Al Wilson

Fifty-Fifty

Today's song Fifty-Fifty is taken from the Al Wilson album La La Peace Song, written and produced by Jerry Fuller. Other tracks are produced by Stax Guitarist Steve Cropper and Motown's Johnny Bristol. HB Barnum is arranging this song, what do you think?

The popular Modern Soul track on this set is Going Through The Motions, the title sounds like it was written for a water treatment plant workers. Purists laugh when Al Wilson's Snake is mentioned (a played-out Northern Soul classic) but actually if those people take time to listen to the lyric it's actually a very good song. Anyway were straying off the plot! this album is from 1974 and is one of many fine albums on Rockey Road Records (RRR) if you see any pick them up you won't be disappointed.

Born 19 June 1939, Meridian, Mississippi, USA. Wilson was a former member of the Jewels, and also the Rollers, a San Bernardino-based quartet who scored a hit in 1961 with The Continental Walk. He was later signed as a solo act to Soul City, a short-lived label owned by singer Johnny Rivers. Do What You Gotta Do and The Snake reached the R&B chart in 1968, but it was not until the mid-70s that Al achieved a more consistent success.

Show And Tell (1973) was a US number 1 single while I've Got A Feeling (We'll Be Seeing Each Other Again) reached number 3 in the R&B lists. Wilson's later releases were less fortunate and his last chart appearance was in 1979 with Count The Days.