KING CURTIS
pickwick33
8,946 Posts
...no, not Curtis Mayfield, Kurtis Blow or even Little Joe Curtis, but King Curtis Ousley... 
"Today's special is Memphis soul stew...we sell so much of this, people wonder what we put in it...we're gonna tell you right now...first, I need half a cup of bass...then I need a pound of fatback drums...now I need four tablespoons of ballin' Memphis guitar (this gonna taste alright!)...just a little pinch of organ...now I need half a pint of horn...stir from the bottom and bring to a boil...THAT'S IT, THAT'S IT RIGHT THERE!" [/b] The above is almost the entire lyrical content of his 1967 hit "Memphis Soul Stew, " and it's been running through my mind all evening. I'll probably have to play it out the next time I deejay. Like most soul instrumentalists, King Curtis (who died in 1971) is far underrated - not adventurous enough for the jazz freaks, and overlooked by R&B fans who think all the best southern soul acts were singers. Don't fall into the trap of thinking his records were just background music for hip parties in the sixties, 'cause more than once he nailed it: "Memphis Soul Stew," "In The Pocket" (credited to the Kingpins, at least on this Atco 45 I have), "Changes," "Soul Twist," "Soul Serenade," "Jump Back," "When Something Is Wrong With My Baby," "Boss" (title sez it all). When he wasn't cranking out his own rekkids, he played sessions with the diversified likes of Aretha Franklin, Soupy Sales ("The Mouse" is fairly soulful considering it's by a middle-aged Jewish comedian), John Lennon, and Waylon Jennings (his first record). And Curtis had some pretty good pickers playing with HIM, including that classic Atlantic Records demolition crew of Chuck Rainey, Jerry Jemmott, Cornell Dupree, and on one album, Duane Allman. "DUH, do dese rekkids have any BREAKS?"Damifiknow! I don't know (or wanna know) shit from Shinola 'bout that! 
But I just thought I'd give this sax giant a little light, is all...And I gotta remember to pull out my copy of "Memphis Soul Stew" when I get home...
"Today's special is Memphis soul stew...we sell so much of this, people wonder what we put in it...we're gonna tell you right now...first, I need half a cup of bass...then I need a pound of fatback drums...now I need four tablespoons of ballin' Memphis guitar (this gonna taste alright!)...just a little pinch of organ...now I need half a pint of horn...stir from the bottom and bring to a boil...THAT'S IT, THAT'S IT RIGHT THERE!" [/b] The above is almost the entire lyrical content of his 1967 hit "Memphis Soul Stew, " and it's been running through my mind all evening. I'll probably have to play it out the next time I deejay. Like most soul instrumentalists, King Curtis (who died in 1971) is far underrated - not adventurous enough for the jazz freaks, and overlooked by R&B fans who think all the best southern soul acts were singers. Don't fall into the trap of thinking his records were just background music for hip parties in the sixties, 'cause more than once he nailed it: "Memphis Soul Stew," "In The Pocket" (credited to the Kingpins, at least on this Atco 45 I have), "Changes," "Soul Twist," "Soul Serenade," "Jump Back," "When Something Is Wrong With My Baby," "Boss" (title sez it all). When he wasn't cranking out his own rekkids, he played sessions with the diversified likes of Aretha Franklin, Soupy Sales ("The Mouse" is fairly soulful considering it's by a middle-aged Jewish comedian), John Lennon, and Waylon Jennings (his first record). And Curtis had some pretty good pickers playing with HIM, including that classic Atlantic Records demolition crew of Chuck Rainey, Jerry Jemmott, Cornell Dupree, and on one album, Duane Allman. "DUH, do dese rekkids have any BREAKS?"Damifiknow! I don't know (or wanna know) shit from Shinola 'bout that! But I just thought I'd give this sax giant a little light, is all...And I gotta remember to pull out my copy of "Memphis Soul Stew" when I get home...
Comments
Let's not forget his version of "Sing A Single Song", as credited to the Noble Knights. You can find a label scan on the Funky 16 Corners page. I had bought a comp with the song and I had heard this version of "Sing A Simple Song" before, I just wasn't aware it was King Curtis.
I think that was Curtis AMY, wasn't it? But I'm in agreeance, it is a great solo - I've seen that clip.
Damn, so all these years I've been wrong? Oh well. Thank you for the correction.
He actually does sing on this one, and according to the liner notes, not only plays the horn but the drums, piano & guitar on it as well!
His 45 of "Whole Lotta Love" is a monster.
I have this one which I quite like, King Curtis also played the sax on a lot of the Coasters' stuff which I also like.
But at least you can say with Memphis Soul Stew that yeah, it has breaks.
That is a dope song, I'm pretty lazy but I actually bothered to mp3 that one.
I once heard that the solo on respect was spliced in. Wexler felt the song needed an instumental bridge, found the solo which KC had recorded for his own lp and cut it in. Listen next time you hear respect, sounds plausable the solo really does not relate to the melody.
oh I can't believe it
2 weeks ago I posted this
http://soulstrut.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=crates&Number=350324&Forum=All_Forums&Words=dope&Match=Entire%20Phrase&Searchpage=3&Limit=100&Old=allposts&Main=350324&Search=true#Post350324
nobody replied, even just to tell me my posts sucks...........
as the impression would sing.... "you've been cheatin'...cheatin' on me"
Even with Curtis talking all the way through it?
Oh, man, I'm so sorry! I totally missed that the first time around!
Although to be honest, if you had actually put King Curtis' name in the subject line, maybe more people would have caught it?
I gotta agree with you, Curtis' sax had too much personality to record with the hacks over at CTI. The Atco label was the right place for him to get his Instant Groove on.
AMEN!!!! Listened to that a few times yesterday, w/breaks too.
Holy Sh!t, they're playing this right now as background music for Minnesota Public Radio pledge drive. WIERD!
Hacks like Idris Muhammad, Freddie Hubbard and Stanley Turrentine?
Think he's talking about Creed Taylor & Co.
Exactly. That label smoothed out Grant Green, so Lord knows what they would have done with Curtis. But then again, I always considered Curtis more of a soul man anyway (his Prestige jazz albums notwithstanding).
I think ultimately they both suffered from the same type of rote repetition, just in different directions. Each style and it's practitioner's fell into hackery, IMO, and hailing one over the other is damning with very faint praise.
But I see yer point.
it's just like as for the organists, that no matter their individual style, there are some riffs and licks that you will keep hearing again and again,no matter in which context....
..cause soul music IS that kind of playing.....
when I draw the comparison with Funk and CTI , I was thinkin abt the intro of Memphis Soul Stew on the "Fillmore" concert........that intro is pure soul fire, very far from what hubbard & turrentine would play cause they were jazz-head...,grant green too, he has been a jazz head..........then they started playing soul jazz for commercial reasons,
instead I think that King Curtis was in the same league of Otis Redding
I broke this record ^^ out last night after writing this. Best soul record every?
2 songs writen by King Curtis including Soul Serenade!
4 songs writen by Aretha.
2 songs writen by Sam Cooke.
A Dan Penn Chips Moman song.
Every cut a masterpiece.
Curits was versitile, I am sure he could have recorded one of our favorite CTI records. More importantly he could have helped Atlantic capture the funk groove.
Sorry I missed the first Curtis post. I must have skipped it because it was record related. [appropriate icon/]
Dan
I once read an interview with Earl Scruggs, the bluegrass musician, talking about how he once met "B.B. King" at some festival, and he played a "yakety sax" and was after Earl all weekend to jam. While the thought of B.B. jamming with country musicians isn't farfetched (he once did a duet with George Jones), that yakety-sax reference makes me think he's referring to King Curtis (but getting the names mixed up).
...and when I spoke with Jimmy Castor some time back, he implied that one reason why Atlantic had signed him was because he played the sax and out of nostalgia, they thought he'd fill the void that Curtis left.
Yes.
My older copy was so mashed up, I bought the 180 gram recently - holleee shit! It is a beautiful beautiful record.
Her version of Save Me is my favourite.