Cliff Nobles & Co. - The Horse (1968) Phil L.A. Of Soul/CBS Digital Promo (2018) - Rare Soul (FLAC 219MB)

One of the most iconic soul albums to ever be released in the 1960,s...Clifford James Nobles was born in 1941 and passed in 2008. He  was born in Grove Hill, Alabama, but grew up in Mobile, Alabama. He began singing in high school as a member of a local group, The Delroys. He moved to Philadelphia and recorded three singles for Atlantic Records, none of which charted. While living in a commune in Norristown, Pennsylvania, he formed a group, Cliff Nobles & Co., with bassist Benny Williams, guitarist Bobby Tucker, and drummer Robert Marshall. They recorded demos and, with the help of songwriter/record producer Jesse James, landed a recording contract with Phil-L.A. of Soul Records. Their second release for the record label was the single "Love Is All Right" b/w "The Horse", which featured the horn section from what would later be known as MFSB. "The Horse" was simply an instrumental version of the A-side, and Nobles, who was the lead singer, does not actually play on the track at all. Nevertheless, it caught fire at radio stations and became a hit, peaking at number 2 for three weeks on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1968, as well as number 2 on the R&B Singles chart. It was also a huge hit in the UK & most of Europe with Discoteques playing it for weeks on end. It was held out of the number 1 spot by Herb Alpert's "This Guy's In Love With You". "The Horse" sold a million copies in the USA alone & within three months of release, with the gold disc award from the R.I.A.A. made in August 1968. Nobles' record label continued releasing instrumental singles on which Nobles himself did not play a note, though a later single on which Nobles sang narrowly missed the R&B Top 40. An album credited to Cliff Nobles & Co., entitled The Horse, was released consisting mostly of instrumentals, and hit number 159 on the Billboard Hot 200 album chart. Most of the rtracks from this album are huge faves on the UK Northern Scene even today with 45,s & acetates still demanding crazy prices....After his music career, Nobles worked in construction and later in the electricity generation industry. Cliffe spent the remainder of his life in Norristown where he raised a family till he passed away there. Most old soul heads will know "The Horse" from their youth and it still evokes fond memories for me as does his other tracks. Interesting to note that Legend Jesse James wrote all the tracks bar 2. I Still have the LP but in a sad old state now.

AMM 

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