Saturday, 15 April 2017

April #6: "The silkiest chops in the singing game"


6: Lou Rawls - Street Corner Hustler's Blues / World Of Trouble (Live)

Someone famous once said, of Lou Rawls, that he had, "the classiest singing and silkiest chops in the singing game". Now that's a pretty bold claim about any artist, but you might give it a little more credence when you know who said it.

Francis Albert Sinatra.

And I reckon he knew a thing or two about classy singing and silky chops, don't you?

I've been a fan of Lou Rawls for some time now, and he's one of the few... the very, very few... recording artists that I'm interested in hearing a live album by. Generally, live albums... well, you had to be there. But a Lou Rawls live recording... well, you wish you had been there.

Rawls wasn't just a great singer. He was a glorious raconteur too. As evidenced on today's track from his 1966 album Live! I don't know exactly when or where it was recorded, but I would give my little toe to have been there in that club, watching this guy do his stuff...

Take a look in the dictionary under 'cool'. Lou Rawls will be staring right back at you.



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10 comments:

  1. FurryBootsCityBoy16 April 2017 at 06:49

    Somewhat overlooked in the UK - and probably best known over here for "You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine". But anyone who gets name checked in Arthur Conley's "Sweet Soul Music" is worth investigating.

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    1. Rol16 April 2017 at 21:07

      Definitely. The other song I remember him for (before I properly discovered him) was Lady Love.

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  2. Chris16 April 2017 at 10:03

    First time listening to this guy. Reminds me of Nighthawks at the Diner album by Tom Waits, which has raconteur moments.

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    1. Rol16 April 2017 at 21:08

      Yeah, Waits is the ultimate raconteur... and that's another one of the few live albums I can listen to again and again.

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  3. Alyson16 April 2017 at 11:24

    Well, unbelievably I didn't actually know what Mr Rawls looked like until reading this post (although I knew what he sounded like) and certainly didn't realise that he epitomised "cool" to such an extent. As you say, that would have been one heck of live performance to have witnessed.

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    1. Rol16 April 2017 at 21:08

      If Frank says you're cool... you're cool.

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  4. Anonymous16 April 2017 at 12:28

    I'm afraid Lou Rawls has passed me by over all these years but I'd have to agree the man had class. Must listen further.

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  5. Charity Chic16 April 2017 at 14:24

    Got Groovy People - the Best of Lou Rawls fairly recently in a charity shop.Fits neatly between Teddy Pendergrass and Otis Redding in the Soul section

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