JOE SOUTH – Games People Play – (Capitol) – 1969

what Frank is listening to #208 – JOE SOUTH – Games People Play – (Capitol) – 1969

I am a big fan of the song "Walk a Mile in My Shoes" which I first heard as an Elvis cover.

If you were a songwriter you would want Elvis to cover one of your songs wouldn’t you?

And Elvis suits South’s music perfectly. It’s surprising that he didn’t record more Joe South tracks.

Joe South wrote that tune and he also wrote most of the tunes on the compilation of his I’ve got which is a mixture of blue eyed soul (southern style) and MOR rock pop.

White southern soul has always tickled my fancy partially because it knows it can’t "out funk" it’s black counterpart but as recompense it can be, and normally is more, "experimental" and, it is also more open to cross fertilisation with other musical styles, especially country and folk.

The high point of the genre – and I know I am biased but it is the highpoint – is "From Elvis in Memphis" by Elvis, from 1969. Others who swam or stuck their toes in these waters include Tony Joe White, the great Bergen White and Bobbie Gentry all who have had their fair share of good tunes in the style.

Joe South was far more adventurous than any of these.

South had been busy in the background of southern rock and pop in the 60s but he didn’t (mainly) participate in it as a performer till 1968.He had been a songwriter ( "Down in the Boondocks", he also wrote "(I Never Promised You a Rose Garden" later ), a session musician ( he played on Dylan’s "Blonde on Blonde" and Simon and Garfunkel’s "Sounds of Silence" amongst other things), and a producer (for Billy Joe Royal).

Joe South’s background is worth a read – see links below – the guy is either "out there" or just one of the dozens of crazed talented musicians the South seemed to churn out (he was born in Atlanta Georgia 1940).

Unfortunately, his performing career was short and his recorded output was equally short.

By all accounts this album was a rush job to cash in on the hit single "Games People Play". Three songs that had appeared on his "Introspect" album from 1968 ("Games People Play," "Birds of a Feather," and "These Are Not My People") and three other songs ("Untie Me","Concrete Jungle","Hush" ) were South songs others had recorded . But the album does hold together with a very 1969 experimentation "vibe" – there is slight psych nods, some studio trickery, background sound snippets, a lot of societal observational lyrics, some obscure lyrics and songs that seem to overlap and clash with each other. .

Yes, very 1969.

But incredibly endearing and not as dated as you may think.

What holds all the "experimental" aspects together and makes those aspects palatable to the mainstream is South’s voice which is akin to some sort of MOR, southern Tom Jones like crooner. Also there is a theme that more or less runs through the album …the outsider observing and trying to make sense of a mad, mad world. South wrote all the songs here and arranged and produced the album so I suspect he knew what he was looking for and what he wanted to put accross. As I’ve said before, it’s those that look relatively straight that are the most twisted …. .

Certainly, the mix of southern pop, country soul, MOR psych and singer–songwriter stylings creates a kind of experimental lounge music album where the lounge is in a house in Memphis and the guy mixing cocktails is Timothy Leary.

It’s hard not to get sucked up in this album, especially after a couple of vinos. It’s got balls, soulful lopsided balls.

Tracks (best in italics)

Games People Play – The song that made South’s name. A nice slab of southern soul with some nicely biting lyrics. And it’s a little off kilter also. There is a lot going on here (really, a lot of sounds). I can’t really imagine a song like this appealing to the "masses" …but it did. Must have been something in the water. For all it’s worth it won the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Song, and Song of the Year. The song has an entry if you want to check it’s influence: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Games_People_Play_(Joe_South_song)

            Oh the games people play now
            Every night and every day now
            Never meaning what they say now
            Never saying what they mean

            And they wile away the hours
            In their ivory towers
            Till they’re covered up with flowers
            In the back of a black limousine

….

            Look around tell me what you see
            What’s happening to you and me
            God grant me the serenity
            To remember who I am

            Cause you’ve given up your sanity
            For your pride and your vanity
            Turns you sad on humanity
            And you don’t give a da da da da da

Party People – More southern soul with touches of blue eyed soul. Again the lyrics are gently biting. Not dissimilar (in observations) to what Ray Davies was doing. Like Davies he seemed to be the outsider looking in.
Untie Me – written by South but a hit for The Tams in 1963 (#60 Top 100, #12 R&B). The song does sound like something from the pre Beatles days but the music certainly has been updated to 1969. Compelling.
Concrete Jungle – another South song which had been a song recorded by someone else apparently ….. don’t know who though. This is a "straight" song and not dissimilar from a number of other white country soul singers.
Hole in Your Soul – very 1969 – sitars, obscure lyrics and all sorts of background mayhem.
Hush – Deep Purple (!) had a US #4 hit with this in 1968 (though they may have been inspired by the version by English singer Kris Ife). I should say this is 60s Deep Purple – a different beast to "Machine Head" age Deep Purple. A magnificent song. Ultra catchy. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hush_(Billy_Joe_Royal_song)
Birds of a Feather – a mid tempo bouncy ditty, which inexplicably picks up a piece of "Games People Play" at the songs end. Later (1971) a #23 hit for Paul Revere and the Raiders.
Hearts Desire – there’s a bit of The Monkees go south here and I could see Neil Diamond doing this.
Leanin’ on You – a straight pop soul track.
I Knew You When – more country soul …but this one is charged with a lot of emotion. Lots of organ and some surreal aspects. Southern gothic?
These Are Not My People – an almost gentle soul pop number with a biting rebut on a girl of affluence which can be traced back to Elvis’ "Baby Let’s Play House", forward to Hall & Oates’ "Rich Girl" and beyond.

            well, your momma and your poppa sent ya to the finest school
            never let it be said that their little darlin was a fool.
            with a credit card and your good name
            you were drawn like a moth to a flame
            to the people of the night where you more or less lost your cool

it’s been a gas but i’m gonna have to pass
chorus

            these are not my people no
            these are not my people
            and it looks like the end my friend
            gotta’ get in the wind my friend

And…

This is pretty much a great album and it’s a pity that South isn’t more well known. He is good. I’m keeping this.

Chart Action

US
Singles

Games People Play – #12

Album
—

England

Singles

Games People Play – #6

Album
––

Sounds

Games People Play