soulsters in Italian have been featured twice on "Get on Down ..." already, first with a post featuring "Deborah" that was part of my tribute to Wilson Pickett after the legend's death in 2006, and then on Episode 20 of the podcast, when the Electro-Phonic Brian Phillips played Stevie Wonders "No Sono Un Angelo" ("I'm Wondering").

Today's selection showcases Pickett's other Italian record. "Un'avventura" is a surging soul mover, again showing off Pickett's versatility. As in "Deborah," both Italian and English lyrics are used, but in either case Pickett really sells the song (I mean, that famous scream has the same impact regardless of the language, no?) As a bonus, here's a YouTube clip of Pickett performing the tune live!

The Contours' Soulful Swan Song

The Contours - Your Love Grows More Precious Every Day

There is probably no spoken word intro in all of rock 'n' roll history that works as much magic as "You broke my heart 'cause I couldn't dance; you didn't even want me around. But now I'm back ... to let you know ... I can really shake 'em down." With those words the Contours set the pop and R&B charts ablaze with their Gordy single "Do You Love Me." Over the next few years, the group would cut lots of great material, most bearing a dance record or humorous slant, but the fact that the group also held its own as a soul vocal group was buried by the immense success of "Do You Love Me," which is still frequently heard on oldies radio (and immortalized in the Dirty Dancing soundtrack).

By 1967, the Contours were drifting about at Motown, and today's selection was the B-side of their final Gordy single. By this time, the group was recording straight-up soul stuff, but I suppose at a time when the Four Tops and the Temptations delivering serious goods for the company, there wasn't a whole lot of room for the group. It probably didn't help much that Dennis Edwards' lead on "Your Love Grows More Precious Every Day" has more than a touch of the Four Tops' Levi Stubbs sound to it. Speaking of Edwards, by the next year he would be taking David Ruffin's place in the Temptations, so perhaps the Contours' fate was sealed anyway!

More Great Gospel From The Q.C.'s!

The Highway Q.C.'s - Lord, I'll Go

Spencer Taylor and the Highway Q.C.'s were featured in a post awhile ago, and I'll defer to it for details about the group. "Lord, I'll Go" is one of the many great up-tempo tunes the group waxed during their tenure with Vee-Jay. Over a great rambling rhythm, the group provides outstanding support to Taylor, whose intense vocal really sells the song.

Darondo Time!

Darondo - Packin' Up

This post will be short and sweet, as your ever-lovin' is feeling a bit under the weather. I've covered Darondo in prior posts (here's the initial post), so I'll just say that "Packin' Up" (from the EP Legs, released after the awesome comp Let My People Go) is a nice piece of eccentric funk featuring Darondo's weird hybrid of Al Green and Ron Isley vocal technique.




(EDITOR'S NOTE - Tomorrow night is "Rhythm & Booze" at El Myr Burrito Lounge in Atlanta, from 10 PM until "last call" - make sure to come out to hear lots of great soul/funk/blues/jazz/gospel 45s, to get your dance on, and to get some Christmas cheer from the Tim and the "R&B" DJs!)

News and Views!

Today's post is a "news and views" feature. Dig the following:

1. As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, your ever-lovin' Stepfather of Soul joined forces with Brian Phillips to record the newest installment of The Electro-Phonic Sound of Brian Phillips, returning the favor of his appearance on Episode #20 of the "Get on Down ..." podcast. Well, the Electro-Phonic Sound episode is now online at Rockin' Radio - click "Now Playing" and stream Brian's show from there. As always, Brian and I had a lot of fun listening to records, picking tunes to play, and doing the show. There's a lot of good stuff in this show, ranging from Southern soul to Northern soul to organ jazz to Latin soul to 78 RPM R&B. Instead of featuring a tune for today's post, I'll encourage you to check out this show!

2. Vee-Jay Limited Partnership is working in partnership with The Orchard to release its catalogue via online retailers! As the world of soul and R&B reissues continues to grow, online retailing is the wave of the future, and it may very well be the key to getting some of the more obscure material released (it counters the problem of not being able to justify a print run of CDs), so for Vee-Jay to take this approach is a mighty move indeed!

Below are four recent releases that I really think you should check out. Clicking any of the pictures will lead you to the product info page at The Orchard.




I wish Vee-Jay and The Orchard much success in this project, and hope others will follow their lead!

Get On Down With Big Al, Country Style!

Big Al Downing - Cornbread Row



The multifaceted singer/pianist Big Al Downing has appeared on this blog before, and I'll defer to my initial post about him for more details about the soul/country/country soul giant. Today's selection was a Silver Fox single which has been comped on Action Speaks Louder Than Words, one of several great compilations that have been released over the last couple of years featuring SSS International and its affiliated labels. "Cornbread Row" clearly straddles the line between country and soul, as Al tells his story over a mid-tempo groove featuring some twangy guitar. It's Big Al at his best, and it's a fun one!

Soul On The Air #2: Bill Kenner, 1966

Listen Music - Download Audio - Bill Kenner, WBEE Aircheck, ...

Today's post is the second of a new series I'm doing called "Soul On The Air," dedicated to the R&B jocks of the classic soul era. Last week, I kicked off the series with an April 1970 WVON aircheck from Radio Hall of Famer Herb Kent. Thanks to all of you who provided feedback, either on the blog or via email, and I'm glad to have you aboard for what I think is going to be a very fun series.

Today's feature covers another of Chicago's R&B stations. WBEE (1570 AM, licensed to south suburban Harvey, Illinois) was one of WVON's top competitors when 'VON started in 1963, but by 1968 the station, unable to keep up with 'VON's popularity, would switch to a jazz format, which it kept (save for Sunday brokered-time gospel programming and a very short-lived attempt at a financial news format in the late '90s) until 2003, when the station was sold and changed into a gospel station (a country FM station in New York state now holds the WBEE call letters). From 1955 to 1960, Herb Kent was at the station, but during the soul era the top jock at 'BEE was Merri Dee, "The Honey Bee," whose 1966-68 stint at the station was the start of a legacy career in Chicago media (Dee hosted talk shows on TV stations WCIU and WSNS before joining WGN in 1972 as a news anchor, staff announcer, host of various specials and, for many years, the emcee of the daily Illinois Lottery drawings; she is still with WGN today, as a community liaison for the station).

The WBEE aircheck featured today came from the afternoon of September 8, 1966. I don't know anything about Bill Kenner, but his more energetic style stands as a nice antithesis to the laid-back style shown in the Herb Kent aircheck. Kenner's got some great wordplay going on (check out the opening of this aircheck and his outro for J.J. Jackson's "But It's Alright"), and there's lots of neat stuff in this aircheck: the Olympics' "Baby Do The Philly Dog," Koko Taylor's "Good Advice" and Billy Butler's "Right Track" are played on this aircheck (this was where I heard those three tunes for the first time); the news break features Strom Thurmond's filibuster of a 1966 civil rights bill, the mass murderer Charles Whitman, and the election of a minister who opposed Martin Luther King's urban housing crusade as the head of the National Baptist Convention; and a WBEE station ID includes a nice recording of "We Shall Overcome" (does anyone know which version of the song this is?) Also dig Kenner taking phone requests on the "Bee Line" segment ("You're 17, and he's 18, and he's your baby? Oh, he's your boyfriend ... gotcha covered, queen bee.")