Lou Rawls – A Natural Man b/w HPRS Recap
Mr Lou Rawls
Listen/Download Lou Rawls – A Natural Man
Greetings all.
I hope everyone get their ya yas out this weekend.
Here in NJ we’re trapped in that gray area where Spring alternately feels like Winter and Summer, but rarely anything in between.
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I was lucky enough this weekend to take part in the most recent HPRS record sale.
What started out a few years back as a recurring driveway/garage sale has turned into a ‘pop-up’ store of sorts with Gregorious and VinylDog as the resident vinyl slingers and a revolving cast of guest dealers (of which I was one) keeping the stock fresh and interesting.
It was a very groovy scene. I have participated several times in my capacity as customer, but this was the first time I was selling and I brought a nice selection of soul jazz, funk, soul and 60s rock (departing with much lighter crates than I arrived with!).
I got to see some old friends and meet some cool new folks (many of whom were readers of the blog).
If you are within driving distance of the Central Jersey area (the HPRS is located in Iselin, not too far off of Rt1) you really ought to stop by the next time they open the doors (which should be on Record Store Day, 4/21). I may not be thereon 4/21 but I will definitely plug it as the date nears, and will surely be returning to sell sometime soon.
Until then, a couple of pics…
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Last week I was going about my bidness when today’s selection popped into my ears from the old satellite radio and I smiled because I realized that I had it all recorded and ready to go.
Lou Rawls was one of the most versatile singers of the 60s and 70s, recording soul, jazz and R&B with one of the finest voices ever committed to vinyl.
There are many great singers (of which Rawls was one) but among them only so many truly great voices, and Lou Rawls had one that was always a distinct pleasure to listen to.
Though he is best known for his 70s Philadelphia International hits like 1976’s ‘You’ll Never Find Another Love Like Mine’, he was a fairly consistent chart presence during the previous ten years.
His 1960s Capitol recordings, especially those he made with the legendary David Axelrod were remarkable, but there was a period in the early 70s when he departed that label and moved to MGM when things eased off a bit.
The exception during that period was his 1971 hit ‘A Natural Man’ which hit the Top 20 on both the R&B and Pop charts.
Co-written by Bobby Hebb and Sandy Baron (a comedian, known for his portrayal of Morty Seinfeld’s nemesis Jack Klompus on Seinfeld), ‘A Natural Man’ is a fantastic, easy-swinging bit of soul with a great vocal by Rawls.
The record opens with a great bass/drums riff (Carole Kaye and Earl Palmer! I’m shocked that someone hasn’t looped it) and just a taste of the kind of spoken segment that Rawls specialized in during the 60s.
The lyrics are a timely surprise, almost quasi-hippie with a touch of black power lite added for flavor, all laid out in Rawls’ rich, slightly raspy baritone.
It’s one of those records that’ll have your head nodding before you know it.
I hope you dig it and I’ll be back on Wednesday.
Peace
Larry
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Themocracy
Had a good time yesterday. It was great seeing you again. Thanks again for the 45’s.
Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon is finished. The new game is Six Degrees of Sandy Baron. The guy turns up in the most interesting places.
PS: Take the pen.
Great seeing you too Randy! I hope you like the records.
I’m just loving this track, easy like a summer breeze 🙂