Friday, June 27, 2014

Wilson Pickett - "I'm in Love" 45

Wilson Pickett – “I’m in Love” 45
Atlantic, 1967
Acquired: Crossroads Music Exchange, Used, 2013
Price: $1


Considering that Wilson Pickett cannot be fucked with, I knew this one was probably going to be a safe bet. In my head, “I’m in Love” was going to be Pickett’s version of the John Lennon penned “I’m in Love” (sapped of all emotion by the Fourmosts who popularized the track). Though the time period is right, I don’t know why I thought this was going to be that song, but at a buck, with someone as eternally excellent as Pickett, there was no reason not to take a chance. This “I’m in Love” (written by Bobby Womack, who wrote many of Pickett’s late 60s hits) is an impassioned, soulful ballad that doesn’t even have to try. It floats on a mournful little guitar riff and Pickett’s croon. Horns show up on the chorus with the backing vocals to round out a terrific single. B-Side “Stag-O-Lee” is Pickett’s boisterous rendition of the traditional folk tune “Stagger Lee” about a pimp wasting a dude in order to get back his brand new Stetson hat after losing it in a hand of cards. It’s rather grisly murder ballad towards the end, but that only makes the pairing with the upbeat R&B more entertaining.

"I'm in Love" 

"Stag-O-Lee"

3 comments:

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  2. You need to hear Aretha's version of "I'm in love". It's her third greatest track.

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  3. I'll check it out! Thanks for the tip!

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