Today’s inaugural episode of my summer soul show “Johnny’s Cabin” was possibly my favorite radio show I’ve ever hosted. Really.
Classic soul, Motown, hits and b-sides from Stax, Atco/Atlantic, Motown (Tamla, Gordy), Hi, all the hottest labels from the glory days of sweltering summer soul music. Johnny’s cabin, in the film “Dirty Dancing” is where Baby goes (after being expressly forbidden by her father Jerry Orbach) and Johnny plays Otis Redding and Solomon Burke and they become more than dance partners. Today, I tried to give an overview of that feeling and hit some of the highlights of the genre.
Here’s what y’all heard:
“These Arms of Mine” by Otis Redding (Single, 1962, Stax/Volt)
“I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)” by Aretha Franklin (Single, 1967, Atlantic)
“Ooh Baby Baby” by Smokey Robinson and The Miracles (Going to a Go-Go, 1965, Tamla)
“Everybody Needs Somebody to Love” by Solomon Burke (Single, 1964, Atlantic)
“I Heard it Through the Grapevine” by Marvin Gaye (In the Groove, 1968, Tamla)
“I Got a Woman” by Ray Charles (Ray Charles, 1957, Atlantic)
“Love Man” by Otis Redding (Love Man, 1969, Atco)
“I Can’t Get Next to You” by The Temptations (Puzzle People, 1969, Gordy)
“Never, Never Gonna Give You Up” by Barry White (Stone Gon’, 1973, 20th Century)
“L-O-V-E” by Al Green (Al Green is Love, 1975, Hi Records)
“The Love You Save (May Be Your Own)” by Joe Tex (The Love You Save, 1966, Dial/Atlantic)
“Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me” by Gladys Knight and the Pips (Imagination, 1973, Buddah)
“Good Love, Bad Love” by Eddie Floyd (Single (b-side of “Things Get Better”), 1966, Stax)
“That’s Where It’s At” by Sam Cooke (Single, 1964, RCA)
“Drown In My Own Tears” by Ray Charles (Single, 1958, Atlantic)
“Spanish Harlem” by Ben E. King (Spanish Harlem, 1961, Atco)
“Got to Give it Up” by Marvin Gaye (Single, 1976, Tamla)
“Soul Man” by Sam and Dave (Soul Men, 1967, Stax/Atlantic)
“Shotgun” by Jr. Walter and the All Stars (Single, 1965, Soul Records/Motown)
“Tighten Up” by Archie Bell and the Drells (Tighten Up, 1968, Atlantic)
“Another Saturday Night” by Sam Cooke (Ain’t That Good News, 1964, RCA Victor)
“You and Me” by Penny and The Quarters (Eccentric Soul, 2010, Numero Group)
“I’m Gonna Make You Love Me” by Diana Ross and The Supremes with The Temptations (Diana Ross & The Supremes Join The Temptations, 1968, Motown)
“(Night Time Is) The Right Time” by Ray Charles (The Genius Sings the Blues, 1961, Atlantic)
“Nowhere to Run” by Martha Reeves and the Vandellas (Dance Party, 1965, Gordy)
“Soul Finger” by The Bar-Kays (Single, 1967, Stax/Volt)
“Do Right Woman, Do Right Man” by Aretha Franklin (Single (b-side of “I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You”), 1967, Atlantic)
“Ain’t No Sunshine” by Bill Withers (Just As I Am, 1971, Sussex)
“Cry to Me” by Solomon Burke (Single, 1962, Atlantic)
“Please Please Please” by James Brown (Single, 1956, Federal)
No show next week on July 2, but I’ll be around the rest of the summer and I’m planning some spotlights on the different labels, producers, writers and more!