the Allman Brothers: Ramblin' Man

Southern rock and blues rock legends the Allman Brothers were formed in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1969. The band was named after brothers Greg and Duane Allman, the band’s lead singer and lead guitarist, respectively. The Allman Brothers are perhaps the quintessential example of “Southern Rock.” Southern rock bands such as the Allman Brothers, Lynyrd Skynard, and the Marshall Tucker Band all hailed from below the Mason-Dixon Line and infused their hard rock with elements of the blues and country music and often expressed the conservative or “redneck” outlooks.

 The Allman Brothers were perhaps the most blues-influenced of southern rock bands. Their first two albums, “The Allman Brothers Band” (1968) and “Idlewild South” (1970) contained several blues cover tunes each. The ragged, soulful voice of Greg Allman and bluesy slide guitar of Duane Allman and Dickie Betts enabled the band to produce some of the best blues rock of the era.

 The Allman Brothers Band was a tremendous live act, and live performances allowed the band’s instrumental highlight, Duane Allman to display his prodigious slide guitar technique. Two of the band’s finest albums, “Live at the Fillmore East” (1971) and “Eat a Peach” (1972) are live albums which feature long tracks which serve as vehicles for Duane Allman’s and Dickie Betts’ impressive chops. Duane Allman died tragically in a motorcycle accident in 1971, at the age of 23, when the motorcycle he was riding collided with a peach truck. Following the death of Duane Allman, Dickie Betts became the instrumental centerpiece of the band, and the Allman Brothers Band continued to record and tour. The band reached the height of their commercial success with the classic album, “Brothers and Sisters” (1973) ,which featured two of their best known tunes, “Ramblin’ Man” and the instrumental, “Jessica.”

Ben E. King: Stand by Me

Singer/songwriter Ben E. King is one of the best performers of the smooth soul singer set. King, who was born Benjamin Earl Nelson in Henderson, North Carolina, in 1938, got his start in music with a revamped version of the Drifters, in 1958.

As the lead singer of this new incarnation of the Drifters, King lent his velvet pipes to the hits, “There Goes My Baby,” (which he co-wrote) “Save the Last Dance for Me,” and “This Magic Moment.”

Due to a contract dispute with Drifters manager George Treadwell, King left the group and embarked on a solo career in 1960. King would soon find solo success with a number of classic hits including the Phil Spector-produced “Spanish Harlem” and “Stand by Me.” Both of these songs are among the finest pop records made in the decade. King would score a number of lesser hits in the early Sixties with the songs, “Young Boy Blues,” I (Who Have Nothing),” and “Hear Comes the Night.”

King’s classic hits can be found on the compilations, “Stand By Me-The Best of Ben E. King and Ben E, King and the Drifters” (1986), “Stand By Me (The Ultimate Collection” (1987), and “Anthology” (1993).

Al Green: Call Me

Al Green is a southern soul singer from Forrest City, Arkansas who embodies the smoother and sweeter side of soul music which in the hands of the likes of James Brown, Ray Charles and Otis Redding was a far grittier genre. Green’s songs tell tales of true love and extol the virtues of fidelity. His biggest hit, “Let’s Stay Together,” is a primary example Green’s brand of sweet soul.

Green would become one of the biggest soul stars of the Seventies with a steady string of hits which included, “I Can’t Get Next to You,” “Tired of Being Alone,” “Let’s Stay Together,” “I’m Still in Love with You,” and “Call Me.” Green’s hits were recorded for Hi Records in Memphis under the deft direction of producer Willie Mitchell.

Green’s best albums include, “Green is Blues” (1969), “Al Green Gets Next to You” (1970), “Let’s Stay Together” (1972), “I’m Still in Love with You” (1972), and “Call Me” (1973).

Isaac Hayes: Hot Buttered Soul

Isaac Hayes had a long career as a soul songwriter and session musician prior to the launch of his own solo career in the early Seventies. Hayes was born in Covington, Tennessee, in 1942.

Hayes began his professional career as part of the Stax Records songwriting team of David Porter and Isaac Hayes that produced soul hits for Stax Records’ legendary roster of singers. The songs that Hayes and Porter produced for Stax include, “B-A-B-Y” by Carla Thomas, “I've Got to Love Somebody’s Baby” by Johnnie Taylor, and “Hold On! I'm Coming!” “You Got Me Hummin’,” “Soul Man,” and “When Something Is Wrong With My Baby” by Sam and Dave.

Hayes recorded his first solo album, “Presenting Isaac Hayes,” in 1967. The album contained pleasant soul numbers, but it was a tame effort compared to what was to come. When Atlantic Records bought out the Stax Records catalogue in 1968, Hayes was under pressure to write and record new material to replace what had been lost. He hurled himself into the task and while producing material for other artists, he also came up with the material for his brilliant sophomore album, “Hot Buttered Soul,” one of the greatest soul albums ever recorded.

The album contained four superb tracks-all of which clocked in at least five minutes. Covers of Burt Bacharach’s “Walk on By” and Jimmy Webb’s “By the Time I get to Phoenix” ran at 12 minutes and 18 and a half minutes, respectively. Hayes’ extended takes on these songs transcended the originals with their dreamy instrumental passages.

Hayes recorded two more fine albums in 1970, “The Isaac Hayes Movement” and “…To Be Continued.” Hayes’ excellent soundtrack for the film, “Shaft,” would appear in 1971 with the title track becoming a hit. Another quality Hayes album, “Black Moses,” would be released in 1971, featuring lush string accompaniments to soulful songs such as a cover of another Bacharach song, “Close to You,” and a cover of Curtis Mayfield’s “Man’s Temptation.”

Hayes would continue to record throughout the Seventies and sporadically in the Eighties with lesser results. Hayes died in 2008 having achieved the status of a master among soul music figures.

The man in chains

James Brown Albums and History

James Brown, born in Macon, Georgia, in 1938 was known by a number of titles including “The Godfather of Soul,” “The Hardest Working Man in Show Business,” “Soul Brother Number One,” and “Mr. Dynamite.” Brown is considered one of the most influential figures in the history of American popular music. In addition to being a major figure in the creation of funk music, Brown was a businessman and an inspirational leader in the American civil rights movement.

A number of musicians spent time in his back-up bands before finding success as solo artists including, Bootsy Collins, Maceo Parker, and Hank Ballard. Brown is frequently cited as an influence by hip hop artists, and he may be the single most sampled artist by hip hop producers.

James Brown was born in Barnwell, North Carolina, in 1933. He was born into abject poverty and was sent to live with an aunt. He dropped out of school in the seventh grade and began working odd jobs such as shoe shining and singing for the World War Two troops that were stationed at Camp Gordon near his aunt’s home. During this time, Brown taught himself to play the harmonica and received guitar lessons from the legendary bluesman, Tampa Red.

When he saw a film of the great jump blues master Louis Jordan performing his hit, “Caledonia,” Brown resolved to pursue a professional music career. However, when he was sixteen, Brown was charged with armed robbery and sent to a juvenile detention center. While serving a three-year sentence in a detention center, Brown became acquainted with Bobby Byrd, a future R&B star whose family arranged for Brown’s release from the center. After stints as a semi-professional baseball player and boxer, Brown focused his attention back on music.

In 1955, Brown joined his friend Bobby Bird as a member of Byrd’s singing group, the Avons. With Brown now a member, the Avons changed their name to the Flames and signed to Federal Records. Brown’s first recording, “Please. Please, Please” would come as a member of the Flames and present him as a soul singer of great depth and intensity.

Brown would record several more singles with the Flames during the Fifties, and the group would eventually become known as “James Brown and the Famous Flames.” Among thier big hits were the songs, “I’ll Go Crazy,” “Think,” “Lost Someone,” “Night Train,” and “Caledonia.” In 1965, Brown, in the opinion of many, would invent funk music with his hit, “Papa’s got a Brand New Bag.” For its recording, Brown told his band to “play it on the one,” transforming the traditional 2/4 beat heard in R&B recordings and giving the world something new.

Brown continued recording hit singles and albums consistently until the Nineties. Among Brown’s later hits were the songs, “I Got You (I Feel Good),” “It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World,” “Licking Stick,” “Say it Loud-I’m Black and I’m Proud,” “Cold Sweat,” “Sex Machine,” and “Living in America.”

Brown died on Christmas Day, 2006, leaving behind him an awesome catalogue of recorded work.

Among Brown’s best studio albums and compilations are: “Please Please Please” (1956), “Live at the Apollo” (1963), “Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag” (1965), “I Got You (I Feel Good)” (1966), “James Brown Live at the Garden” (1967), “I Can’t Stand Myself When You Touch Me” (1968), “Say it Loud-I’m Black and I’m Proud” (1969), “Sex Machine”(1970), “Revolution of the Mind” (1971), “The Payback” (1974), “Love Power Peace, Live at the Olympia, Paris1971” (1992), “James Brown Soul Classics” (1972), “Solid Gold 30 Golden Hits” (1977), “In the Jungle Groove” (1986), “Star Time” (1991), and “Gold” (2005)

Sam and Dave: Soul Men

Sam and Dave are perhaps the finest vocal duo in the history of soul music. The duo was part of Stax Records’ fine roster of soul recording artists. Sam Moore was born in Miami, Florida, in 1935, while his partner, Dave Prater, was born in Ocilla, Georgia, in 1937. The two men joined forces and formed Sam and Dave in 1961. At Stax records, the duo was supported on recordings by the Stax house band, Booker T and the MG’s, and was often provided with stellar songs by the songwriting team of Issac Hayes and David Porter.

After the duo had recorded a series of unsuccessful singles for Roulette Records, Jerry Wexler of Atlantic Records sent them to Memphis, Tennessee, to try their luck with Stax. Between 1965 and 1968, Sam & Dave would establish themselves as the most exciting duo in soul music, scoring big hits with tunes such as “Hold On! I’m Comin’,” “Soul Man,” “Soothe Me,” “You Got Me Hummin’,” and “I Thank You.”

By the late Sixties, the duo’s waning commercial success and increasing in-fighting led to Sam & Dave splitting up in 1970.

Prater and Moore embarked on ill-fated solo careers before the first of many Sam & Dave reunions. The 1980 film, “The Blues Brothers,” which featured the Sam and Dave hits, “Soul Man” and “Soothe Me,” regenerated interest in the duo, but continuing conflict prevented the men from taking full advantage of their second chance at success.

During the Eighties, Prater actually hired another singer to pose as “Sam” and together they toured the country as Sam & Dave much to the frustration of Sam Moore. David Prater sadly died in a car accident in Georgia, in 1988, at the age of 50.

The duo recorded several superb albums for Atlantic/Stax including, “Hold On, I’m  Comin’” (1966), “Double Dynamite” (1966), “Soul Men” (1967), and “I Thank You” (1968).