The Time We HaveAlright, everybody. It's been a busy week over here. The O.V. Wright Memorial Fund has really taken off, with donations coming in from all over the planet. We have set up a home page for the Fund at:
www.ovwright.org
Please add it to your bookmarks, and check it out once in a while, as that is where we'll keep everyone posted on our progress. If you have yet to make a donation, there is still plenty of time to join the team.
This sweet selection we have here today was the flip of Into Something (Can't Shake Loose), which climbed to #43 R&B in the fall of 1977. Written by Willie Mitchell and Earl Randle, it offers us a window into O.V.'s mellow side, and shows just how deep he managed to remain through it all. ABC had chosen not to renew his Back Beat contract in 1976, and Wright signed with Hi, which had become a subsidiary of Cream Records by then. The three LPs he recorded for Hi with Willie in Memphis in the late seventies are often overlooked in favor of those untouchable Back Beat singles from a few years before. While I can certainly relate to that, I think it's worth taking in the whole picture, and checking out the great music Mitchell and Wright continued to create at Royal, even as all that disco fever raged on outside the door.Now, as family obligations will take me away from the keyboard here for a little while, I'd like to take this opportunity to thank all of you for your continued support, and to wish everybody a Happy Easter!
We've got to make the most of the Time We Have.
Listen, while I'm gone, be sure and check out the new addition to Soul Detective:
ReplyDeleteQuestionFour - Joni Wilson?
Thanks!
I so love the graphic on this 45. Thanks for keeping up one of the best Soul mp3 blogs on the internet.
ReplyDeleteWhy Thank You, Juliette, it's comments like yours that make it all worthwhile...
ReplyDeleteNow, I also want to tell you all about this cool new feature I just added here... it's called 'red kelly search' and provides a little Google search box over in the sidebar which searches all of my pages at once...
What'll they think of next?
" The three LPs he recorded for Hi with Willie in Memphis in the late seventies are often overlooked"
ReplyDeleteWhat an understatement that is! I would venture to say that there is no Deep/Southern Soul afficianado who would not attest to the sheer beauty, brillance and historical significance of the medley which closes out the final side of the album. The second song of the medley, When A Man Loves A Woman, is considered one of the foundations of Deep/Southern Soul music. The fact that O.V. tackles the song can only be understood in the context of the song which follows it in the medley, Thats How Strong My Love Is. It is that song which many will ALSO consider as "the other" foundation which is also one of the earliest songs in the Deep/Southern body of work. How amazing is it to hear O.V. revisit his earliest secular masterpiece and have the chance to interpret it one more time.
One of the greatest 13 minutes in Deep/Southern Soul music history.
I like this O.V. kick of yours. Keep it going. Thanks also for putting together the fund for his gravesite. After all the hours of enjoyment that man has given me, donating to the fund is the least I could do!
ReplyDeleteReally feeling the song, a pity that the hipcast hotlink doesn't work right now. (Looks like its missing an ID number). Keep it up Red!
ReplyDeleteHappy Easter all!
Whoops!!
ReplyDeleteNot sure what happened there, but it should be working now.
Thanks for the heads up!
Happy Easter, folks.
Hi Red
ReplyDeleteReally good news the O.V. Wright Tribute is actually going to take place! I'm checking out airplane tickets at the moment, because I'm planning to come over from Amsterdam to see the show! I don't want to miss that.
Good luck with the preperations.
Talk to you later.
Paul, The Netherlands