Iwas just listening to this Terry Callier Lp and it occured to me that Ordinary Joe is one of those tunes that ,no matter how many times I hear it,never fails to lift my mood/raise my spirts.The lyrics of so much soul music seems to be derived from the darker side of the human condition,you know my womans left me the dogs been run over etc,and theres absolutley nothing wrong with that,but Iwould be interested to know which tunes other members find uplifting,inspirtional etc

  Black Gold of the Sun said:

Iwas just listening to this Terry Callier Lp and it occured to me that Ordinary Joe is one of those tunes that ,no matter how many times I hear it,never fails to lift my mood/raise my spirts.The lyrics of so much soul music seems to be derived from the darker side of the human condition,you know my womans left me the dogs been run over etc,and theres absolutley nothing wrong with that,but Iwould be interested to know which tunes other members find uplifting,inspirtional etc

Ordinary Joe is a timeless classic IMO, was told once it has been a gay anthem, don't know how true this is, anybody?

Often wondered if the lyrics have an underlying message?

  pete60 said:

was told once it has been a gay anthem, don't know how true this is, anybody?

Bearsy can probably answer that one

While on the subject of Ordinary Joe.. i'm told the LP and 45 version are differnt.

The 45 being faster I've never played both.. well I couldn't don't have the 45 to play it..

is this true is it a better version than the LP?

also what do you think of the Jerry Butler version... nice as an ender.

Off the top of my head - 45 & LP versions are different. The LP version being a little more mellow (I think). Tough to find these days are Tel's 45s.

To answer Black Golds Q: Personally can't beat TC's LPs for sheer quality soulfulness and that something different he brings to the soul table. Amazing talent and brilliant live.

Rich

He is also (TC) incredible live, but when you listen to his albumns, the lyrics are often weird compared to most singer songwriters. His voice carries it across though.

Ed

"Take a look at me now" is another super uplifting TC song for me.

But "Eddies my name" just never fails to change my mood for the better.

Cheaper than therapy

  gert mark said:

"Take a look at me now"

I think this is one of the best records ever made...

  mischief said:

I think this is one of the best records ever made...

Not many better, true enough.

I saw him in Hamburg never been so bored in my young fookin life!

I was all pumped up for "I don't want to see my self" and "Look at Me Now" he played some right suicide music that you could bury your Aunt Mabel to.

Terry Callier has three top tunes that make ya go ooh on the dance floor, the rest is for pot heads!

And for those who want to jump up and say Imberboy don't know his music....... Behave! I am a Northernsoul legend! Ask any one on The Downe.

I bet that any one on this list could only listen to TERRY CALLIER - ESSENTIAL-VERY BEST OF only three times, even if it was for charity you would rather kill yer sen!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3V2-_7YvD9I This is Theee only Callier track, the rest make me wanna kill prostitutes!

  ImberBoy said:

Terry Callier has three top tunes that make ya go ooh on the dance floor, the rest is for pot heads!

I Just Can't Help Myself on Cadet is a bit lovely too......................

Steve

What about "You Were Just fooling Me " from "The Essential............" an unreleased tune that would have had me leaping from the balcony to dance to at Wigan

Cheers Paul

  soul shrews said:

What about "You Were Just fooling Me " from "The Essential............" an unreleased tune that would have had me leaping from the balcony to dance to at Wigan

Cheers Paul

i agree paul i also think blues is ab fab too

kev

.....not forgetting TC's stepper "holding on to love" gr8 album track.

Another great track from Terry Callier - I Gotta Get Closer To You

The mans a legend.......

  ImberBoy said:

I saw him in Hamburg never been so bored in my young fookin life!

I was all pumped up for "I don't want to see my self" and "Look at Me Now" he played some right suicide music that you could bury your Aunt Mabel to.

Terry Callier has three top tunes that make ya go ooh on the dance floor, the rest is for pot heads!

And for those who want to jump up and say Imberboy don't know his music....... Behave! I am a Northernsoul legend! Ask any one on The Downe.

I bet that any one on this list could only listen to TERRY CALLIER - ESSENTIAL-VERY BEST OF only three times, even if it was for charity you would rather kill yer sen!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3V2-_7YvD9I This is Theee only Callier track, the rest make me wanna kill prostitutes!

I've been to see him live 16 times now. I used to have the BMG compilation LP on the deck almost permanently for years. I'm no pot head but can understand what you mean, but anyone who goes to see Terry Callier expecting northern soul has seriously misunderstood the man. Guess the first LP on Prestige would just about finish you off (instrumentation consisting of one guitar and two double basses), influenced more by Coltrane than Curtis.

There are no prostitutes left on this island since I moved here.

No , the LP and 45 versions are exactly the same, any perceived difference between the two is yet another urban myth from certain collectors' fertile imaginations ....

  sunnysoul said:

No , the LP and 45 versions are exactly the same, any perceived difference between the two is yet another urban myth from certain collectors' fertile imaginations ....

....or over zeleous DJ's on "Pitch control"

  mischief said:

Bearsy can probably answer that one

While on the subject of Ordinary Joe.. i'm told the LP and 45 version are differnt.

The 45 being faster I've never played both.. well I couldn't don't have the 45 to play it..

is this true is it a better version than the LP?

also what do you think of the Jerry Butler version... nice as an ender.

Jerry Butler' s version is EVERY bit as good , in its own way. I presume that Jerry's version however rarely gets played because Jerry's is LP only

The same Jerry Butler LP also contains the brilliant fingersnapping dancer "One Woman Man"

Edited September 15, 200717 yr by sunnysoul

  Stuart T said:

I've been to see him live 16 times now. I used to have the BMG compilation LP on the deck almost permanently for years. I'm no pot head but can understand what you mean, but anyone who goes to see Terry Callier expecting northern soul has seriously misunderstood the man. Guess the first LP on Prestige would just about finish you off (instrumentation consisting of one guitar and two double basses), influenced more by Coltrane than Curtis.

There are no prostitutes left on this island since I moved here.

Agree with you here Stuart - Expecting artists like TC to belt out his northern 'hits' is missing the mark completely and IMHO bloody typical of some 'northern' soulies at times. I spoke recently with someone re. the Willie Tee Cleethorpes gig and besides obviously enjoying the set immensely felt let down by some of the crowd around him turning off and chatting whilst the 'non' northern material was being performed. Ignorant and rude. These people are/were hard working artists and performers NOT a Northern Soul jukebox.

Rich

  sunnysoul said:

No , the LP and 45 versions are exactly the same, any perceived difference between the two is yet another urban myth from certain collectors' fertile imaginations ....

They sound different to me......... Must be just my imagination..... running away with me..........

steve

  steve woomble said:

They sound different to me......... Must be just my imagination..... running away with me..........

steve

Then again, it was on Occasional Rain and then a different cut 1979 on Turn You To Love (or whatever) on Elektra and I'm on about the Elektra thingy......I think

So you are indeedy coerrectomundo! I'm gonna shurrup in future.........

My brain hurts...............

Taxi for woomble!!

  steve woomble said:

Then again, it was on Occasional Rain and then a different cut 1979 on Turn You To Love (or whatever) on Elektra and I'm on about the Elektra thingy......I think

So you are indeedy coerrectomundo! I'm gonna shurrup in future.........

My brain hurts...............

Taxi for woomble!!

So, to clarify.... the "Ordinary Joe" Cadet 45 and the "Ordinary Joe" track on the "Occasional Rain" Cadet LP are identical.

However, the version recorded some 8 years later on the "Turn You To Love" Elektra LP are different recordings.

Jerry Butlers is the original version, BTW.

Sean

Jerry Butler's Ordinary Joe was the first released version (some two years or so before the Occasional Rain lp) but Terry Callier recorded a version of OJ in 1969 which remained unreleased until the "First Light" lp on Premonition in 1998: for those who haven't heard it a great six minute reading in a more acoustic vein.

For what it's worth I love all versions of Ordinary Joe: it's such a giant of a song it's hard to imagine someone completely ruining it (I'm glad that it hasn't been attempted by scores of acts though).

  garethx said:

it's such a giant of a song it's hard to imagine someone completely ruining it

Don't tell our mate Ian, I am sure he'd have a go at it

That goes without saying Steve!