Makes my Mercedes dance
anders2500 | Sweden | 12/19/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I've bought a Mercedes, a large, luxurious one. It's not really me, but I just couldn't resist it. I love cruisin' in it, but it also made me feel kind of awkward - like I was some middle-aged-tasteless-bore with too much money to spend (and surely with Celine Dion in the stereo..?). So I thought: How do I soften this peace of German high-tech-money-rolling lofty crone of a vehicle, and turn her into a classy, sexy lady? The answer, as it turned out, was Willie Mitchell, and this excellent selection from the Hi years. I've rode my Mercedes for a couple of months now, with Willie moisturing the steel with all these shaky, groovy, sultry and elegant pieces from past parties (with assistance now and then from the Joe Tex collections from Connaisseur and Jimmy McGriff's funky "The Worm") . And I imagine people seeing this music-vehicle-combination, thinking: "Wow - this middle-aged-money-wasting-bore is on to something: German high tech body and American party soul - ain't that a match made in heaven."
Of course they don't think that for real. But the music works for me. And honestly: You don't need the Mercedes. You'll do just fine with Wille. It's quite a collection. If you have a taste for easy-going, kitschy, party poppers with an edge - this is your obvious choice. You've heard lots of the tunes before, even if you're not into Willie Mitchell - but you've not heard them quite like this: He added to everything he did, a charming, playful, and extremely talented touch, that disarms any objections one might have to "disrespectful treatment of untouchable, legendary music".
I turn on the ignition, turn up the volume, and feel my Mercedes' hips delightfully slide into gear, while the highway slowly transforms into a dance hall for all misinterpreted vehicles and their misunderstood owners."
The Hits Created By The President Of Hi Records
02/18/2008
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Before becoming president of Hi Records, trumpeter/keyboardist Willie Mitchell, who was born on January 3, 1928 in Ashland, Mississippi, but raised in Memphis, led a pretty decent house band at the label. In fact, from late summer 1964 to late 1969 he and his group turned out numerous singles, eight of which did well on the R&B charts and, to varying degrees, also scored on the Billboard Hot 100 Pop charts, where he also registered two more minor hits (which, for some reason, failed to make the R&B listings).
Instrumental soul music was highly popular in that era and his competition came from the likes of Ramsey Lewis and the off-shoot group Young-Holt Unlimited, The Mar-Keys, Booker T. & The MG's, Freddy King and, of course, the great King Curtis, to name a few.
Willie's first hit single came in late summer 1964, and at a time when the R&B charts had been suspended by Billboard, when 20-75, named after the record label number (Hi 2075), made it to # 31 Billboard Hot 100 b/w Secret Home. That December, Percolatin' became his second hit when it levelled off at # 85 Hot 100 b/w Empty Rooms. While both hits are in this collection, the two B-sides are not. In later years, Billboard would assign the same chart performance to the R&B listing for historical purposes.
In the summer of 1965, with the R&B charts re-instated, he had Buster Browne go to # 29 R&B and # 96 Hot 100 with an old Woody Herman tune, Woodchopper's Ball, on the flipside. Almost a full year would then pass before he returned to the singles charts with Bad Eye, a # 23 R&B/# 92 Hot 100 in June 1966 b/w Sugar T. This B-side is also omitted. Then another year went by without a hit until, in July 1967, Slippin' And Slidin' struggled to a # 96 Hot 100 b/w As Shucks, yet another B-side not included.
But then, early in 1968, the fabulous Soul Serenade went to # 10 R&B, # 23 Hot 100, and # 32 Adult Contemporary b/w Mercy, Mercy, Mercy. Later that summer Prayer Meetin' topped out at # 23 R&B and # 46 Hot 100 with Burn Daddy on the reverse, and in October, Up-Hard got to # 91 Hot 100 b/w Beale Street Mood. Neither side is in this collection.
February 1969 saw 30-60-90 go to # 31 R&B and # 69 Hot 100 b/w a cover of the Dave Brubeck Quartet's Take Five, and that fall he had his last hit single when his cover of the old Little Walter hit from 1955, My Babe, finished at # 37 R&B and # 115 on the Hot 100 "bubble under" charts b/w Teenie's Dream.
While the many uncharted covers on Disc 2 are pleasant enough, it would have been much better (and hence 5 full stars) had they included those missing hits and B-sides. Even so, it's a CD set worth having if you loved the Memphis Soul sound."
Memphis Soul
COMPUTERJAZZMAN | Cliffside Park, New Jersey United States | 06/26/2003
(4 out of 5 stars)
"What can be said or written about Willie Mitchell that hasn't already been said or written? If you love Memphis Soul music, you came to the right place. His work with Al Green, Syl Johnson, Otis Clay, Ann Peebles, O.V. Wright, and the Hi Rhythm Section is some of the best soul music ever. This CD includes his solo material, Sounds a bit like another Memphis Soul band, the Mar-Keys (Booker T and the MG's with the Memphis Horns), which is about as good as it gets. I really loved Disc #2, which is cover versions of some soul classics. If you like this kind of music, then get anything recorded by Hi, Stax, Backbeat, or Goldwax records.....Another analogy I would make is that Willie Mitchell was the "Quincy Jones" of Memphis."
Track Listings (25) - Disc #1