Carl Carlton – Don’t Walk Away
Carl Carlton
Listen/Download – Carl Carlton – Don’t Walk Away
Greetings all.
I was lucky enough to find some free time in the past week, so you’re actually getting a second post for your Thanksgiving cornucopia.
Our table will – in a major stroke of good fortune – be graced by my wife, who is escaping the confines of the hospital in time to celebrate the holiday!
But first a reminder that the Funky16Corners Radio Show returns this Friday night at 9PM on Viva Radio, and is posted here at the blog on Saturday as an MP3.
While the song your hearing today has been a fave of mine for a long time, it was in a completely different version.
I presented the Superlatives take on ‘I Don’t Know How (To Say I Love You) Don’t Walk Away’ back in 2007, not long after I first heard it spun at the Asbury Park 45 Sessions by my man Sport Casual.
It’s one of those epic soul 45s that go a long way toward defining the sound of the genre, especially since the Superlatives’ version mixes pure harmonies, slamming drums and a stellar arrangement.
Though a poster mentioned the Carl Carlton version when I put the song up, I didn’t get to hear it until sometime earlier this year (via my man Tony C).
Carlton should be known to most soul fans via his 1974 hit cover of Robert Knight’s ‘Everlasting Love’, or through his Northern Soul monster ‘Competition Ain’t Nothing’.
His 1969 version of ‘Don’t Walk Away’, which was a Top 40 R&B hit may not scale the heights of the Superlatives recording (which I believe is the OG), but it has its own charms, mainly Carlton’s voice.
He was only 16 at the time it was recorded (he started recording as ‘Little’ Carl Carlton) but he sounds like a much more mature singer.
The 45 was also produced by none other than Andre Williams!
As mentioned earlier, Carlton went on to have hits in the 70s and 80s, including ‘Everlasting Love’ (#6 Pop, #11 R&B in 1974) and ‘She’s a Bad Mama Jama’ (#2 R&B, #22 Pop in 1981).
I hope you dig the tune, have a happy Thanksgiving, and I’ll be back on Monday.
Peace
Larry
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Themocracy
Thankful indeed. Have a fine holiday. Better days ahead but — as the man said — be thankful for what you got.