Irma Thomas Rocks My World - Twice!

Ladies and Gentlemen,

This is the Soul Queen of New Orleans. And here are two of her biggest cuts!

The first, released in 1960 on Ron, came out when Irma was the tender age of 19. But by that time she'd been married twice and had four children! So she could tell you a thing or two about men.  This one hit #22 on the charts and was her first hit. Great sense of humor, swinging beat, screaming horns - "Don't Mess With My Man" has all the makings of a Nola classic.

"Wish Someone Would Care" came out in 1964, and was Irma's biggest hit.  It's about a perfect soul tune if you ask me. 

Irma Thomas never got the mainstream success she deserved, but she is still known and adored by music lovers everywhere.

King Curtis - "I Never Love A Man (The Way I Love You)" - Atco, 1968

Today I've got a nice blues-soul instro from sax god Curtis Ousley AKA King Curtis. Maybe you don't know the name, but you've got to know his honking on tracks like The Coasters' "Yakety Yak" or Buddy Holly's "Reminiscing."
Born in 1934, Curtis picked up at sax at age 12. He got his professional career started as a sideman in the 50's and 60's, but by the mid 60's he was able to lead his own band recording plenty of instrumentals for Atlantic. He died tragically, stabbed to death while trying to shoo some junkies away from his apartment stoop in 1971. Curtis was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on March 6, 2000.

Today's song was originally an Aretha Franklin tune, peep this YouTube clip for a taste of the flavor:

Atco Records released a ton of 45s and I'm sure you've come across many. From Wikipedia:

"Atco Records was founded in 1955 as a division of Atlantic Records. It was devised as an outlet for productions by one of Atlantic's founders, Herb Abramson, who had returned to the company from military service. It was also intended as a home for acts that did not fit the format of Atlantic, which at the time was only releasing blues, jazz, and R&B/soul. The Atco name is simply an abbreviation of ATlantic COrporation."
And now, the clip!

Gil Scott-Heron - "Johannesburg" - Arista, 1975

Today's post is in memory of Gil Scott-Heron, who passed away on May 27th.  He was a poet and a musician whose influence on Hip-Hop and Neo-Soul is hard to overestimate.

Born in Chicago but relocated to the Bronx in his early teens, Gil's writing talents were already apparent in high school. In college he started his first band Black and Blues, and wrote his first novels. Starting in 1970 he began to record, and he remained active until his death. "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" was one of his most famous compositions, and is hailed by many as an important proto-rap song. His albums weaved elements of spoken word, jazz and soul into a style all his own. Throughout his career Gil's lyrics discussed social issues of the day, and today's song is a perfect example. "Johannesburg" speaks to the simmering unrest over apartheid in South Africa.

"They tell me that our brothers over there

are defyin' the Man

We don't know for sure because the news we

get is unreliable, man

Well I hate it when the blood starts flowin'

but I'm glad to see resistance growin'

Somebody tell me what's the word?

Tell me brother, have you heard

from Johannesburg?"

Gil wasn't without his demons. He was sentenced to 3 years for cocaine possession in 2001, and was arrested again in 2007 for the same charge. He also quietly suffered from HIV for years before going public in 2008, which may have contributed to his death.
The world lost a great poet last week. RIP Gil Scott-Heron!

Ike & Tina Turner - I Wish It Would Rain - Minit, 1969

Today's 45 is a hot slab of soul from Ike & Tina Turner.  What can really be said about the Queen of Rock and Roll that hasn't been said?  This woman born to a family of modest means in Tennessee was occasionally performing with Ike by the time she was 18.

A lucky break allowed her to sing on 1960's "A Fool In Love" which became huge hit. Anna Mae Bullock married Ike in Tijuana and "Tina Turner" was born.  Ike Turner was involved in the music business forever.  He was helping the DJ at WROX in Clarksdale Mississippi at the tender age of 8. The first recording he was ever involved in, "Rocket 88" by Jackie Brenston, is considered by many to be one of the first "Rock" songs ever.  Through the 60s and into the mid-70's, Ike and Tina were untouchable.

One of the best album covers ever!

But in '76 Tina split with accusations of abuse, and Ike's career floundered while Tina's slowed before a massive comeback in the early 80's with hits like "Private Dancer" and "What's Love Got To Do With It".  She was even nominated for an award for her acting in "Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome".

Two legs enter, no men leave..

I don't believe today's single on Minit was a big hit, rather just another solid tune in a long career of wonderful music.  Tina's voice is what makes it, elevating anything it graces.  Have a listen:

William Bell - "Eloise (Hang On In There)" - Stax, 1967

The other day I was running through some 45s and I realized there were a few I never got around to ripping to digital so I could play them out.  I've been really missing out by not having this monster in my bag! Great, great tune.

Bell was born in Memphis, Tennessee. He took the last name "Bell" as a stage name in honor of his grandmother, whose first name was Belle. After a start with The Del-Rios in the 50s, he began releasing records on Stax in the early 60's with "You Don't Miss Your Water".

"Share What You Got (But Keep What You Need)" was his first big hit in '66. His later hits were covered by artists such as Cream, Billy Idol, and Albert King.

This particular tune seems to be a bit under-the-radar, I don't believe it had any real chart success. As you can see by the label, this was another collaboration with Booker T. Jones.  Kind of a shame this one didn't break out as it's a real corker!

Stax Records is an epic record label, defining the Memphis Soul sound. Otis Redding, Booker T & The MGs, Rufus Thomas, The Bar-Kays - just a handful of the tremendous artists that released on Stax. 

From Wikipedia: "Stax Records, originally named Satellite Records, was founded in Memphis in 1957 by Jim Stewart, initially operating in a garage. Satellite's early releases were country music records or straight pop numbers, reflecting the tastes of Stewart (a white country fiddle player) at the time."

Out of Satellite Records came Stax Records (a portmanteau of the names of the two owners of the company: Jim Stewart and Estelle Axton) and Volt. In the early/mid 60s they rose from regional to national labels alongside Motown. By the late 60's Stax started to falter after legal troubles with distributor Atlantic and the death of Otis Redding. Stax/Volt Records was forced into involuntary Chapter 11 bankruptcy on December 19, 1975.

If you see a Stax 45, just give it a listen! And now, the clip:

I found a bunch of old 45s yesterday, here's the breakdown. Let me know if yer interested in anything!

Stuff Up For Grabs:

The Magic Touch - "Dear Mother" / "A Woman Will Do Wrong" - Falcon's Roost, 1975
Joe Cuba Sextet - "Talk About Luv" / "I'm Insane" - Tico, 1967? (Latin-y proto salsa / boogaloo)
Ray Charles - "Sunshine" / "America The Beutiful" - Crossover, 1976
The Three Sounds - "Love For Sale" / "On Green Dolphin Street" - Blue Note, 1960 (jazz, and in terrible shape)
Executive Suite - "Your Love Is Paradise" / "I'm Leaving This Time" - Babylon, 1974
Fredrick Knight - "I've Been lonely For So Long" / "Lean On Me" - Stax, 1972
Joe Simon - "I Found My Dad" / "Trouble In My Home" - Spring Records, 1972
Moments - "Thanks A Lot" / "My Thing" - Stang, 1972
The Intruders - "Baby I'm Lonley" / "A Love That's Real" - Gamble, 1967
Bloodstone - "Natural High" / "Peter's Jones" - London, 1972
The Delfonics - "Walk Right Up To The Sun" / "Round And Round" - Philly Groove, 1972 (inspiration for the bit in Nas' "If I Ruled The World"?)
Joe Simon - "The Mirror Don't Lie" / "Power Of Love" - Spring Records, 1972
Little Anthony & The Imperials - "I'm Falling In Love With You" / "What Good Am I Without You" - Avco, 1974
The Independents - "I Love you, Yes I Do" / "Leaving Me" - Wand, 1972

Stuff I was planning to keep, but I guess anything is negotiable:

The Persuaders - "Thin Line Between Love & Hate" / "Thigh Spy" - Atco, 1971
The Beginning Of The End - "Funky Nassau Part I & II" - Alston, 1971 (terrible shape, but a classic)
Jimmy "Bo" Horne - "Gimme Some Part I & II" - Alston, 1975
King Floyd - "Groove Me" / "What Our Love Needs" - Chimneyville, 1970
James Brown - "Public Enemy #1-Part 1" / "I Got A Bag Of My Own" - Polydor, 1972
B.B. King - "Never Trust A Woman" / "Worryin' Blues" - ABC Paramount, 1964