Time: 31:19
Size: 71.7 MB
Styles: R&B, AM Pop
Year: 2000
Art: Front
[2:35] 1. Only The Strong Survive
[2:20] 2. Moody Woman
[2:40] 3. I Dig You Baby
[2:55] 4. Never Give You Up
[2:35] 5. Mr. Dream Merchant
[2:37] 6. Lost
[2:41] 7. Hey, Western Union Man
[4:24] 8. Ain't Understanding Mellow
[3:25] 9. One Night Affair
[2:35] 10. What's The Use Of Breaking Up
[2:27] 11. A Brand New Me
The great Jerry Butler was blessed with two big hit periods in his career and this CD covers his late sixties comeback on the Mercury label. Originally the lead singer of The Impressions, a group founded with his friend Curtis Mayfield, Jerry was encouraged to follow a solo career, which he did on Chicago's legendary R&B label, Vee Jay Records. There he had numerous hits throughout the Early Sixties that included He Will Break Your Heart, Moon River and Let It Be Me (with labelmate Betty Everett). In the Mid Sixties he faded from the charts as the new sound of Motown took over the R&B charts and by 1966 Vee Jay declared bankruptcy amid numerous lawsuits and finally ceased to operate.
This might have looked like the end, but for Jerry it was a new beginning. Talented composer-producer and A&R man Jerry Ross knew how talented Jerry Butler was and signed him to Mercury Records. He wrote and produced Mr.Dream Merchant, with its big orchestral arrangement, for him and by late 1967 Jerry was back in the Top 40 for the first time since 1964. Jerry Ross had his friend and protege Kenny Gamble at Mercury and let him and his composing partner Leon Huff take over Jerry Butler's career and that's when it really took off.
Gamble and Huff were not only talented composers but also arrangers and they were creating a new sound that would reshape soul music in the years to come as the "Sound of Philadelphia" with artists like Billy Paul, The O'Jays, Joe Simon, and Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes. They had already produced hits like Expressway To Your Heart (Soul Survivors) and Cowboys To Girls (Intruders) and with Jerry would develop their sound further and have their biggest hits yet. What's amazing is that most of the later Philly sound is already there: a good string section, strong bass line rhythm, forward twangy guitar and a female chorus. Jerry's voice was as warm and powerful as ever ("The Iceman" referred more to his demeanor than his voice) but instead of the smooth pop-styled voice of his early hits it was a little rougher. Together they put out a string of Top 20 hits that kept Jerry on the airwaves almost constantly in 1968 to 1969 and peaked with his number 4 hit, Only the Strong Survive, with its great spoken introduction. Never Gonna Give You Up is smooth and jazzy, while Hey Western Union Man and moody Woman still show a lot Motown influence in their rhythm and strings. A Brand New Me is given essentially the same arrangement as Gamble and Huff gave Dusty Springfield when she recorded it for them. The most forward sounding arrangement is on One Night Affair; after a trembling violin and voice opening it breaks into a full on early 70's urban sound closer to that of Curtis Mayfield or Isaac Hayes a few years later than anything going on in the late 60's.
If you like Jerry Butler this is an essential album to have, since it has all the highlights of his "The Iceman Cometh" years. Of course it doesn't include the early 60's Vee Jay recordings, but for those I'd recommend Rhino's "The Best of Jerry Butler," just a few titles down, which has all his great Vee Jay hits plus a few of the biggest Mercury hits. Some fans may only know Jerry Butler from his Late sixties hits and for them this disc alone will be enough. But if you remember his whole career you will want to have both. ~johnf
This might have looked like the end, but for Jerry it was a new beginning. Talented composer-producer and A&R man Jerry Ross knew how talented Jerry Butler was and signed him to Mercury Records. He wrote and produced Mr.Dream Merchant, with its big orchestral arrangement, for him and by late 1967 Jerry was back in the Top 40 for the first time since 1964. Jerry Ross had his friend and protege Kenny Gamble at Mercury and let him and his composing partner Leon Huff take over Jerry Butler's career and that's when it really took off.
Gamble and Huff were not only talented composers but also arrangers and they were creating a new sound that would reshape soul music in the years to come as the "Sound of Philadelphia" with artists like Billy Paul, The O'Jays, Joe Simon, and Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes. They had already produced hits like Expressway To Your Heart (Soul Survivors) and Cowboys To Girls (Intruders) and with Jerry would develop their sound further and have their biggest hits yet. What's amazing is that most of the later Philly sound is already there: a good string section, strong bass line rhythm, forward twangy guitar and a female chorus. Jerry's voice was as warm and powerful as ever ("The Iceman" referred more to his demeanor than his voice) but instead of the smooth pop-styled voice of his early hits it was a little rougher. Together they put out a string of Top 20 hits that kept Jerry on the airwaves almost constantly in 1968 to 1969 and peaked with his number 4 hit, Only the Strong Survive, with its great spoken introduction. Never Gonna Give You Up is smooth and jazzy, while Hey Western Union Man and moody Woman still show a lot Motown influence in their rhythm and strings. A Brand New Me is given essentially the same arrangement as Gamble and Huff gave Dusty Springfield when she recorded it for them. The most forward sounding arrangement is on One Night Affair; after a trembling violin and voice opening it breaks into a full on early 70's urban sound closer to that of Curtis Mayfield or Isaac Hayes a few years later than anything going on in the late 60's.
If you like Jerry Butler this is an essential album to have, since it has all the highlights of his "The Iceman Cometh" years. Of course it doesn't include the early 60's Vee Jay recordings, but for those I'd recommend Rhino's "The Best of Jerry Butler," just a few titles down, which has all his great Vee Jay hits plus a few of the biggest Mercury hits. Some fans may only know Jerry Butler from his Late sixties hits and for them this disc alone will be enough. But if you remember his whole career you will want to have both. ~johnf
The Best Of Jerry Butler
