Last year we had two compilations of classic Christmas soul (plus one featuring newer stuff); here is a third volume. It kicks off with a spoken intro by The Jackson 5 . Jermaine is crying – and the manner in which that is established always makes my smile – and he needs yuletide comforting. Wonderful stuff. Towards the middle we get socially conscious. Stevie Wonder , still just 17 years old, hopes for no hunger and no tears, but for peace and equality of man. Then the Harlem Children's Choir , who sound rather older [...]
Rufus Thomas serves up some tasty funky chicken.
Not feeling a hundred percent today. The doctor prescribed me this track. He said it could possibly cure my symptoms (which include a few certain people who will remain nameless). B-A-B-why? Be sure to check in tomorrow, as I have numerous drafts that I'll be editing to post in the morning. Carla, take it away. MP3: B-A-B-Y by Carla Thomas
Only two mixtape-making days until Christmas! We're here for all your last-minute music needs! MP3: "Funky Funky Christmas" by Electric Jungle MP3: "Let It Snow" by The Diplomats of Solid Sound MP3: "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" by Darlene Love MP3: "White Christmas" by Otis Redding MP3: "Joy To The World" by [...]
The first Christmas soul mix was very popular. Thank you to all the kind people who took the time to say nice things about it (and about my efforts here in general). Comments are always appreciated. As I pointed out in the blurb for the first mix, I held back a lot of great stuff for the follow-up. So this one might be even better than the first compilation. You be the judge of that. Be advised that in this batch are a couple of tracks that might not appeal to your mother: Rufus Thomas (Carla's [...]
Here's my favorite Christmas song of the moment. Thank you to Aneta for proving that tolerable holiday music does in fact exist. I could (almost) play this one year round! MP3: Gee Whiz It's Christmas by Carla Thomas
Christmas got funky, Christmas got soul! The analytical eagle-eyed reader may have deduced, by astute observation of the post's title, that this year's Christmas mix is dominated by soul music, and that there will be at least one more compilation. Indeed, there will be at least a second mix of Christmas soul tracks from the heyday of the genre – the 1960s and '70s. I have held back a few cracking numbers anyway. Still, this is a really great bunch of songs. Whoever I got the utterly gorgeous opening track from, I am particularly grateful to. The Flirtations, one of [...]
Thank my new friend Charlie for this instalment in the Answer Records series; covering the reply to Universal Soldier was his suggestion. Besides the conflict of ideology, we have Billie Jean creating a bit of a scene and Sam Cooke begging his woman to return to him. But will she, and is the kid Jacko's son? * * * Who does Wacko think he is? Act 1: Michael Jackson – Billie Jean (Demo) (1982).mp3 Renowned laydees man Michael [...]
I just can't get over losin' you And so if I seem, broken and blue Walk on by, walk on by Foolish pride, that's all that I have left Thanks to a wonderful teacher in high school, I was fortunate enough to be exposed to the entire Stax singles catalog almost immediately upon becoming interested in 60's R+B. I went from one cd, Otis Redding's Greatest Hits, Volume 2 to The Complete Stax Singles 1959-1968. I think a lot of folks can hand something this comprehensive to a [...]
I've done a Valentine's Day post every year here at the BWF, and seriously considered taking this one off. Partially, because I'm not thrilled by this particular holiday, and also I've found writing to be increasingly difficult as of late - hence the relative silence here. Writer's block, I guess, which is funny because I'm not even a writer, I'm a photographer. So, happy Valentines Day to all of you who are lucky enough to be attached and happy about celebrating it. Personally, as time goes on I find this day to be a bit of a [...]
Hey, all. I don't have a lot of time to write up this post today, but I just wanna say this: Happy New Year! Another decade's come and gone; here's hoping we progress as a species a little more this decade than we did during the most recent one! Otis Redding and Carla Thomas - New Year's Resolution mirror 1 -- mirror 2
Now and again I'll get emails from people requesting stuff. Sometimes specific (" Got any Mogwai outtakes ?" - Nope.) Sometimes more general (" Can you re-post that (insert anything from the past 3 years) please - Come on! Gie's a break! " More Smiths !" " Radiohead !" " White Stripes !" " More soul please !") OK! OK! More soul I can do. I like my soul music a lot. I think I have all the relevant bases covered in my collection. Just to make sure, I listen every Saturday night to Craig Charles [...]
No, folks, I have not given up on this blog. I sincerely apologize for not living up to this blog's name this year. You'd think at least one post a month would be easy enough. For various reasons that I won't bore you with, I just wasn't able to. My second job has taken up so much more time this year than it did last year. Which is a good thing...extra money is always good. It seems in today's economy you either are out of work or you are working more for the same [...]
Maybe it's because I grew up reading too much Hemmingway , watching too many Steve McQueen and John Wayne flicks with my dad, and listening to too many Rolling Stones records, but I seem to have been born with, or developed, a predisposition against female artists. Aside from a select few ( Lucinda Williams , Aimee Mann , Patti Smith , Jesse Sykes , Victoria Williams , Cat Power , Aretha , etc.), it all sounds pretty much the same to me. Before I go on, I [...]
Carla Thomas: A Love of My Own I look at the moonlight, I feel the soft breeze, then I wanna know, why...
Why was Rufus Thomas obsessed with animals? I have looked and looked, and I come to you today with no answers, only questions. And that's the thing about Rufus. Born in 1917 but not famous outside Memphis until the early 1960s, and a major factor in the early successes on Sun and Stax Records, two of the most influential labels in American history, Rufus Thomas bridged two eras in popular music, but never truly became a star in either. The first of the two "Honky Tonk Heroes" in Guralnick's book to have worked exclusively outside the [...]
... it´s Christmas. I tend to avoid X-mas songs as a rule, but you can´t go wrong with Carla Thomas and the Stax houseband featuring Steve Cropper on guitar. Gee Whiz, It´s Christmas was used as the first musical season´s greeting of the legendary soul label back in ´63. Thomas, who had scored her first big hit with a song called Gee Whiz a couple of years earlier, was sitting around with Cropper and trumpeter Vinnie Trauth, trying to come up with an yuletime ditty, when the latter jokingly suggested Gee Whiz, It´s Christmas . The rest, [...]
Carla Thomas - Gee Whiz Its Christmas In recent years I've come to rediscover the joys of christmas. This comes mainly from the appreciation of not being at work, spending time with loved ones, eating nice food and drinking nice booze. I think in the UK it also serves as a diversion from the long drudgery of winter. My rediscovery of christmas has not yet led me to enjoy crowded shops or dodgey christmas albums, but there are a few festive musical offerings that appeal, and this is one. [...]
Any Major Dude With Half A Heart
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