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CD
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VAMPI 053CD
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2004 release. Mickey Murray was a powerful performer who was signed to Sun Records' SSI International in the late '60s. Written by Otis Redding, "Shout Bamalama" rose up the R&B charts, just missing the Top 10 in 1967. But follow-ups like his self-penned Lonely Room and the hard funk of Hit Record failed to generate any chart action, leaving Redding's song as the biggest career hit for the Southern singer. This collection brings together the best of Murray's SSI tracks and demonstrates his fine skills as a singer. A surprisingly hard to find album of groovy soul cuts. Here are loads of great cuts, like "Hit Record," "How many Breaks Can One Heart Take," "Got You On My Mind," and the eerie "Lonely Room." In "Shout Bamalama" he imitates Redding, and he sings in a lower, less hectic voice on the other songs -- except for "Flat Foot Sam" and "Sticky Sue," which are as boisterous and backwoods as "Shout Bamalama." The ballads -- "Lonely Room," "Pledging My Love" (a sweet remake of Johnny Ace's classic), and "Am I That Easy to Forget" (slow Southern blues) -- are well-done and memorable. On "Hit Record" and "Mama Got the Wagon" you'll swear you're listening to James Brown, whereas tracks like "After What I've Been Used To" and "The Pig and the Pussy Cat" harken back to memories of Stax Records and their patented horns. The sound is a mix of Sound Stage Seven southern soul with funkier production -- and Mickey's voice is nice and raw, and works great with the material.
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