Tag Archive for Soul

Aside

The Four Tops -Reach Out (I’ll be there)

Another classic Motown single – Also one I have loved for a long time.

4th March

Marvin Gaye – Come get to this

Taken from the sublime, and somewhat misunderstood Let’s get it on which followed on from the equally impressive What’s going on? I can’t imagine there have been many better back to back offerings that that. This particular track is one of his lesser known gems.

/RjK

P.S. Further to this post I put my mind to thinking about back to back albums that I love. Feel free to disagree/add your own:

Van Morrison – Astral Weeks and Moondance (Naturally)

Neil Young – After the Gold Rush and Harvest

Bruce Springsteen – Born to run and Darkness on the edge of town

The Beatles – Abbey Road and Let it be

Prince – Around the world in a day and Sign of the times

Some more modern releases:

Michael Jackson – Thriller and Bad

Oasis – Definitely maybe and (What’s the story) Morning glory?

De la soul – 3 feet high and rising and De la soul is dead

Bjork – Post and Homogenic

Outkast – Aquemini and Stankonia

The Temptations – Get Ready


This is another Motown favourite. It is so pure and joyous.

The video here is also amazing, I love how fun and innocent it all seems. Looking at some contemporary hip hop videos it makes me wonder where it all went wrong. An added bonus is the amazing suits which I believe are the same ones worn here and the black and white pictures don’t really do justice to.

/RjK

Freddie Scott – (You) Got what I need


I was in the mood to post some hip hop today, but then I remembered this. It is sampled in two rap songs that I really like and am sure will post at some stage (*Spoiler alert* – Biz Markie – Just a friend and Ghostface – Save me dear).

It is interesting how being sampled can make you hear a song in a new light and give it new life. However, I can’t think of another track that has been used twice in songs I enjoy. Let me know which of the three you prefer, or if you can think of another song that has been productively sampled more than once.

United Four – She’s putting you on


This is one of the best soul tunes I have heard in a while. While being quite short it is everything you would want, being joyous and dynamic. Also, I think this video suits the song well.

/RjK

Smokey Robinson and The Miracles – Tracks of my tears


This track caused me to become that crazy guy on the tube today. It came on my mp3 player and about half way through the song I realised I was singing along out loud with my eyes closed. Not a particularly proud moment. A good song though.

It is one of the very first soul songs I ever loved, before I even really knew what soul music was. I still like it as much today as the first time I heard it. I know it is a bit cheesy but there is just something about it I find utterly compelling.

“Baaby, baby, baby – take a goood look at my face. You’ll see my smi-ile looks out of place…”

/RjK

Mary Wells – What’s easy for two is so hard for one


This is another one I discovered via Mr.Fine Wine.

I find that songs from this era possess a charming innocence. Perhaps they are a reflection of a simple time – no bling, no pimps or hoes, celebrity guest appearances or needless overproduction. Just pure singing about timeless themes (love won and lost). I find them refreshing.

/RjK

Aretha Franklin – Day Dreaming


What could I say about Aretha that would do her justice? She is both a legend and a big favourite of mine.

I like this for two reasons – that it is a great song, ethereal and heartfelt but also it doesn’t suffer the same fate as some of the rest of her work in becoming a bit stale and even jaded from overplaying. Every time I hear this is remains fresh.

/RjK

Betty Wright – Shoorah Shoorah


I first heard this on the same cassette I discovered Move on up (see January 1st). It was some kind “best of funk” compilation and it was something of a revelation. I had never heard anything quite like it before.

I love the raucous horn section in this song to this day…

/RjK