Song:Sweet Soul Music
Album:The Muscle Shoals Sound
A lot of folks probably think that this 1967 top five classic was recorded by Otis Redding. But Arthur Conley was a protege of Redding. But when Redding died, Conley's career stalled and he moved to Europe. He was born Jan. 4, 1946 in McIntosh, GA and grew up in Atlanta. Conley idolized Sam Cooke and by age 12 was a member of the gospel group The Evening Smiles. In 1963, his group Arthur & The Corvets released some singles on NRC Records that went nowhere. Conley went solo and recorded I'm A Lonely Stranger for Ru-Jac Records. Label owner Rufus Mitchell gave a copy to Otis Redding and Redding invited Conley to re-record the song at Stax Studios in Memphis. Conley released a few singles on Redding's Jotis label that went nowhere. Redding closed Jotis and Conley signed with the newly established Fame label owned by Fame Studios owner Rick Hall and distributed by Atco. His first two singles stiffed but Redding came down to Muscle Shoals to help Conley with Sweet Soul Music. Redding & Conley based it on the Sam Cooke song Yeah Man. It's a joyous celebration of soul music with mentions of Lou Rawls, James Brown, Wilson Pickett, Sam & Dave and Redding. It was a massive worldwide hit and reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. You can get it and other Muscle Shoals hits on this Rhino comp. After Redding died, Conley did have some success working with producer Tom Dowd on the 1968 top 20 hit Funky Street. He left Atco in 1970 and after an ill fated stint with Phil Walden's Capricorn label, he moved to England and then Belgium and settled in The Netherlands in 1980. Then Conley legally changed his name to Lee Roberts and recorded on his own label until his death on Nov. 16, 2003 at age 57. Sweet Soul Music is one of my favourite songs and I even did it in karaoke a few years ago...and I hate karaoke. Here's Arthur Conley with Booker T & The MGs performing Sweet Soul Music on the 1967 Stax/Volt Europe Tour in Norway 1967.
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