Al Kent – Where Do I Go From Here
Listen/Download Al Kent – Where Do I Go From Here
Greetings all
Once you’ve spent a lot of time listening to, and reading about soul and funk music, you become aware of the fact that sometimes, record labels, by virtue of the creative people involved can be depended on for a certain level of quality.
This is more evident in labels with smaller runs that had less opportunity to dilute their overall power with dozens of substandard or off-genre releases (i.e. no back alley detours into country, rock or crooners).
Sometimes, as in the case of Sansu records (one of the few labels through which I have become infected with the completest virus), you’re digging on the artistic vision of a singular talent, in that case Mr Allen Toussaint, who wrote, produced and arranged the vast majority of the catalog.
In the case of Detroit’s storied Ric-Tic/Golden World labels, the vision is spread out a little bit wider, encompassing the talents of label owners Ed Wingate and Joanne Bratton, producer/arrangers like Mike Terry, the instrumental talents of the Funk Brothers (and associated studio guns) and writer/performers like Al Kent.
Kent (born Al Hamilton), who had recorded in the late 50s with his brothers as the Nite Caps for Groove, then went on to make solo sides for labels like Checker, Wizard and Baritone before hooking up with Wingate’s various labels in the mid-60s (and, among other things, co-writing ‘Stop Her On Sight S.O.S.’ for Edwin Starr).
Stepping back to my original point, the sounds on Detroit labels like Ric-Tic and Golden World are so good, that I will often grab any disc I do not know on the labels whenever I find them, which is what I did with the record you see before you today.
Oddly, it was the instrumental side of this 45 ‘You’ve Got To Pay the Price’ that was a hit, grazing the R&B Top 20 in 1967, and becoming a Northern Soul standard of sorts*.
I dug that tune when I heard it, but it’s the side I’m posting today that really grew on me.
‘Where Do I Go From Here’ is one of those amazing records that gives off waves of Detroit-ness from its every groove.
Masterfully arranged by Mike Terry (when is he getting his boxed set??), with vibes, sweeping strings, bass and guitar (Dennis Coffey), and with a righteous vocal by Kent, ‘Where Do I Go from Here’ is just about perfect.
It is richly detailed and fully realized without passing into overkill, propulsive enough to dance to but with lots to listen for as well, it should have been a hit.
Al Kent went on to do some work for Motown after Berry Gordy bought out the entire Ric-Tic organization in 1968.
The tune was also recorded by the Four Tops (produced by Kent) but remained unreleased until ‘Lost Without You: Motown Lost & Found (1963-1970)’.
I hope you dig the tune, and I’ll see you all on Friday.
Keep the faith
Larry
*It was also recorded in a vocal version by Gloria Taylor for the Silver Fox label in 1969
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Themocracy
Really perfect ’60s soul. Thanks for the post.