Category Archives: Southern Soul
HALL OF FAME VOLUME 2.
HALL OF FAME VOLUME 2. Without doubt, one of the most influential record labels in the history of Southern Soul is Fame Records. It released some of the most important music in the history of not just Southern Soul, but soul music. Then there’e the music recorded at Fame Recording Studios, Muscle Shoals. The artists …
Z.Z. HILL-THE BRAND NEW Z.Z. HILL.
Z.Z. HILL-THE BRAND NEW Z.Z. HILL. The story behind how Z.Z. Hill found himself in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, recording with producer Swamp Dogg is the equivalent to a game of musical pass the parcel. It all started when Swamp Dogg bought Z.Z. Hill’s contract from Quin Ivy, one of the stalwarts of the Muscle Shoals …
SANDRA PHILLIPS-TOO MANY PEOPLE IN ONE BED.
SANDRA PHILLIPS-TOO MANY PEOPLE IN ONE BED. Producer Swamp Dogg hadn’t known Sandra Philips long, before he signed her to Canyon Records. Swamp Dogg was introduced to Sandra by her ex-husband. He let Swamp Dogg hear a single she cut for Epic. This was kismet. Not only was Sandra hugely talented, but she’d potential. She …
WOLFMOON-WOLFMOON.
WOLFMOON-WOLFMOON. Swamp Dogg first encountered Tyrone Thomas in 1964, when Brooks O’Dell first brought him to his Philadelphia home. Brooks had given Swamp Dogg the hard sell about Tyrone Thomas. Swamp Dogg wasn’t disappointed. He was so impressed that he invited Tyrone into his house. This was the start of a tumultuous musical partnership. As …
SYL JOHNSON-BACK FOR A TASTE OF YOUR LOVE.
SYL JOHNSON-BACK FOR A TASTE OF YOUR LOVE. During the early to mid-seventies, Hi Records were producing some of the best Southern Soul of that time. With Willie Mitchell producing, The Memphis Rhythm Section, Memphis Horns and legendary backing vocalists Rhodes, Chalmers and Rhodes, one great record after another was recorded at the famous Royal …
ANN PEEBLES-I CAN’T STAND THE RAIN.
ANN PEEBLES-I CAN’T STAND THE RAIN. During the first half of the seventies, Al Green enjoyed unmatched critical acclaim and commercial success. There’s no doubt about it, Al was the King of Hi Records. While Al was King, Ann Peebles was Queen of Hi Records. Ann Peebles released seven albums on Hi Records and nearly twenty singles. She …
CLARENCE CARTER-THE FAME SINGLES VOLUME 2 1970-73.
CLARENCE CARTER-THE FAME SINGLES VOLUME 2 1970-73. It was in 1966, that Clarence Carter released his first single for Rick Hall’s Fame Records, Tell Daddy. Clarence was already thirty when he released Tell Daddy, his debut solo single. His life had taken a few twists and turns before that. Born in January 1936, when Clarence …
KING FLOYD -I FEEL LIKE DYNAMITE-THE EARLY CHIMNEYVILLE SINGLES AND MORE 1970-1974.
KING FLOYD -I FEEL LIKE DYNAMITE-THE EARLY CHIMNEYVILLE SINGLES AND MORE 1970-1974. For King Floyd, it was a case of second time around. After his debut career album A Man In Love, which was written by Dr. John, failed commercially, he joined the post office. Three years later, King Floyd made a comeback. He recorded …
DORIS DUKE-I’M A LOSER.
DORIS DUKE-I’M A LOSER. Mention Doris Duke’s 1970 album I’m A Loser and many lovers of soul music will nod approvingly. Since its release, I’m A Loser has become regarded as one of the greatest Deep Soul albums ever released. Before I tell you about I’m A Loser, which will be rereleased by Alive Records …
CHARLIE WHITEHEAD-RAW SPITT.
CHARLIE WHITEHEAD-RAW SPITT. For many years, I’ve been a huge fan of Swamp Dogg’s productions, including Doris Duke’s seminal album I’m A Loser. During his career, Swamp Dogg, aka Jerry Williams worked with many artists, including Gary US Bonds, Patti La Belle, Arthur Conley and ZZ Hill. One of the lesser known artists Jerry worked …
CARLA THOMAS-SWEET SWEETHEART-THE AMERICAN STUDIO SESSIONS AND MORE.
CARLA THOMAS-SWEET SWEETHEART-THE AMERICAN STUDIO SESSIONS AND MORE. Musical history is littered with tales of great lost albums. Among them are Johnny Thunders’ Hurt Me, John Cale’s Music For A Lost Society and Neu’s Neu 4. Then there’s Kratwerk and The Undisputed Truth’s eponymous albums. Some of the best known lost albums include Prince’s Black …
BETTYE CRUTCHER-LONG AS YOU LOVE ME.
BETTYE CRUTCHER-LONG AS YOU LOVE ME. For Bettye Crutcher, getting a foothold in the male-dominated world of Memphis songwriting wasn’t easy. Her songs already been rejected by Willie Mitchell at Hi Records. Willie told her he’d already got Don Bryant signed to Hi Records. Don had already established himself as a successful and prolific songwriter. …
DAVID PORTER-GRITTY, GROOVIN’ AND GETTIN’ IT.
DAVID PORTER-GRITTY, GROOVIN’ AND GETTIN’ IT. By the summer of 1969, David Porter was one of the most important people at Stax Records. He’d played his part in the label’s success story since 1961, when he cowrote That was The Life I Live, the B-side to Barbara Stephens’ single I Don’t Worry. Soon, David established …
JAMES GOVAN WANTED THE FAME RECORDINGS.
JAMES GOVAN WANTED THE FAME RECORDINGS. Back in 1967, many an aspiring soul singer headed to Memphis. No wonder. 1967 Memphis was soul central. Labels like Stax and Hi Records called Memphis home. Similarly, Memphis was home to many artists, bands, songwriters and producers. Memphis was also home to many an aspiring unsigned singer. This …
A ROAD LEADING HOME-SONGS BY DAN PENN AND OTHERS.
A ROAD LEADING HOME-SONGS BY DAN PENN AND OTHERS. When eventually, someone decides to write the definitive history of Southern Soul, Dan Penn’s name will loom large. At last, one of Southern Soul’s reluctant heroes will receive the credit they deserve. A quiet, unassuming man, Dan Penn’s modesty belies that fact that, for over thirty …
DAN GREER BEALE STREET SOUL MAN.
DAN GREER BEALE STREET SOUL MAN. When someone finally writes the definitive history of Memphis Soul, Dan Greer’s name should loom large. Dan was a singer, songwriter, producer and head of A&R at the Sounds of Memphis label. It’s no exaggeration to say Dan Greer was one Memphis’ most talented songwriters and producers. He worked …
BACKBEATS: SOUL SEARCHIN’-FINDING GOLD IN MEMPHIS 1968-1979.
BACKBEATS: SOUL SEARCHIN’-FINDING GOLD IN MEMPHIS 1968-1979. During the sixties, Southern Soul was at the height of its popularity. Independent labels like Stax, Goldwax and FAME, and majors like Atlantic released some of Southern Soul’s most commercially successful and critically acclaimed music. However, one label’s success lasted from the late sixties, right through the late …
ARETHA FRANKLIN-I NEVER LOVED A MAN THE WAY I LOVED YOU.
ARETHA FRANKLIN-I NEVER LOVED A MAN THE WAY I LOVED YOU. Recently, I’ve come to the conclusion that the most overused word in the English language is the word “classic.” Nowadays, something can’t just be good, it must be a classic. It doesn’t matter if someone is talking about a book, cuisine, technology, a architecture …
DUKE WILLIAMS AND THE EXTREMES-MONKEY IN A SILK SUIT IS STILL A MONKEY.
DUKE WILLIAMS AND THE EXTREMES-MONKEY IN A SILK SUIT IS STILL A MONKEY. Last September, New York based record label, SpinSpinNYC, released a six track compilation entitled Nutritious Presents Duke Williams and The Extremes. SpinSpinNYC had rediscovered the music of Duke Williams and The Extremes. They wanted to share their love and belief in this …
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