Lonnie Youngblood - The Sixties Soul Sides (WTS Soul No.9)

 

I created this compilation over a year ago, but it was held up in the pipeline for reasons I can no longer recall. In the late '60s, Lonnie Youngblood was at the height of his powers, moving away from the hard-driving R&B sax sound popularised by King Curtis and Junior Walker. He moves decisively from vocal R&B and punchy, horn-led dance records to funk-oriented new lands, leaving an indelible mark on the greasy soul scene through his releases on Fairmount, Silvertone and Loma Records. This brief yet explosive period established him as one of the era's most dynamic performers and while none of these singles reached the charts, his work on these labels between 1965 and 1968 is now widely regarded as a highlight of the era. Many of these recordings later gained fame thanks to Jimi Hendrix, who was unknown at the time. However, that has nothing to do with the material itself (but you'll definitely recognise the opening riff of "Go-Go Shoes", though). If you're a fan of James Brown, Little Richard or Wilson Pickett's late sixties recordings, you'll find yourself hooked on these tracks. Uncompromisingly funky and raw soul!