Get Involved blog

Chuck Jackson - I Keep Forgettin’

Like with a lot of the 45s I buy, I first heard this 1962 gem of a tune on a compilation LP. In this case, the compilation was Kent’s frankly awesome 1984 LP Kent Stop Dancing – a record well worth tracking down in its own right… ANYhoo, I don’t really feel the need to say too much about this tune other than when I first heard it I had to play it several times in pure wonderment. I’ve never heard a track like it. Enjoy!

More info on Chuck Jackson here

Cliff Richard - Leave My Woman Alone

I was going to stick up a recording of an out of print blues compilation today but a combination of circumstances mean that’s not going to happen: my recording of said LP sounds truly terrible and also, a blog post by Derek of Derek’s Daily 45s (see blogroll) made me want to stick up this Cliff Richard (yes, really) track instead…

The track Derek posted up earlier this week is Leave My Man Alone, The Raeletts (Ray Charles’ backing group, hence the name) 1970 reworking of Charles’ Leave My Woman Alone, a track which originally appeared as the b-side of Atlantic single Lonely Avenue in 1956.

In the late 50s Cliff Richard recorded some blistering rockabilly sides such as Dynamite and Move It - both of which I happily drop at Gerry’s Joint every now and then. But by 1963 he’d recorded Summer Holiday and was heading down a musical road that I’ve never been interested in following him down. However, when I stumbled across this 1970 release a few months ago in JB’s record store I was intrigued to find Richard covering Leave My Woman Alone: I had to check it out and, actually, I love his effort - which kicks off with a heart-pounding string arrangement that has to be heard to be believed…

So, was the Raeletts’ record on Cliff’s radar, I wonder, or was the release of these two versions of Ray Charles 1956 b-side in 1970 merely a coincidence?

Little Johnny Taylor - Sweet Soul Woman

Ah, Little Johnny Taylor. I’m a massive fan of his work - particularly his recordings on Galaxy in the mid to late sixties (regular readers of this here blog may recall I posted his Sometimey Woman track back in September last year). This track was released two years later than that in 1970 on the Ronn label and it’s a beauty that I’ll probably file under “country-got-soul”. Check the wah-wah guitar and bass-kick intro, the “Come on Johnny-Johnny-Johnny” backing singer action and, of course, Johnny’s great vocals and lyrics about coming home from work to his Sweet Soul Woman.

Howard Tate - I’m Your Servant

I’m Your Servant is from Howard Tate’s 1968 single release (Verve VK 10625) which has Sweet Love Child on the flip. I’ve been on a bit of a soul tip while the snow’s been coming down and had to post this up because Howard Tate’s voice on this track is just incredible. If you like the cut of Mr Tate’s jib, I heartily recommend you get hold of the limited edition CD issue of Get It While You Can, Tate’s seminal 1967 album re-issued on Universal Music’s imprint, Hip-o Select. When it was first released the album was coveted by the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Ry Cooder, Janis Joplin, BB King - who all covered tracks from it. An original vinyl copy of the album is a must for any serious soul collector but for everyone else, the Hip-o Select reissue is a fine substitue: It’s got all the album tracks plus the two bonus tracks AND the eight Verve singles (this one included) in chronological order in glorious, original mono.

You can read more and buy the 29 track CD here.