Wilson Pickett has died.
Oddly enough, it was a group of pasty-white Irish kids who first turned me on to Pickett almost fifteen years ago. He'll be missed.
Saw 'em more than 20 years ago when I used a fake i.d. to get past the bouncers at a road house that had all kinds of great acts come through town. Wotta show.
R.I.P.
Wow! Fifteen years ago! That's a lifetime if you're like...fifteen.
"Spotlight on Wilson Pickett now, yeah, yeah, that sweet slick wicket[?], yeah, yeah, singing Mustang Sally, yeah, yeah. O yeah, yeah yeah." Arthur Conley - "Sweet Soul Music"
Great movie moment, paraphrased: "It's 'Ride, Sally, ride.' Not 'Royed, Sally, royed.' You can't sing in your own voices!"
Sad that Wilson has passed. Land of 1000 Dances and I Found a Love are two of my favorite songs.
I love how each generation "discovers" this music again -- The Commitments was a great movie, and the soundtrack albums were well worth the price.
Over on Dean's World the other day, Dean was talking about the late-70's view that disco was going to overtake all musical forms, and you'd only find the Blues at the library -- how wonderful is it that we find ourselves instead in a world we can obtain just about any song for a buck, and listen to whatever we want? (I do mourn the death of the "album" concept, but not that much.) Soul, blues, doo-wop -- all of it's out there, just as it has always been, only now it's accessible -- heck, it's searchable, and I just think that's awesome.
Pickett, too, was awesome. His muscial immortality is assured.
Anyone else love his versions of "Hey Jude" and "Hey Joe"? I came across these awhile back, and think they're amazing.
That's where I first leaned of him as well...great movie....great singer
AK - if you haven't already, check out "I Found a Love" by The Falcons, and then by Johnny Taylor. I think The Falcons did it originally. I about died when I first heard it - way back in prehistoric times.
Also check out his 1963 song "It's Too Late". Just a great example of gospel-soul. Man what a voice. May he rest in peace.
In high school I always assumed that singers like Wilson Pickett sang that way because of a lifetime of experience and ability. Then when he dies I find out he was only a few years older than I am. Amazing!
