Friday Blues Get Down!

Howlin' Wolf - Dust My Broom (live)

In 1966 Alan Lomax arranged for several of his favorite blues artists to appear in a documentary he shot in front of a small audience at a juke-joint soundstage. This video, now available on DVD as Devil Got My Woman: Blues at Newport, 1966 featured Skip James, Son House, Pearly Brown, Bukka White and Howlin' Wolf, and the film is a treat for blues fans, as the performances run the gamut from Skip James' eerie country blues to Bukka White's infectious guitar boogies (one of which includes some funny dancing by some audience members) to a strong but drunken performance by Son House and a great set by Wolf. It's sort of strange that Wolf is in this video at all, because he was the only electric bluesman of the group, but he obviously knew these guys and interacts with them throughout the film. Wolf's set is a highlight of the film. Wolf and his band are in good form, and Wolf interjects great monologues - including a harangue at Son House, who had been drunkenly interrupting the set - and a lot of clowning around to his solid performances, which included today's selection.

As a blues song, "Dust My Broom" had been around for quite awhile - it was part of the canonical Robert Johnson catalog, and Elmore James had made it his signature tune in the 1950s. Wolf's long-time guitarist Hubert Sumlin works the song's trademark riff while Wolf bellows the lyrics and blows some harmonica. This is a stomping rocker in Wolf's hands, from his short opening monologue to the finale, where Wolf and Sumlin do the final chorus in unison.

So Says Your Ever-Lovin' ... Rag-Man!

Leon Huff - I Ain't Jivin', I'm Jammin'

When I first moved to Chicago back in 1997 one of the pleasures the city offered me was adult urban radio station WVAZ-FM ("V-103"), especially on the weekends. On Friday night, Jim Raggs (the "Rag-Man") would come on and, with his "Dusty Dance Party," would lay down smokin' soul, funk and disco, mostly from the '70s. Some Friday nights I would get in my car and just drive around the city, with those great sounds and the Rag-Man's patter keeping me company. On Saturdays, legendary DJ Herb Kent would hold court with the "Saturday Morning Wake-Up Club" (where I came this/close to winning a prize by calling in to guess Herb's "mystery guest," that day Ron Banks of the Dramatics), and on Sundays Kent and the Rag-Man would fill out the afternoon, with Kent playing the "dusties" (Kent coined the term for R&B oldies, referring to the dust in the grooves that made older records crackle) and the Rag-Man doing blues.

On this Thursday afternoon, when I am overwhelmed with stress, I would give anything to hear the Rag-Man play some smooth dusties and the like, so I dug up today's selection, as it's along the lines of what would get airplay on V-103. Leon Huff will forever be known as the latter half of Gamble and Huff, the songwriting-producing-record label gurus who provided smash records to a wide array of artists throughout the '60s and '70s, especially in connection with their Philadelphia International label. Although Gamble was the mouthpiece for the duo, penning polemic liner notes for PIR albums and the like, Huff was a very strong piano player and brought a lot to the creative end of things. Although Huff undoubtedly provided piano support to probably a great many PIR hits, he only released two singles and an album, Here to Create Music, on the label as an artist. "I Ain't Jivin'" made some noise when released in 1981, and its churchy, bluesy, swagger tickles my fancy on what has been a crappy day. It's as if Jim Raggs is on V-103, dedicating this piece of sunshine to me, saying, "It's gonna get better my brother - so says your ever-lovin' ... Rag-Man!"

(EDIT, 2:30 PM - Well, maybe the Rag-Man's (imagined) words were just what the doctor ordered: my stressful day has suddenly improved!)

Jimmy Soul!

Jimmy Soul - I Can't Hold Out Any Longer

Jimmy Soul (real name James McCleese) will go down in music history as the singer of "If You Wanna Be Happy," a #1 pop hit in 1963. The song (based on the calypso tune "Ugly Woman") was his only major hit and almost as quickly as his fame came, it went, and Soul dropped out of the music biz by 1965 and did not return (he died in the 1980s). Jimmy had a smaller hit in 1962 with "Twistin' Matilda" on the SPQR label, and its flip is today's selection. "I Can't Hold Out Any Longer" reveals that the "Jimmy Soul" stage name had some merit, as Jimmy takes this R&B-turning-the-corner-into-soul ballad and works it out, bringing gospel intensity and a touch of Jackie Wilson to the proceedings.

Curtis!

Curtis Mayfield - I Plan To Stay a Believer



Throughout the '70s there was probably no artist who was as consistently "heavy" as Curtis Mayfield. When Mayfield decided to start a solo career after more than a decade with the Impressions, he took with him the social consciousness vibe that had informed the group's work from 1968 forward and that approach paid dividends, especially with hits like "(Don't Worry) If There's a Hell Below, We're All Gonna Go," the Super Fly soundtrack and a righteous stage show, captured on the great album Curtis/Live. Today's selection is drawn from that album, and it finds Curtis and his band laying down a relaxed groove over which Mayfield preaches about getting "off your ass" and doing something to improve the country. It's "dope," and not in the "Freddie's Dead" sense of the word!

All Platinum Donnie!

Donnie Elbert - This Feeling of Losing You

Donnie Elbert's recording career stretched back to 1957, and his thrilling falsetto graced many great recordings, including the Northern Soul classic "A Little Piece of Leather." His rocky tenure at Avco and All Platinum in the early '70s gave him his biggest successes, although the acrimonious relationshipo he had with both labels probably limited his success, which is unfortunate. He signed to All Platinum and hit with an updated version of the Supremes classic "Where Did Our Love Go" but then signed to Avco. Disagreements with the label about the direction of his album - he wanted to do a lot of Motown covers - resulted in his release from Avco, who dumped his album on the cheapo Trip label and left Elbert with no choice but to return to All Platinum. Today's selection was Elbert's first single on All Platinum after his return, and it's a nice one. Over a nice charging groove, Elbert conjures both his own falsetto and, to me, a touch of Al Green. This record, like most subsequent product, was commercially unsuccessful, and Elbert would leave All Platinum in acrimony, claiming to have written "Shame, Shame, Shame," a big hit for Shirley & Co. on Vibration, an All Platinum subsidiary. Elbert's claim failed, and he continued to toil unsuccessfully until the mid-80s.

I Can Travel Now!

The Swanee Quintet - New Walk

Today's "Sunday Gospel Time" feature evokes memories of "TV Gospel Time." On the two tapes I have there are appearances by the Swanee Quintet, Nashboro Records' premiere hard gospel group. Although tenor Johnny Jones' intense singing and awesome falsetto gets the most airtime, the rough-hewn singing of Rev. Reuben Willingham is showcased on the group's performance of "New Walk," which is my favorite Swanees song. "New Walk" starts off with Willingham working out the bluesy call-and-response melody and Jones comes in to tear through the up-tempo finale.

Soul-Blues Saturday: Johnson Power! (Pt. 2)

Syl Johnson (Featuring Syleena Johnson) - Half a Love



Today's post revisits last week's post about Syl Johnson and family. As I mentioned then, after the early '80s Syl shifted his focus to his fish restaurant business and made only sporadic appearances in the studio. By the '90s Syleena, his daughter, had begun to show some serious musical talent as a singer, but Syl, still irritated about the music business, discouraged her making a career of it. Despite his misgivings, Johnson did bring Syleena in the studio for the 1995 album This Time Together by Father and Daughter, whose cover art amuses me highly - Syleena's photo (a school picture?) is pure 1990s fashion, but Syl looks like he's caught in a '70s time warp! This low-budget affair did not make much noise upon release. As the decade continued, however, Syl began a comeback of sorts, recording several good soul-blues albums which included great guest turns by the Hi Rhythm Section, the Two Johnsons Are Better Than One album with his brother Jimmy, and Bridge to a Legacy, from which today's selection is drawn.

"Half a Love" is a nice bluesy soul ballad featuring a good guitar groove from Syl, but the tune is really a showcase for Syleena, whose vocals remind me of Candi Staton or Millie Jackson as she warns the ladies about two-timing men. Syl jumps in for one verse to make it clear that cheating is a two-way street, and his soulful enthusiasm adds some fun to the proceedings (I love the line "check your watches, fellas, 'cause we're living in a different time"). This is a song that would've been a solid smash back in Syl's heyday, in my opinion, and it's one of my favorite soul-blues recordings.



Syleena's desire to break into showbiz was fully realized at the dawn of the 21st century, when her second solo album, Chapter 1: Love, Pain & Forgiveness resulted in the hit "I Am Your Woman," which got a lot of airplay on adult urban radio. The next album, Chapter 2: The Voice gave her a hit with "Guess What," another message to the menfolk featuring her great voice. A guest turn on Kanye West's hit "All Falls Down" gave her immense exposure in the urban contemporary and pop markets, and her newest album, Chapter 3: The Flesh, is sure to continue her rising career. The "bridge to a legacy" has indeed been crossed!

Dancin' Into the Weekend

The Future Kind - The Devil Is Gonna Get You

Today I wanted to pick something with a "get down" feel to take into the weekend, and this selection from Dave Hamilton's Detroit Funk will suit the bill. The Future Kind's "The Devil Is Gonna Get You" is a fun funky romp built around Sly Stone's "Thank You" riff. At first it almost sounds like either a funky gospel record or something along the lines of Curtis Mayfield's "(Don't Worry) If There's a Hell Below, We're All Gonna Go" but then the group starts clowning at the end ("What are you doing here?" "I *knew* she was gonna be here!") and you realize that it's all just a funky good time.

Tumblin' Tumblin' Tumblin' Down

James Fry - Tumblin' Down

James Fry (real name Johnny Frierson) and his sister Mary were members of the Drapels, who recorded a couple of 45s for Stax in its earlier years (their "Wondering When My Love Is Coming Home" is a killer sweet soul number) and provided background vocals on records by a few other artists (they sang backups on Rufus Thomas' "Jump Back," to name one recording). The group disbanded after their records met no commercial success. Stax stuck with Mary, rechristening her "Wendy Rene" and recording some great soul records that did not go anywhere (although her "Bar-B-Q" became a Northern Soul anthem). Johnny went over to Hi Records and, as "James Fry", cut a handful of similarly unsuccessful records, including today's selection.

"Tumblin' Down" is a nice piece of simple Southern soul, featuring a slightly strutting groove over which Frierson tells his story of come-uppance. His plaintive reading of the song really captures the feeling of the words, and the Hi musicians rise to the occasion. I like the "tumblin' down" hook at the end of the verses also.

Thanks to Barry "Soul Brother" Fowden for the MP3.

Get on Down With Trini Lopez!

Trini Lopez - Sinner Not a Saint



Mexican-American pop singer Trini Lopez's Latin-flavored renditions of folk and rock songs made him a major record seller throughout the '60s on Frank Sinatra's Reprise label. Lopez's willingness to tackle all sorts of material gave him a little R&B action as well, with his rendition of "If I Had a Hammer" making some noise on its 1963 release. Although the bulk of his recorded legacy came out on Reprise, some top-notch material had been recorded earlier for King Records and for the Bihari brothers in Los Angeles, for whom he cut today's selection. "Sinner Not a Saint" is a romping piece of R&B which had single release on United/Modern and was included on the Crown LP shown above. Over a great groove Lopez tackles the swaggering lyrics with gusto, and the strings romp along in the song's mid-section. I first heard this on the Kent CD For Connoisseurs Only, Vol. 2, a great comp of RPM/Kent/Modern material, but have been frustrated in my attempts to score the 45, due to its high price (the last eBay auction I was in saw the 45 go for $55 or so). Someday, maybe!

P.S.: Speaking of auctions, the FAME record collection mentioned in my post from last Thursday is still up for grabs. Get your bids in, if you have $6,600 to spare!

Tuesday Is (Heavy, Funky) Blues Day!

Little Sonny - The Creeper

Blues singer/harmonica player Little Sonny (born Aaron Willis) was one of the most popular Detroit live blues acts as the '60s gave way to the '70s. Being one of the younger acts in town, he embraced soul and funk as part of his repertoire, which allowed him to do his thing when many older blues artists were starting to struggle due to the dwindling black audience for their music. Sonny (who, contrary to some reports, was not nicknamed after Sonny Boy Williamson - he received his nickname from his mother) had recorded for Duke, Excello and his own Speedway label with no success. In 1966 he leased the instrumental two-sider "The Creeper" (not to be confused with the Freddie Robinson record of the same name) b/w "Latin Soul" to Revilot, which was picking up steam with Darrell Banks and the Parliaments. Sonny had three 45 releases on Revilot, none of which caught fire outside of Detroit, and upon the label's demise in 1969 he made his way down to Stax Records, where he found a sympathetic outlet on the Enterprise label. Although his Enterprise tenure (three LPs and a handful of singles) did not make him a household name, it was his most successful, with records like his version of "Wade In The Water" making a little noise and Sonny making an appearance at the 1972 Watts Summer Festival ("Wattstax").

One of the first recordings Sonny did for Enterprise was a remake of "The Creeper" entitled "The Creeper Returns." The original tune had been inspired by a murderous villain from a thriller Sonny had seen, and the slinky, somewhat ominous groove certainly captures that atmosphere. Sonny was not happy with the Revilot release, however, deeming it too heavy-handed and wrongly mixed (a position Rob Bowman supports in his liner notes to the Stax singles box sets). For the Enterprise version, Sonny dispensed with the horn section and lightened up the groove slightly to make the song move more smoothly. Although I admit that "The Creeper Returns" is a great record, I'm actually partial to the original. The drums are indeed very heavy, and the horn chart is pretty ham-fisted, but I think the overall result is one of heavy, sexy slow funk, over which Sonny's harmonica work is more brilliant than in "The Creeper Returns."

Cosby's Cool Breezin'

Bill Cosby - Ursalena

Bill Cosby's '60s and '70s funky 45s and albums have been discussed in prior posts (see this one for information about the Hooray For the Salvation Army Band album, from which today's selection also came), so I'll dispense with any narrative except to say that "Ursalena," which also gained 45 release as the flip of the album's title track, is a groovy piece of West Coast soul, featuring Cos' strained singing of the song's hook and dialogue capturing the tongue-tiededness that a beautiful woman can cause in a man. It's not as all-out comic as many of his other recordings, and stands as a nice piece of soul music as a result. Cos would re-record the song for Paramount in 1973 with support from his long-time musical collaborator, Stu Garner, but the original is far superior.