Funky16Corners

Dobie Gray 1940 – 2011 – The Dance Floor Trilogy

By Larry, December 7, 2011 10:50 pm

Dobie Gray – at the go go.

~~Listen/Download – Dobie Gray – The In Crowd~~
~~Listen/Download – Dobie Gray – See You At the Go Go~~
~~Listen/Download – Dobie Gray – Out On the Floor~~

Greetings all.

I was going to drop this for Friday, but the music has my mind racing and if I don’t post it now, I’m not gonna sleep.

I come to you at the end of what has been an especially tough week for fans of quality sounds.

Things got started with the passing of Howard Tate, followed with the loss of Howlin’ Wolf’s guitar man Hubert Sumlin, and closes now with news that the mighty Dobie Gray had slipped the surly bonds of earth.

Though he was known to most for his huge 1973 hit ‘Drift Away’, any soul fan worth their wax will tell you that he made his first and most lasting mark with the ‘In Crowd’ in 1965.

That particular record holds a very special place in my heart and my own soul music ‘story’.

Back in the garage/mod days of the mid-80s, most of my experience with the sounds of soul was limited to the Southern sounds of Stax, Goldwax and the like.

Fortunately for me (and my ears) I fell in with a pack of modernists, the scooter riding, parka wearing kind, who hepped me to the stylish sounds of the mod dance floor.

A cornerstone of my introduction to that sound was ‘The In Crowd’.

Though that record has its obvious sonic charms – it has a subtle, but driving power – it’s the lyrics that really made a dent in my mind.

When you’re a young cat, on the prowl with your mates, out to hear some loud music, drink some cold beer and ease your way up beside a fine young lady, you are, whether in actuality or just in your own fevered brain, in the ‘In Crowd’.

If there was a song made during the classic soul era that was tailor made for such a scene and its adherents that was better than ‘The In Crowd’, I have yet to hear it.

I’m in with the in crowd
I go where the in crowd goes
I’m in with the in crowd
And I know what the in crowd knows

Anytime of the year
Don’t you hear
(Havin’ a ball)
Dressin’ fine, makin’ time

We breeze up an down the street
We get respect
From the people we meet
They make way day or night
They know the in crowd is out of sight

From the opening snare roll, through the horns and the throbbing bass, the song is positively brilliant. Even yours truly, with gravity and grace my sworn enemies found myself driven out onto the floor, hand clapping, head moving, heart pounding.

You ain’t been nowhere til you’ve been in.

Hell yes, Dobie Gray.

Despite the fact that he wouldn’t really have another chart hit until ‘Drift Away’ you cannot mention Dobie Gray and ‘The In Crowd’ without making note of the fact that that particular record is only the cornerstone in mod dance floor trilogy of sorts, running through ‘See You At the Go Go’ and ‘Out On the Floor’*.

If you’re going to discuss one, you have to discuss them all because they are all very, very groovy, and because they all speak to facets of the same basic experience.

It’s as if your set stepped out the door with ‘The In Crowd’, made their plans with ‘See You at the Go Go’ and then put their moves to work ‘Out On the Floor’.

They were released in 1965 and 1966 (all on Charger), and the sound of the three records blends together brilliantly (the first two written by Billy Page, the third by Fred Darian and Al DeLory).

All three are well regarded, but ‘Out On the Floor’ is a big record with the Northern Soul crowd, so much so that it grazed the UK Top 40 in 1975, nearly a decade after its initial release.

They are all testament to the early greatness of Dobie Gray.

If you get the chance, head out on the floor this weekend in his memory.

See you on Monday.

Peace

Larry

*Unfortunately I do not own an OG of ‘Out on the Floor’ (yet…) thus the change in sound quality.

Also, make sure that you check out the POAC link below (click on the logo). It’s a fantastic organization that provides services to our local autism community, with education and recreational events, and any contribution you could make would be greatly appreciated.