A Cultural History Of Groove
from 1955 into the '80s
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Tuesday's Twosome # 18
Today with just a little song in between ... from James & Bobby Purify's self-titled debut album (released in 02/1967).
The LP was recorded in Muscle Shoals (with the known session musicians there) and released in February 1967. In many ways it is one of those classical '60s follow-up LPs trying to further exploit the success of one preceding 45' (Bell # 648, »I'm Your Puppet«). It is flawlessly produced and exceptionally well recorded. What it is lacking, however, is a spark of creativity, a flame of life. Apart from four songs already released as 45's, the album contains a bunch of proven standards (»Knock On Wood«, »You Left The Water Running«, »A Change Is Gonna Come«, »I've Been Loving You Too Long«) including a Motown tune (»Hitch Hike«), but they are all close sound-alikes to the originals and the Purifys are unable, to my mind, to add to those songs the neces- sary something to make their cover versions stand out in their own right. No big suprise, therefore, that the LP didn't fulfill whatever expectations were placed in it even though Bell proudly reported a sales figure of 30,000 in April (see Billboard, April 8, 67, p. 10). After that, nothing more is heard of this album.
This said, there is one nice tune that has the Purifys dueting a bit differently from their usual style, i.e. more in a counterpoint fashion (at least in some portions of the song) and less tending towards close harmony or merging their voices into one. The song had already been released, in January '67, on their second Bell 45' and then re-appeared on their first album. Here it is:
James & Bobby Purify: »Wish You Didn't Have To Go« from the Bell LP # 6003 (1967):
Very nicely written and informative post, HMS. I hadn't heard this song before and I really like it!
Finding the label scans and illustrations is an important part of my enjoyment. I searched for it on google, but came up empty. I don't know how you managed it, but thanks again for the 'Little Red Rooster' scan, which I'm going to try to clean up a little and post.
Dear M, thanks! I don't remember how exactly I hit upon the Dot scan but google images did the trick after a while ... sometimes bing images is also worthwhile because even if using the same search words as in google it'll often come up with completely different pics!
I am interested in the music, not in the relative rarity of discs. I also listen with great pleasure to Aretha Franklin, because she has the voice of the century. Music is no Faith and therefore has no heretics.
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No music downloads on this site. All mp3s (with very few exceptions where noted) are ripped from original vinyl discs. If something on this blog is objectionable to anyone or should, for valid reasons, be re- moved from the net please let me know; it will be removed. And to reiterate: This is a non-profit blog.
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Very nicely written and informative post, HMS. I hadn't heard this song before and I really like it!
ReplyDeleteFinding the label scans and illustrations is an important part of my enjoyment. I searched for it on google, but came up empty. I don't know how you managed it, but thanks again for the 'Little Red Rooster' scan, which I'm going to try to clean up a little and post.
M.
Dear M, thanks! I don't remember how exactly I hit upon the Dot scan but google images did the trick after a while ... sometimes bing images is also worthwhile because even if using the same search words as in google it'll often come up with completely different pics!
ReplyDeleteDear HMS, If I publish the scan, I'll certainly acknowledge that you provided it for our enjoyment.
ReplyDeleteThanks again,
M.