Billy Preston

Listen/Download Billy Preston – Greazee Pt1

Listen/Download Billy Preston – Greazee Pt2

Greetings all, and welcome to the middle of another steamy, summer week..

The cuts I bring you today represent a record I knew of for years, but only just managed to score a copy of within the last few months.

You already know I dig the sounds of Billy Preston, from hit hitmaking era in the early 70s back through his Hammond wrangling days of the 60s.

The record we feature today goes back to the very beginnings of the first part of Preston’s career.

The song ‘Greazee Pts 1&2’ was the very first record Preston had released under his own name.

Recorded in 1963 under the aegis of Sam Cooke and JW Alexander, on the Derby subsidiary of Cooke’s SAR label, ‘Greazee Pts 1&2’ was also included on the self-explanatory LP ‘The 16 Year Old Soul of Billy Preston’.

Even at that young age, Preston was already something of a veteran, having played behind artists like Mahalia Jackson, Little Richard and Ray Charles.

‘Greazee Pts 1&2’ is a remarkably tight slice of Hammond R&B from one so young.

Part One is mostly an organ feature with Preston and Earl Palmer setting the groove in a loping waltz time. Part Two picks up the pace and grooves even harder. I’d love to know who the guitarist is trading licks with Preston.

Preston would go on to record organ features for Vee Jay (‘Billy’s Bag’ would go on to become a Northern Soul fave) and Capitol, where he worked with Sly Stone.

‘Greazee Pts 1&2’ would go on to be issued in the UK in the late 60s on Dave Godin’s ‘Soul City’ imprint.

I hope you dig the cut, and I’ll see you all on Friday.

Keep the faith

Larry

 

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One Response to “Billy Preston – Greazee Pts1&2”

1. themusicologist says:

   July 28, 2012 at 7:05 am

   superb..was it Billy Preston who played on Sam Cooke’s marrow Trembling LP ‘Night Beat’.
   ‘Billy’s Bag’ was a BIG Mod tune in London on release.