Alan Price left The Animals in 1965 and began his career as as the lead singer of The Alan Price Set in 1966.
Their first single was a flop. This, their second, made the Top Ten, in England.
It's my personal favourite rendition of this much covered, Screamin' Jay Hawkins song. The most famous version is probably by Nina Simone, which I also rate very highly.
Alan's version is tremendously powerful, helped by his skilful, echoey use of the Hammond Organ.
Price never 'made it' in the USA as a solo performer. He was terrified of flying, so the necessary promotion of his work, stateside, suffered. He also gave this as his reason for leaving the Animals, who needed to spend a lot of time in the USA, as they had a huge following there.
He's one of my favourite British artists, solo & otherwise, of the '60's & I think this is my favourite of his songs.
from The Price To Play (Repetoire) available on CD - yes
I'm very surprised there are no other Georgie Fame songs here.
Here's yet another British solo singer of the 1960's who never really made it in America...except, I think, with the song 'Bonnie & Clyde'.
By 1969 Georgie Fame's success as a hit-maker was starting to wind down, before, in the early '70's, he teamed up with Alan Price and had a hit with the forgettable 'Rosetta'.
I think this song has been forgotten, this version anyway, but it's far from forgettable.
A really terrific late '60's chart hit, that only made it to no.16 on the British charts, but should have done so much better.
A really upbeat, summer song.
It was covered by someone else sometime in the '70's, I think, but that version was far inferior to this.
Wondeful gentle arrangement...lots of mellow brass & Georgie's voice at its understated, confident best.
available on CD - yes (Raven)
07 Dec 05 ·konsu: This song was written by Kenny Rankin. A legend in his own right in the US. The Fame version is awesome indeed, i've heard a lot of takes on this one and his takes the prize. 23 Mar 06 ·audioadventures: I agree I re-discovered this song recently and it has been added to my best songs of all time.
Well, Nick Drake seems to be finally enjoying his place in the sun, fame & success-wise, even if: 'Fame is but a fruit tree, so very unsound'.
I first heard Nick Drake being played in a record shop in London. I thought it was '60's Donovan. Anyway, it wasn't & I bought the record and haven't looked back since.
Part of his non-success was due to his inabilty to come up with a hit single, or a single at all and this was still, to a large degree, a singles era.
I've often thought that this song, of all of his, could have been a single, given a slightly different treatment.
Anyway, it wasn't, but I love it very much and do think it's one of his catchiest, even though that's probably not the right word for anything by Nick Drake.
from Pink Moon (Island) available on CD - Yes (Island)