Johnnie has to be one of the best soul singers to have ever lived. He sang some classic songs.

I used to play the hell outta this one:



I still appreciate his music to some degree, but I also feel a bit like he was a poor man's Al Green/Marvin Gaye.

Cool song from the 1976 'Eargasm' album I have the remastered CD with the bonus tracks.

anc282 said:

I wouldn't say that. To me, he was a better singer than Al Green..especially in singing in their "normal" register. The major point that set Al and Marvin apart from Johnnie is that Johnnie was not a songwriter.

I'm from Dallas (his hometown) and Johnnie is highly regarded. Especially his real early material with Stax and his Malaco stuff. We hear "Everything's Out In The Open" and "Last Two Dollars" on a regular basis in Juke Joints and on the oldies station.

Johnnie used to say that he was a SINGER and that was it. He used to say that he was a Singer's Singer in that he could sing damn-near any type of song and make it his own.

"Just Because" from his Wall To Wall cd is straight up a country song and he sang the hell out of that song.


[Edited 4/2/09 5:31am]
[Edited 4/2/09 5:33am]

Yeah but when I first heard "Your Love Is Rated X," I couldn't work out if it was Al or Marvin.

Obviously I soon discovered that it was neither one of those guys, but that's immediately where my mind went when I first heard the song.


Also, I believe Marvin had a song called "The World is Rated X," Johnnie's song was similarily titled. Hence, my observations....but yeah, he was cool.

I have one of his Best Of compilations and every single cut is excellent.

Cats like Bernie Worrell and Bootsy Collins played on his stuff....but you probably already knew that.

This was a bad jam from the Eargasm LP.

anc282 said:

I know they played on his Stax stuff.

Are you familiar with his Malaco catalog?

I bought one of his '80s albums some time last year, which, I think was released on that label. I'd have to have a look though I'm not real sure.

anc282 said:

I highly recommend:
Wall To Wall
Good Love
This Is Your Night

All 3 are excellent from start to finish.

"Slide On" always gets people up and moving.

I've got that best of album by the way.

daPrettyman said:

all you ladies,do it like Lucy
get on down and pop that coochie

my dad has this CD.He loves that song.

SoulAlive said:

I guess I'm old like ur dad. I love this album. I play the hell out of "TOo Many Memories", "Last 2 Dollars" and this song.

The '80s album of his that I have is called "Lover Boy."

Yeah, it was released on Malaco.

anc282 said:

I need to get that one. Is it pretty good?

anc282 said:

Yeah, Marvin has a song called "The World is Rated X" (which was about world problems, lol). "Your Love is Rated X" by JT, well, we know what he was talking about on there.

daPrettyman said:[quote]

anc282 said:

I need to get that one. Is it pretty good?

I haven't really listened to it, but the lyrics in the first song are....let's just say quite elementary.

Put it this way, they're even worse than, "Yo' love.... is rated X....that means you're extra special girl."