Got To Get You Off My Mind/The Price/Down In The Valley/I’m Hanging Up My Heart For You/If You Need Me/Just Out Of Reach/Cry To Me/Everybody Needs Somebody To Love/Home In Your Heart/Tonight’s The Night/I Really Don’t Want To Know/Words
A Best Of collection from Philadelphia soul pioneer Solomon Burke. Although he failed to break into the US singles top twenty he had fourteen lower placed releases during the 1961-65 period covered by this LP. (US:141)
"While Solomon Burke never made a major impact upon the pop audience - he never, in fact, had a top 20 hit - he was an important early soul pioneer. On his '60s singles for Atlantic, he brought a country influence into R & B, with emotional phrasing and intricately constructed, melodic ballads and mid-tempo songs. At the same time, he was surrounded with sophisticated 'uptown' arrangements and was provided with much of his material by his producers, particularly Bert Berns. The combination of gospel, pop, country and production polish was basic to the recipe of early soul. He was an important influence upon The Rolling Stones, who covered Burke's Cry To Me and Everybody Needs Somebody To Love on their early albums."
"The 'Bishop of Soul' serves up a service of pure musical salvation here: from the country number Just Out Of Reach to the classic Everybody Needs Somebody To Love. These tracks, with all their raw power, pulse with soul: tight brass, great harmonies and emotive singing by Burke."
"Solomon Burke tells you how it is and how it should be. He preaches, moans, shouts, with horns and choirs wrapped around that golden voice, and when you hear him you know he's telling you the truth. Down In The Valley fills the room with meaning and hope. If you don't know Solomon Burke, think Ray Charles and The Staple Singers, and yes, you do want this disc."
"If you haven't heard Solomon Burke I am sorry for you - this man can rock the house. You like Sam Cooke, Ray Charles, Wilson Pickett? You better get hip to Solomon Burke - he is the real deal."
"The result is pure, unadulterated deep, committed, soul music from a master. A delight from start to finish, this collection does a good job of capturing the 'Dixiephilly' soul of a true believer. I'm a convert, that's for sure."
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