Richie Havens - Mixed Bag

"It's all about you - and how groovy you were."  That is what he said in the Woodstock film.  Well known for coming up with a stretched out Freedom at the end of his set - Richie was asked, basically at the last possible moment (around 5 pm on that Friday) to open the Woodstock music festival in 1969.  Those acts who were supposed to open were either not ready (read: too wasted) or not yet at the venue.  This record is called Mixed Bag, on the Verve Forecast label.  It is his 3rd studio album.  Yes, he covers many, mnay songs - but he really makes them his own, without blatantly trying to rip anyone off.  Songs by Gordon Lightfoot, Dylan, Lennon & McCartney, plus his own songs.  I've seen Richie a couple of times, opening for various acts at Ravinia.  A truly unique performer.  I thought this would be a good post for today: September 11th.

Mac Davis - Texas in my Rear View Mirror

Mac Davis - Mac Davis - Texas in my Rear View Mirror, from 1980 - on the now defunct Casablanca label.  On the back album cover - we see that this record was cut at the "famed" Fame Recording Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama.  And the strings recorded at Sound Shop Studios in Nashville, Tennessee.  On the record label, we also can see that Mac himself wrote nine of the ten songs on the record.  I had no idea he was also a song writer.   I do like Mac and I think his record covers are really great because he just seems to be so photogenic.  Click on the post title to hear and see a nice clip of the title track.

Ask and You Shall Receive - Wake Up Everybody

Wake Up Everybody - Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes.  What luck - I was noodling around Half Priced Books over the weekend and found this in the fifty cent bin.  C'mon.  In many ways I feel bad that such a significant record is being sold for such a pittance.   I forget who - but I read recently that some rock great said that the title track on this album (by Carstarphen, MccFadden, and Whitehead) is his all-time favorite.  Me - I try to play Don't Leave Me This Way (Gamble, Huff & Gilbert) as much as possible at parties.  Guests think it's going to be the Thelma Houston version and it surprises them.  If you can possibly manage the time - click on the title post to listen to a clip.  Please - if you love music - you have to love this song.  I read recently that Dylan's Like a Rolling Stone tops Rolling Stone magazine's list of the top 500 rock songs of all time.  I'm cool with that.  I do have one Dylan record - not sure which one.  TSOP gets a credit - "music by MFSB."  I love the Philadelphia soul sound.  To my ear - the tight and clean precursors of Edwards, Rodgers, and Thompson sound of Chic.

Santana - Inner Secrets (photomerg)

This is Santana's ninth studio record - Inner Secrets.  He was moving from the Latin funk fusion phase into more album-oriented rock.  Open Invitation is my favorite song on it.  But of course - there is a great cover of Buddy Holly's Well All Right.   (I saw Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood play that song earlier this summer - aka Blind Faith.)  And the song "Dealer/Spanish Rose" was co-written by Jim Capaldi and Carlos Santana.  I picked this record because it gave me another chance to use photomerg.  The above picture is the front (left) and back (right) cover.  It's not a gatefold record - so photomerg is the only way to see how how the entire record looks.  Hope you like it.  We see Carlos in the middle - but can anyone ID the others in the photo for me?  Thanks...