5 Songs Friday June 6, 2025

Some pretty great singers this week

Jackie Wilson – “Am I the Man” late 50s, available on The Jackie Wilson Story. This wasn’t a major Jackie Wilson record, just a b-side to “Alone At Last.” But it sure does cook! The band sets up a highly danceable groove with a honking saxophone playing a riff against the swirling strings, omnipotent backing vocals, and constant snare drum beats. Jackie Wilson, as he did so often, hits high falsetto notes, swoops up and down across the melody, belts out with superhuman power, and generally convinces us that he will remain faithful despite all the temptations of the beautiful girls in the big city to his girl who’s a thousand miles away. This was written by Bob Hamilton and Tom King – Hamilton later co-wrote “(Just Like) Romeo and Juliet” for the Reflections.

Madonna – “4 Minutes” 2008 from Hard Candy. Madonna, Prince, Michael Jackson, and I hold the all-time world record for most combined record sales of any four people born in the same year. This is the last song of hers I really connected to. She recruited Timbaland and Justin Timberlake to help with it. (I imagine if she knew any other “timba” or “timber” names, she would have called them, too.) As such, it’s unusual in Madonna’s catalogue, as she always put herself front and center in her records. The beats and the synths are signature Timbaland hooks, and Timberlake’s rhythmically insistent calls of “Madonna” are equally memorable. The song purports to be about saving the environment, but honestly, that never occurred to me until I read the Wikipedia page. To my ears, this song is about music being so infectious and dance being so capable of inducing transcendence that a four minute song can save the world.

Joe Valentine – “I Can’t Stand to See You Go” 1967 single available on From Chicago to Shreveport: Deep Soul Vol. 1. I don’t have a lot of information on Joe Valentine. He lived much of his life in Houston, TX, and within a few years after this, his biggest hit, he was leading the band of Joe Tex on the road. Valentine played piano and organ, the latter instrument prominently featured on this cut. He wrote this song himself. It’s an intense lamentation aimed at the woman who has just left him, and everything sells the mood. His crying vocals, the liquid bluesy guitar fills, the horns swaying behind him, the light rhythmic drum patterns, the recitation with a mournful saxophone underpinning it. There were so many excellent soul records made in the 60s – it’s easy to discover something new to me practically every few days of my life.

Ken Boothe – “Why Baby Why” 1969 single available on Love Songs. Jamaican singer Ken Boothe was 21 years old when he recorded this little gem, but had already been making records for several years. At that time, he was one of the biggest hitmakers for Studio One, and this record lets us know why. Over a lilting post-rock steady beat, Boothe croons with a little grit, reminding me sometimes of Sam Cooke. The song, like the Joe Valentine one we just heard, is another lamentation for a lost love. Boothe, however, doesn’t sound like he’s crying – he sounds more befuddled, more curious as to what could possibly have gone wrong. I’m not saying he’s not actually missing her, but he’s also very concerned that her leaving has hurt his pride. The song was written by the prolific Jamaican songwriter (and singer) H. Seaton.

Ike & Tina Turner – “Proud Mary” 1971 from What You Hear Is What You Get: Live at Carnegie Hall. In the 1970s, whenever my parents attended a wedding reception or any other event live music, the next day my father would inevitably tell me I would have liked the band because they played “Rolling On the River.” I’m pretty sure he only knew the Ike & Tina Turner version because they were on TV a lot in those days. I never actually owned either that or the Creedence Clearwater Revival original until much later. This live version extends the slow introduction so familiar from the studio version and the TV appearances to just about three minutes. Then, damn, the drums pound, the horns blast, the Ikettes “doo-doo-doo-doo-doo” and Tina Turner explodes with the frenetic energy she could display while singing perfectly. Ike Turner may have had his failings as a man, but he sure did know how to arrange songs to maximum effect.