Solomon Burke - The King Of Rock & Soul (1967) Atlantic Special - Rare Soul (FLAC 216MB)

This man is a true SOUL LEGEND  no argument....Philadelphia native Solomon Burke born 1940 passed 2010 had a difficult start to life in the tough Black Bottom area of the city, with his father having deserted the household by the time of his arrival. Burke’s mother Josephine Moore worked both as a nurse and a teacher, but she also combined this workload preaching as a pastor, meaning Solomon was born into a deeply religious household. The matriarch of the family was his grandmother, who had a  dream/premonition about Solomon twelve years before he was even born. Acting on this reverie, she founded Solomon’s Temple in preparation for his birth. When the child did finally arrive she quickly set about instilling her religious faith into the youngster. This resulted in him preaching at a very early age and he was involved in community work through Solomon’s Temple for a large part of his life. These early endeavours in front of audiences would stand him in good stead as the years passed. Granny Moore was also Solomon’s initial musical influence. She taught him to sing in a variety of different styles by helping him copy the voices he heard on the radio. During the early years of his singing career the music and religious sides of his life would sometimes seem at odds and cause him a deal of anxiety, with Solomon wondering if he had taken the wrong path. For now though he began to show both a natural singing and performing talent. When Solomon was nine his mother married Rabbi Vincent Burke and the youngster’s name was changed to Solomon Vincent MacDonald Burke. Being the older brother to six siblings, Solomon helped support the family with a variety of different jobs and schemes. This gave him a strong business ethic for making a fast buck, something that later on would occasionally managed to rub fellow performers up the wrong way. Now though, the money that he raised would keep the wolf from the door, while Burke developed his singing skills in a group called the Gospel Cavaliers. By the time they split, young Solomon was already a coveted talent, with many record record companies looking to pounce. In the end he signed with Apollo in 1955, issuing his first record Christmas Presents perhaps a little unwisely on Christmas Eve of the same year. Unfortunately this wasn’t a case of instant success, as his mainly gospel based material struggled to make headway. Between 1955 and the end of the decade Burke almost gave up on his dreams. Problems with his manager Kae Williams over unpaid royalties meant he was effectively prevented from working in music. Because of this he enrolled in college in order to study for a new career. In 1959 he had the chance to put his past behind him when offered a contract by the Singular record company. The session he undertook for the label in the winter of 1959 only saw release later, but brought him to the attention of larger concerns. Burke signed to Atlantic Records in 1960 at what was an opportune time for both him and the label. Atlantic had recently lost some of their big names in blues so needed someone to bolster their roster and their big-time set up would be able to push Solomon to new heights. His mix of natural talent and charisma would work wonders, bringing many years of solid success for Atlantic in the r&b and the US pop charts. Apart from his solo recordings Solomon also found time to issue a single as part of the Soul Clan, a glittering array of talent that also featured Joe Tex, Arthur Conley, Ben E. King and Don Covay. Solomon Burke’s star dipped in the 1970s, but he made a well-received good comeback in the early part of the 21st century with the Don’t Give Up on Me album on Fat Possum, which won a Grammy. By this time his health was a major concern. He struggled with his weight from his youth and by 2008 he was wheelchair-bound. He died two years later on 10th October 2010.The King Of Rock ‘N’ Soul shows Solomon Burke at the very peak of his powers. His backing band on these records was often stuffed with legends like saxophonist King Curtis and Bobby Womack, ensuring a vivid landscape for his soulful and perfectly judged vocal performances. The songs he was furnished with were first-rate, plus he himself was no mean tunesmith too.With 36 studio albums (yes i have them all-essential for a lunatic like me) 7 140 45,s he certainly left his mark on the world..again A TRUE SOUL LEGEND!

AMM

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