March 18, 1941 - January 19, 2006
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 of All Music Guide.
01. In The Midnight Hour 02. Teardrops Will Fall 03. Take A Little Love 04. For Better Or Worse 05. I Found A Love 06. That's A Man's Way |
07. I'm Gonna Cry 08. Don't Fight It 09. Take This Love I've Got 10. Come Home Baby 11. I'm Not Tired 12. Let's Kiss And Make Up |
01. Land Of 1000 Dances 02. Something You Got 03. 634-5789 (Soulsville U. S. A.) 04. Barefootin' 05. Mercy Mercy 06. You're So Fine |
07. In The Midnight Hour 08. Ninety=Nine and A Half (won't do) 09. Danger Zone 10. I'm Drifting 11. It's All Over 12. She's So Good To Me |
01. Jealous Love 02. Stagger Lee 03. That Kind Of Love 04. I'm In Love 05. Hello Sunshine |
06. Don't Cry No More 07. We've Got To Have Love 08. Bring It On Home To Me 09. She's Lookin' Good 10. I've Come A Long Way |
01. Save Me 02. Hey Jude 03. Back In Your Arms 04. Toe Hold 05. Night Owl 06. My Own Style Of Loving |
07. A Man And A Half 08. Sit Down And Talk This Over 09. Search Your Heart 10. Born To Be Wild 11. People Make The World |
01. Run Joey Run 02. Help The Needy 03. Come Right Here 04. Bumble Bee (sting me) 05. Don't Let The Green Grass Fool You 06. Get Me Back On Time Engine No. 9 (pts. 1 & 2) |
07. Days Go By 08. International Playboy 09. Ain't No Doubt About It 10. Don't Let The Green Grass Fool You(live) 11. Engine Number 9(live) 12. International Playboy(live) |
01. Take A Closer Look 02. Memphis 03. Soft Soul Boogie Woogie 04. Help Me Make It Through 05. Never My Love |
06. You Laid It On Me 07. Is Your Love Life Better 08. Two Women And A Wife 09. Why Don't You Make Up Your Mind 10. Take The Pollution Out |
01. Mr. Naguc Man 02. Only I Can Sing This Song 03. Love Is Beautiful 04. I Sho' Love You 05. Baby Man |
06. Sin Was The Blame 07. What It Is 08. If You Need Me 09. I Can't Let My True Love Slip 10. I keep Walking Straight Ahead |
01. In The Midnight Hour 02. I Found A Love 03. 634-5789 04. If You Need Me 05. Mustang Sally 06. Don't Fight It 07. Everybody Needs Somebody To Love 08. It's Too Late 09. Ninety Nine And A Half (won't do) 10. Funky Broadway 11. Soul Dance Number Three 12. Land Of 1000 Dances |
13. Don't Let The Green Grass Fool You 14. Sugar, Sugar 15. Get Me Back On Time Engine No. 9 16. I'm A Midnight Mover 17. A Man And A Half 18. Mama Told Me Not To Come 19. She's Looking Good 20. I'm In Love 21. Don't Knock My Love 22. Hey Jude 23. You Keep Me Hanging On 24. I found A True Love |
01. T S O P (the sound of Philadelphia) 02. Proud Mary 03. People Make The World 04. Sugar, Sugar 05. Don't Let The Green Grass Fool You 06. I'm In Love 07. In The Midnight Hour 08. Fire And Water 09. I Found A Love |
10. Never My Love 11. Glory Hallelujah 12. Mustang Sally 13. Land Of A Thousand Dances 14. Soft Soul Boogie Woogie 15. Mr. Magic Man 16. Don't Knock My Love 17. Goodnight My Love |
01. Iron It Out 02. Isn't That So 03. Take A Look 04. I Was Too Nice 05. Don't Pass Me By |
06. What Good Is A Lie 07. Young Boy Blues 08. Take Your Pleasure Where You Find It 09. You're The One |
01. Join Me & Let's Be Free 02. Let's Make Love Right 03. I've Got A Good Friend 04. Smokin' In The United Nations 05. Gone |
06. Good Things 07. Higher Consciousness 08. Bailin' Hay On A Rainy Day 09. Mighty Mouth |
01. I Want You 02. Love Of My Life 03. Shameless 04. Live With Me |
05. Groove City 06. Superstar 07. Granhy |
01. In The Midnight Hour 02. 634-5789 03. I Found A Love 04. Mustang Sally 05. Ninety Nine And A Half (won't do) 06. Everybody Needs Somebody To Love |
07. Do't Fight It 08. I'm A Midnight Mover 09. Funky Broadway 10. Soul Dance Number Three 11. I'm In Love 12. Land Of 1000 Dances |
01. A Thing Called Love 02. When Your Heart Speaks 03. Love Never Let Me Down 04. A Man Of Value 05. (I wanna) Make Love To You |
06. In The Midnight Hour(live) 07. Don't Turn Away 08. Just Let Her Know 09. Can't Stop Now |
01. I Found A Love (w/the Falcons) 02. Let Me Be Your Boy 03. If Youy Need Me 04. It's Too Late 05. I'm Gonna Cry (cry baby) 06. Come Home Baby 07. In The Midnight Hour 08. Don't Fight It 09. I'm Not Tired 10. That's A Man's Way 11. 634-5789 (Soulsville, USA) 12. Ninety Nine And a Half (won't do) 13. Land Of 1000 Dances |
14. Mustang Sally 15. Three Time Loser 16. Everybody Needs Somebody To Love 17. Soul Dance Number Three 18. You Can't Stand Alone 19. Funky Broadway 20. I'm In Love 21. Stagger Lee 22. Jealous Love 23. I've Come A Long Way 24. In The Midnight Hour (live & burnin') 25. I'm A Midnight Mover |
01. In The Midnight Hour 02. 634-5789 (Soulsville, USA) 03. Land Of 1000 Dances 04. Mustang Sally 05. Funky Broadway 06. I'm In Love 07. She's Lookin' Good 08. Hey Jude |
09. Sugar, Sugar 10. Engine Number 9 11. Don't Let The Green Grass fool You 12. Don't knock My Love 13. Fire And Water 14. I'm A Midnight Mover 15. I Found A Love 16. Everybody Needs Somebody To Love |
01. If You Need Me 02. I'm Gonna Love You 03. Baby Don't Weep 04. Peace Breaker 05. Down To My Last Heartbreak |
06. It's Too Late 07. Give Your Lovin' Right Now 08. Baby Call On Me 09. I'll Never Be The Same 10. I Can't Stop |
01. In The Midnight Hour 02. 634-5789 03. Hey Jude 04. Sugar, Sugar 05. Land Of 1000 Dances |
06. Mustang Sally 07. I'm A Midnight Mover 08. Stagger Lee 09. Don't Fight It 10. Funky Broadway |
01. Outskirts Of Town 02. Taxi Love 03. What's Under That Dress? 04. Stomp 05. Soul Survivor 06. It's Harder Now |
07. It Ain't Easy 08. Bad People 09. All About Sex 10. Better Him Than Me 11. Stone Crazy World |
01. Baby Don't Weep No More 02. Down To My Last Heartbreak 03. I Can't Stop 04. Baby Call On Me 05. If You Need Me |
06. Peace Breaker 07. R. B. Special 08. I'm Gonna Love You 09. I'll Never Be The Same |
01. Take Your Pleasure Where You Find It 02. Mr. Magic Man 03. Soft Soul Boogie Woogie 04. Mighty Mouth 05. What Good Is A Lie 06. I Was Too Nice 07. Take A Closer Look At The Woman You're With 08. Join Me And Let's Be Free 09. You're The One 10. I Keep Walking Straight Ahead |
11. If You Need Me 12. Higher Consciousness 13. Smokin' In The United Nations 14. Love Is Beauriful 15. Take A Look 16. Sin Was The Blame 17. Take The Pollution Out Of Your Throat 18. Is Your Love Life Better 19. Baby Man 20. I Can't Let My True Love Slip Away |
01. If You Need Me 02. I'm Down To My Last Heartbreak 03. Baby Don't You Weep 04. I'm Gonna Love You 05. Give Your Lovin' Right Now 06. R. B. Special (Robert's Monkey Beat) |
07. It's Too Late 08. Baby Call On Me 09. Peace Breaker 10. I Can't Stop 11. I'll Never Be The Same |
01. If You Need Me 02. I'm Gonna Love You 03. Baby Don't You Weep 04. Peace Breaker 05. I'm Down To My Last Heartbreak 06. Robert's Monkey Beat |
07. I Can't Stop 08. I'll Never Be The Same 09. Baby Call On Me 10. Give Your Lovin' Right Now 11. It's Too Late |