Sony/ATV’s "Musical Notes" #44 - Joe Tex
Oct 09, 2009
A fortnightly newsletter highlighting some of the many classic songs in the Sony/ATV Music Publishing catalog.
From Alan Warner, Creative Consultant
**********
The Soulful Songs of JOE TEX
JOE TEX (1933-1982) was a Texas-born R&B singer who notched up 12 Top Ten R&B hits, 4 of which reached #1. He wrote all his key songs and first broke thru with HOLD WHAT YOU’VE GOT – a record on which he not only sings but also delivers a monologue rap.
Joe originally recorded for the Cincinnati-based King label and then Ace Records of Jackson, Mississippi. But his career really took off when he hooked up in Nashville with publisher/producer Buddy Killen who started Dial Records specifically to house Joe’s product. In 1964, Buddy took Joe to Muscle Shoals, Alabama, where they cut HOLD WHAT YOU’VE GOT. The alphabetical list below leads you thru his best-remembered songs including the humorous SKINNY LEGS AND ALL and his final success, the disco-driven AIN’T GONNA BUMP NO MORE (WITH NO BIG FAT WOMAN).
BABY YOU’RE RIGHT is archetypal James Brown and Joe’s funky roots are also well to the fore on both MEN ARE GETTIN’ SCARCE and YOU SAID A BAD WORD.
Check out also THE ONLY GIRL (I’VE EVER LOVED) which Tony Rounce (co-creator & co-compiler of Ace’s Mojo magazine-awarded “Take Me To The River” 3-CD set) insightfully singles out as ‘maybe the first truly Southern Soul record’.
All the following are Joe Tex solo compositions unless otherwise noted and the Dial masters are controlled and administered by Sony/ATV Music in Nashville:
AIN’T GONNA BUMP NO MORE (WITH NO BIG FAT WOMAN)
By Joe Tex (Epic/Sony: 1976) US #7 R&B, #12 Pop, UK #2
BABY YOU’RE RIGHT (Tex/Brown)
By James Brown & The Famous Flames (King/Universal: 1961) US #2 R&B, #49 Pop
Other versions incl: Joe Tex (US Ace)
BUYING A BOOK
By Joe Tex (Dial: 1969) US #10 R&B, #47 Pop
Other versions incl: Sleepy LaBeef (Sun)
GIVE THE BABY ANYTHING THE BABY WANTS
By Joe Tex (Dial: 1971) US #20 R&B, #102 Pop
HOLD WHAT YOU’VE GOT
By Joe Tex (Dial: 1965) US #2 R&B, #5 Pop
By Diana Trask (Dot/Universal: 1968) US #59 Country
By Sonny James (Monument/Sony: 1979) US #36 Country
Other versions incl: Carly Simon (Arista/Sony), Shirley Johnson (Blue Chicago), Barbara Jones (Charly), Solomon Burke (Rounder)
I BELIEVE I’M GONNA MAKE IT
By Joe Tex (Dial: 1966) US #8 R&B, #67 Pop
I GOTCHA
By Joe Tex (Dial: 1972) US #1 R&B, #2 Pop
Other versions incl: Jimmy Barnes (Mushroom), Liza Minnelli (Columbia/Sony), Salt-N-Pepa (Next Plateau/Island Def Jam)
I WANT TO (DO EVERYTHING FOR YOU)
By Joe Tex (Dial: 1965) US #1 R&B, #23 Pop
Other versions incl: Nazareth (A&M/Universal), Kenny Vance & The Planotones (32 Jazz), King Cotton & The Swamp Coolers (Hightone), The Persuasions (Bullseye Blues), Marcia Ball + Irma Thomas & Tracy Nelson (Rounder), Chris Farlowe (Intuition), Diana Trask (Dot/Universal), Toni Price (Antone’s)
I’VE GOT TO DO A LITTLE BETTER
By Joe Tex (Dial: 1966) US #20 R&B, #64 Pop
Other versions incl: Diana Trask (Dot/Universal)
KEEP THE ONE YOU GOT
By Joe Tex (Dial: 1968) US #13 R&B, #52 Pop
LOOK AT THEM BEANS
By Johnny Cash (Columbia/Sony: 1975) US #17 Country
THE LOVE YOU SAVE (MAY BE YOUR OWN)
By Joe Tex (Dial: 1966) US #2 R&B, #56 Pop
Other versions incl: Etta James (Private/BMG/Sony), Alexis Korner (Universal), Katie Webster (Alligator), Stone Country (Rev-ola)
MEN ARE GETTIN’ SCARCE
By Joe Tex (Dial: 1968) US #7 R&B, #33 Pop
ONE MONKEY DON’T STOP NO SHOW
By Joe Tex (Dial: 1965) US #20 R&B, #65 Pop
Other versions incl: The Animals (UK Decca/Abkco), Terry Knight & The Pack (Cameo/Abkco)
THE ONLY GIRL (I’VE EVER LOVED)
By Joe Tex (Dial: 1961)
PAPA WAS TOO
By Joe Tex (Dial: 1967) US #15 R&B, #44 Pop
SHOW ME
By Joe Tex (Dial: 1967) US #24 R&B, #35 Pop
By Barbara Mandrell (Columbia/Sony: 1972) US #11 Country
Other versions incl: The Commitments (MCA/Universal), Willie Bobo (Verve/Universal), Lulu (Epic/Sony), Jimmy Barnes (Mushroom), The Foundations (UK Pye/Universal), Eddie & The Hot Rods (Captain Oi!), Donny & Marie Osmond (Polydor/Universal)
SKINNY LEGS AND ALL
By Joe Tex (Dial: 1967) US #2 R&B, #10 Pop
Other versions incl: Tony Joe White (Warner Bros/WMG)
A SWEET WOMAN LIKE YOU
By Joe Tex (Dial: 1965) US #1 R&B, #29 Pop (in ’66)
Other versions incl: Percy Sledge (Atlantic/WMG)
S.Y.S.L.J.F.M. (THE LETTER SONG)
By Joe Tex (Dial: 1966) US #9 R&B, #39 Pop
Other versions incl: The Q-Tips Feat.Paul Young (Chrysalis/EMI)
A WOMAN CAN CHANGE A MAN
By Joe Tex (Dial: 1965) US #12 R&B, #56 Pop
Other versions incl: Diana Trask (Dot/Universal)
YOU BETTER GET IT
By Joe Tex (Dial: 1965) US #15 R&B, #46 Pop
YOU GOT WHAT IT TAKES
By Joe Tex (Dial: 1965) US #10 R&B, #51 Pop
Other versions incl: Marti Jones (Sugar Hill)
YOU SAID A BAD WORD
By Joe Tex (Dial: 1972) US #12 R&B, #41 Pop
For more details on the Dial masters, please contact
Jack Jackson [Jack.Jackson@sonyatv.com]
**********
BLUEGRASS CORNER…
The continued success of Steve Martin’s album “The Crow: New Songs For The Five-String Banjo” (it’s still #1 on Billboard’s Bluegrass Album chart) has focused new attention on the genre.
Here are half a dozen recommended Sony/ATV Bluegrass songs:
A TINY BROKEN HEART (Louvin/Louvin/Hill)
By Alison Krauss & Union Station (Rounder)
And by Dan Tyminski (Rounder)
FIRST STEP TO HEAVEN (Gordy/Rushing)
By Rhonda Vincent & The Sally Mountain Show (Rebel)
LOW AND LONELY (Rose)
By The Louvin Brothers (Capitol)
GOOD OLD MOUNTAIN DEW (Lunsford/Wiseman)
By The Stanley Brothers (King)
I SAW THE LIGHT (Williams)
By Bill Monroe & His Blue Grass Boys (Decca)
LIFE’S TOO LONG (TO LIVE LIKE THIS) (Cook/Wilson/Jarvis)
By Ricky Skaggs (Epic)
Click here for Associated Playlist
**********
US chart positions courtesy of Joel Whitburn & Billboard Magazine
**********
8/09
Oct 09, 2009
A fortnightly newsletter highlighting some of the many classic songs in the Sony/ATV Music Publishing catalog.
From Alan Warner, Creative Consultant
**********
The Soulful Songs of JOE TEX
JOE TEX (1933-1982) was a Texas-born R&B singer who notched up 12 Top Ten R&B hits, 4 of which reached #1. He wrote all his key songs and first broke thru with HOLD WHAT YOU’VE GOT – a record on which he not only sings but also delivers a monologue rap.
Joe originally recorded for the Cincinnati-based King label and then Ace Records of Jackson, Mississippi. But his career really took off when he hooked up in Nashville with publisher/producer Buddy Killen who started Dial Records specifically to house Joe’s product. In 1964, Buddy took Joe to Muscle Shoals, Alabama, where they cut HOLD WHAT YOU’VE GOT. The alphabetical list below leads you thru his best-remembered songs including the humorous SKINNY LEGS AND ALL and his final success, the disco-driven AIN’T GONNA BUMP NO MORE (WITH NO BIG FAT WOMAN).
BABY YOU’RE RIGHT is archetypal James Brown and Joe’s funky roots are also well to the fore on both MEN ARE GETTIN’ SCARCE and YOU SAID A BAD WORD.
Check out also THE ONLY GIRL (I’VE EVER LOVED) which Tony Rounce (co-creator & co-compiler of Ace’s Mojo magazine-awarded “Take Me To The River” 3-CD set) insightfully singles out as ‘maybe the first truly Southern Soul record’.
All the following are Joe Tex solo compositions unless otherwise noted and the Dial masters are controlled and administered by Sony/ATV Music in Nashville:
AIN’T GONNA BUMP NO MORE (WITH NO BIG FAT WOMAN)
By Joe Tex (Epic/Sony: 1976) US #7 R&B, #12 Pop, UK #2
BABY YOU’RE RIGHT (Tex/Brown)
By James Brown & The Famous Flames (King/Universal: 1961) US #2 R&B, #49 Pop
Other versions incl: Joe Tex (US Ace)
BUYING A BOOK
By Joe Tex (Dial: 1969) US #10 R&B, #47 Pop
Other versions incl: Sleepy LaBeef (Sun)
GIVE THE BABY ANYTHING THE BABY WANTS
By Joe Tex (Dial: 1971) US #20 R&B, #102 Pop
HOLD WHAT YOU’VE GOT
By Joe Tex (Dial: 1965) US #2 R&B, #5 Pop
By Diana Trask (Dot/Universal: 1968) US #59 Country
By Sonny James (Monument/Sony: 1979) US #36 Country
Other versions incl: Carly Simon (Arista/Sony), Shirley Johnson (Blue Chicago), Barbara Jones (Charly), Solomon Burke (Rounder)
I BELIEVE I’M GONNA MAKE IT
By Joe Tex (Dial: 1966) US #8 R&B, #67 Pop
I GOTCHA
By Joe Tex (Dial: 1972) US #1 R&B, #2 Pop
Other versions incl: Jimmy Barnes (Mushroom), Liza Minnelli (Columbia/Sony), Salt-N-Pepa (Next Plateau/Island Def Jam)
I WANT TO (DO EVERYTHING FOR YOU)
By Joe Tex (Dial: 1965) US #1 R&B, #23 Pop
Other versions incl: Nazareth (A&M/Universal), Kenny Vance & The Planotones (32 Jazz), King Cotton & The Swamp Coolers (Hightone), The Persuasions (Bullseye Blues), Marcia Ball + Irma Thomas & Tracy Nelson (Rounder), Chris Farlowe (Intuition), Diana Trask (Dot/Universal), Toni Price (Antone’s)
I’VE GOT TO DO A LITTLE BETTER
By Joe Tex (Dial: 1966) US #20 R&B, #64 Pop
Other versions incl: Diana Trask (Dot/Universal)
KEEP THE ONE YOU GOT
By Joe Tex (Dial: 1968) US #13 R&B, #52 Pop
LOOK AT THEM BEANS
By Johnny Cash (Columbia/Sony: 1975) US #17 Country
THE LOVE YOU SAVE (MAY BE YOUR OWN)
By Joe Tex (Dial: 1966) US #2 R&B, #56 Pop
Other versions incl: Etta James (Private/BMG/Sony), Alexis Korner (Universal), Katie Webster (Alligator), Stone Country (Rev-ola)
MEN ARE GETTIN’ SCARCE
By Joe Tex (Dial: 1968) US #7 R&B, #33 Pop
ONE MONKEY DON’T STOP NO SHOW
By Joe Tex (Dial: 1965) US #20 R&B, #65 Pop
Other versions incl: The Animals (UK Decca/Abkco), Terry Knight & The Pack (Cameo/Abkco)
THE ONLY GIRL (I’VE EVER LOVED)
By Joe Tex (Dial: 1961)
PAPA WAS TOO
By Joe Tex (Dial: 1967) US #15 R&B, #44 Pop
SHOW ME
By Joe Tex (Dial: 1967) US #24 R&B, #35 Pop
By Barbara Mandrell (Columbia/Sony: 1972) US #11 Country
Other versions incl: The Commitments (MCA/Universal), Willie Bobo (Verve/Universal), Lulu (Epic/Sony), Jimmy Barnes (Mushroom), The Foundations (UK Pye/Universal), Eddie & The Hot Rods (Captain Oi!), Donny & Marie Osmond (Polydor/Universal)
SKINNY LEGS AND ALL
By Joe Tex (Dial: 1967) US #2 R&B, #10 Pop
Other versions incl: Tony Joe White (Warner Bros/WMG)
A SWEET WOMAN LIKE YOU
By Joe Tex (Dial: 1965) US #1 R&B, #29 Pop (in ’66)
Other versions incl: Percy Sledge (Atlantic/WMG)
S.Y.S.L.J.F.M. (THE LETTER SONG)
By Joe Tex (Dial: 1966) US #9 R&B, #39 Pop
Other versions incl: The Q-Tips Feat.Paul Young (Chrysalis/EMI)
A WOMAN CAN CHANGE A MAN
By Joe Tex (Dial: 1965) US #12 R&B, #56 Pop
Other versions incl: Diana Trask (Dot/Universal)
YOU BETTER GET IT
By Joe Tex (Dial: 1965) US #15 R&B, #46 Pop
YOU GOT WHAT IT TAKES
By Joe Tex (Dial: 1965) US #10 R&B, #51 Pop
Other versions incl: Marti Jones (Sugar Hill)
YOU SAID A BAD WORD
By Joe Tex (Dial: 1972) US #12 R&B, #41 Pop
For more details on the Dial masters, please contact
Jack Jackson [Jack.Jackson@sonyatv.com]
**********
BLUEGRASS CORNER…
The continued success of Steve Martin’s album “The Crow: New Songs For The Five-String Banjo” (it’s still #1 on Billboard’s Bluegrass Album chart) has focused new attention on the genre.
Here are half a dozen recommended Sony/ATV Bluegrass songs:
A TINY BROKEN HEART (Louvin/Louvin/Hill)
By Alison Krauss & Union Station (Rounder)
And by Dan Tyminski (Rounder)
FIRST STEP TO HEAVEN (Gordy/Rushing)
By Rhonda Vincent & The Sally Mountain Show (Rebel)
LOW AND LONELY (Rose)
By The Louvin Brothers (Capitol)
GOOD OLD MOUNTAIN DEW (Lunsford/Wiseman)
By The Stanley Brothers (King)
I SAW THE LIGHT (Williams)
By Bill Monroe & His Blue Grass Boys (Decca)
LIFE’S TOO LONG (TO LIVE LIKE THIS) (Cook/Wilson/Jarvis)
By Ricky Skaggs (Epic)
Click here for Associated Playlist
**********
US chart positions courtesy of Joel Whitburn & Billboard Magazine
**********
8/09
