Homer Banks

Listen/Download – Homer Banks – A Lot of Love

Greetings all.

The track I bring to you today is like Monday’s tune, a precursor to (if not an outright OG) of one of the big tunes of the British Invasion.

Homer Banks was both a fine songwriter, and an excellent (if underappreciated) soul singer.

Banks recorded a string of brilliant Memphis-based 45s for Minit between 1966 and 1968, all the while writing for other artists, many in the Stax organization.

If you give a listen to any of the records that banks made under his own name, it leaves you shaking your head, wondering how he wasn’t a success on his own (and why Jim Stewart never signed him to his own deal at Stax).

Banks had a high, flexible tenor that reminds me of a lighter version of Sam Moore (which is interesting since Banks co-wrote ‘I Can’t Stand Up For Falling Down’ for Sam and Dave), able to soar on ballads but with enough grit to deliver harder edged material.

‘A Lot of Love’ (co-written with Deanie Parker) was the A-side of Banks’ first Minit 45 in 1966 (he had already recorded a pair of 45s for the small, Memphis-based Genie label) and while it wasn’t a hit, it did make it over to the UK where a young cat by the name of Steve Winwood heard it and lifted its basic riff, reworking it into ‘Gimme Some Lovin’, a huge hit in the US and the UK, and ultimately a much better-known record than Banks OG.

I’m here to tell you (though your ears ought to be able to figure it out on their own) that while ‘Gimme Some Lovin’ is a classic, ‘A Lot of Love’ is in the end a much better record, with an outstanding lead vocal by Banks, and a fine arrangement with enough kick for the dance floor.

Oddly enough, Banks would be ripped off (by proxy) again, when Flavor (who may or may not have been aware of ‘A Lot of Love’) re-ripped the tune as ‘Sally Had a Party’, which is also an amazing record.

Homer Banks went on to write/cowrite a number of hits, including Luther Ingram’s smash ‘If Loving You is Wrong (I Don’t Want To be Right)’, and would hit the charts himself in a duo with Carl Hampton in 1977 with ‘I’m Gonna Have To Tell Her’.

Banks passed away in 2001 from cancer.

All of Banks’ Minit 45s are excellent and worth picking up when you can find them.

I hope you dig the tune, and I’l see you all on Friday.

Keep the faith

Larry

 

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Also, the brand new Funky16Corners ‘Keep Calm and Stay Funky’ stickers have arrived! The stickers are 4″ x 3″ and printed on high quality, glossy stock. They are $2.00 each, with free shipping in the US ($2.00 per order shipping outside of the US). Click here to go to the ordering page.

Also, make sure that you check out the links below to the Be The Match Foundation and POAC (click on the logos for more info).

 

PS Head over to Iron Leg too.