|
May 27
|
I decided to pay tribute to Al Wilson by putting together an article complete with my thoughts on his music my first port of call was to check out two very good soul & R&B books that I have: The Rough Guide to Soul and R&B, and All Music Guide to Soul. These two books contain articles on over 1500 artists. Al Wilson was mentioned only in passing on two pages in the 900 page All Music Guide. There wasn’t even a mention of this great singer or his music. I think that’s a tragedy that hopefully in a small way I can help to put right.
Turning to the internet I thought there must be loads of information there. Searching for bio’s and articles on Al Wilson, I was surprised at just how much information was out there: almost nothing. There was of course the basic stuff such as discographies and short biographies. Let’s for a moment discuss the biographies. Mostly they are the same (probably cut & pasted from the original article) but there are little differences and what I believe to be discrepancies in the timelines.
I am no journalist and haven’t the know-how to research into Al’s living family members, previous managers etc, so by doing a little armchair research I can piece together what I hope will be a worth while article on this wonderful singer and the music that I discovered after getting into Northern Soul about two years ago.
Allen Lamar Wilson was born on the 19th June 1939, one of five children in Meridian, Mississippi. Although Al attended the Kate Griffin Elementary School he showed little to no interest in an education opting at a young age to focus more on his artistic talents such as singing, acting in school plays and his artwork for which he won first prize in a talent contest.
By 1951 at the age of twelve Al was a professional singer, earning money singing at functions. After joining the church choir his preacher encouraged the young Wilson with his singing who formed his first group: a gospel quartet.
In his mid teens the Wilson family re-located to San Bernardino, California where Al took a series of odd jobs such as janitor or office clerk to help support the family but still finding time to learn how to play the drums.
At 18 years old in 1957, Al graduated high school, shortly after he either joined or was drafted into the US Navy for two years service. On completion of his service Al, along with his brother Eddie joined the vocal group The Jewels. I only know of one single being released by the group. “The Wind” and B side “Pearlie Mae” was released in 1959 on Buck Rams Antler label. Ram was a song writer and producer of some of the finest doo wop tunes of the 50’s most notably all the Mercury records the Platters cut; including “Only You” and “The Great Pretender,” he was also their manager.
Because “Pearlie Mae” sounds like so many other doo wop tunes from the period I can’t really identify Wilson on the track and I haven’t located the “A” side “The Wind.”
By 1961 Johnny Torrence had left the Jewels, leaving the remaining members of Al & Eddie Wilson, Don Sampson and Willie Willingham to re-brand themselves as “The Rollers”. Signing to Liberty records they released three singles starting in January of “61 with “Got My Eye On You” and on the flip, “Bonneville.”
Their next single on Liberty is a quirky dance craze tune written by Don Covay and John Barry titled “Continental Walk.” It’s a bit of a heavier R&B tune with a similar rhythm and beat to the dance track of the 50’s “The Stroll.”
The first two releases on Liberty sold fairly well locally but the relationship between label and artist began to turn sour over royalties and the flop of the last single put out; “Teenage Waltz/The Bounce”. After parting from Liberty the group released one more single on the Bel Star label. “Troubles” and the flip “The Bug” were un-impressive tracks even compared to “Continental Walk” or the earlier “Pearlie Mae” on Antler. The group disbanded. Eddie went back to doing spirituals while Sampson joined the Incredibles. Willingham left the industry altogether. Al joined another group.
From 1962 Wilson spent the next four years touring with Johnny “Legs” Harris and the Statesmen. I only know this because everything article I’ve read says this happened, but I can’t find anything on Johnny Harris to corroborate this part of Al Wilson’s timeline so I will have to bend to popular belief.
In early 1966 the West Coast director of operations for Motown records; Marc Gordon quit the label to set up his own management company. Gordon’s first act he handled were a virtually unknown group called The Versatiles. It was also at this time that Gordon was hired to manage a new record label named Soul City owned by singer Johnny Rivers. The fledgling label’s first signing were The Versatiles now with a new name of The Fifth Dimension. Gordon and Rivers would go on to co-produce Dimension’s 1967 hit “Up, Up and away”.
It was also in the early part of 1966 that Marc Gordon first met Al Wilson. So impressed with his vocals he introduced him to Rivers who signed Al straight away.
During his association with Soul City Wilson only released six singles. It becomes obvious later that he must have spent a lot of time in the studio due to the albums that followed. Between 1967 and 1970 the track that really hits you between the eyes is my favourite, “The Snake”. The Snake became a million seller. Shortly after it’s release the album “Searching for Dolphins” was released. The Snake is still a floor filler on the UK’s Northern Soul scene and because of this made the UK charts in 1975. So; seven years after it hit the US charts it reached 41# in the UK. 
In 1970 Johnny Rivers sold Soul City to Bell records who presumably retained the labels back catalogue.
Whether Bell dropped Wilson or he left is unclear. By 1971 he signed to Gordon’s new label called Carousel. This name was short-lived due to a name conflict with a label of the same name in the UK, so in the same year Gordon re-named it Rocky Road Records. It would be here where Wilson would really make his musical mark.
Al Wilson’s first couple of singles on the label failed to get much air play, then in 1973 a single release of “Show and Tell” hit the charts; followed closely by an album of the same name. It took a look over three months for the single to top the charts in January “74. Like most of his work at Rocky Road records, “Show and Tell” was produced by Jerry Fuller who had actually written the song a year earlier for Johnny Mathis. It is also worth mentioning that the album was arranged by legendary song writer, producer and singer HB Barnum.
Wilson’s follow up single was “Touch and Go” taken from the 1974 album La La Peace Song. Touch and Go wasn’t as successful as Show and Tell, but the title track from the album proved a minor hit, reaching 30# on the national charts. It is also worth noting that “La La Peace Song” and it’s B side “Keep on Lovin’ You” were co-produced by Johnny Bristol and Steve Cropper.
After the demise of Rocky Road Al was still managed by Marc Gordon. The more I learn of their relationship, the more I feel it could be this relationship that hindered Al Wilson’s career advancement into the mainstream R&B or pop charts of the 70’s.
Throughout the 1970’s not only did Gordon represent Wilson but also Tony Orlando & Dawn who were enjoying world wide success in the early part of the decade, but also Fifth Dimension, Willie Hutch, and of course Thelma Houston who hit the charts big time in 1977 with “Don’t Leave Me This Way”.
I can’t help but believe that any manager would have been focussed on his more lucrative performers. Let’s not forget the Beatles manager; Brian Epstein who also had five other acts in his stable who were making waves with the Brip-Pop invasion of the USA in the early 60’s, but like most of us we can only really remember the Beatles (maybe Gerry & the Pacemakers as well). 
Nineteen seventy six brought a brief spell at Playboy records . After only one minor hit in the shape of “I’ve Got a Feeling” which reached 3# in the R&B charts of “76. An album followed the singles release but failed to raise much interest. Al wanted out of his contract. The label wouldn’t release him from the terms of the contract so he had to wait two years until Playboy records folded.
Roadshow Records was founded in 1974 by two music industry veterans. Sid Maurer who had worked for RCA along with Andy Warhol in the 60’s, and Fred Frank a former promotions man for Epic Records. Because Roadshow didn’t manufacture or distribute their product they had set up various deals for this service over the years starting with Scepter.
By the time Al Wilson signed in 1979 RCA were the distributors. Nineteen seventy nine must have been an exciting time for Wilson. He had his last chart hit with Count the Days; quickly followed by an album, and Marc Gordon left the music industry all together.
For the next two decades, Al Wilson concentrated on touring; doing night clubs, the cabaret circuit. He wouldn’t chart again. In 2001 Al went into the studio again, only this time to re-records all his previous material. The result was the release of an album titled “Spice of Life”. 
At the time of death on the 21st April 2008 due to kidney failure; Al Wilson was 68 and planning to do another record, but was in the process of finding a label. He had even asked his long term friend and sound engineer Barry Randolph to engineer and mix it for him.
I quote Barry Randolph directly, and whole heartedly agree.
“We have definitely lost a great soul singer in Mr Al Wilson”
Recent Comments