Funk my Soul

One of the best soul albums of the 70’s. A buried treasure.

Hinton is one of the greatest white soul singers of the modern era- dubbed “the white Otis Redding”. His guitar playing can be heard on hit records by Aretha Franklin, Wilson Pickett, Joe Tex, Solomon Burke, Percy Sledge, Johnny Taylor, Elvis Presley, Bobby Womack, Otis Redding & more with the Muscle Shoals [Alabama] Sound Rhythm Section from 1967 to 1971. Hinton was just 22 when he was invited to the Shoals area by fellow songwriter and producer Marlin Greene. The Hinton/Greene songwriting and producing team produced several country/soul hits, including “Cover Me,” and “It’s All Wrong But It’s Alright” for Percy Sledge. It was until 1978 that Hinton had a record under his own name,  the Capricorn Records, “Very Extremely Dangerous”, when many of the towering figures Hinton backed as a session player were in retreat, it now stands as one of the last great classic soul records.

This is a @320 CD rip of the original Capricorn Classic CD Series including covers

Tracks
A1 You Got Me Singing 4:10
A2 Concept World 5:00
A3 I Got the Feeling 5:52
A4 Shout Bamalama 6:07
A5 Get Off in It 5:12
B1 Brand New Man 3:44
B2 Shoot the Moon 5:23
B3 We Got It 6:05
B4 Yeah Man 3:45
B5 I Want it All 3:04

Review by Mark Barry at Reckless Records from Amazon

Eddie Hinton’s voice is part Otis Redding part Bobby Womack part Frankie Miller - and as you can imagine with credentials ‘that’ good - his guttural singing style is considered to be a thing of wonder among soul aficionados.

Recorded in November 1977 at the Muscle Shoals Sound Recording Studio in Sheffield, Alabama and released in March 1978 on Capricorn CPN-0204 in the USA only, this obscure and criminally forgotten LP received good reviews at the time of release, but produced poor sales. And it’s been the very definition of `lost masterpiece’ ever since. Sporting what has to be one of the worst titles for an LP ever and an album cover that wasn’t much better, “Very Extremely Dangerous” is a soul-rock album on a label more associated with the southern boogie of The Allman Brothers, The Marshall Tucker Band and Elvin Bishop. This 1997 remaster by FRED MEYER was part of Polygram’s “Capricorn Classics” CD series - but now deleted - it too is equally rare (42:05 minutes).

The session players for the album were: EDDIE HINTON - Guitar, Piano & Vocals BARRY BECKETT - Piano, Organ and Moog Synthesizer (also Produced) JIMMY JOHNSON - Guitar DAVID HOOD - Bass ROGER HAWKINS - Drums HARRISON CALOWAY - Trumpet HARVEY THOMPSON - Tenor Saxophone DENNIS GOOD - Trombone RONNIE EADES - Baritone Saxophone

“You Got Me Singing“, “I Got The Feeling“, “We Got It” and “Yeah Man” are solo Hinton songs with ALVIN HOWARD co-writing on “Concept World“, “Get Off In It“, “Brand New Man” and “I Want It All“. DAN PENN of the legendary Dan Penn/Spooner Oldham song-writing team co-wrote “Shoot The Moon” while “Shout Bamalama” is not surprising an Otis Redding cover version.

Barry Beckett’s production is typically accomplished and lovely (he was one of the founders of the Muscle Shoals Studios). His history in music is extraordinary - and apart from being on so many legendary sessions as to be ridiculous - he was also at the production helm of umpteen great albums - “Communiqué” by Dire Straits (their underrated 2nd album) and Dylan’s “Slow Train Coming” to name but a few (with Jerry Wexler). Which brings me to Meyer’s remaster combined with Beckett’s top production values - it’s produced a delicious finish on this CD - a lovely warm sound that’s full and sweet.

The songs have a distinctly Southern feel - they range from mellow to funky and are most effective when they slow right down. The majestic soulful build of “I Got The Feeling” is typical - a slow soulful groove is found, licking guitar then backs it up and is sided by the legendary Muscle Shoals brass - all the while Eddie is wailing like Otis is in the room and he has to impress his mentor. The boppin’ “Shout Bamalama” sounds Little Richard in party mode with the boys in the band having a ball. “Yeah Man” is fabulous too - a slinky little number that goes down like honey. But the album’s gem for me is “Get Off In It” which is almost Van Morrison in its mystical soulful vibe - it’s just beautiful. It contains the album’s title in its lyrics and is as successful a fusion of rock and southern soul as I’ve ever heard.

The downside is of course acquiring this peach. Most will baulk at the extortionate prices now being asked for this rare deletion (time for a re-issue Hip-O Select), but when you hear it - you’ll understand why it’s worth the wallet-full required…

Lovely stuff - and recommended big time.

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Listen up “Get off in it“, brothers and sisters, cause it’s a real killer, by the white Otis or Van Morisson or.. come on… It’s just an amazing performance and go buy the album from Amazon or Dusty Groove.

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The album voted in the 17th place of the 70 best soul albums of the 70’s by Mojo Magazine. See the list here. …  and I wonder what is your opinion on the album and the list? Do you agree?

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Here is a real left-field gospel killer.

The only album by Father’s Creation, it nestles very comfortably in the modern soul/rare groove bag. Dominated by the progressive sound of the emergent indie soul music sound of the early 80s, this works that lovely warm, unconventional magic that has since become so collectable. “Give Your Life To God” has a message that combines both spiritual elements with more hard hitting lyrics about the sign of the times, making it so much more than a Gospel LP.

This is a real treasure that everyone should enjoy.

Tracks
A1. God All By Himself 5.32
A2. Be Not Deceived 3.28
A3. Just Ask 4.40
A4. Pictures 4.54
B1. Count Up The Cost 4.55
B2. Give Your Life To God 5.08
B3. Work On It 4.09
B4. This World 4.17

Review by Trakbuv

It’s 1983. The cynical trappings of disco are wearing very thin and soul music is now embracing the awesome power of the synthesizer as a cheap alternative to a full band or orchestra. And with the demise of the monotonous thud thud and the shrill of an occasional chorus came the revival of independent soul. High calibre, vibrant soul carrying the banner for non-formularised, gutsy music on obscure, often one-off label sources. And with its popularity gaining respect by many real soul radio stations, these sounds were getting to the masses in ways that the vinyl never could.

Father’s Creation seems to have captured many of those enduring qualities that have stood the test of time far more easily than their more commercial counterparts. In their ranks, they had David K Bouknight (lead vocals, drums), William Campbell (lead vocals, drums), David Dilliard (percussion), Tyrone K Brooks (keyboards, bass) and Tracy Davis (lead vocals). Their LP entitled “Give Your Life To God” was a one-off album released on Creation Records and was recorded in Clinton near Washington DC. Although a Gospel album, the message is more generic about how to live life according to moral codes making it more appealing to a wider audience. A tight knit unit, all songs penned and produced from within the band, it is self-evident that this union had something special about them.

The opening bars of “God all by myself” puts many of their wares on the table. Creative chops, fertile ivories, intriguing and inspired chord and rhythm changes all coincide to create an insidious, hypnotic quality. There is a fresh almost naïve freedom percolating through high production values that never appear compromised. Topped off with clear confident vocals from William Campbell, this really was a fresh of breath air back in the day. And we really are treated to something ultra rare in “Be not deceived”. The perfect rare groover. Reflective lyrics combine with great vocals, harmonies and production to make your heart rejoice at its connection with your auditory system. “Just ask” is another great track with a mix of tenor (Campbell), falsetto (Bouknight) and female (guest contribution by Laverne Day) vocal leads all working an unconventional spell. “Pictures” is a gentle throwback to those sumptuous ballads that were hidden amongst a glut of funk on albums for bands like Mass Production, BT Express, and early Slave.

And while I don’t personally care for Tracy Davis’s nasal vocal quality, not unlike that of pre-teen male singers, “Count up the cost” still has a undeniable charm. “Give your life to God” is a gentle ballad that really improves on repeated listens where its subtlety starts to dig deep. “Work on it” is a pleasant ballad, and we round it all off with the vibrant “This world” - a wonderful ‘concept’ piece with clever changes in pace. And that would appear to be that. I managed to locate some Gospel songs written by Thomas Brooks, some in collaboration with David Bouknight dating around 1986. Mr Bouknight would appear to be still active in and around Washington, with a release on CD Baby entitled ‘When I look to you’ in 2009. One of the tracks on that EP is entitled ‘Father’s Creation’.

Please do not be put off by the ‘gospel’ tag, for this is a real treat to be enjoyed by both religious and secular audiences alike in our common appreciation of what soul music is all about.

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Extremely rare killer album, never released on cd. You can buy the only available vinyl copy for 100 € here.

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This album really is quite funky. Exceptionally, funky in fact. Quite different from the soul/pop of The Commodores more well known hits. Right from the opening track you can tell you’re in for something of a treat, the musicianship is fantastic throughout, as are the funk grooves consistently dirty and in your face. The singing is great, as anyone already aware of The Commodores would expect it to be. This is an album which really doesn’t let up. Everyone knows that, deep down, they long to get into funk music, and this is a great place to start. If you’re already into funk, then you have no right not to own this record. It’s also one of the greatest party albums I own.

An absolute gem.

This is a @320 vinyl rip of the original Motown LP including covers.

Tracks
A1 Machine Gun 2:41
A2 Young Girls Are My Weakness 3:03
A3 Feel Sanctified 3:46
A4 The Bump 4:11
A5 Rapid Fire 3:04
B1 The Assembly Line 5:12
B2 The Zoo (The Human Zoo) 3:08
B3 Gonna Blow Your Mind 5:43
B4 There’s a Song in My Heart 2:43
B5 Superman 2:38

Review by The Fancy One “blackprincess”

During the early to mid-’70s, funk bands ruled the R&B world. This was not lost on Motown, and they wanted an act that covered the down and dirty funk/R&B bases like Maurice White’s Earth, Wind and Fire, the Ohio Players and Funkadelic did. They discovered the Commodores, a sextet straight out of the Dirty South (Tuskegee, Alabama) in a New York City nightclub, and they found their answer.

MACHINE GUN was the group’s second album on Motown (their first one was recorded in ‘72 but never released), and signaled that this group was an important force to be reckoned with. Featuring the amazing keyboard wizardry of Milan Williams, this album kicks off with the title cut and grabs you from start to finish! The three lead vocalists’ voices (that’s right, not just Lionel’s) are wonderfully soulful and earthy, especially drummer Walter “Clyde” Orange’s voice!! That brotha, all 5′4″ of him, is SOUL PERSONIFIED!! Lionel did go on to become the most famous of all the Commodores, but Clyde was the FUNKIEST by far.

I especially loved “Gonna Blow Your Mind“, “The Bump“, “Young Girls Are My Weakness“, “I Feel Sanctified” and “The Assembly Line” (the last of which has been sampled by hip-hoppers time and time again, and musically similar to a later tune that Lionel Richie wrote on his own, the popular “This Is Your Life”). Lots of syntheziers and horns (courtesy of Lionel on alto sax and William King on trumpet) drive this CD and you’d never guess back then that these guys could come funkier than this…but they did, even more so because their follow up album to this, CAUGHT IN THE ACT, is even better!

The only weak spot on this LP is the Richie-penned “Superman” - this was technically the first recorded tune Lionel Richie wrote by himself, and the music is good. But the lyrics - well, the nicest thing I could possibly say about them is that THANK GOD Richie got better as the years went on.

Pick this up today and believe me when I say, the mighty, mighty Commodores existed long before “Brick House”, “Three Times A Lady” and “Still” and why they will always be a funk band first and foremost in my book. This LP is living proof! Get it!

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Buy it from Amazon or Ebay.

The album voted in the 12th place of the 70 best soul albums of the 70’s by Mojo Magazine. See the list here.

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One of the greatest soul-folk albums ever.

A lost classic brought out of the shadows.

Bond’s top-notch songwriting, vocals and an impeccable talent for composition and arrangement, make this a rare album where the music and the message are in perfect harmony. The record’s “To The Establishment,” a nearly 12-minute opus, has been sampled by the likes of Outkast and Mary J. Blige.

Misplaced on the We Produce imprint of the legendary Stax label, soulful troubadour Lou Bond never received the recognition befitting his talent and the strength of his recordings. A voice of conscious strumming an acoustic guitar with a magnetic vocal delivery.

This is a @320 vinyl rip of the original We Produce LP including covers.

Tracks
A1 Lucky Me 3:56
A2 Why Must Our Eyes Always Be Turned Backwards 4:37
A3 To the Establishment 11:13
B1 Let Me in Your Life 6:18
B2 That’s the Way I’ve Heard It Should Be 6:40
B3 Come on Snob 7:51

Review by J.Poet

Lou Bond is one of the forgotten heroes of Stax Records. Before he cut this record, his one and only album, he’d made two singles — “Oh Cheater” b/w “What Have I Done,” and “You Shake Me Up” b/w “Don’t Start Me Crying.” England’s Northern soul collectors now treasure both records, but the music on his self-titled album is its own animal. Black psychedelic crooners are few and far between, and, in fact, Bond may be the only one. Perhaps that’s why Stax originally released this album on the We Produce subsidiary. Bond and his producer/arrangers — Jo Bridges (Rufus Thomas, the Temprees), Lester Snell (Isaac Hayes), and Tom Nixon (Rufus Thomas) — really went out on a limb here by presenting Bond’s soulful, folk-influenced singer/songwriter protest songs with a blend of Memphis soul, orchestral strings, and jazzy horn charts. The tempos stay slow and dreamy, which may have made it a hard sell on its original release in 1974, but it’s just as likely that the combination of soul and folk wasn’t something people were ready for. Pity, because Bond’s unique vocal style is nothing short of amazing. He has a passionate growl that can slide up easily to a spine-tingling falsetto, and a unique lyrical approach. He opens with Jimmy Webb’s “Lucky Me” a treacle-drenched tune that Bond turns into a wrenching lament. The soaring strings are almost a parody of pop, but Bond’s bluesy delivery keeps everything down to earth. “Why Must Our Eyes Always Be Turned Backwards” is a Bond original with popping bass, acoustic piano, and understated strings. He slips into his falsetto for this meandering protest song that references Vietnam, Pakistan, Attica, school bussing, religion, and other hot button topics. When he drops a quote from “American the Beautiful” into the mix, it oozes with irony. “To the Establishment” is the album’s masterwork, eleven minutes of protest music that ranks up there with Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Goin’On.”

Bond uses his playful high register to ornament the melody, and finishes the tune with several minutes of gospel-esque improvisations full of sighs, cries, stuttered notes, growls, and wails. He also applies his falsetto to Carly Simon’s cynical ode “That’s the Way I’ve Always Heard It Should Be” and wrings every once of painful ambivalence out of the lyric. The glacial groove is full of subtle percussive touches. “Come on Snob” could just as easily be called “Come on Whitey.” It sports another kaleidoscopic, ever-shifting lyric that decries discrimination and materialism. The arrangement features flute, strings, and the bass strings of Bond’s acoustic. His pleading refrain of “Please, please, please, please, please” references James Brown without overt imitation, and his moaned improvisations are superb. The set closes with a tune that wasn’t on the original album, a cover of Al Green’s “I’m Still in Love with You” played by Bond as a guitar and vocal showcase. Bond scats all over the lyric to open the tune, does a brief verse, then slips into the traditional “Sometimes I Feel Like aMotherless Child,” sustaining a stunning falsetto note for almost a minute.
A beautiful listening experience.

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Light in the Attic gets props for putting this reissue out and we should all be so thankful to revisit an artist whose work has always deserved the recognition. Buy it here and a vinyl copy here or here.

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The Blossoms were one of the premium female backing vocal groups during the 60s and 70s and existed in many versions under many pseudonyms. Familiar artists that came and went include Edna Wright, Gloria Jones and Merry Clayton - the trio featured on this LP includes only one member of the original sextet, Fanita James - accompanied by Darlene Love and Jean King. Together they bring some of that chirpy feminity that graced the sixties, in particular the Phil Spector sound, and soak it up in a whole lot of soul. This was sadly their only long player, so savour their spirited scent as they invite you to their sweet garden of soul.

This is a 320 LP rip of the Lion Records original vinyl including covers.

Tracks
A1 Touchdown (2:15)
A2 It’s All Up To You (2:57)
A3 Cherish What Is Dear To You (2:25)
A4 Moody (2:40)
A5 Fire And Rain (3:45)
B1 Last Call For Love (2:20)
B2 Shockwave (2:15)
B3 Grandma’s Hands (3:33)
B4 Heartbreak (2:47)
B5 Just Remember (3:07)

Review by Trakbuv

Believe it or not, this is the only LP released by The Blossoms. The Blossoms were one of the greatest secrets of the 60/70s, backing artists from Elvis to Tom Jones, with a career stretching back as far as 1954 where they started out as the sextet, The Dreamers. Comprising of Fanita Barrett (later James), Gloria Jones, Jewel Cobbs, Pat Howard and twin sisters Annette and Nanette Williams, they formed at high school with a strong gospel routine. And although they garnered favourable support from radio DJ Johnny Otis and crooner Richard Berry, their activities were not so popular with the parents of Jewel and Pat who promptly had to leave the group. They recorded several creditable singles for Flair and RPM records accompanied by Richard Berry, including the delightful chirper ‘Daddy Daddy’ release in 1955 (which did include Jewel and Pat before their departure). They also surfaced as The Rollettes (minus Nanette) on Class Records, releasing the ever-so-sweet ‘More than you realise’ in ‘56. They then signed to Capitol Records whereupon one of the executives likened them to a bouquet on account of their different skin tones, and from that sprouted the name The Blossoms. Several singles ensued that unfortunately fell into forgettable pop fodder, although ‘He promised me’ is quite enigmatic.

In 1958, Nanette was planning to leave for motherhood when the band fortuitously met her replacement, one Darlene Wright (Darlene Love), performing at a friends’ wedding around the same time. Things now start to get a bit complicated with respect incarnations of the band. They released some cutesy pop numbers out on RCA as The Playgirls (’59-’60), and had a minor hit as The Co-Eds (on Challenge) in the catchy ‘Son in law’ (#79 US Pop in 1961). They were also becoming highly regarded session singers which kept the money rolling even if the hits weren’t so prolific. Their next hit was much more impressive, this time under the pseudonym of The Rebelettes. Duane Eddy provided the basis for the poptastic ‘Dance with the guitar man’ - a sure-fire fingersnapper that clicked all the way to #12 US Pop 1962. And just to mix it up even further, The Blossoms ACTUALLY recorded ‘He’s a rebel’, the huge smash that was credited to The Crystals in 1962. Gloria Jones left soon thereafter forcing the remaining duo to join up with Bobby Sheen as Bob B Soxx & the Blue Jeans. Yet another huge hit came tumbling in the form of ‘Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah’ (yes, the one and the same !) breaking into the top 10 US Pop. But still no hit for ‘The Blossoms’ !!

The Blossoms continued doing session work, now for the Philles label (where Darlene secured solo success), recruiting Merry Clayton or Edna Wright (Darlene’s sister) to make up the trio from time to time. In 1964, they finally recruited full-time member Jean King (an awesome singer in her own right - just check out her ‘Don’t say goodbye’ and ‘Something happens to me’ for soul heaven) and thus begun a love affair with the public as regulars on the TV Show, “Shindig !”. They then entered their most soulful tenure yet at Reprise Records, with excellent sides in the form of ‘Let your love shine’, ‘Good, good lovin’ and ‘That’s when the tears start’. Other glorious 45s that met with a lacklustre public reaction were the tremendous ‘Stoney End’ (Ode Records 1967, with Jean on lead), and the gorgeous ‘I ain’t got to love’ and the pleading ‘One step away’, both for Bell Records (1970). They then (re-)joined MGM and were assigned to their Lion Records subsidiary and given a moderate budget to record their first and only long player in 1972.

Even with three different sets of producers, there is still a reasonable continuity throughout, reminding me a little of the string-laden Holland-Dozier-Holland stuff coming out on their own label. However, the material is slightly patchy, and lacks an obvious single. For example, “It’s all up to you” - the initial single - is a insiduous swayer that oozes class, but was probably too subtle to catch the attention of the public. The cover versions here are also exceptional, with “Fire and rain” given a captivating bluesy treatment, and “Grandma’s Hands” is brilliant in its understated thunder - and together with the sombre “Just remember” - is that 3 tracks featuring 3 different leads ? The catchy “Cherish” (written by H-D-H) had apparently already been a hit for Freda Payne, which would have otherwise been an obvious choice 45. The remaining tracks are all commendable and worthy inclusions, providing an extremely satisfying album experience. However, without that unique and potent single to fanfare its existence, the LP suffered poor sales. Which is such a shame when you consider the calibre of these girls and the varying winds of fate on which they had been carried - yet these blossoms held their majesty through it all.

Darlene left The Blossoms in 1974 amidst personal problems and allegations of Jean’s drug abuse. Jean sadly passed away in 1983 from a heart attack. Fanita continued to keep The Blossoms alive, with Gloria Jones coming back to the fold in 2000. I believe that they have since retired.

An excellent biography of The Blossoms can be found here

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Never released on cd. Buy the vinyl from Groove Collector or Ebay.

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I came across a vinyl copy of this wonderful singer at my last visit to London and I couldn’t resist buying it, though I had the US version of it. Fabulous, absolutely fabulous. One of the greatest and most underestimated popular singers that this country’s produced.

A strong 70s set from Linda Lewis – her first for Arista, and a date that has her picking up a fuller style than before! The arrangements here are by Bert DeCoteaux, who brings in plenty of soul – and Linda’s working in modes that run from the simple, personal style of her Warner years to some of the more lush sounds you might expect at Arista – hints of club at points, but an even better dose of keyboards and strings that make the midtempo tracks especially great. The set was recorded in both London and New York.

This is a @320 vinyl rip of the original Arista LP including covers.

Tracks
A1 (Remember the Days of) The Old Schoolyard 3:11
A2 It’s in His Kiss 3:18
A3 This Time I’ll Be Sweeter 3:50
A4 Rock and Roller Coaster 3:16
A5 Not a Little Girl Anymore 4:12
B1 Love Where Are You Now 3:27
B2 My Grandaddy Could Reggae 3:20
B3 I Do My Best Impress 3:33
B4 May You Never 3:58
B5 Love, Love, Love 3:42

Review by Amy Hanson
The title says it all. No matter how well-loved Linda Lewis was during her days at Reprise, still the focus of both marketing and material was on the sheer youthful glee with which she attacked every performance. Her debut at Arista, however, was built around her determination that, at last, she was going to be treated like an adult, a vow that proved to have been fulfilled long before you reached the sultry, resolute title track. Packing more covers than any of her earlier albums, Not a Little Girl Anymore nevertheless emerges as Lewis’ most well-rounded and, perhaps, personal album yet. Cat Stevens‘ “(Remember the Days Of) The Old Schoolyard” a somewhat forced exercise in nostalgia in its writer’s hands, is here imbibed with a genuine sense of emotion and regret. However, there is no time for maudlin reflection as “It’s in His Kiss (Shoop Shoop Song)” a wily cover of the Betty Everett classic, simply erupts out of the song’s closing notes with a rambunctious passion that suggests kissing is only the first thing on Lewis’ mind. From there on, and to paraphrase one of the album’s other prime cuts, Lewis rollercoasters through a succession of moods and styles, ranging from the emotive soul of Gwen Guthrie’s “This Time I’ll Be Sweeter“to her own (stylistically, aptly titled) “My Grandaddy Could Reggae” a reminder of the versatility that past albums occasionally allowed to overwhelm content, but which here is balanced with delicate precision. And, as you approach the end, the gentle “I Do My Best to Impress” leaves the listener with one thought. You succeeded.

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UK front LP cover

This British artist is one of the most unique vocalists to come out of the 1970s, but so many people don’t even know who she is. Probably since her music is not only soul or R&B. And at times it’s pretty funky, in a groove-oriented way. But it’s not funk. So what does Linda Lewis do? I can’t even describe it myself, but rare-groovers like myself scramble for her hard-to-find albums.
Linda’s music is great stuff, but it’s her voice that makes the tunes both weird and wonderful. At one moment, Linda might sing in a “normal” husky lower register with the conviction of a worldly-wise woman. In the next stanza, she may switch to the voice of a breathy, nasal, pre-pubescent lil’ bit. It’s her high, multi-octave voice that many people compare to Minnie Riperton’s. I would compare the two ladies’ poetic lovelorn lyrics before I’d compare their voices, but like Minnie, Linda’s effortless vocals seem to bring the listener back to a time of innocence.

UK back LP cover

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Biography from Soulwalking

Buy the vinyl and cd from Ebay

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Enjoy her masterpiece “Lark” in our back pages here.

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Mr Magic Blues makes a ’70s soul classic and Mr.Moo kindly offer it to us.

One of the funkiest albums ever from Junior Parker – a great little set that shows he had a lot more to offer than just the average bluesman! The album’s got a nice little soul sound in the backings – tight rhythms from Horace Ott, who nicely avoids a lot of the cliches that the blues business was hitting at the time – in order to keep Junior in hip territory that’s filled with breaking drums and heavy basslines! There’s a few key crossover tracks here, plus some surprisingly sweeter numbers – and the album’s a gem through and through – well-appreciated by new generations over the years, thanks to its diversity of tracks!

This is a @320 vinyl rip (supplied by Mr.Moo) of the original Groove Merchant LP including covers

Tracks
A1 Love Ain’t Nothin’ But a Business Goin’ On 3:20
A2 The Outside Man 3:12
A3 Darling Depend on Me 3:43
A4 Taxman 3:42
A5 Rivers Invitation 2:45
B1 I Wonder Where Our Love Has Gone 3:38
B2 Just to Hold My Hand 3:51
B3 You Know I Love You 3:33
B4 Lady Madonna 2:12
B5 Tomorrow Never Knows 3:25

Review by Andrew Male (Mojo Magazine)

Herman Parker Jr. was born at the heart of the blues in Clarksdale, Mississippi in 1932. He died tragically young, from a brain tumour in 1971. In between, he produced some of the most soulful blues of the ’50s and ’60s. Mentored by Sonny Boy Williamson and Howlin’ Wolf and talent-spotted by Ike Turner, Parker started out as Little Junior who, with The Blue Flames cut the riotous Feelin’ Good and the eerie Mystery Train for Sun Records. Parker’s downhome late-’50s sides for Duke brought him success but when he moved away from hard blues he lost his audience. As a result, most scholars tend to write off Parker’s later, more soulful sound. This is a shame as his final recordings contain some of the most warm-heated sunshine soul of the period. Cratediggers rate this album (alt. titled Outside Man in its Capitol incarnation) because of Sonny Lester’s clear production, and in-the-pocket groove from Jimmy McGriff’s soul-jazz combo and Parker’s three Beatles tracks – Taxman, Tomorrow Never Knows and Lady Madonna – where the singer’s good-hearted character cuts through the clichés, even going so far as to blanche at the meanness of George Harrison’s lyrics on Taxman (“Oh, this is awful!”).

Also worth tracking down is Parker’s glorious cover of Ain’t It Funny How Time Slips Away from the same period; an epic spoken-word reworking of the Willie Nelson country classic that deserves to sit alongside such other soul overhauls of white radio standards as Isaac Hayes’ By The Time I Get To Phoenix and Bobby Womack’s cover of The Carpenters’ Close To You.

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Biography from AMG

Buy the vinyl from Discogs and CD from Amazon

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