Listen/Download Timmy Willis – Mr Soul Satisfaction

Greetings all

The end of the week is here, so I must remind you that the Funky16Corners Radio Show returns to the airwaves of the interwebs, this and every Friday night at 9PM on Viva Radio. If you cannot make the scene at airtime, you can keep up by subscribing to the show as a podcast in iTunes or by grabbing an MP3 out of the archive here at the blog.

The tune I have selected toclose out the week is a longtime fave of mine.

Timmy Willis’s ‘Mr Soul Satisfaction’ is one of those records that I saw popping up on playlists (especially Northern Soul-related) for years before I actually got to hear the record.

Once I did, I dug it so much I had to go out and find myself a copy, which I did.

Recorded and released in 1967 on Detroit’s Sidra label, and the picked up for national distribution by Veep (and by United Artists in the UK), ‘Mister Soul Satisfaction’ made it under the wire into the R&B Top 40 in February of 1968.

Opening with a very groovy guitar line (the guitarist is the unsung/un-singing hero of this 45), the rhythm section kicks in with a nice punch before Timmy, and a chorus of girl singers get rolling.

The tune is a classic bit of soul boasting, with Timmy nailing it with the line:

I’m so bad I shoulda been born twins!

Timmy Willis was born in Columbus, OH, but seems to have done most of his recording in Detroit.

The song was written and produced by George McGregor, who worked the board on a grip of Detroit 45s under his Gee-Mac productions name, including sides for Gwen Owens, Barbara Mercer, Ruby Andrews and Tobi Lark among others.

Willis had two more singles skirt the outside of the R&B Top 50 in 1969 (both for the Jubilee label) and appears to have done his last 45 for Epic in 1972.

That said, considering the quality therein, this is not a terribly hard to find or expensive 45 to find, so grab yourself one for your record box, and whip it on the people.

I hope you dig it,and I’ll see you all next week.

Keep the faith

Larry

 

 

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