Willie Hightower - Willie Hightower (2004)

"Willie Hightower is soul music's forgotten man. Possessing a raspy gospel-reared voice with a delivery echoing Sam Cooke, Willie Hightower only released three singles for Fame and one album for Capitol in the late '60s, but they're among the greatest soul records ever made. These songs contain all that's magical about Southern Soul. Fuelled by funky guitars and a bold brass section they stand alongside anything to come out of Rick Hall's Muscle Shoals' Fame Studios, which is saying something when you count in the classics by Etta James, Otis Redding, and Aretha Franklin recorded there. But just as Willie was on the road to success with two Billboard R&B charting singles under his belt he seemingly disappeared -- a casualty of the rapidly changing musical styles ushered in by the '70s. Willie Hightower recorded these songs during the height of the civil rights period and although they were not explicitly concerned with politics they were undoubtedly touched by what was going on. While Willie brings to his songs the experience of a man who played to segregated audiences and was forced to enter and leave by the club's back door, there's something about the way Willie sings them that makes them universal in theme."


Tracks:

1. Walk A Mile In My Shoes
2. Back Road Into Town
3. If I Had A Hammer
4. Nobody But You
5. You Used Me
6. Time Has Brought About A Change
7. It's Too Late
8. (Take My Hand) Let's Walk Together
9. Poor Man
10. I Can't Love Without You
11. I Love You (Yes I Do)
12. It's Wonderful To Be In Love With You
13. Ooh Baby How I Love You
14. Somebody Have Mercy
15. Because I Love You
16. You Are Mine
17. It's A Miracle
18. For Sentimental Reasons/You Send Me