Monday, June 09, 2008

Soulstarter



I think you're gonna like this.

Elvis Costello's cover and the medium hit he had with it as a single in the UK may mean it isn't the most obscure song I've ever posted, but Teacher's Edition? This is an act so sadly lost to time that I could find no biographical info, discography or even picture of them on the interwebby; all I know is that, like Al Green, they recorded for Ray Harris's Memphis-based Hi Records and a few of their songs have made minor label soul comps over the years. [I have them on this - thanks to my good friend Dr.Al].

I'd assume that's the Hi house band adding their distinctive sound - so if you love Al Green, and why the heck wouldn't you, you're in for a treat here. Those sweet harmonies....

The sun's shining...throw open those windows baby.

Teacher's Edition - 'I Wanna Be Loved' (1973)

19 comments:

  1. Well, that's amazing - all these years I thought it was an original Declan McManus composition.

    Went to see Al Green last year at the Albert Hall, but had to walk out half way through when it turned into a schmaltz fest and he was mugging with that great voice of his.

    Phil

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  2. Yikes. Sorry to hear that about the Reverend.

    Costello? Ah, I loved his soul/pop/country music magpie years...

    Thanks for popping in, by the way.

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  3. I had a vague recollection that it was a cover. I'll listen when I get home.

    However, some serious google bashing doesn't point me in the direction of anything about it or the band themselves. Rather strange, it's just dropped off the face of the planet. You'd think there might be a costello sight that references it, but no. I'll see if I can come up with some more later.


    Meanwhile: Percy Sledge Any Day Now. I didn't know he'd recorded this. I've Elvis doing this on the Memphis album, along with True Love Travels On A Gravel Road, which Percy also did. I've not got it, as you might assume from that. I do have a version by Chuck Jackson though, which isn't bad at all. I'll upload that if I can find it.

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  4. Hmm. There are references to it, but no more detail than you've given. Amazing. The amount of hugely obscure things out there and this almost doesn't exist.

    You could almost be forgiven for thinking you'd recorded this yourself in an attempt to be most obscure blog....heh...

    "what, you mean you didn't know Costello covered it? Obscure, early 70s, Al Green, Hi, Willie Mitchell, soul tourettes blah"

    you just know I'm itching to hear it!

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  5. I tell you what, if I'd recorded it myself I'd be a bloody genius and you wouldn't see me hanging round here for dust. It's GORGEOUS.

    As for 'Any Day Now' - it's a Bacharach & David tune. I have Chuck Jackson's versh too but Percy's is very special, and I have fond memories of it.

    I know I can get it on this, but I have a lot of those songs already -and maddeningly the track's not on iTunes.

    This is my copy - which is an MP3 of a gone-wonky, bad-to-start-with taping of a knackered LP from the exciting record library of Hospital Radio Nine, St.George's Hospital, Tooting circa 1991.

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  6. Well, Teachers Edition is a bit of a winner around here. Windows thrown open and all!

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  7. Top stuff, David. As a casual Elvis Costello listener (you know, the sort that just buys the 'Best of..') I never gave it any thought but I think it's fair to say I assumed it was one of his. Come to think of it I didn't know 'I Can't Stand Up For Falling Down' was a cover either.

    This is just lovely...

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  8. I was sure you'd both like it, old soul hounds that you are. My friend Dr Al is the world's biggest EC fan, and it's only because he bought that 'originals' album that I've heard this.

    It's on this too, which looks a bit tasty, eh?

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  9. I've got to get me one of those. Already added it to my wish list.

    Incidentally, I bought one of those 'After Hours' northern soul CDs after a hearing some songs on Simon's blog and it turned out to be my first faulty CD in 20 years. All sorted now and highly recommended.

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  10. Lol, sorry to hear about the faultiness of the cd thingy. It probably danced itself into it!

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  11. awesome fucking welles - what a glorious find. well done you. i'm off to play it again and then dig out my elvis records cos any day now is one of his fabbest. but i'm damn sure i'm on the look out for percy too (i like the wonky version). i've got luther vandross not really doing it justice, sam cooke being a bit too show offyas is aaron neville. carla thomas does it mighty fine .
    thanks for this you clever thing
    x

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  12. Oh I say! What a find.

    We ALL wanna be loved .. don't we?

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  13. Apparently the percy tune is available from the US iTunes.

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  14. And...I've found a page with radio interviews with various soul acts in mp3 form.

    http://www.sittinginthepark.com/interviews.html

    Scroll down a way on the page and find...Teachers Edition........

    I'll be giving some of those a listen later when I get home...

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  15. And finally:

    http://acidted.blogspot.com/2008/06/live-sunday-young-marble-giants-1980.html

    worth a look I suspect...

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  16. Good digging Simon, thanks - I'm rushing off to see Lloyd Cole in Camden tonight but I'll investigate properly tomorrow.

    Damn but Dick's right and that Miss Ally gives out nuff love for us all don't she? Carla Thomas eh? (he asks, intrigued...hint hint).

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  17. http://jinkzmusings.blogspot.com/2008/04/carla-thomas-queen-alone-1967.html


    For an album featuring Carla doing any day now....I've got some listening to do tonight!

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  18. Wow! Great digging - and Simon found some gold with the archived radio interview.

    I have scanned the Hi singles discog from time to time (I'm a sucker for lists) and Teacher's Edition never registered before. I see they had 2 singles and this one immediately followed Al Green's "Here I Am" and Ann Peebles "I Can't Stand The Rain". Amazing how some records score and some sink without trace. I guess Hi had limited budget for promotion and distribution. This one is underservedly rare!

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  19. Well, I have to say, somewhat sheepishly, I never even considered that the interviews with soul groups would feature records being played too!!!

    Duuh!!!

    I really did strike gold with this one!!!

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