Al Green
Al Green was the first great soul singer of the '70s and arguably the last great Southern soul singer. With his seductive singles for Hi Records in the early '70s, Green bridged the gap between deep soul and smooth Philadelphia soul. He incorporated elements of gospel, interjecting his performances with wild moans and wails, but his records were stylish, boasting immaculate productions that rolled along with a tight beat, sexy backing vocals, and lush strings. The distinctive Hi Records sound that the vocalist and producer Willie Mitchell developed made Al Green the most popular and influential soul singer of the early '70s, influencing not only his contemporaries, but also veterans like Marvin Gaye. Green was at the peak of his popularity when he suddenly decided to join the ministry in the mid-'70s. At first, he continued to record secular material, but by the '80s, he was concentrating solely on gospel. During the late '80s and '90s, he occasionally returned to R&B, but he remained primarily a religious performer for the rest of his career. Nevertheless, Green's classic early- '70s recordings retained their power and influence throughout the decades, setting the standard for smooth soul.
11 comments:
These are some of the finest soul albums released, especially the early to mid-70s ones. Magnificent in what I call their complex simplicity.
I think Ann Peebles may have used the same band, as her stuff was very similar from around that early 70s period.
Yes I agree, again.
The mid seventies were my favourites also.
Hi PB, yes she did in fact.
Thanks for the very comprehensive presentation of this great artist!
You are very welcome my friend.
Al Green.. great singer.. great songs.. great production from Hi Records. His style and sound covered a lot of musical ground and even got him thru those disco years with ease. Thank you for adding him here.
Also, really HUGE thanks for going back to adding the years on albums and putting them in chronological order and for the quality cover pics!!
Yes he certainly was a great singer mrRadio, I truly enjoyed his stuff, obviously :-)
Placing the years etc on albums is extra work, however it is good for people like yourself [and me] to see those great years of music listed chronologically.
Regards
Ozzieguy
Recents albums like "Don't Look Back" and "Lay it Down" are huge ones, too !
alain from France
Magnificent page and great discographies posted. A delight for the senses.
Grateful.
J.Zechnas/5/2022
Great! Thanks for all :-)
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