- Percy Sledge - vocals

- none known

Genre: soul

Rating: **** (4 stars)

Title:  Warm & Tender Soul

Company: Atlantic

Catalog: 8132

Year: 1966

Country/State: Leighton, Alabama

Grade (cover/record): VG/VG

Comments: mono pressing

Available: 2

GEMM Catalog ID: not listed yet

Price: $20.00

I'd love to be able to put my finger on it, but to my ears Percy Sledge has a unique soul sound that's completely different from any of his contemporaries. There's something about his slinky voice and the sense of desperation he injects into tracks like 'I'm Hanging Up My Heart for You' and 'That's How Strong My Love Is' that's irresistible.  

Reuniting with producers Quin Ivy and Marlin Greene, 1966's "Warm & Tender Soul" offered up a priceless mix of pop and soul hits.  While it lacked a mega hit like Sledge's debut album, the only real disappointments were a needless cover of Elvis Presley's 'Love Me Tender' and a half hearted cover of 'Try a Little Tenderness' (that simply can't stand up next to Otis Redding's version).  Propelled by material such as 'A Sweet Woman Like You', 'Warm and Tender Love' and 'So Much Love' the other eleven selections were classic soul. Elsewhere Atlantic pulled a couple of single from the LP:

- 1966's 'It Tears Me Up' b/w 'Heart of a Child' (Atlantic catalog number 45-2358 )

- 1966's 'Warm and Tender Love' b/w 'Sugar Puddin' (Atlantic catalog number 45-2343)

- 1967's 'Love Me Tender' b/w 'What Am I Living For' (Atlantic catalog number 45-2414)

"Warm & Tender Soul" track listing:
(side 1)

1.) It Tears Me Up   (Dan Penn - Linden Oldham) - 2:46

2.) I'm Hanging Up My Heart for You   (John Berry - Don Covay) - 2:35

3.) You've Really Got a Hold On Me   (William Robinson) - 2:50

4.) That's How Strong My Love Is   (Roosevelt Jamison) - 2:00

5.) A Sweet Woman Like You   (Joe Tex) - 2:30

6.) Love Me Tender   (Elvis Presley - Vera Matson) - 3:00

(side 2)

1.) Warm and Tender Love   (Bobby Robinson) - 3:17

2.) Try a Little Tenderness   (Harry Woods - Jimmy Campbell - Reg Connelly) - 2:42

3.) So Much Love   (Jerry Goffin - Carole King) - :55

4.) I Stand Accused   (Jerry Butler - William Bell) - 3:20

5.) Heart of a Child   (Marlin Greene - Bruce Gist) - 2:45

6.) Oh How Happy   (Edwin Starr) - 2:39

Genre: soul

Rating: **** (4 stars)

Title:  The Best of Percy Sledge

Company: Atlantic

Catalog: SD-8210

Year: 1969

Country/State: Leighton, Alabama

Grade (cover/record): VG/VG

Comments: minor ring, edge and corner wear

Available: 1

GEMM Catalog ID: not listed yet

Price: $10.00

1969's "The Best of Percy Sledge" may have been slightly premature (quite a few of the 12 selections weren't commercial hits), but stands as a "must own" soul compilation. While you can grumble about the track lineup, the set served an invaluable purpose in compiling Sledge's isolated radio hits, as well as some of his classic album tracks (among them his cover of Bobby Robinson's "Warm and Tender Love" and Chips Moman's "The Dark End of the Street"). In keeping with the technology of the times, "Warm and Tender Love" and several other tracks were presented in re-channeled stereo. A modest seller, the album reached #133. (Always loved the goofy cover photo of Sledge ...)

"The Best of Percy Sledge" track listing:
(side 1)

1.) When a Man Loves a Woman   (Cameron Lewis - Andrew Wright) - 2:51
2.) Out of Left Field   (Dan Penn - Spooner Oldham) - 3:28
3.) Take Time To Know Her   (Steve Davis - Al Gallico) - 3:02
4.) Warm and Tender Love   (Bobby Robinson) - 3:14
5.) Just Out of Reach (Of My Two Empty Arms)   (V.F. Stewart) - 3:31
6.) The Dark End of the Street   (Chips Moman - Dan Penn) - 2:45

(side 2)

1.) Cover Me   (Marlin Greene - Eddie Hinton) - 2:47
2.) Sudden Stop   (Bobby Russell) - 2:44
3.) Baby Help Me   (Bobby Womack) - 2:20
4.) It Tears Me Up   (Dan Penn - Spooner Oldham) - 2:47
5.) My Special Friend   (Joe Simon) - 3:03
6.) You're All Around Me   (Eddie Hinton - D. Fritts) - 3:06

Genre: soul

Rating: *** (3 stars)

Title:  I'll Be Your Everything

Company: Capricorn

Catalog: CP-0147

Year: 1974

Country/State: Leighton, Alabama

Grade (cover/record): VG/VG

Comments: promo sticker on cover

Available: 1

GEMM Catalog ID: not listed yet

Price: $15.00

1974's "I'll Be Your Everything" found Percy Sledge signed to Phil Walden's Capricorn Records.  Recorded in Muscle Shoals with former sidekick Quin Ivy in the production seat and backing from the cream of Muscle Shoals sessions players, the album marked a return to Sledge's musical roots.  While the collection didn't exactly top any of Sledge's mid-1960s masterpieces and his vocals occasionally came off as a little flat (''), the overarching results were seldom less than enjoyable. In fact the only real misstep was a needless cover of Kenny O'Dells' 'Behind Closed Doors'.  Unfortunately by the time this album was released public tastes had already begun to mutate towards more uptempo disco fair.  In hindsight it seems kind of strange, but on tracks like 'Walkin' In the Sun' and 'The Good Love' Sledge's country-soul sound simply sounded old school.  Clearly not a problem today since in hindsight this stands as a pretty impressive return to form.

Elsewhere, though neither did much commercially, Capricorn pulled a pair of singles from the album:

- 'I'll Be Your Everything' b/w 'Blue Water'  (Capricorn catalog number CPS-209)

- 1974's 'Behind Closed Doors' b/w 'If This Is the Last Time' (Capricorn catalog number CPN-220)

"I'll Be Your Everything" track listing:
(side 1)

1.) Walkin' In the Sun   (Jeff Barry) - 3:37

2.) Behind Closed Doors   (Kenny O'Dell) - 3:47

3.) Make It Good and Make It Last   (Pete Carr - Wilson Pickett) - 3:53

4.) The Good Love   (Wendy Waldman) - 4:34

5.) I Believe In You   (Phillip Mitchell) - 3:06

(side 2)

1.) I'll Be Your Everything   (George Soule) - 3:19

2.) If This Is the Last Time   (Dallas Frazier) - 3:22

3.) Hard To Be Friends   (Larry Murray) - 3:12

4.) Blue Water   (Mark James) - 4:06

5.) Love Among People   (Phillip Mitchell - Ernie Shelby) - 3:15