Dusty in Philly

Not sure all that much explanation is needed for tonight’s album side on The Midnight Tracker.

In 1969, there was “Dusty in Memphis.”

British pop singer Dusty Springfield, hoping to tweak her image and remain relevant, released an LP full of R&B songs. Though seven of its 11 songs were written by Randy Newman and Brill Building greats Gerry Goffin, Carole King, Barry Mann and Cynthia Weill, they were delivered soulfully by Springfield, who was backed by the Memphis Cats and the Sweet Inspirations. The LP had a smash single in “Son Of A Preacher Man,” which reached the Top 10 in early 1969. “Dusty in Memphis” became a classic.

A year later, Springfield tried the same formula, turning from Memphis to Philadelphia.

“A Brand New Me” was full of R&B songs written and produced by Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff. When this was recorded in Philly in the fall of 1969, Gamble and Huff were up-and-comers, still more than a year away from founding Philadelphia International Records.

Dusty in Philly wasn’t as popular as Dusty in Memphis. The title cut, “Brand New Me” was the big single, but it barely reached the Top 25 on the U.S. pop chart in early 1970. The LP reached No. 35 in the UK, but it didn’t even crack the Top 100 in the U.S. It turned out to be the last LP she recorded in the States to be released.

Still, there’s lots to like about “A Brand New Me.” You really can’t go wrong with this combination of Springfield’s soulful vocals and those smooth, sophisticated, upbeat Gamble and Huff songs.

“Brand New Me,” “Joe,” “Silly, Silly Fool,” “The Star Of My Show” and “Let’s Talk It Over,” Dusty Springfield, from “A Brand New Me,” 1970. It’s out of print but is available digitally. This is Side 2. It runs 12:12.

The men who wrote these songs became a who’s who of Philly soul.

Gamble co-wrote all five cuts, the last three with Huff. His co-writers on “Joe” were singer Jerry Butler and another up-and-coming Philly producer, Thom Bell. His co-writers on “Silly, Silly Fool” were songwriter Allan Felder and guitarist and arranger Norman Harris, both also early in careers that saw them collaborate on some of the greatest Philly soul hits of the ’70s.

Springfield recorded a second LP with Gamble and Huff, but it wasn’t released. Some of those songs finally saw the light as bonus cuts on CD re-releases in 1992 and 2002. They also are available digitally.

This also came from Philly

Tonight on The Midnight Tracker, we have another LP rarely seen while digging for records.

The Electric Indian was a group of Philadelphia studio musicians brought together in 1969 to lay down some funk and soul instrumentals, mostly covers. It recorded one LP, “Keem-O-Sabe,” and two modestly successful singles, the LP’s title cut and a cover of “Land of 1,000 Dances.”

The most thorough piece I can find about the group is this 2006 blog post from The Record Robot, which specialized in odd and quirky records. Most sources credit onetime Swan Records owner Bernie Binnick as the sole founder of The Electric Indian. However, the Record Robot post also says ’60s singer Len Barry was a co-founder. Both were Philly guys.

Barry, who produced the group, is said to have been fascinated by American Indian culture at the time. He and Binnick co-wrote the title cut and its 7-inch flip side “Broad Street,” with Barry taking the writer’s credit under his real name, Leonard Borisoff. Barry also co-wrote “Rain Dance,” another cut on the LP. The last cut on the record is a cover of Barry’s hit single “1-2-3.”

Wiki, which doesn’t mention Barry in connection with The Electric Indian, insists the group was “influenced by the popularity of American Indians in the media.” Listening to this record, it’s clear any such influence was superficial at best. At a time when the American Indian movement was gaining strength and respect, here is a record on which the hit single, “Keem-O-Sabe” samples the theme from “The Lone Ranger.” As always, you be the judge.

That said, The Electric Indian cranked out some mighty fine grooves. Its members, uncredited on the album jacket, included some now-familiar names. Two legendary Philly rhythm sections that followed soon after in the early ’70s –  MFSB and the Salsoul Orchestra — can trace part of their legacy to The Electric Indian.

Vince Montana Jr., who’d worked as a Philly session man for a decade, played vibes for The Electric Indian and arranged four of the LP’s 10 cuts. He also wrote its longest cut, the 5-minute “Geronimo.” He eventually joined MFSB, as did guitarist Bobby Eli. Montana went from MFSB to become the conductor of the Salsoul Orchestra. A young Daryl Hall, just getting started in music, was The Electric Indian’s keyboard player. Tim Moore, who became a well-regarded singer-songwriter in the ’70s, was another of the guitarists.

Hear, then, the music that led to MFSB and the Salsoul Orchestra.

“Keem-O-Sabe,” “I Heard It Through The Grapevine,” “Spinning Wheel,” “Storm Warning” and “Rain Dance,” The Electric Indian, from “Keem-O-Sabe,” 1969. It’s out of print. This is Side 1. It runs a brisk 12:42.

The first and last cuts are originals. You know “Grapevine,” the Motown classic, and “Spinning Wheel,” the smash for Blood, Sweat and Tears. “Storm Warning” is a Philly soul classic from 1965, written by Carl Fisher of the Vibrations and recorded by the Volcanos.

On second thought

Some records you rarely see while crate-digging. Tonight on The Midnight Tracker, we have one.

I don’t recall ever having seen a Chi Coltrane record before my friend Jim’s recent back yard tent sale. That day, I saw two. If you remember Chi Coltrane at all, it may be because of “Thunder And Lightning,” her hit single from the spring and summer of 1972.

For no apparent reason, I passed on those two records that day. Then I had second thoughts, mostly because you never see Chi Coltrane records in our corner of Wisconsin. So I went back the next day — an hour’s round trip — and picked them up.

Chi Coltrane is one of Wisconsin’s own, born in Racine. The daughter of a violinist, she started early, playing a piano recital at age 12. She was just 21 when she started playing professionally. A powerhouse pianist and a spirited singer, Coltrane started as part of Chicago Coltrane, a trio that played a mix of rock, funk, blues, gospel and jazz. She honed her craft in the clubs of Chicago.

Coltrane was signed by Columbia Records in 1972 after it heard her six-song demo. Later that year, Columbia released the record we have for you tonight. She wrote all 11 songs on the record.

“Thunder And Lightning,” “Goodbye John,” “You Were My Friend,” “Turn Me Around,” “Go Like Elijah” and “The Tree,” from “Chi Coltrane,” 1972. This is Side 1. It runs 22:42. The LP is out of print as such, but all of its songs are available on “Golden Classics,” a 1996 CD release.

“Thunder and Lightning” reached No. 17 on the U.S. charts. Another cut, the gospel-tinged “Go Like Elijah,” did well in Europe. The LP stayed in the U.S. charts for three months.

So what happened? Coltrane wasn’t into promoting herself or her records. Her deeply spiritual nature didn’t quite fit the music business. She recorded sporadically for the rest of the ’70s, then moved to Europe, where she had a more passionate following. She returned to the States in the early ’90s, working behind the scenes in the music business. Coltrane resumed performing two years ago, mostly in Europe, where she remains popular.

Here’s a hint of Chi Coltrane’s appeal. She does “I Will Not Dance,” a song from Side 2 of this record, on a German TV show in 1973.

Something else for the season

A couple of years ago, we offered something for the season as October rolled around.

Tonight on The Midnight Tracker, we have something else for the season as we again revive an old late-night FM radio show on which one side of a new or classic album was played.

Making its way through the blue haze of time and arriving in a most timely manner is “Tales of Mystery and Imagination.”

This is the debut album from the Alan Parsons Project. Recorded over seven months in late 1975 and early 1976, and released in the late spring of 1976, it sets to music the classic stories of Edgar Allan Poe. It has long been one of my favorites.

“The Fall Of The House Of Usher” and “To One In Paradise,” the Alan Parsons Project, from “Tales of Mystery and Imagination,” 1976. This is Side 2. It runs 19:07. It’s only two songs long because the first cut is a five-movement instrumental epic that runs almost 15 minutes.

You might want to call this a bit of click or treat, if you catch my drift.

The greatest live show on Earth

No messing around tonight on the Midnight Tracker. We need to jolt this thing back to life, and there’s only one way to do that.

“Live from the Birmingham Municipal Auditorium and the WVOK Shower of Stars, the one, the only, Jerry Lee Lewis!”

In a mere 15 minutes, the Killer rips through covers of tunes by Little Richard, Charlie Rich, Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley and Ray Charles.

Jerry Lee wades in with “Jenny, Jenny,” strolls and swaggers through “Who Will The Next Fool Be,” then starts to pick up speed with “Memphis.”

The kids scream as he blows up “Hound Dog,” flipping out and abandoning the lyrics about halfway through. He starts chanting “They told me you was high class” over and over, then “Nothing but a hound dog, just an old hound dog” over and over.

The side ends with “I Got A Woman,” is mostly a wild instrumental rave-up, getting the kids jacked up for the rest of the show.

They recorded this on July 1, 1964. It was not the weekend. It was a Wednesday night. To hear this astonishing side, Jerry Lee Lewis clearly brought the greatest live show on Earth to town that night.

“Jenny, Jenny,” “Who Will The Next Fool Be,” “Memphis,” “Hound Dog” and “I Got A Woman,” Jerry Lee Lewis, from “The Greatest Live Show On Earth,” 1964. This is Side 1. It runs 14:58.

You’ll find it on “The Greatest Live Shows On Earth,” a 1994 CD that also includes Jerry Lee’s 1966 live record “Jerry Lee Lewis: By Request.”