O.V. Wright - The Complete Backbeat and ABC Recordings

I'm finding it hard to believe that it has been 5 years since I posted this! You can't call yourself a Soul fan if you don't have this! by Bill Pollak (Originally published in MusicHound R&B: The Essential Album Guide, Gary Graff, Josh Freedom du Lac, and Jim McFarlin (eds.); Visible Ink Press (Detroit, MI): 1998.) Born Overton Vertis Wright, October 9, 1939, in Leno, TN. Died November 16, 1980, in Mobile, AL. "Let's not mince words: O.V. Wright was the greatest deep-soul singer ever. By the time he cut his first secular recording, "That's How Strong My Love Is" for Goldwax Records of Memphis, Tennessee (1964), Wright was already a well-known and successful gospel singer, having sung and recorded with gospel groups such as the Spirit of Memphis Quartet and the Sunset Travelers. Wright is by no means the only artist to abandon the sanctuary of the church in search of the rewards and temptations of the secular world. The pop recordings of Sam Cooke, Al Green, Aretha Franklin, and Johnnie Taylor all make overt or oblique reference to the trauma of this self-imposed exile. But in the work of no other artist, with the possible exception of Green, does this exile play so central a role. Wright's recordings are unmistakably the work of a spiritually troubled man. As if to underscore the gravity of his choice, Wright's secular recordings, more than those of any of his peers, cleave faithfully to the style, structure, and most importantly the feeling and fervor of the deepest and most heartfelt gospel music. The presence of this theme in all of his strongest performances--"You're Gonna Make Me Cry," "Eight Men, Four Women," "Everybody Knows (The River Song)," "Born All Over," "Heartaches, Heartaches," "Memory Blues"--give them a timeless universality that places them on a par with the hymns of Mahalia Jackson, the blues of Robert Johnson, or the country music of Hank Williams. There were two distinct periods in Wright's 15-year secular career, delineated by the demise of his first record label, Back Beat, which had been owned and operated by the don of Houston rhythm and blues, Don Robey. Midway in his career, Wright migrated to Hi Records, where his longtime producer Willie Mitchell was the principal talent director. (Somehow he fails to mention that Wright went to prison for narcotics, his label was sold to ABC and Don Robey died so his hold on OV was gone. ABC was not interested in him when he was released from prison so he was a free agent picked up by old friend Willie Mitchell who was now producer and AR guy for Hi Records! Surprising in what is otherwise a nice piece.) Few artists in any medium exhibit so huge a gap between artistic quality and commercial success as O.V. Wright. Wright's two most successful records, "You're Gonna Make Me Cry" and "Eight Men, Four Women," came early in his career at Back Beat, and neither recording received any airplay outside the circumscribed world of 1960s R&B radio. In fact, R&B radio in the late 1960s, the heyday of southern gospel-inflected soul music, is the only radio format during the years spanned by Wright's career in which it is possible to imagine Wright's chilling statements from the spiritual void finding a home. Wright is an artist whose reputation is destined to grow with the historical perspective afforded by time. Willie Mitchell's production values and house musicians (the Hi Rhythm Section, among others) were essential elements in the brilliance of Wright's recordings. Mitchell had achieved great commercial and artistic success helping Al Green craft a new kind of Memphis soul music in the 1970s. Undoubtedly motivated by the desire to help Wright achieve more of the success and recognition that he so deserved, Mitchell attempted to adapt this softer, more melodic sound to Wright's recordings during Wright's later period at Hi Records. That this sound was not entirely suited to Wright's unique gifts provides one explanation for the relative superiority of the Back Beat recordings. Another factor is that, by all accounts, the O.V. Wright who recorded for Hi was deteriorating from a drug habit that ultimately claimed his life. A comparison of the photographs from the BackBeat albums and the later Hi albums provides stark evidence of his physical deterioration. He died in an ambulance, en route to the hospital, at the age of 41, consumed by the music that haunted him and the life that went with it."

O.V. Wright - The Complete Recorded Works By The Boss Of Southern Soul for Backbeat/ABC, disc 3 - 5

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The weekend is here, and you know how we do at Chitlins!!  Enjoy the final three albums that complete this glorious boxset - all ripped with EAC to FLAC.

O.V. Wright & The Luckett Brothers - 4 & 20 Elders

Here is a little icing on the cake for the current O.V. Wright love fest at this blog.  These are about the last remaining recordings of O.V. Wright that have not been posted here yet.  These are also his last recordings, made just one month before O.V.'s untimely death.

Like his first recordings, O.V. Wright's last efforts were in gospel.  He joins the Luckett Brothers on four tracks for this album: Four and Twenty and Elders, Give an Account, He'll Understand and Say Well Done, and Stand Up and Testify.

It would be hard to argue that these are among the best O.V. Wright recordings, and opinions differ as to their merits.  Bill Pollak on his website calls it a "half-hearted attempt late in life by Wright to return to the fold with one of his former gospel groups. Wright sounds lost and uncommitted."   I don't hear it that way.  Of course, Bill Pollak also perceives a sharp decline in O.V.'s work for Hi Records relative to Backbeat, which I also don't hear.   While there may be nothing genuinely earth-shattering here, O.V.'s singing sounds quite good to me on this album, as it does virtually everywhere else.  The words "lost" or "uncommitted" would certainly not come to my mind to characterize these performances.  The Luckett Brothers tacks without O.V. are also quite nice.  

In any case, take a listen yourselves and come to your own opinions.   

O.V. Wright - The Complete Recorded Works By The Boss Of Southern Soul for Backbeat/ABC, disc 2

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I think this may be my favorite disc from this box set.  It was created specifically for inclusion with this set, as a way to capture all of his wonderful Backbeat 45's which never found a home on an LP.  As a result, we get a grouping of really strong songs which have been tracked with alot of thought.

It's probably an unfair comparison, but aside from "Nickel And A Nail..." I don't think any of his LPs really approach this CD in terms of material.  Damn near every song on this disc is a winner, and with O.V.s treatment added to the fray we get a really memorable album.

There's no doubt in my mind that "That's How Strong My Love Is" is probably the greatest soul ballad of all time when sung by O.V. Wright.  Other stand outs for me would be "What Did You Tell This Girl Of Mine", "Henpecked Man" and "Drowning On Dry Land".  Willie Mitchell was the musical force behind the production, so of course it's impeccable.  Probably the most aptly named album of all, "Treasured Moments" is exactly that.  Once again we have a perfect EAC rip to 16/44.1 FLAC.  Don't miss this or the upcoming posts, truly amazing music and sound quality... only at the Crypt.  Taken from the second pressing of the P-Vine boxset released in 2009.  Enjoy!!!

O.V. Wright - The Complete Recorded Works By The Boss Of Southern Soul for Backbeat/ABC, disc 1

by Bill Pollak (Originally published in MusicHound R&B: The Essential Album Guide, Gary Graff, Josh Freedom du Lac, and Jim McFarlin (eds.); Visible Ink Press (Detroit, MI): 1998.)

Born Overton Vertis Wright, October 9, 1939, in Leno, TN. Died November 16, 1980, in Mobile, AL.

"Let's not mince words: O.V. Wright was the greatest deep-soul singer ever. By the time he cut his first secular recording, "That's How Strong My Love Is" for Goldwax Records of Memphis, Tennessee (1964), Wright was already a well-known and successful gospel singer, having sung and recorded with gospel groups such as the Spirit of Memphis Quartet and the Sunset Travelers. Wright is by no means the only artist to abandon the sanctuary of the church in search of the rewards and temptations of the secular world. The pop recordings of Sam Cooke, Al Green, Aretha Franklin, and Johnnie Taylor all make overt or oblique reference to the trauma of this self-imposed exile. But in the work of no other artist, with the possible exception of Green, does this exile play so central a role. Wright's recordings are unmistakably the work of a spiritually troubled man. As if to underscore the gravity of his choice, Wright's secular recordings, more than those of any of his peers, cleave faithfully to the style, structure, and most importantly the feeling and fervor of the deepest and most heartfelt gospel music. The presence of this theme in all of his strongest performances--"You're Gonna Make Me Cry," "Eight Men,

Four Women," "Everybody Knows (The River Song)," "Born All Over," "Heartaches, Heartaches," "Memory Blues"--give them a timeless universality that places them on a par with the hymns of Mahalia Jackson, the blues of Robert Johnson, or the country music of Hank Williams.

There were two distinct periods in Wright's 15-year secular career, delineated by the demise of his first record label, Back Beat, which had been owned and operated by the don of Houston rhythm and blues, Don Robey. Midway in his career, Wright migrated to Hi Records, where his longtime producer Willie Mitchell was the principal talent director. (Somehow he fails to mention that Wright went to prison for narcotics, his label was sold to ABC and Don Robey died so his hold on OV was gone. ABC was not interested in him when he was released from prison so he was a free agent picked up by old friend Willie Mitchell who was now producer and AR guy for Hi Records! Surprising in what is otherwise a nice piece.) Few artists in any medium exhibit so huge a gap between artistic quality and commercial success as O.V. Wright. Wright's two most successful records, "You're Gonna Make Me Cry" and "Eight Men, Four

Women," came early in his career at Back Beat, and neither recording received any airplay outside the circumscribed world of 1960s R&B radio. In fact, R&B radio in the late 1960s, the heyday of southern gospel-inflected soul music, is the only radio format during the years spanned by Wright's career in which it is possible to imagine Wright's chilling statements from the spiritual void finding a home. Wright is an artist whose reputation is destined to grow with the historical perspective afforded by time.

Willie Mitchell's production values and house musicians (the Hi Rhythm Section, among others) were essential elements in the brilliance of Wright's recordings. Mitchell had achieved great commercial and artistic success helping Al Green craft a new kind of Memphis soul music in the 1970s. Undoubtedly motivated by the desire to help Wright achieve more of the success and recognition that he so deserved, Mitchell attempted to adapt this softer, more melodic sound to Wright's recordings during Wright's later period at Hi Records. That this sound was not entirely suited to Wright's unique gifts provides one explanation for the relative superiority of the Back Beat recordings. Another factor is that, by all accounts, the O.V. Wright who recorded for Hi was deteriorating from a drug habit that ultimately claimed his life. A comparison of the photographs from the BackBeat albums and the later Hi albums provides stark evidence of his physical deterioration. He died in an ambulance, en route to the hospital, at the age of 41, consumed by the music that haunted him and the life that went with it."

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I have used KCs original post, but we will be looking at this wondrous boxset again.  This time, we have found a copy of the second edition released from P-Vine.  This included 5 mini LP style albums, of which we will be sharing here with all of you lucky souls!!!  The set itself has gone out of print quickly each time it's been released to market - no surprise there.  At this point, the real beauty of having access to these great tracks is the fact that the box costs 2 - 300 on the grey market!!

P-Vine really did soul fans a solid on this collection, the remastering is incredible, particularily on the older Goldwax 45s.  I have decided to start things off with 8 Men And 4 Women, simply because it's my favorite tune by the man.  It also contains a couple other real zingers like "You're Gonna Make Me Cry", but I think you'll notice something else about this side.  Aside from the few exceptional tracks, alot of the material, at least in my mind, comes across as pretty straightforward.  The tunes are pretty run of the mill, and in anybody else's hands would probably have been dropped to the cutting room floor.  I'm thinking of songs like "Why Don't You Believe Me" and "Can't Find True Love".  O.V. really shows his interpretive skills on this album, and that's what makes it really special in his discography.

The first time this post went up I didn't even know who this legend was - now much like KC, he is my favorite.  I think the best evidence lies in his (the FIRST) cut of "That's How Strong My Love Is".  When compared to Otis, in my mind it's 10 times more the ballad.  O.V. really found the heart of that track.  When I listen to Otis rendition, I find his phrasing really diminishes the feeling as does the rather hokey shuffle beat that sets the tone.  I am not trying to pit Otis against O.V.!!!  But hell this man could out do the so called best of them, so let's shed some light on it.  At this point, I think O.V. Wright is more than just my favorite soul artist, he is possibly the most significant for the genre.  That's a tall order but he was really responsible for tying together the old school with what was to come.  It's a shame he never seemed to get the attention he deserved.

Anyhow gang, this was ripped using EAC and is in 16/44.1 FLAC.  Tremendous!!!  We will be following it up with the rest of the set so keep your eyes peeld on Chitlins in the upcoming weeks.  Nothin but a party y'all!!!

O.V. Wright - On Stage (Live In Japan)

O V Wright is a big fave of all of us here at Chitlins...
KC has supplied a biography accompanying  his post of 'The Complete Backbeat and ABC Recordings', which are undeniably OV's  greatest achievements ( Check this out under the 'Featuring' tag ).
 Preslives provided us with his earlier gospel  recordings and Poppachubby has become a new and cherished fan of this great Southern deep-soul singer ( Chubbs will have more to say about OV in some great future posts here ... so stay tuned)
This is OV's only known and available live recording - Made up of performances recorded over 2 nights in Tokyo during September 1979 on his sole visit to Japan - He is accompanied by the Hi Records Rhythm section, consisting of the Hodges brothers, Charles, Leroy and Teenie on keyboards, bass and guitar,   Howard Grimes on drums, Melvin Rodgers trumpet, Dennis Bates trombone and James Webb backing vocals.

It's a tight soulful funky production with OV delighting the crowd with his heartfelt forthright vocals, performing most of his best loved numbers along with some very tasteful covers. You'd be a fool to miss this....So enjoy.
Tracks - 1. I'd Rather Be Blind Crippled And Crazy 2. Ace Of Spades 3. Eight Men And Four Women 4. Precious Precious 5. Love And Happiness 6. Medley - God Blessed Our Love - When A Man Loves A Woman - That's How Strong My Love Is - You're Gonna Make Me Cry 7. Into Something (Can't Shake Loose)

O.V. Wright - Giant Of Southern Soul 1965-1975

This one is for Cubbs and another reader whose name I've lost. I don't have the CD's for the 3 disc Complete Backbeat set, only mp3's, but for this single disc compilation I have re-ripped to FLAC with full scans from my CD.

The Sunset Travelers - With O.V. Wright

There was a request to re-up this and I know that Preslives has problems getting uploads thru. Here is the original post.

How else can I follow KC’s last incredible O.V. Wright post except with more of the same?   I have gathered here what should be something close to all of O.V. Wright’s first recordings from the late 50s and early 60s, when he was singing gospel with the Sunset Travelers and hadn’t yet crossed over into secular music.  Before O.V. Wright became a Soul legend, he had already become a sensation on the gospel programs (But I don't know of any photos of the Sunset Travelers with O.V. Thus, photo to the left) 

The Sunset Travelers started in Memphis in 1950.  They recruited the teenage O.V. Wright in the late 1950s and first recorded with O.V. for Peacock in 1959.  The first 12 tracks here correspond to the Peacock LP, “On Jesus Program.”   Although a few of the tracks do not feature O.V. Wright on lead vocals, I left them in for completeness.   

"On Jesus Program" was actually issued on CD in the US in the late 1980s on the compilation "Raisin' the Roof," pictured on the right.  When MCA launched the Peacock Spiritual Series at the dawn of the CD era, that raised a lot of hopes for a spectacular reissue series of the Peacock label.  But after this release and a few other CDs (which I may post later), MCA trashed gospel reissues altogether and never again released anything from the vast Peacock catalog in the US. 

 

I have tacked on to “On Jesus Program” ten more Sunset Travelers tracks featuring the incomparable O.V. Wright on lead vocals.   Track number 13, “Sit Down and Rest a While.” deserves comment.  This is the very first recording featuring O.V. Wright when had just joined the group.  The Sunset Travelers themselves made it as a demo.  When I first heard it, I didn’t even think that it was O.V.  The sonorities are right, but certain elements of his mature style are not there yet.  However, Grover Blake, a member and manager of this Sunset Travelers group, has verified that it is is indeed O.V. Wright.  Lazurus and You Are Blessed come from the very first 45 the Travelers with O.V. Wright made for Peacock in 1959.  Here, the unique presence of O.V. is already unmistakable. 

So there you have it – the first installment of the O.V. Wright story.  Whatever you do on this blog, do not miss the second installment (Backbeat and Goldwax recordings) posted by KC below.  The third installment (the Hi Recordings) might show up here sooner or later.  But those recordings are easily purchased commercially.   

The Complete O.V. Wright on Hi Records, Vol. 1 In The Studio

By the time O.V. is released from the Texas penitentiary in 1975, he was incarcerated on a narcotics charge, his old label has been sold and his contract along with it. As Don Robey's health failed he sold everything to ABC, who were less than enthusiastic about Wright in the wake of the absence from the market. After a couple of half-hearted attempts at recording him, ABC handed Wright back his contract and he was a free agent.

His friend and collaborator Willie Mitchell was now at Hi records and riding the wave of success with both Al Green and Sil Johnson and he was more than happy to add O.V. to the stable and hoped he would propel him  to the kind of stardom that he had found with Green. I imagine he was even more motivated because by this time there was already evidence that Green was loosing it and becoming unstable.

The O.V. that came to Hi was not the man who had made those phenomenal Back Beat recordings. Drugs, alcohol and heart trouble were taking a serious toll on his body although he strove to hide it from nearly everyone. The voice was still better than anyone else and apparently at first he was still the show stopping live performer he had always been.

One story of a tour that gives you an idea of his ability to tear up a house was a tour with Tyrone Davis, Johnnie Taylor, Little Milton and O.V. The discussion on the first day centered around the performing order and since Wright was the only guy who didn't seem concerned with the subject he was asked to lead off the show. By the end of the night all three of the other guys told the promoter that O.V. would close the show for the remainder of the tour, no-one wanted to follow him ever again.

The material on this set is unquestionably good but there is a feeling of Willie Mitchell trying to shoehorn O.V. into Al Green's loafers. Green and Wright were very different but somehow Mitchell failed to alter his approach. The Hi band had fallen into a very comfortable groove and certainly by the late 70's was getting a little stale (Mitchell later acknowledged that). All that said, even flawed O.V. Wright is better than damn near anyone else so don't think for a second that this isn't worth hearing.

Health problems derailed Wright a number of times in the last 5 years of the decade, but each time he emerged from the hospital he returned to work and by 1980 he was an emaciated shadow of his former self. The last year of his life Wright returned to Gospel and was quoted as saying that he never really liked singing Soul, and had always longed to return to the Gospel fold. In November 1980 Wright collapsed while on the road and despite Roosevelt Jamisons' heroic efforts to get him to an adequate hospital, Wright died shortly after reaching the hospital, he was 41 years old.

Wright laid in an unmarked grave in Memphis for some 28 years until 2008 when a fund and concert was put together to put a proper marker on the grave on the anniversary of his death.