He recorded with the label's house band, which included Booker T. In 1966, Taylor moved to Stax Records in Memphis, Tennessee, where he was dubbed "The Philosopher of Soul". However, SAR Records quickly became defunct after Cooke's death in 1964. Ī few years later, after Cooke had established his independent SAR Records, Taylor signed on as one of the label's first acts and recorded "Rome Wasn't Built In A Day" in 1962. Taylor's singing then was strikingly close to that of Cooke, and he was hired to take Cooke's place in the latter's gospel group, the Soul Stirrers, in 1957. As an adult, he had one release, "Somewhere to Lay My Head", on Chicago's Vee Jay Records label in the 1950s, as part of the gospel group The Highway Q.C.'s, which included a young Sam Cooke.
He grew up in West Memphis, Arkansas, performing in gospel groups as a youngster. Interestingly, the CD reissue includes the previously unreleased gem “ Rumours“… why this gorgeous low-key workout remained in the cans for decades is a mystery to me.Johnnie Taylor was born in Crawfordsville, Arkansas, United States. Nobody Is Somebody Now” and the decided “ I’d Rather Drink Muddy Water“. The album closes with no less than three stupendously deep, raw blues excursions: the pounding “ Payback Hurts“, the wistful “ Mr. The desolate mood is sustained on the painfully sensitive “ Poor Make Believer“, which is a tastefully orchestrated, quiet, calm and somewhat depressing ballad. “ I’m Trying” is one of my favs here… a sweet, plaintive ballad sporting some of Johnnie’s finest pleading… Superb brassy intro, as well.
Right after that, Johnnie lays another hard-socking, busy soul groove on you with the funky “ Take Care of Your Homework“, featuring some nice, punching stabs at the organ during the instrumental break. Taylor’s reaffirming his blues credentials yet again on the bitter ‘slugged-in-the-stomach’ wailer “ Can’t Trust Your Neighbour” and the resigned, pensive lamentation “ Woman Across the River” (both later covered by Freddie King). Trebling, reverberating guitars set off the sweaty blues vamp “ I’m Not the Same Person“, while the delightfully arranged (check those flutes!) mid-tempo ballad “ Hold On This Time” is plain sweet. Be that as it may, his vocal performance really immortalizes this stomping, rocking workout. Ironically, Taylor himself initially didn’t like “Who’s Making Love”, which he dubbed the ‘boogaty-boogaty’-thing. Johnnie Taylor does it all here gettin’ down, bein’ bluesy, balladeering… you name it. Yes, the title-track was a huge, huge hit… but this album is killer all the way through. The circular logic of the song is just as addictive as the music itself. The song hints at indictment of the practice, but mostly comes off to my ears like a song about Johnnie Taylor having no problems making love to a housewife while the spouse is out making love to a mistress.
The album kicks off with it’s title track, a real romper of a legendary track and one of the crown-bearers of black soul’s long line of infidelity anthems. Equal parts James Brown and Ray Charles, Taylor was really one of the finest vocalists of his time and one of the more charismatic ones to boot. Rip, Research, Posting and additional info’s by Nikosįull of all the Motown-cum-dirty south hallmarks you’d hope for, Who’s Making Love. is one of soul’s great vocal turns.
Johnnie Taylor – 1968 – Who’s Making Love