PAUL REVERE & THE RAIDERS – Goin’ To Memphis – (Columbia) – 1967

No garage, no pop, no psych.

This is not what you would expect from a Paul Revere and the Raiders album.

Here, lead singer Mark Lindsay has decided to tackle black soul.

I say “Mark Lindsay” specifically because by all accounts – see the links – this was practically a Mark Lindsay solo album. Apparently the album was done with Lindsay singing with session musicians (albeit legendary ones – Tommy Cogbill, Spooner Oldham, Bobby Woods, Gene Crispian, Mike Leech, Reggie Young) at producer Chips Moman’s studios.

Full marks to Mark (sic) for being ahead in “the game” as soul was in the air and in the charts. Northern soul was well established and southern soul was starting to come into its own, chart wise. But for Lindsay to tackle black soul with producer Chips Moman is odd. White southern soul was on the uptake also with Billy Joe Royal, Joe South, The Box Tops and others. Elvis would stage his comeback the next year and then deliver the white southern soul masterpiece “From Elvis in Memphis” (produced by Chips Moman also) in 1969 the same year as Dusty Springfield released her similar acclaimed “Dusty in Memphis” (recorded at Chip’s studio).

I think Mark, perhaps, would have had better success with the white country soul which has country and pop elements in the music. Tackling the Afro-Americans on their home ground is foolhardy and inevitably will draw (unfavourable) comparisons.

That’s not to say the album is bad. It isn’t. It just doesn’t stand out.

Mark Lindsay is a superior singer and can tackle anything. His voice on these songs reminds me of a young Rod Stewart. I think Lindsay has a better voice but Rod has the better voice for this type of music (of course I’m referring to 60s /early 70s Rod).

Also, producer Chips Moman, hadn’t fully developed the beautiful ecstasies of his southern wall of sound which was made of instruments, strings, horns and singers all overlapping and complimenting each other. This was confirmed in the wonderful hit records he produced for Elvis, Neil Diamond and others over the next two years. On this LP the sound sounds a little sparse with all the components failing to mesh. Also, on my record at least, Lindsay’s voice is too far back and is slightly drowned by the instruments.

Ultimately though, the album is a little jarring when compared to other Paul Revere and the Raiders albums. Sometimes it surprise me that it’s Lindsay singing as I associate him with other styles. I acknowledge that you have to experiment but perhaps he could have tweaked his own sound to incorporate these influences.

Google this site for the background to Paul Revere and the Raiders and Mark Lindsay.

Tracks (best in italics)

Boogaloo Down Broadway – James – pretty standard soul shouter. Nice keyboard break but otherwise not highly distinctive. Originally done by The Fantastic Johnny C and a #7 hit for him in 1967.
Every Man Needs A Woman – Lindsay – again, some nice keyboards in this up-tempo song, and some great gritty vocals but not especially memorable.
My Way – Lindsay – ho hum, more standard blue eyed soul
One Night Stand – Lindsay – more blue eyed soul
Soul Man – Hayes, Porter – great horns on this soul classic originally by Sam and Dave ( #2,1967). Lindsay would have to try hard to compete and he does admirably but he will always be compared (unfavourably) to the original.
Love You So – Lindsay – a soul power ballad. Well suing but dull.
I Don't Want Nobody (To Lead Me On) – Thomas, Jones- a cover – I’m not sure who did the original but perhaps it was the Lindsay, or the Afro-American R&B group The Masqueraders, or the Afro-American R&B group The Dynamics. Lindsay isn’t Afro-American but here he could pass for a Afro-American vocalist ….a good tune with the right amount of grunt. It sounds like many other soul songs but that’s not a bad thing. Excellent
I'm a Loser Too – Lindsay – catchy, with nice keyboards and horns.
No Sad Songs – Carter – a 1968 song by soul singer Joe Simon (#49)
Cry On My Shoulder – F. Weller – at the time Weller had just joined the Raiders as lead guitar. He was there four years then went solo and had a number of country hits. Not too bad
Peace of Mind – Lindsay, Melcher – this is a dirge of a song with gravel vocals, horns, quirky instrumentation. It looks forwards to some of the heavy blues acts from the early 70s. Oddly it is the only track on the album not done at American Sound Studios with Chips Moman. A good track
Goin' to Memphis – Lindsay – Lindsay impersonates many a black vocalist but the song about “Goin to Memphis” is quite good as it chugs along