Wilson Pickett In-depth Biography
Of the major '60s soul} stars, Wilson Pickett} was one of the roughest and sweatiest, working up some of the decade's hottest dancefloor grooves on hits like "In the Midnight Hour,"} "Land of 1000 Dances,"} "Mustang Sally,"} and "Funky Broadway."} Although he tends to be held in somewhat lower esteem than more versatile talents like Otis Redding} and Aretha Franklin}, he is often a preferred alternative of fans who like their soul} on the rawer side. He also did a good deal to establish the sound of Southern soul} with his early hits, which were often written and recorded with the cream of the session musicians in Memphis and Muscle Shoals.
Before establishing himself as a solo artist, Pickett} sang with the Falcons}, who had a Top Ten R&B} hit in 1962 with "I Found a Love."} "If You Need Me"} (covered by the Rolling Stones}) and "It's Too Late"} were R&B} hits for the singer before he hooked up with Atlantic Records}, who sent him to record at Stax} in Memphis in 1965. One early result was "In the Midnight Hour,"} whose chugging horn line, loping funky beats, and impassioned vocals combined into a key transitional performance that brought R&B} into the soul} age. It was an R&B} chart-topper and a substantial pop} hit (number 21), though its influence was stronger than that respectable position might indicate: thousands of bands, black and white, covered "In the Midnight Hour"} on-stage and record in the 1960s.
Pickett} had a flurry of other galvanizing soul} hits over the next few years, including "634-5789,"} "Mustang Sally,"} and "Funky Broadway,"} all of which, like "In the Midnight Hour,"} were frequently adapted by other bands as dance-ready numbers. The king of that hill, though, had to be "Land of 1000 Dances,"} Pickett}'s biggest pop} hit (number six), a soul} anthem of sorts with its roll call of popular dances, and covered by almost as many acts as "Midnight Hour"} was.
Pickett} didn't confine himself to the environs of Stax} for long; soon he was also cutting tracks at Muscle Shoals}. He recorded several early songs by Bobby Womack}. He used Duane Allman} as a session guitarist on a hit cover of the Beatles}' "Hey Jude."} He cut some hits in Philadelphia with Gamble & Huff} productions in the early '70s. He even did a hit version of the Archies}' "Sugar, Sugar."} The hits kept rolling through the early '70s, including "Don't Knock My Love"} and "Get Me Back on Time, Engine Number 9."}
One of the corollaries of '60s soul} is that if a performer rose to fame with Motown} or Atlantic}, he or she would produce little of note after leaving the label. Pickett}, unfortunately, did not prove an exception to the rule. His last big hit was "Fire and Water,"} in 1972. He continued to be active on the tour circuit; his most essential music, all from the 1960s and early '70s, was assembled for the superb Rhino} double-CD anthology A Man and a Half}. It's Harder Now}, his first new material in over a decade, followed in 1999. Pickett} spent the early part of the 2000s performing, before retiring in late 2004 due to ill health. He passed away on January 19, 2006, following a heart attack. ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide
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