Never-before-heard works in progress from one of soul music’s greatest songwriters. All tracks recorded at Fame’s Muscle Shoals and Memphis studios in the late 60s and early 70s.
During a career that spanned more than 50 years, George Jackson was always among the most trusted names in soul music. If he wrote a song, it was sure to be a good one. If he made a record, ditto. George’s craft was something to be admired at all times, as was the prolific nature of his writing. While he didn’t issue as many records as his fans would have liked, his songs were rarely far from the airwaves or the turntables of southern soul lovers.
During his career as a recording artist, George put out one album and fewer than 20 singles. It’s only since Ace purchased Goldwax and established licensing deals with Fame and Sounds Of Memphis that the extent of his body of work has become apparent. A CD apiece of his Goldwax and Sounds Of Memphis recordings and no less than three of his Fame sides have been a revelation, in terms of both quality and quantity.
“Leavin’ Your Homework Undone” is our fourth collection of George’s recordings for Fame. When I assembled the third volume I doubted that there would be enough material of sufficiently high quality to make up any more. However, years of further research of the tapes Alec Palao, Dean Rudland and I transferred on our various visits to the Fame studios has paid off, with two dozen more superb examples of George’s work.
Most of the tracks here were recorded not long after George joined the company andbenefit from the consummate musicianship of the great Fame rhythm section the Swampers. One or two are basic demos, but the majority are of high enough quality to have been issued just as they are. Soul fans may recognise ‘A Man And A Half’, ‘Never In Public’ and ‘Your Love Made A U-Turn’ from the versions by Wilson Pickett, Candi Staton, James Carr and Jimmy Hughes, but George’s are the only known recordings of most of the songs. Although it’s certain there will be no fifth collection of George’s Fame recordings, the series definitely goes out on a soulful high with this one.
TONY ROUNCE
