Earl King - Sexual Telepathy

In the early 90's the great Earl King had one last burst of creativity and did two killer albums for Black Top Records that gave us 23 mostly new songs from one of the greatest singer/songwriters New Orleans has ever known. The first of these was 'Sexual Telepathy', which features my all time favorite EK song 'Time for the Sun to Rise'. That song is playing right now and it still gives me a little chill...too, too pretty. Earl is backed three bands: a NOLA allstar group, Ronnie Earl's Broadcasters and his own Antone's House band. Every arrangement is super tight, and Mark Kazamov's Kamikazi Horns rock the session on every tune. Earl's singing is stronger than ever and the songs...oh, the songs.

I promise this will put some glide in yo stride, a dip in yo hip and some stuff in yo strut. If you ain't hip to Earl King then you'd best get busy!

Earl King - Sexual Telepathy

Black Top Records 1990

1) Old Mr Bad Luck
2) I'll Take You Back Home
3) A Weary Silent Night
4) Time for the Sun to Rise
5) No One More for the Road
6) Going Public
7) Love is the Way of Life
8) Sexual Telepathy
9) Happy Little Nobody's Waggy Tail Dog
10) Always a First Time
11) Make A Better World

Earl King vocals, guitar, songs, George Porter Jr bass, Kenny Blevins drums, Ron Levy organ, Snooks Eaglin guitar, Ronnie Earl guitar, Mark Kazamov sax solos, Mr. Excello tenor sax, Keith Winkling trumpet, Saxy Boy tenor sax, Dickie Reed piano, organ, Steve Gomes bass, Per Hanson drums, Derek O'Brian guitar, Floyd Domino organ, Sarah Brown bass, George Raines drums

Earl King - Hard River to Cross

Numba two of the fine Black Top Earl King releases came out some four years later and is every bit the equal of 'Sexual Therapy'. Just one mind f*** band of New Orleans big boys on this one. George Porter Jr and Dave Torkanowsky head up a cast of heavyweights that also includes Snooks Eaglin, Herman Ernest III, Sammy Berfect, and a revamped version of Mark 'Kaz' Kazimov's Kamikazi Horns. I actually read a review by a truly clueless and nationally published individual (who shall remain nameless) this morning in which he stated that Earl's singing was his weak point and didn't seem to come easily. Who the hell was he talking about and what the hell was he listening to? This man was an absolutely killer singer! Now if you were going to criticize his guitar playing I'd have to go along, but to cap on his singing just proves you ain't listening. At least he recognized that the songs were especially good. If you are just digging the crap out of these be aware that there is a glorious live recording of Earl from Tips about 2 months back on this blog.

Earl King - Hard River to Cross
Black Top Records 1994


1) Medieval Days
2) Seduction
3) Hard River to Cross
4) Clairvoyant Lady
5) It Hurts to Love Someone
6) No City Like New Orleans
7) You Better Know
8) Big Foot
9) Your Love Means More to Me Than Gold
10) I'm Still Holding On
11) Handy Wrap
12) Love Can Save the World

Earl King vocals, songs, guitar, George Porter Jr bass, production
Dave Torkanowsky piano, organ, keyboards, production,
Sammy Berfect organ, Snooks Eaglin guitar,
Herman 'the German' Ernest drums, Mark Kazimov all sax solos
Ernest Youngblood Jr tenor sax, JB Goode tenor sax,
Keith Winking trumpet, Rick Trolsen trombone

Albert King - New Orleans Heat

Not your normal Albert King album with the fiery guitar licks and all that, there are plenty of those albums to choose from. Here Albert came down to New Orleans and received the full Sea-Saint Toussaint / Quezergue treatment with horns and back-up singers and such. The music focuses on King as a singer and sets him up with some Chitlins Circuit type vehicles that he has some fun with.

Albert King - New Orleans Heat

Tomato Records 1978

1. Get Out Of My Life Woman
2. Born Under A Bad Sign
3. The Feeling
4. We All Wanna Boogie
5. The Very Thought Of You
6. I Got The Blues
7. I Get Evil
8. Angel Of Mercy
9. Flat Tire

*The players on New Orleans Heat (Note: the horn section is unlisted but it almost certainly would have included Gary Brown and Clyde Kerr):

Albert King – vocal, electric guitar
Leo Nocentelli – electric guitar
Allen R. Toussaint – acoustic piano, 88 RMI Echoplex
Wardell Quezergue – electric piano
Robert Dabon – electric piano, RMI
George Porter, Jr. – bass
Charles Williams, June Gardner, Leroy Breaux – drums
Kenneth Williams - percussion 

Now I ain't saying this is Albert's best album or anything silly like that but it is some good fun. The session was also the last recording of the great New Orleans drummer Charles 'Hungry" Williams who became The Man when Earl Palmer went to L.A. This is my LP rip from my perfect copy.