RIP Lee Austin

Lee Austin - I'm a Man

I have just read that James Brown bodyguard/hairdresser/Revue singer Leon "Lee" Austin has died. Austin's high tenor graced a number of James Brown productions, and although he didn't reach the level of fame among soul fans as Brown's female vocalists or the late Bobby Byrd, he laid down some good sounds for his good friend JB. I featured "I'm a Man" way back in the early days of the blog, and I'll revive it here in honor of the "Burner." Rest in peace!

Back to the Well!

Wes Wells & The Steelers - From the Top of My Heart

Derivative follow-ups to big hits aren't unusual in the realm of classic soul, so it's not too crazy to think that Chicago soul group The Steelers would be averse to reworking their 1969 hit "Get It From the Bottom" for the Torrid label in 1974 as "From the Top of My Heart." Although the tune has a few lyrical switches, including a reference to the old hit, and an arrangement that has a touch of disco in it, Wes Wells' Curtis Mayfield-styled lead vocals and the overall feel of the song stay true to the earlier record, which, I must note, is not a bad thing!

The Kelly Brothers' Cool Breeze

The Kelly Brothers - Crystal Blue Persuasion

The gospel-filled vocal stylings of the Kelly Brothers, aka the Kingpins, were featured in a week of posts back in March 2006, and have made a few other appearances on the blog and podcast since then. Today's selection, one of the group's last singles for Excello before they returned to their gospel career, was quite a departure from the group's usual sound. Tommy James' "Crystal Blue Persuasion" in the hands of the Kelly Brothers is a cool breezin' piece of Nashville soul featuring group vocals and a nice groove. The harmonies are on-point here, but it's not surprising that the record did not do well upon release because it's so different.

Tuesday Is Blues Day!

Koko Taylor - Egg or the Hen

Chicago blues queen Koko Taylor is no stranger to this blog or the podcast, thanks to the great sides she put out on Checker in the '60s, many of which had a soul slant to them. Today's selection is no exception. "Egg or the Hen" borrows the catchy guitar riff from Taylor's signature "Wang Dang Doodle" and puts a nice dance groove under it. As in "Wang Dang Doodle," "Fire," and "Good Advice," Willie Dixon lustily joins Taylor on the song's choruses, and she tears through the lyrics with her usual fire.

Get on Down With the Stepbrothers of Soul (Again)!

For Episode #28 of the Get on Down ... podcast, Rockin' Radio's Electro-Phonic Brian Phillips and the Stepfather of Soul join forces to sock soul power and to pay tribute to Bo Diddley, who passed away earlier this month. Get on down!

1. Johnny Pate - That Ain't Too Cool (clip)
2. Bo Diddley - You, Bo Diddley
3. The Sims Twins - Shake It On Up
4. The First Gear - Get Happy
5. Tina Britt - Who Was That
6. Billy Guy - If You Want to Get Ahead, Shake a Leg
7. The Graduates - If Ever I Get Out Of This Mess I'm In
8. Junior Wells - It's All Soul
9. The Interpretations - Soul Affection
10. Rufus Wood - Before 2001
11. Harold Burrage - You KO'd Me
12. The Isley Brothers - Wild Little Tiger
13. The Hueys - Coo-Coo Over You
14. The Marquees - Hey Little Schoolgirl
15. Ray Charles - I'm Satisfied
16. Bobby Rush - Mary Jane
17. Ray Agee - Your Precious Love
18. Gloria Walker & The Chevelles - Need of You
19. The Naturals - Young Generation
20. Maskman & The Agents - Ratty Ratty
21. The Combinations - What Cha Gonna Do
22. Pauline & Bobby - No Messin' Around
23. Bo Diddley - Bo's Bounce

Get on Down With Jimmy Church!

Jimmy Church - Faith in You

The Nashville sound once again makes an appearance on this blog, this time from Jimmy Church, the dynamic '60s soulster who, like so many from that fine city, just didn't break into the upper echelon of fame. This is despite the fact that Church recorded pretty prolifically for quite a few labels (OKeh, Sound Stage 7, Rich and Peachtree come to mind right away). His strong stage presence can be seen in the two episodes of Night Train that circulate in the tape-trading scene and in the DVD reissue of The Beat!!!! series, in which Church not only sings but also serves as the conga player for the house band (on one show, emcee Hoss Allen calls him "bongo boy" or something to that effect).

"Faith in You" was a single on Rich, and it finds Church working it out over a great groove and strong horns. This selection is included on the great SPV/Blue Label CD The Rich Records Story, which was featured on this blog some time ago and is definitely worth checking out (as are all of the Nashville R&B reissues from that label).

Messin' Around with Pauline & Bobby!

Pauline & Bobby - No Messin' Around

Today's selection is a pleasant slab of Chicago soul from the Expo (later Opex) label, one of the many smaller players in that city's soul record scene. "No Messin' Around" pairs Expo's two biggest "stars," Pauline Chivers and Bobby Jones (not to be mistaken for the gospel music TV legend). Chivers had actually had a big hit some years earlier on Vee Jay with her husband, Sidney, with the song "Spring," billed to "Birdlegs and Pauline." Jones, despite having a fine voice, never had significant success on wax, although he was a fixture on the Chicago club scene for many years (I saw him in 1999 at a Syl Johnson show). On "No Messin' Around" the duo trade lines in a Brook Benton - Dinah Washington style while the conga-driven groove keeps things interesting on the dancefloor side.

All Aboard Luther Ingram's Ghetto Train!

Luther Ingram - Ghetto Train



One of the great things about the CD era is that there have been so many great soul comps, and even when the comps feature an act who's not terminally obscure, they often allow the listener to re-evaluate the artist. Such is the case with Kent's two great Luther Ingram comps, Pity for the Lonely: The Ko Ko Singles, Vol. 1 and I Don't Want to Be Right: The Ko Ko Singles, Vol. 2. Although Ingram is obviously best known for the 1972 smash "(If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don't Want to Be Right," he put out a fantastic series of Southern soul sides on Johnny Baylor's Ko Ko label from 1968 to 1978. I've featured quite a few Ingram cuts on the blog and podcasts lately, I know, but - and to borrow one of his Ko Ko titles - "I Can't Stop" featuring his fine music.

"Ghetto Train" was a 1971 single, and the Southern soul-meets-Shaft soundtrack groove stomps along nicely while Ingram paints fine word pictures of life in the 'hood, from the workday commute (and its frequent delays) to the partying and penance of the weekend. You can't sit still on this cheerful-sounding side!

When Life Gives You Lemons ...

Percy Mayfield - I Made It Just the Same

Percy Mayfield and his one-off Brunswick LP Walking on a Tightrope have been discussed on the blog before, so I'll jump right into today's selection. "I Made It Just the Same" features a groove that's borderline Northern Soul, and Percy's humorous lyrics about his horrible car are coolly delivered.

Get on Down with Don Covay!

Don Covay - Yo Yo (Pt. 1)

Today is one of those days where a funky funky good time is in order, and Don Covay's rootsy "Yo Yo" fits the bill just nicely. The title track of a terminally obscure 1977 Versatile LP, "Yo Yo" sounds like it was recorded probably a good decade earlier. A tight funky groove keeps things cooking while Covay pushes through some "See Saw"-styled lyrics and then engages the background singers in some tomfoolery. "Hey, girl ... you with the big legs ... c'mere, let's do the African Twist," Covay calls out to one of the singers. "Wait a minute ... I didn't say do the Horse, I said do the African Twist," he corrects, calling on one of the other singers to join him. "Come on up close to me, like Joe Tex says, with your greasy-mouthed self." It's too much fun, and oh-so-funky! Get on down, Don!

RIP Bo Diddley

Bo Diddley - Black Soul

Unfortunately, the parade of musicians leaving this planet continues unabated, and Bo Diddley, one of the architects of rock'n'roll, has joined, having passed on Monday at age 79. Bo's "hambone" rhythm and unique sense of style made him a hot figure in the '50s with hits on Checker and, although his hits cooled significantly as the '60s emerged, Diddley kept busy, putting out fine records for the Chess labels until 1974. Today's selection comes from his 1970 LP The Black Gladiator, which was an attempt by the now-GRT-owned Chess Records to bring Bo full-on into the funk era. "Black Soul" is a mostly-instrumental jam in which Bo shares the spotlight with a hot organist while a female chorus chants the title. Although the album was commercially and critically unsuccessful, like the other attempts by Chess to "update" their aging blues stars' sounds, Diddley was more comfortable with the funk, and the entire album is worth a listen. RIP Bo; you were indeed the baddest "Gunslinger" out there.

The Country Soul of Ivory Joe

Ivory Joe Hunter - Ivory Tower



Avuncular singer and pianist Ivory Joe Hunter is best known for the velvet-smooth mid-'50s R&B ballads "Since I Met You Baby" and "I Almost Lost My Mind," which made Hunter an unlikely rock'n'roll star despite the fact that he'd been recording commercially since 1944 and had recorded a wax cylinder for the Library of Congress in 1933! From 1944 to 1973 Hunter waxed for a wide range of labels, including King, Atlantic, MGM and his own Ivory and Pacific imprints. By the early '60s, however, his smooth stylings were out of place in the pop and R&B marketplace (in the latter case, even 45s for Stax - the great "Can't Explain How It Happened" - and Goldwax failed to make any impression). Although he never reached his '50s heights, Hunter stayed busy, and his embrace of country stylings in his work made him popular in the country music world also, such that the Grand Old Opry hosted a benefit for him prior to his 1974 death.

"Ivory Tower," a 1968 Sound Stage 7 single, shows off Hunter's countrified R&B sound to good effect. Over a gentle rhythm, Hunter woos his erstwhile unavailable love with support at the end from a Nashville chorus. Although the flip, "I'll Give You All Night to Stop," features a country funk groove more suited for 1968 (such groove doesn't really work with Hunter's vocals), "Ivory Tower" is - in all its anachronistic glory - the better side.