Although he never had a huge commercial hit,
Solomon Burke's brand of secular gospel mixed with a touch of country helped set the stage for soul, and at least two of his early-'60s singles for Atlantic Records, "Cry to Me" and "Everybody Needs Somebody to Love," are stone-cold pop-soul classics.
Burke made full use of his preacher's background in his material, fundamentally understanding that there was little difference between a pulpit and a center stage microphone as long as you had a crowd out in front, and songs like his take on
Spooner Oldham and
Dan Penn's "Take Me (Just as I Am)" are essentially secularized sermons. This set is drawn from
Burke's wonderful 1986 album
A Change Is Gonna Come on Rounder Records with an extra live track ("Proud Mary") tossed in from
Burke's Soul Alive! 1985 release for the label. Blessed with a tight band that included saxophonist
Bill "Foots" Samuel, these sessions captured
Burke at his very best. Highlights include the very American "Got to Get Myself Some Money," a sweet take on
Penn and
Oldham's "Love Is All That Matters," and an absolutely gorgeous version of
Sam Cooke's "A Change Is Gonna Come." If you aren't familiar with
Burke's brand of secular gospel soul, this little comp will get you to the gist of it in a hurry. It's fun stuff, very passionate and very alive. ~ Steve Leggett