WIWS Banner

The Second Disc

Expanded and Remastered Music News

  • Home
  • News
    • Classic Rock
    • Rock
    • Pop
    • Jazz
    • Popular Standards/Vocal
    • R&B/Soul
    • Country
    • Folk
    • Cast Recordings
    • Soundtracks
    • Everything Else
      • Classical/Opera
      • Disco/Dance
      • Funk
      • Gospel
      • Rap/Hip-Hop
  • Features
    • Release Round-Up
    • Giveaways!
    • Interviews
  • Reviews
    • Classic Rock
    • Rock
    • Pop
    • Jazz
    • Popular Standards/Vocal
    • R&B/Soul
    • Country
    • Folk
    • Cast Recordings
    • Soundtracks
    • Everything Else
      • Classical/Opera
      • Disco/Dance
      • Funk
      • Gospel
      • Rap/Hip-Hop
  • Release Calendar
    • Coming Soon
    • Now Available
  • About
  • Second Disc Records
    • Full Catalog
  • Contact

/ News

Review: Lou Johnson, "Sweet Southern Soul"

April 24, 2018 By Joe Marchese 1 Comment

NOT FINAL COVER

Brooklyn-born vocalist Lou Johnson was one of the most distinctive voices in 1960s soul.  Hailing from a musically-inclined family, Johnson honed his vocal instrument in gospel choirs, in college, and with the group The Canjoes before signing to the Big Apple's Big Top label in 1962.  At Big Top, his voice made Burt Bacharach and Hal David take notice, and the on-the-rise songwriting and production team was soon presenting him with top-drawer material like "If I Never Get to Love You," "Reach Out for Me," "Kentucky Bluebird (Send a Message to Martha)," "The Last One to Be Loved," and "(There's) Always Something There to Remind Me."  Though Bacharach and David moved on, Johnson remained on Big Top and its related Big Hill label through 1967, ironically bringing his tenure to a close with the 45 RPM release of another Bacharach song - "Walk On By," masterfully produced and arranged by Allen Toussaint.  In 1968, Johnson signed to Atlantic Records' Cotillion imprint for an album of material far away from his "uptown" sound.

Sweet Southern Soul, released in 1969, was produced at Muscle Shoals' FAME Studios by the team of Jerry Wexler and Tom Dowd (Aretha Franklin, Dusty Springfield).  This delicious record has recently been reissued for the first time on vinyl by Run Out Groove in a limited edition of 898 copies.  It finds Johnson at the very top of his game, surrounded by some of the south's most righteous musicians.  The Muscle Shoals Swampers - including Barry Beckett, David Hood, Roger Hawkins, and Spooner Oldham - laid down the thick and funky grooves on which Johnson would place his deep, resonant vocals.

Though Johnson was certainly capable of living up to the title's promise of sweetness, he was far more often in a gritty, powerfully wailing mode.  He cut loose on B.B. King's "Rock Me Baby" and Dickey Lee's country classic "She Still Thinks I Care."  The song best known in George Jones' rendition inspired a brassy take from Johnson.  Gospel intensity marked "It's in the Wind" and "I Can't Change" from Johnson's Atlantic labelmate Don Covay, the latter with a potent horn solo.  Johnson invested Fred Parris' "Tears, Tears, Tears" with the kind of raw emotional honesty for which he was known.  On the earthier, lustier end of the spectrum is James Shorter and Donald Erquhart's plea to "Move and Groove Together."

Johnson revisited his New York roots with a pair of tracks originally recorded by The Drifters.  The Doc Pomus/Mort Shuman pop standard "This Magic Moment" was reset in uptempo swamp style, with Arif Mardin lending class via his string chart.  Johnson also paid tribute to his early champion Burt Bacharach with the inclusion of "Please Stay."  Though the song is credited on the original LP (and this reissue) to Thomas L. Dorsey, it's in fact Bacharach and Bob Hilliard's "(Don't Go) Please Stay," as sung passionately by the big-voiced singer.

Eddie Hinton and Grady Smith's "People in Love," blending grit and sophistication, was subsequently recorded by Lulu during her Atlantic-sponsored foray to Muscle Shoals, while Ahmet Ertegun and Betty Nelson's "Don't Play That Song (You Lied)" would become Aretha Franklin's as of her storming 1970 recording also helmed by Dowd, Wexler, and Mardin.  Johnson's interpretation of Curtis Mayfield's "Gypsy Woman" might be the most torrid item on an altogether smoking disc filled with deep soul performances.

Run Out Groove has done a customarily fine job bringing this lost classic back to vinyl.  The 180-gram black vinyl LP has pristine and punchy mono sound, remastered from the original analog tapes.  It's housed in a protective, lined black sleeve within a sturdy, Stoughton-printed tip-on jacket exactingly replicating the original artwork.  The Cotillion labels are painstakingly recreated, as well.  Lou Johnson's Sweet Southern Soul is one of the genre's finest and most underrated records, and one which belongs near the top of the pantheon of Atlantic's unparalleled R&B roster.  It's hard to imagine a more rewarding reissue than this one from Run Out Groove.

Run Out Groove releases are available at finer independent brick-and-mortar shops everywhere as well as via online retailers such as these: Music Direct / Sound Stage Direct / Acoustic Sounds / Elusive Disc / Bullmoose Music!

Categories: News, Reviews Formats: Vinyl Genre: R&B/Soul Tags: Lou Johnson

Joe Marchese

JOE MARCHESE (Editor) joined The Second Disc shortly after its launch in early 2010, and has since penned daily news and reviews about classic music of all genres. In 2015, Joe formed the Second Disc Records label. Celebrating the great songwriters, producers and artists who created the sound of American popular song, Second Disc Records, in conjunction with Real Gone Music, has released newly-curated collections produced by Joe from iconic artists such as Johnny Mathis, Bobby Darin, Laura Nyro, Melissa Manchester, Chet Atkins, and many others. He has contributed liner notes to reissues from a diverse array of artists, among them Nat "King" Cole, Paul Williams, Lesley Gore, Dusty Springfield, B.J. Thomas, The 5th Dimension, Burt Bacharach, The Mamas and the Papas, Carpenters, Perry Como, Rod McKuen, Doris Day, Jackie DeShannon, and Andy Williams, and has compiled releases for talents including Robert Goulet and Keith Allison of Paul Revere and the Raiders. Over the past two decades, Joe has also worked in a variety of capacities on and off Broadway as well as at some of the premier theatres in the U.S., including Lincoln Center Theater, George Street Playhouse, Paper Mill Playhouse, Long Wharf Theatre, and the York Theatre Company. He has felt privileged to work on productions alongside artists such as the late Jack Klugman, Eli Wallach, Arthur Laurents, Betty Comden and Adolph Green. In 2009, Joe began contributing theatre and music reviews to the print publication The Sondheim Review, and in 2012, he joined the staff of The Digital Bits as a regular contributor writing about film and television on DVD and Blu-ray. Joe currently resides in the suburbs of New York City.

Connect With Joe: FacebookTwitter

You Might Also Like

  • Cover Me Eddie HintonBreakfast In Bed: Eddie Hinton Saluted By Dusty, Cher, Box Tops, More On New Ace Collection
  • London American 1965Unchained Melodies: Ace Collects "The London American Label 1965" with The Righteous Brothers, Burt Bacharach, The Vogues, More
  • london american 1964Jerry Lee Lewis, The Ronettes, Del Shannon, Louis Armstrong Feature On "The London American Label 1964"
  • kent 30The Magic Touch: Kent Label Celebrates 30 Years with Soulful New Anthology

Comments

  1. Luigi Facotti says

    April 24, 2018 at 2:14 pm

    A lovingly created reissue of Lou Johnson's Cotillion outing.
    The missing link in Mr. Johnson's discography is his 1971 Volt LP, VOS 6017 "With You In Mind". Produced by Allen Toussaint and Marshall Sehorn it has never seen the light of day other than an on demand CDR on the Dave Cash imprint would is directly dubbed from the vinyl. Rumors are the tapes were lost in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina along with the Sansu Archives. Anyone confirm this?

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Upcoming Releases

  • Blondie front cover
    Against the Odds 1974-1982
    Blondie
    August 26, 2022
  • Lou Reed Words and Music May 1965
    Words and Music - May 1965
    Lou Reed
    August 26, 2022
  • Vince Guaraldi Its the Great Pumpkin 2022
    It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown: Original Soundtrack Recording
    Vince Guaraldi
    August 26, 2022
See Full Calendar

Connect

  • Facebook
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 4,493 other subscribers

Popular

  • Elvis On Tour Box
    Burning Love: Elvis Presley's "Elvis On Tour" Gets Super-Sized on New Box Set posted on August 12, 2022 | under News
  • Jimi Jamison Rock Hard
    Release Round-Up: Week of August 12 posted on August 12, 2022 | under Release Round-Up
  • charlie brown christmas 5disc box
    Christmas Time is Here (Again): New 'Charlie Brown Christmas' Box Boasts New Remixes, Unreleased Outtakes posted on August 17, 2022 | under News

Comments

  • small faces here come the nice2
    Return To Itchycoo Park: Small Faces' "Here Come The Nice" Deluxe Box Set Arrives In January [UPDATED 12/3] 84 comments | by Joe Marchese | posted on December 3, 2013 | under News
  • the beatles u s albums box2
    British Invasion! The Beatles Unveil "The U.S. Albums" Box Set in January 69 comments | by Joe Marchese | posted on December 12, 2013 | under News
  • Rolling Stones in Mono
    Out of Their Heads: Stones Plan Mono Box Set 47 comments | by Mike Duquette | posted on August 10, 2016 | under News

Music Resources

  • Addicted to Vinyl
  • Crap from the Past
  • Discogs
  • Film Score Monthly
  • IMWAN Forum – From the Vaults
  • MusicTAP
  • Musoscribe
  • Pause & Play
  • Popblerd
  • Popdose
  • Record Racks
  • Slicing Up Eyeballs
  • Steve Hoffman Music Forums
  • Ultimate Classic Rock
  • Vintage Vinyl News
  • Viva La Mainstream
  • Wolfgang's Vault

Labels of Note

  • Ace Records
  • Analog Spark
  • Bear Family
  • BGO Records
  • Big Break Records
  • Blixa Sounds
  • Cherry Red Label Group
  • Craft Recordings
  • Demon Music Group
  • Friday Music
  • Funky Town Grooves
  • Iconoclassic Records
  • Intervention Records
  • Intrada
  • Kritzerland
  • La La Land Records
  • Legacy Recordings
  • Light in the Attic
  • Masterworks Broadway
  • Now Sounds
  • Omnivore Recordings
  • Real Gone Music
  • Resonance Records
  • Rhino Entertainment
  • Rock Candy Records
  • SoulMusic Records
  • Sunset Blvd. Records
  • Supermegabot
  • Varese Sarabande
  • Vinyl Me, Please
  • Wounded Bird
Copyright © 2022 The Second Disc. All rights reserved. · Site by Metaglyphics

The Second Disc is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com, amazon.ca and amazon.co.uk.

Terms and Conditions - Privacy Policy