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One of the greatest pure vocalists that deep Southern soul ever produced, James Carr is often mentioned in the same breath as Otis Redding, Percy Sledge, and Aretha Franklin in terms of the wrenching emotional power in his delivery.

 

Listening to the live Dan Penn/Spooner Oldham album now.

A quote from Dan Penn:

"People ask me which version of 'Dark End of the Street' is my favorite. As if there is any other version than James Carr's; not even my own."

 

I'm gonna have to get this album:

61t3CPFS5TL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

And soon.

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James Carr is fantastic. I love that record.

 

I'd also highly recommend getting this one:

 

carr_james~_manneedsa_101b.jpg

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yeah, james carr is fantastic, you're both right! :cheers both those albums are essential southern soul albums, i'd suggest getting "got my mind messed up" first, but really you need both.

 

you know, the one deep soul/southern soul album i would recommend to anyone who likes this stuff is "i'm a loser" by doris duke. i know gtrplyr has got it, but maybe you should check that out poptodd as i think you'll like it.

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you know, the one deep soul/southern soul album i would recommend to anyone who likes this stuff is "i'm a loser" by doris duke. i know gtrplyr has got it, but maybe you should check that out poptodd as i think you'll like it.

I second this choice big time.

 

 

I'll add a few more Deep Southern Soul selections to the list:

 

Clarence Carter - any of his early records such as "This Is Clarence Carter," "The Dynamic Clarence Carter" and "Patches." You can get The Dynamic and Patches as a 2-fer CD, and This Is was just reissued by Collectors' Choice Music.

 

Don Covay - Mercy!/Seesaw (another fantastic 2-fer CD, not to be missed.)

 

O.V. Wright - A Nickel and a Nail and Ace of Spades / Memphis Unlimited

 

 

I better stop here before I get carried away.

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i don't think anything even comes close to his version. the flying burrito bros version is great, in its own way, but this beats it. if you've seen This Is England, they actually play it in that - just before the ending.

 

 

This is pretty similar -- arrangement-wise -- to Dan Penn's own version (on Do-Right Man), but... that voice is what makes it super-special. Wow.

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louieb is right, there are lots of versions of this song!

Flying Burrito Brothers did a good one with Gram Parsons. The Ronstadt version was on "Heart Like a Wheel" which was a huge seller for her. Back in the day (before most everyone here was born) hearing a decent cover version was the usual way us young white suburbanites learned about this kind of material. I only found out about James Carr much later in life, long after his career was over.

 

(As with all soul singers, some of his song selection is great and some is only so so.)

 

LouieB

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Any Joe Tex fans in the house? How about Bobby Patterson?

I have a few Tex discs and a Patterson comp that's pretty great, so yes :).

 

 

William Bell is another one that did some great records and wrote some incredible songs. He still sounds pretty good too:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwc3-WZ1OWs

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As long as this is expanding to the "Southern Soul" thread, I may as well post this gem:

 

Fredrick Knight - "I've Been Lonely for So Long"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGkECbnFTFU

 

The whole album is pretty great. Not the same kind of gritty, emotional wallop as Carr or Redding, but some great songs, nonetheless.

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I have a few Tex discs and a Patterson comp that's pretty great, so yes :).

 

 

William Bell is another one that did some great records and wrote some incredible songs. He still sounds pretty good too:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwc3-WZ1OWs

 

I got to see William Bell a couple years back at a Stax revue at SXSW. He still has it. "I Forgot To Be Your Lover" is one of my favorite songs ever...

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holy shit is that raw spitt song great.

 

Get yourself this Kent release mjpuczko, it has all the Raw Spitt stuff plus cuts from a few of Whitehead's other projects. I'm sure Joss will concur:

 

charlie_whitehead.jpg

 

 

and my contribution for the day:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=boP0SfIzTXE

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let's keep this going with some more doris duke. i've got a few more people up my sleeve, but i'll save them for another day. i love the bass and drums in this - that's how you make music that you can dance to!

 

 

At The Wigan Casino?

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how do you even know about things like that?

that's a long way before my time, and also a long way from my home! wigan is in the north of england, and i'm way down in the south - in kent (where we have the white cliffs of dover) . . . this probably means nothing to you:lol

i would have liked to have gone there though, but i think i'd have been beaten up for being a soft southener

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how do you even know about things like that?

that's a long way before my time, and also a long way from my home! wigan is in the north of england, and i'm way down in the south - in kent (where we have the white cliffs of dover) . . . this probably means nothing to you:lol

i would have liked to have gone there though, but i think i'd have been beaten up for being a soft southener

 

I've read some stuff about the Northern Soul movement. I first learned about it by way of a Mojo Magazine article.

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