I realize my title may see many of you heading for the exits, but if I have any chits left with you give Millie a chance.
Summer is the closing track to Millie's 1974 LP Caught Up; a theatrical, southern soul concept album about a relationship that is way up on my list of all time favorite records.
Most of the contact folks have had with Millie is through the inclusion of a number of her 80's album covers in worst of lists. The records themselves are not that bad, but the covers are pretty trashy. Please remember though, she has a career that stretches back to the 60's. The 70's material is where its at for me.
Caught Up was re-issued (along with 4 other 70's Lp's) in the past year or so, with lovingly remastered tracks, copious bonus material, and tons of new pictures by the folks at Ace records and if you don't know Millie and you like soul you should check her out.
The records were all done in Muscle Shoals with the FAME studio cats like Pete Carr and Jimmy Johnson. Millie has a gritty voice for sure, but Brad Shapiro's productions have grand dramatic qualities with sweeping strings and full horn sections.
Millie was no thrush brought into the studio to put someone else's ideas on tape. The concepts and scope of the records came from her. She got a late start in the record biz so she was around 30 when she made Caught Up. She knew exactly what she wanted.
I never heard the Bobby Goldsboro version of Summer and I really have no desire to, but she tears it up, and turns it into an epic album ender.
At the time of release the Village Voice said this about Caught Up : "If you liked The Who's Quadrophenia you'll have no reason for not liking this." It's one of those records that really needs to be heard front to back, but another highlight is the album opening reading of Luther Ingram's If Loving You Is Wrong (I Don't Want To Be Right). You'll see that one (in 3 parts)in comments along with a bonus live track from the period, Millie doing Bad Company. Enjoy.
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♥ ♥ ♥ The first 3 tracks play uninterrupted on the LP
If Loving You Is Wrong (I Don’t Want To Be Right)
The Rap
If Loving You Is Wrong (I Don’t Want To Be Right)-Reprise
From Caught Up Bonus Tracks
Feel Like Making Love (Live)
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I didn't head for the exit, based solely on my trust in your taste in music. Once again the gamble has payed off. The opening number,a grand sweeping affirmative old school soul number is so fine, and timeless. I mean, this could climb the charts today. >>>OK so now....If Loving you is wrong.... (the track I really wanted to play first) This is glorious! Her smoked honey voice wraps around this lyric in sensual hunger, desperate need.....friggin' gorgeous. The rap.......this is blues testifyng, late night, staring at the swirling cubes, needing the drink. The crack of the cue, the muttered curse and the chuckled reply, the tired jukebox, the lone lost soul twirling slowly on the dancefloor, alone, lonely but bruised.
Not exactly Sunday Morning Cheer here Cody, but most excellent.
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Damn DM..now I wish you had posted it! I really shouldn't be Mogging this morning, but Millie made me do it. That and the extreme heat keeping me out of the yard. Glad you liked and thank you.
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LOL Mark. Somebody's got to do it.
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No Mark, you just ain't listenin' in the right places. There's some Incredible old school soul bein' made today, it just doesn't get played, by n large, on your average radio stations. Like everything else, it out there, you gotta search.
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Cody, you bring me out of my closet of shame. I have once disclosed on MOG, at Ivylander's query of your most embarassing purchase, that I bought a couple of Bobby Goldsboro albums back in the day. Never heard this song, though. Pretty spectacular. Ah. leave it up to us middle-aged whiteys to keep Soul alive.
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On the neo/retro-soul side I'd recommend Sharon Jones if you haven't gone down that road already..or the new Al Green record. Then there's Alice Russell, Nicole Willis & The Soul Investigators, and Breakestra. And tons of "comeback" records from the like of Solomon Burke, Mavis Staples, Candi Staton, Bettye LaVette. Anyway here's Sharon..
Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings - How Long
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See Mark? seek n ye shall find.
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Oh, there is still some great soul music being made. I was talking about the fans.
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Thanks for the post; think I'll hit Amoeba and see if there is any Millie on vinyl. One of my favorite moments was a two cassette (yes!) live performance by Millie. Her reputation was for doing raunchy material but she has a great voice. Anyhow, she was in the middle of her show with the audience going nuts and she stopped and said something to the effect that she could do something more than and different from her usual material. She then broke into a Mozart aria for a brief taste and nailed it. The audience was very quiet at first and then gave her some thunderous applause. A great act and the cut you played was well produced. Great trumpet at the end. BerkeleyBob
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Thanks Bob, I think this might be the one you are talking about..
► Speaking of swearing ◄
Millie Jackson - Phuck you Symphony from Live and Uncensored
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Please note that there are swear words in Millie's symphony.
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Most of the contact folks have had with Millie is through the inclusion of a number of her 80's album covers in worst of lists. The records themselves are not that bad, but the covers are pretty trashy. Please remember though, she has a career that stretches back to the 60's. The 70's material is where its at for me.
It always amazes me when you really dig deep with an artist. I put most of what came out during the 80's into the trashy department, yet if you go just 10 years prior what you find is golden
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I need to prioritize my life differently so I can get into your posts on the ground floor. I love old soul so much. The problem? I love hip hop more. So I'm constantly trying to stay on top of what my favorite lyricists are doing until someone such as yourself pulls me back. As a result, I'm always learning about "new to you" music: don't get me wrong, I've heard of Miss Millie, I just haven't jumped into her catalog. Thanks Cody
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No problem,scribes. Funny thing is, though I was old enough to hear some of these soul singers on the radio as a youngster I didn't really come to to know it or collect it or care about it until hip hop became my world in the early 80's.
So yeah, Soul is something I've been "reverse engineering" since I became interested in DJ's and Samples. By the 90's I switched over to full time crate digger, only keeping an eye on the hip hop scene as opposed to being down in it. Its not that I don't dig, but I can't put in the time to know like tha scribes knows. I appreciate hearing your thoughts on todays scene.
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I definitely love to give my opinions, but try to stay positive; there's a lot of hate being thrown around. No real factions for me: I'm just in it for the music.
I've started doing the same thing, I guess. When I was growing up, most of my hip hop came from friends who fed me Snoop, Dre, and Mr. Shakur. I didn't really get knee deep until I started listening to Gang Starr, Mos & Kweli, and Tribe. After that, I guess I started my own backward engineering of hip hop. That's probably why I try to stay on top of things now.
Looking forward to showing up late on the next one, bud.
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Cody,
You are just one happy musical moment after another. I haven't listened to Millie since the early 80s, a live performance. Wish I could remember that damned album name, but my lover and I used to quote parts of it to one another, and that's subject for one of my posts, but all this to say Thank you (again) Cody B! And "If Lovin' You..." THE BEST to infinity! xx DahlyaRose
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Thank you so much D. Rose! That's mighty kind of you. Caught Up was my first Millie record and it really made a big impression on me..Really glad you dig Millie,too.