A Sleepy summer night

Longtime readers of our other blog — AM, Then FM — may recall a regular feature from its first year. Every Sunday was Sleepy Sunday, on which we rolled out a tune from one of our faves, roots legend Sleepy LaBeef.

Born in Smackover, Arkansas, he stands a solid 6-foot-6 and belts out rockabilly, roots, blues, country and gospel tunes in a deep, smoky baritone while raking away on his guitar. He’s 73 and still touring, albeit at his pace.

When I last saw Sleepy live two years ago, I chatted with him briefly and told him what I was doing, putting his songs out there on the Web for all to hear. “Keep it up!” he roared.

So tonight on The Midnight Tracker, we bring you a Sleepy summer night. It’s a live side, and live is the only way to experience Sleepy LaBeef, American treasure.

Sleepy’s great live album, “Nothin’ But the Truth,” was recorded live at Harper’s Ferry in Allston, Massachusetts, on Oct. 22, 1985 — a Tuesday night, just like tonight.

It’s Side 2, so we’re arriving midway through the show. Sleepy’s starting to crank it up on the first tune, a cover of an Otis Blackwell song. Listen for him to holler for “Piano!” about 2 minutes in. Then — bang! bang! bang! — he covers Bo Diddley, Rockin’ Sidney Simien and Johnny Cash. Now you know why Sleepy is called “The Human Jukebox.”

Sleepy’s in high gear by the time he wraps up the show with a closing medley of “Jambalaya,” “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On,” “Let’s Turn Back the Years,” “Hey, Good Lookin’” and “Folsom Prison Blues.”

You will find it anything but sleepy.

“Let’s Talk About Us,” “Gunslinger,” “My Toot-Toot,” “Ring of Fire” and “Medley,” Sleepy LaBeef, from “Nothin’ But the Truth,” 1987. It runs 23:47.

The rest of the story

Much of what I know about about soul music comes from listening first to AM radio in the early ’70s, then FM radio for the rest of the decade. However, mine tends to be a wide but shallow pool at times.

I plead guilty as charged when it comes to the Chi-Lites. I long knew them only for their smooth, gentle love songs, the radio hits — “Have You Seen Her” from 1971 and “Oh Girl” from 1972.

A short while back, I heard “(For God’s Sake) Give More Power To The People,” a powerfully funky protest song featuring Creadel “Red” Jones’ bass voice. A bass? With the Chi-Lites? Head asplode. It’s from 1971, done along the lines of the stuff done by the Temptations at the time, and oh, how I dug the Temptations.

So I started digging — and digging for — the Chi-Lites, who came out of Chicago and worked together for a decade before hitting it big in the early ’70s. I recently found tonight’s record for a dollar. It’s a delightful mix of those smooth, sweet sounds and the funkier stuff.

As the liner notes on the Brunswick Records album jacket say: “Eugene Record, Marshall Thompson, Robert ‘Squirrel’ Lester and Creadel ‘Red’ Jones are the four stars of this amazing quartet.” Record sings lead, Thompson and Lester complement him and Jones’ bass anchors it all.

In the late ’50s, Record and Lester started out with another singer, Clarence Johnson, in a group called the Chanteurs. Thompson and Jones were a group called the Desideros. About 1960, they joined forces and became the Hi-Lites. In 1964, they became Marshall and the Chi-Lites, the latter reflecting their Chicago roots. Not long after, Johnson left the group, and they went simply as the Chi-Lites. It wasn’t until they signed with Brunswick Records in 1968 that they started to make it nationally. Their peak years were 1969 to 1973.

Thompson and Lester continue to perform as the Chi-Lites along with Frank Reed, who joined them as lead singer almost 20 years ago, after Record left the group. Record and Jones have since died.

Enough talk. As those liner notes say, “stoke up your stereo and treat yourself to a generous helping” of the Chi-Lites. Here’s Side 1.

“Yes I’m Ready (If I Don’t Get To Go),” “We Are Neighbors,” “I Want To Pay You Back,” “Have You Seen Her” and “(For God’s Sake) Give More Power To The People,” the Chi-Lites, from “(For God’s Sake) Give More Power To The People,” 1971. It runs 20:40.

Record — the lead singer — also produced this album, did some of the arrangements and wrote or co-wrote seven of the nine songs.

Rare Earth’s rare album

Work has worn me out this week. Hard to say why. Tonight’s side on The Midnight Tracker is just what’s needed to recharge my batteries.

I came across “Ecology” by Rare Earth while crate digging last year. I snatched it right up. It wasn’t until later that I realized how hard it is to find these days.

Rare Earth, of course, is the R&B/funk/soul band long wrongly thought to be the only white act on a Motown label. According to the band’s official history, Motown signed other white acts, but Rare Earth was the only successful one, having honed its chops by covering Motown tunes as a Detroit bar band in the ’60s.

Tonight, we have Side 1 of “Ecology.” It’s a bit of a departure for us because it has just three cuts, and I’m sure you know two of them. We usually don’t go with such familiar stuff. In this case, it’s interesting to hear those familiar cuts as they were laid down on the vinyl almost 40 years ago.

The ones you know — “Born To Wander” and “(I Know) I’m Losing You” — are sandwiched around “Long Time Leavin’,” which I remember from those long-ago nights of free-form FM radio.

I never get tired of Gil Bridges’ sweet flute and Eddie Guzman’s laid-back congas on “Born To Wander,” which was written by producer Tom Baird. Nor do I get tired of Kenny James’ Hammond organ solo on “Long Time Leavin’.”

Side 1 ends with a cover of the Temptations’ “(I Know) I’m Losing You.” Rare Earth’s scorching 10-minute-plus jam has it all — driving wah-wah and trippy slide guitars by Rod Richards, echoed vocals, extended high-hat drum breaks by Pete Rivera, killer conga lines and some cookin’ Hammond organ.

That tune was produced by the great Norman Whitfield, who also produced the Tempts. The single edit of Rare Earth’s version reached No. 7 in the pop charts in the summer of 1970 … one spot higher than the Tempts’ version at this time of year in 1966.

Enjoy the trip back.

“Born To Wander,” “Long Time Leavin’” and “(I Know) I’m Losing You,” Rare Earth, from “Ecology,” 1970. It’s out of print. Side 1 runs 18:36.

Rare Earth is still touring, with Bridges still leading the band. However, he’s the only one in the current lineup who also played on “Ecology.”

The unruly pop star

As usual, the inspiration for tonight’s side came from elsewhere. It popped to mind last week when we wrote about legendary session guitarist Chris Spedding over at our other blog — AM, Then FM.

Spedding played on two of Harry Nilsson’s biggest records — “Nilsson Schmilsson” in 1971 and “Son of Schmilsson” in 1972. The former was Nilsson’s pop breakthrough, delivering the hit singles “Without You,” “Coconut” and “Jump Into The Fire.” The latter didn’t wow anyone at the time and delivered only “Spaceman” as a single.

Nilsson went off the deep end on “Son of Schmilsson,” indulging his whims and creating an irreverent, eccentric, sometimes rude album.

Its forays into questionable taste include lyrics certain to get no airplay — even now, in the case of “You’re Breakin’ My Heart” (“You’re tearin’ it apart/so f*ck you”) and perhaps “Take 54.” (“I sang my balls off for you, baby”)

Another song starts, then ends abruptly when Nilsson belches.

A senior citizens’ choir sings along on a tune proclaiming “I’d rather be dead/than wet my bed.” Ah, they must have been good sports.

I liked it all quite a bit when it came out. Of course, I was 15 at the time. I appreciate irreverence, but given some of the truly delightful songs on this record, all the wacky stuff seems a bit unnecessary now.

But as always, you be the judge as you listen to the somewhat more coherent Side 2.

“Spaceman,” “The Lottery Song,” “At My Front Door,” “Ambush,” “I’d Rather Be Dead” and “The Most Beautiful World In The World,” Harry Nilsson, from “Son of Schmilsson,” 1972. It runs 20:47.

All are written by Nilsson except for “At My Front Door,” which is a rollicking cover of the El Dorados’ R&B hit from 1955, a tune also known as “Crazy Little Mama.”

More than Mrs. Jones

Tonight’s selection on The Midnight Tracker is one I’ve been seeking for some time. I found it last week in my local record dealer’s basement, filed with the jazz records.

But this isn’t a jazz record. Oh, no, no, it’s a delightful slice of Philly soul from 1972.

My search for this record began a year and a half ago, when my friend Larry over at the Funky 16 Corners blog dropped a tune from it. I’d never heard the tune, which really cooks, nor the story behind it.

After Billy Paul had a monster hit with “Me and Mrs. Jones” in 1972, producers Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff wanted to follow up with “Am I Black Enough For You,” which they also co-wrote. Paul thought it a bit strident, but Gamble and Huff prevailed. The follow-up stiffed. Paul has had a long career and at 74 is still going, but never really regained the lost momentum. For more, read Larry’s post. He’s much more knowledgeable about the matter than I am.

In any case, “Am I Black Enough For You,” with its sizzling vocals, horns, clavinet and percussion, has the feel of a lost classic. Please enjoy that cut and the rest of Side 2 of “360 Degrees of Billy Paul.”

“Am I Black Enough For You,” “Let’s Stay Together,” “Your Song” and “I’m Gonna Make It This Time,” Billy Paul, from “360 Degrees of Billy Paul,” 1972. It runs 22:20.

This side is further evidence of Paul’s greatness as a singer. Two of the four cuts are distinctive covers — Al Green’s “Let’s Stay Together” and Elton John’s “Your Song.” His upbeat take on “Your Song” is pretty sweet. The last cut, “I’m Gonna Make It This Time,” is another slice of smooth, slow soul in the same vein as “Me and Mrs. Jones.”