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JANICE'S BLUES ALLEY PRESENTS

EDDIE FLOYD



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Eddie Floyd



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Soul singer/songwriter Eddie Floyd scored one of the defining hits of the Memphis soul sound with "Knock on Wood," a number one R&B smash that typified the STAX house style at its grittiest. Floyd was born in Montgomery, AL, in 1935, but grew up in Detroit, where his uncle Robert West owned a couple of record labels, including Lupine. In 1955, Floyd co-founded the seminal proto-soul group the Falcons, who eventually scored a major R&B hit with "You're So Fine" in 1959 (with Joe Stubbs, later of the Contours and 100 Proof Aged in Soul, as lead singer). After Stubbs' departure, Floyd spent a brief period as the Falcons' lead singer, until Wilson Pickett joined up. Now recording for West's Lupine imprint, the Falcons and Pickett cut their second undisputed classic, the gospel-inflected ballad "I Found a Love," in 1962. Pickett subsequently went solo, and the Falcons broke up in 1963.

Floyd recorded a few solo sides for Lupine, and moved to Washington, D.C., for a time to work with his DJ friend, Al Bell; the two founded a label and production company, Safice, co-writing songs and releasing Floyd's recordings. When Bell accepted a job as promotions director at STAX, Floyd followed him to Memphis, where he signed on with STAX as a staff writer and producer. He worked chiefly with Carla Thomas and William Bell at first, and often wrote in tandem with house guitarist Steve Cropper. In early 1966, their composition "634-5789 (Soulsville, USA)" became a number one R&B hit for Wilson Pickett; around the same time, Floyd released his first single for STAX, "Things Get Better," which failed to chart. That summer, Floyd cut "Knock on Wood," another song he'd written with Cropper; initially intended for Otis Redding, the tune wasn't big with STAX management because it was strongly based on the chord changes of Wilson Pickett's "In the Midnight Hour." However, distributor Atlantic smelled a hit, and released the song nationally; their instincts proved correct, as "Knock on Wood" became STAX's third number one R&B hit by the end of the year (strangely, it barely made the Top 30 on the pop charts). Floyd followed his instant soul classic with several more Top 40 R&B hits over the next four years, including "Raise Your Hand," "Love Is a Doggone Good Thing," "On a Saturday Night," "I've Never Found a Girl (To Love Me Like You Do)" (his second biggest hit), and a cover of Sam Cooke's "Bring It on Home to Me."

In spite of diminishing commercial returns, Floyd stayed with STAX as a performer and writer right up to the label's bankruptcy in 1975. He spent two years with the Southern soul/blues label Malaco, recording the album Experience in 1977; while it was regionally popular, the Southern soul sound had long since fallen out of commercial favor. A brief stint at Mercury failed to remake Floyd for the disco age, and after recording with British mod revivalists Secret Affair, he largely drifted away from the studio. Floyd attempted a comeback on Ichiban with 1988's Flashback album; the following year, he performed at President Bush's inaugural ball, and went on to tour with the Blues Brothers Band. In 1998, Floyd made a guest appearance in Blues Brothers 2000, and also performed "634-5789" with Pickett and Jonny Lang. Meanwhile, countless artists have covered "Knock on Wood," most prominently a disco version by Amii Stewart that topped the pop charts in 1979.

-- Steve Huey of All Music Guide.
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LINKSYEARTITLE
1967Knock On Wood
1968Looking Back
1968Never Found A Girl
1969Rare Stamps
1969You�ve Got To Have Eddie
1970California Girl
1971Down To Earth
1973Baby Lay Your Head Down
1974Soul Street
1977Experience
1979Eddie Floyd: Chronicle
1988Flashback
2002To The Bone


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1967 Knock On Wood

01. Knock On Wood
02. Something You Got
03. But It's Alright
04. I Stand Accused
05. If You Gotta Make A Fool Of Somebody
06. I Don't Want To Cry
07. Raise Your Hand
08. Got To Make A comeback
09. 634-5789
10. I've Just Been Feeling Bad
11. High-Heel Sneakers
12. Warm And Tender Love


1968 Looking Back

1968 Never Found A Girl

1969 Rare Stamps

01. Bring It On Home To Me
02. Never Give You Up
03. Girl I Love You
04. Hobo
05. I Need You Woman
06. I've Never Found A Girl
07. I'll Take Her
08. Slip Away
09. I'm Just The Kind Of Fool
10. Water
11. Sweet Things You Do
12. Knock On Wood
13. Raise Your Hand
14. Love Is A Doggone Good Thing
15. On A Saturday Night
16. Things Get Better
17. Big Bird
18. Got To Make A Comeback
19. I've Just Been Feeling Bad
20. This House
21. I've Got To Have Your Love
22. Consider Me
23. Never, Never Let You Go
24. Ain't That Good
25. Laurie



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1969 You've Got To Have Eddie

1970 California Girl

1971 Down To Earth

1973 Baby Lay Your Head Down

01. Something To Write Home About
02. We've Been Through Too Much Together
03. Whatcha Gonna Do With My Heart
04. I Wanna Do Things For You
05. Baby Lay Your Head Down
06. Highwayman
07. I Hear Footsteps (coming closer)
08. 'Til I Lost You
09. Check Me Out
10. Lay Your Loving On Me


1974 Soul Street

01. Soul Street
02. I Don't Want To Be With Nobody But My Baby
03. Stealing Love
04. I Am So Grateful
05. Don't You Know That It's Alright
06. Guess Who?
07. Stop, Look What You're Doing To Me
08. I Am So Glad I Met You
09. Your Love Is Amazin'
10. Stick With Me Baby




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1977 Experience

1979 Eddie Floyd: Chronicle

01. I've Never Found A Girl
02. Bring It On Home To Me
03. I've Got To Have Your Love
04. Don't Tell Your Mama
05. Why Is The Wine Sweeter
06. California Girl
07. My Girl
08. The Best Years Of My Life
09. Blood Is Thicker Than Water
10. Yum Yum Yum (I want some)
11. Check Me Out
12. Baby Lay Your Head Down
13. Soul Street





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1988 Flashback

01. Flashback
02. Love's Gonna Get To You
03. From Your Head To Your Toes
04. Soul Is Back Again
05. She Likes The Soaps
06. You Don't Say No
07. Pretty Girls
08. Gonna satisfy You
09. Daddy's Coming Home



2002 To The Bone

01. To The Bone
02. Show It To Me
03. Trouble In Our Home
04. Maintenance Man
05. Piece Of You
06. I Love
07. You Don't Say No
08. Nosey Neighbors
09. I Heard It Through The Walls
10. Double Your Pleasure


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