Don’t know how I didn’t hear about this before but, man, I’m gutted to find out that General Johnson died last week. Chairmen of The Board were one the great soul bands of the 70s and one of the most underrated (as was their label Invictus with that crisp soul-funk sound they had) and where would Kevin Rowland be without Johnson’s pleading voice and that brrrrrrrrrrrppppp sound he made?
A classic TOTP moment, the first time a lot of people had seen body-popping and the moonwalk. Everyone was talking about it in the pub that Friday night, and nearly everyone I knew bought a copy of the Friends album too — and you should if you haven’t.
Lots to enjoy in the audience too, especially the bloke in the blue trousers.
What is it with the British and soul music? Why did we fall so truly, madly, deeply in love with it, worship even it’s most obscure artists and form so many cults and lifestyles around its every permutation? I doubt if there’s another country in world with such an obsession.
The most obvious expression of this love affair was the huge popularity of Tamla Motown which seemed to be adored by everyone in England from sharp-dressed Mods to mums and dad. Growing up, Motown songs always seemed to be coming out of a transistor radio somewhere — usually introduced by the chirpy voice of Tony Blackburn — and I don’t think I entered a house that didn’t have a copy of “Motown Chartbusters” on the shelf, Volume 6 with it’s bizarre Roger Dean cover was especially popular.
So it was only natural that next to her Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett albums my mother should have a copy of the 1968 compilation “The Motown Sound: A Collection Of 16 Original Big Hits Vol.6″. I’ve no idea what was on the other albums in this series (I can’t find any of them online and the American version has a completely different track listing) but the thing I love about it (especially now) is that only about three tracks on it were big hits while the rest is made up of more obscure numbers which gives it the feel of a from-the-vaults rarities collection rather than a package of chart smashes. Little did I know when I was a kid jumping around our living room to the fabulous, rousing “I Got A Feeling” by Barbara Randolph that I was enjoying a cult tune that was filling the floors of Northern Soul clubs. It wasn’t until the Mod revival in the late 70s when I “rediscovered” the album, dusty and half-forgotten in our sideboard, that I realized it was probably the hippest record my mother owned.
My other favourite track was the ballad “I Can’t Give Back The Love I Feel For You” by Rita Wright which even as a kid I thought was heartbreaking (I was a softy even then). Though I didn’t know then that “Rita Wright” was better known by her real name Syreeta (and for a while as Mrs. Stevie Wonder), how this was never a hit either is beyond me as it’s utterly gorgeous.
Posting is going to be a little thin over the next few weeks as I’m focusing on something else at the moment which is taking all my rather limited spare time and brain power. In addition, Blogger are making some technical changes which might mean me moving this blog somewhere else soon so I have to look into that.
I’ll still put up the odd video and photo but don’t expect much in the way of writing for a few weeks. I know you’re only here for the free music anyway, like this utter beauty. Something about The Isleys just makes me feel so damn good.
This makes me smile so much I could burst. Soul Train is like Top of The Pops in an alternate universe, one where the kids in the audience can actually dance.
The sentimental musings of an ageing expat in words, music, and pictures. Mp3 files are up for a limited time so drink them while they're hot.
Contact me: lee at londonlee dot com
