Friday, February 23, 2007

Records That Make Me Feel Good: 20 & 21

Ronnie Walker: Just Can't Say Hello (Once You've Said Goodbye) (Event, 1973)
So, I was rooting around in this pile of CDs on my desk this morning and I found this. As I said before, soul music is a bit of a closed book to me - especially the obsessive collector end of things - but there are two great tracks on it.

I know tap all about Ronnie Walker, but what I gather from the intranot is that he was one of those warhorses who spent much of his career banging out the hit(s) to worshipful Northern Soul fans. This is a brilliantly pitched ballad with great harp and strings. Oh, and a bassline that's pitched somewhere below sea level. Stylistically, Ronnie is like a slightly camp Al Green. I mean, he isn't, but you see what I mean...

Leroy Randolph: Good To The Last Drop (Spring, 1972)

There only seems to be this one picture of Leroy Randolph on the entire internet (unless this is also him, which is probably isn't - hello to the wonderfully named Geneva Shells, by the way). He only made one record for Spring and this is it. A proper hip-shaking dancer, it has elements of Motown shuffle, great backing vocals, and a lyric where he describes his lady-friend as being "like a small piece of leather" and points out that she's "very well put together". Good work, Leroy! Great little 4-bar breakdown in the middle too.

Enjoy!

UPDATE: I've emailed Leroy Randolph to ask if he's "THE" Leroy Randolph. I'll keep you posted of all developments...

UPDATE II: If you look closely, you'll see that Geneva and Fred Shells share a "cell-phone". Sweet!

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