A few years back I caught some episodes of The Ronnie Wood Show that aired on AXS TV. This series was basically his radio show with a visual, and that visual was basically Ronnie Wood and a guest, sitting around, playing records, while air guitaring, singing along and talking about music. Basically, it's what I've been doing since I was two years old, though it's been harder to book guests lately.
It was on the Ronnie Wood show that I first heard Donnie Elbert's "A Little Piece Of Leather." I believe he played it for Primal Scream's Bobby Gillespie. Ronnie could not contain himself, as he somehow managed to dance along while never getting up from his couch. I don't recall much more, except Wood explaining how he loved this piece of Northern Soul.
It took some time, but I found a reasonably priced collection of Elbert's that featured his 60's singles and it's all killer, even the instrumental filler.
Elbert was born In New Orleans, moved to Buffalo, joined some doo-wop groups and finally had some success in the U.K. with the aforementioned "A Little Piece Of Leather." But Donnie Elbert is considered part of the Philly soul scene, and Philadelphia is where he died in 1989.
Elbert's falsetto can crack rocks. It's a powerhouse. And those 60's singles are all something else.
Check out Donnie Elbert. You might start dancing in your couch, too!
6 comments:
Great stuff from someoneI've never even heard of. Thanks for the music.
cmealha,
Just realized I posted the 1972 version of "Leather." I meant to post the original. Check it out now.
the music links are not appearing on your last 2 posts on the mobile edition but are there on the web version. always something rs
WOW! I think I just broke my couch!
Not too embarrassed to admit getting down and getting with it many times to Donnie Elbert longer ago than I care to remember. Cheers for the reminders!
Yes, he was very good. Much more than his cover of Where Did Our Love Go.
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