Thursday, March 6, 2008
King Solomon's Soul Mines
There is a great little BBC documentary on Solomon Burke called Solomon Burke: Everybody Needs Somebody. Most of the world doesn't know a whole a lot about Burke. He is undeniably one of the world's great Soulmen. I saw him at Waterfront Blues in 2001, the same year he was inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I recall being quite impressed with Burke's stage show, a man with big girth who took full control. I recall a fair amount of instrumentation, some great women back up singers and of course, his cape and throne. But mostly there is the voice, clear, forceful and full of what we call soul, as only can come from those who were best in God's gospel who came on over and talked about other forms of love as well.What follows are some random notes about Burke, sourced and inspired primarily by my screening of the BBC documentary
- Burke is quite a forceful ebullient presence on stage, but his off stage persona is almost laid back, with a much lighter voice and a gentle manner.
- He has 21 children (six by the time he was 20 or so) and 88 grand children and over 17 great grand children.A Song of Solomon Indeed!
- Burke's first record for Atlantic was a country song, Just Out Of Reach released when he was just 21 years old. He tells the story of his grandmother telling him to listen to the great diction that Autry had years earlier when they listened to the radio. Autry, who owned the publishing rights later was instrumental in getting him some airplay. Herb Jeffery was the first black cowboy, but it is worth noting that Burke's success as a country artist came before Ray Charles' Modern Sounds in Country and Western.
- He turned down recording Bert Bern's Hang on Sloopy
- Peter Guralnick talks about how Solomon had the ability to croon and have a rough sound as well. Tom Jones talks about how listening to Solomon gives you the feeling of being somewhere else. My observation is that he rules a song when he sings it, it becomes realm of King Solomon.
- The Rolling Stones did very well with Burke Covers: Cry to Me, Everybody Needs Somebody, and If You Need Me. And it doesn't take a genius to hear the influence he likely had on Van Morrison.
- Solomon is not a dancer, but no singer uses his hands in such an expressive way as Burke does. It is almost like he shapes the notes with his fingers when he sings.
- The Soul Clan could have changed the world. It was a super group organized by Don Covay and Solomon Burke. Otis Redding also was originally going to be a part of this. Atlantic pulled the plug on the record because, according to Solomon, the Clan was doing this to gain some economic freedom an mobility of their own. Regardless, it is too bad. They could have come up with some monster records of most muscular soul music.
- He worked as an undertaker for his aunt's mortuary between hisfirst two record contracts, all before he was twenty.
- Gospel is still a big component of Burke's life and work, over the years. It was a strong tradition in his life. His church in Philadelphia the House of Prayer is filled with high energy, band instruments. Burke says his best known tune "Everybody Needs Somebody to Love" is based on the march from his church.
- The great comeback project for Solomon was Joe Henry's Don't Give Up on Me where he recorded previously unreleased songs by folks like Tom Waits and Bob Dylan. His latest album is Nashville a country album, coming full circle 45 years after Just Out of Reach
- Solomon says: "I think I am the fastest moving entertainer in a wheelchair in the world. And when it is time for me to make the rapid change either in size or what it might be, I'm sure god has a plan for me. But I think God wants me to be who I am. And when that day comes, and I get to heaven, I want St Peter to recognize me at the gate. Amen. Amen Amen Amen. Pass the Chicken."
posted by well-executed buffet at 8:04 PM
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