| REMEMBER THE SOUL STIRRERS? HOW ABOUT SAM COOKE OR EDDIE FLOYD? WELL, JOHNNIE TAYLOR ALONG WITH SAM & EDDIE WAS A MEMBER. IN 1968 "WHO'S MAKING LOVE SOLD WELL OVER 3 1/2 MILLOIN COPIES. ONLY MARVIN GAYE'S; "I HEARD IT THROUGH THE GRAPEVIVE" OUTSOLD JOHNNIE'S SINGLE, THEN. THE ALBUM WAS RELEASED WITH SO MANY POTENTIAL SINGLES. "POOR MAKE BELIEVER", "HOLD ON THIS TIME", "I'M NOT THE SAME PERSON(I USE TO BE)AND "TAKE CARE OF YOUR HOMEWORK" ALL JUST JEWELS IN THE CROWN. 1960'S "STAND BY ME, FATHER"; WAS JOHNNIE'S BREAK FROM GOSPEL TO SOLO STATUS. "WHO'S MAKING LOVE"; WAS JOHNNIE'S SURGE TO "STAR STATUS" 1976'S "DISCO LADY"; WAS THE FIRST CERTIFIED PLATINUM SINGLE. NEED I SAY MORE? |
Johnnie Taylor must be remembered as one of the best southern soul singers, along with his Stax-mates (Otis Redding, William Bell, Eddie Floyd) and James Carr or Arthur Alexander. He's got a tender voice, that suits perfectly in bluesy, but also country-gospel soul stuff, and this record contains the danceable title track, that was later covered by
blue note's funky-jazz sax machine, Lou Donaldson. |
"STAND BY ME...FATHER"
I can't believe that's me the first in wrting about this
