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Do you have a favourite artist(s)?; and then some...........


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Do you have a favourite artist(s), you might have a few? You might have a favourite male artist, a favourite female artist, and then a favourite group? I know it's a really tough ask to pick just one artist from the myriad of artists that are available to choose from. You can pick more than one to keep the thread going. So, what's your pick, and then, what was the first track from that artist that you heard and then got you hooked. So; I'll kick us off. 

Bobby Womack is my favourite male artist, and Home is Where the Heart Is, was the first track that got me hooked.

Go on, have a go; you can dither and have more than one go if you can't make your mind up.

I hope that makes sense......................................  🤔

 

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1 hour ago, Shinehead said:

Couple to go at,got loads of artists who I anticipated their new releases and bought  these two stick in my mind because they answer both questions , first record and fave artists

Changes - Johnnie Taylor

Trying To Live My Life Without You - Otis Clay

 

I second Johnnie Taylor with CHANGES,  got to be my all time favourite. This record has got everything required of being SUPER MEGA.  Taylor worked with Sam Cooke in the early days of his career.

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23 minutes ago, STEFAN BURLAK said:

I second Johnnie Taylor with CHANGES,  got to be my all time favourite. This record has got everything required of being SUPER MEGA.  Taylor worked with Sam Cooke in the early days of his career.

Cheap too , I love his  version of "Rome Wasn't Built In A Day" on Sar.

From Sar to Malaco the man was outstanding , sadly missed.

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A long time ago following a conversation with a very well loved Promoter of the longest running Alnighter in the UK , deejay , popular record label contributer ( if that's the right title for him ) I find myself agreeing with him , anything beginning with The . 

And that's just for starters 😜

 

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Mad Lads for me fantastic double sided "Did my baby call/Let me repair your heart "

Came in a soul pack from Contempo/Blues and Soul 10 for a pound probably 1973,

Continued buying anything I could by them over the next few years. It's still a cheap record to buy today.

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Sorry for the long winded answer Peter but you did ask and offer a dither option. After much head scratching my brain feels like it's full of popping candy with names jumping in and out of the ether. If you had asked that question when I first started on my lifelong soul journey it would have been a  lot easier to answer, no thought would have been needed, Otis Redding, Gladys Knight and for the group The Temptations with a nod to Sam and Dave (artist,artists not quite a group )

  Time moves on and though I still love all the aforementioned such is the diversity of my taste across the spectrum of soul music I've given it some thought and can't come up with a favourite. Using the number of records in my collection by a particular artist wouldn't make them a favourite. I've probably got more records by the Supremes than anyone else but they wouldn't come close to the top. Some great choices already mentioned, both Womack and Taylor would be there about's, could I choose between two Betty's(e) , Lavette and Everett, could Kool and the Gang triumph over the Ohio Players, Marvin,Curtis, Johnny Nash, Joe Simon, whose music could I not bear to never hear again.......Peter you're a bad man 🙂, don't even think of revisiting a fav record thread 😂  .

   First record I heard by Otis, Shake, hooked after that, first became aware of Womack with the Valentinos but it was Harry Hippie /I Can Understand It that had me buying all his 70's early eighties albums, Gladys would be Just Walk in My Shoes church hall disco, only artist I've got close enough to to ask for an autograph shaking like a leaf (me not Gladys).

  Cheers Peter thinking about this brought back some happy memories if no specific answer. 

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1 hour ago, Twoshoes said:

Sorry for the long winded answer Peter but you did ask and offer a dither option. After much head scratching my brain feels like it's full of popping candy with names jumping in and out of the ether. If you had asked that question when I first started on my lifelong soul journey it would have been a  lot easier to answer, no thought would have been needed, Otis Redding, Gladys Knight and for the group The Temptations with a nod to Sam and Dave (artist,artists not quite a group )

  Time moves on and though I still love all the aforementioned such is the diversity of my taste across the spectrum of soul music I've given it some thought and can't come up with a favourite. Using the number of records in my collection by a particular artist wouldn't make them a favourite. I've probably got more records by the Supremes than anyone else but they wouldn't come close to the top. Some great choices already mentioned, both Womack and Taylor would be there about's, could I choose between two Betty's(e) , Lavette and Everett, could Kool and the Gang triumph over the Ohio Players, Marvin,Curtis, Johnny Nash, Joe Simon, whose music could I not bear to never hear again.......Peter you're a bad man 🙂, don't even think of revisiting a fav record thread 😂  .

   First record I heard by Otis, Shake, hooked after that, first became aware of Womack with the Valentinos but it was Harry Hippie /I Can Understand It that had me buying all his 70's early eighties albums, Gladys would be Just Walk in My Shoes church hall disco, only artist I've got close enough to to ask for an autograph shaking like a leaf (me not Gladys).

  Cheers Peter thinking about this brought back some happy memories if no specific answer. 

Totally agree re Harry/I Can Understand It still got the same copy which plays good.  Harry was slso one of his best live

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2 hours ago, Soulman58 said:

Totally agree re Harry/I Can Understand It still got the same copy which plays good.  Harry was slso one of his best live

Yep, Harry is a fave of mine; I have the Harry/Understand It on a 12 I bought yonks ago. It's very shabby condition now. Yes, I also agree with the live performance of Harry; I've posted a vid of that on here somewhere, a while ago. 

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4 hours ago, Twoshoes said:

Sorry for the long winded answer Peter but you did ask and offer a dither option. After much head scratching my brain feels like it's full of popping candy with names jumping in and out of the ether. If you had asked that question when I first started on my lifelong soul journey it would have been a  lot easier to answer, no thought would have been needed, Otis Redding, Gladys Knight and for the group The Temptations with a nod to Sam and Dave (artist,artists not quite a group )

  Time moves on and though I still love all the aforementioned such is the diversity of my taste across the spectrum of soul music I've given it some thought and can't come up with a favourite. Using the number of records in my collection by a particular artist wouldn't make them a favourite. I've probably got more records by the Supremes than anyone else but they wouldn't come close to the top. Some great choices already mentioned, both Womack and Taylor would be there about's, could I choose between two Betty's(e) , Lavette and Everett, could Kool and the Gang triumph over the Ohio Players, Marvin,Curtis, Johnny Nash, Joe Simon, whose music could I not bear to never hear again.......Peter you're a bad man 🙂, don't even think of revisiting a fav record thread 😂  .

   First record I heard by Otis, Shake, hooked after that, first became aware of Womack with the Valentinos but it was Harry Hippie /I Can Understand It that had me buying all his 70's early eighties albums, Gladys would be Just Walk in My Shoes church hall disco, only artist I've got close enough to to ask for an autograph shaking like a leaf (me not Gladys).

  Cheers Peter thinking about this brought back some happy memories if no specific answer. 

That's a good answer Billy; I got you thinking! You mention Gladys, I am toying, still, with either her of Aretha for my female pick. Based primarily on their amazing voices; not many matches. I'll split the hair before the afternoon is out. 🤔

Good posts from everyone else too; thank you.

Peter

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Curtis mayfield , singer , songwriter, takes it all to a different level with the impression’s and lots of other artists on

his own label , would love to have met him .

or Sammy ward  for his groove city classic , sister  Lee , still sounds as good today all these years later 

 

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5 hours ago, Shinehead said:

Female artist from me now , strangely I have not really bought female records in anywhere near the quantity of male stuff but strangely if I was to pick my top lps they would do well Doris Duke the 2 Millie Jackson Caught Up sagas , Jean Carn. But the one I would say is my favourite is Barbara Lynn a very consistent artist and great songs with thought provoking lyrics

The first record heard by her by me - This beauty

 

Bought the 'This Barbara Lynn LP' ?? , when I was at School , didn't know any of them but what a corker , think it was on UK Opal ?? memories shot lol 

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I was listening to R&B music regularly since 1953, and it morphed into so-called "Soul music, gradually between 1960 and 1963 or so.  So, both my favourite artists and songs might not even qualify as "Soul", and CERTAINLY  not so-called, "Northern Soul'.  My all-time favourite groups are The Flamingos and The Five Keys.  The first songs I heard that I heard by the Flamingos in 1953, that I loved, was a 5-part harmony ballad titled "Golden Teardrops" on Chance Records, led by Sollie McElroy.  But their first song that really turned me on to them was "I'm Yours" on Parrot Records, in 1954, a faster 5 part harmony slightly up-tempo ballad (or really slow mid-tempo) song.  They lasted into the 1970s, but I didn't like any of their post mid-'60s recordings that would be considered Northern Soul.  As for The Five Keys, I love their recordings for Aladdin Records, especially from 1951-54.  The first I heard was "The Glory of Love", a greasy 5-part harmony ballad from 1952, in 1953.  But my favourite from them was "My Saddest Hour" a mid-tempo B-side song from 1953.  My favourite groups that would be considered "Northern Soul" groups would be The Temptations.  My favourite songs by them are: "My Girl", "Since I Lost My Baby", and "A Tear From A Woman's Eyes".  I also liked "Grand Spanish Lady" by The Royal Ravens from Mike Hanks' "Pig Pen" in 1963.

My favourite male singers are Nat "King" Cole- (favourite song: "The Christmas Song", Ray Pollard (with The Wanderers 1954-1963)-favourite songs "A Little Too Long", "Run, Run, Senorita, Sollie McElroy(with The Chance Flamingos), Nate Nelson (Chance, Parrot, Checker Flamingos and Starglows(ATCO)), Rudy West and Maryland Pierce (The Five Keys(Aladdin)), and Richard Street (Distants, Majestics, Monitors)-Favourite songs(Distants-"Come On", Majestics "Cry", Monitors "Crying In The Night".

My favourite female singers are Carolyn Crawford (Motown-"I'll Come Running", "Lover Boy", Until You Came Along, When Someone's Good to you), Mary Wells (Motown, 20th Century Fox, ATCO)-favourite songs -"My Guy', "You Lost The Sweetest Boy", "Honey Boy", Gloria Lynne (Everest, Fontana)-favourites "I Wish You Love", "You Don't Have To Be A Tower of Strength", Brenda Holloway (Tamla)-favourites: "When I'm Gone", "Just Look What You've Done", Kim Weston (Tamla, Gordy Records- favourites: "Lookin' For The Right Guy", "I'm Still Loving You", "Take Me In Your Arms", Jan Bradley (Formal, Night Owl, Chess Records)- favourites: "Mama Didn't Lie", "I'm Over You", "Behind The Curtains",  Dee Dee Warwick- favourites: "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me", "Suspicious Minds".

But, it's very difficult for me to pick absolute favourite singers and songs  I have over 1000 '60s "Soul" recordings that I rate as perfect 100s, and over 100 each of male and female singers that I like all so much that I couldn't rank any of them ahead of the others.
 

Edited by Robbk
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Bobby Womack, especially across the 70s, all his albums had numerous gems on them that are not widely appreciated out there, Pickett is up there aswell, especially his Womack penned stuff, "I've come a long way" is not of this earth 👍 

Kev 

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Far to many to mention, but my favourite recordings were all done  and my favourite Soul artists between 1962 till 1974 there are exceptions that came later to my ears only , I understand that’s only my choice, good Soul in its own time but to me never reaching those heights that the music reached and touched pre 1974, 

ML

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On 27/02/2024 at 09:41, Twoshoes said:

Good choice Rob, my favourite by them is the ballad I Know better which gets to me every time 

To ME, "I Know Better" is not a "ballad" but a mid-tempo cut.  But it is certainly one of my most loved of their End recordings.

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