VA - Adios Amigo : A Tribute to A. Alexander

VA Adios Amigo : A Tribute to Arthur Alexander cd 1994 320 kbps

ROGER McGUINN : Anna / ELVIS COSTELLO : Sally Sue Brown / ROBERT PLANT : If it's really got to be this way / GRAHAM PARKER : Every day I have to cry / CHUCK JACKSON & MARK KNOPFLER : You better move on / FRANK BLACK : Old John Amos / MARSHALL CRENSHAW : I 'd do it over again / SIR MACK RICE & MICHAEL HILL : Let's think about it / JOHN PRINE : Lonely just like me / COREY GLOVER : Johnny Heartbreak / NICK LOWE : In the middle of it all / ZUCCHERO : From now on / FRANK BLACK & GARY U.S. BONDS : Go home girl / FELIX CAVALIERE & VERONICA : I love you so / POOKIE HUDSON : Baby can't you wait / GARY U.S. BONDS : Genie in the jug / DAN PENN & DONNIE FRITTS : Adios amigo.

Produced by J. & S. Tiven.

Arthur Alexander (1940-1993), born in Sheffield, Alabama, was perhaps one of the biggest stars to arise out of the American country soul scene.

Working with Spar Music in Florence, Alabama, Alexander recorded his first single; "Sally Sue Brown" which was released in 1960 on Jud Phillips' Judd Records (brother of music pioneer Sam Phillips). A year later, A. Alexander cut "You Better Move On" at Muscle Shoals Studio. Released on Dot Records, the song became a Soul/R&B chart hit, and laid the foundation for the modern recording studio FAME. "You Better Move On" is perhaps Alexander's best-known song, covered by The Rolling Stones, the Hollies, George Jones & Johnny Paycheck and Mink DeVille. "Anna (Go to Him)", a U.S. R&B Top Ten Hit, was covered by The Beatles and Humble Pie. The Beatles also did live recordings of, "Soldier of Love", which was also performed by Marshall Crenshaw and Pearl Jam, "A Shot of Rhythm and Blues", and "Where Have You Been" recorded live at the Star Club, in Hamburg, 1962. "Set Me Free" were also major hits and established Alexander as a pioneering arranger of others' tunes, as well as an established songwriter in his own right. He switched to another label, Sound Stage 7, and although a 1972 album for Warner Brothers was promising, the singer's potential seemed to wither. He secured a pop hit with "Every Day I have to Cry" on Buddah Records 1975, but the success remained short-lived. The fine follow-up single "Sharing The Night Together" reached #92 on the R&B charts, but earned Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show a Top Ten in 1978.
For many years, Alexander was out of the music business; he was a bus driver for much of this time. He began to perform again in 1993 as renewed interest was shown in his small but important catalogue. His last album "Lonely Just Like Me" was his first in 21 years. He signed a new recording/publishing contract in May 1993 but suffered a fatal heart attack the following month, three days after performing in Nashville with his new band. Wikipedia

Among musicians, Arthur Alexander was always considered one of the greatest R&B songwriters. Both the Beatles and the Rolling Stones covered his songs, "Anna (Go To Him)" and "You Better Move On" respectively, early in their careers. But they weren't the only ones -- throughout the years, his work was a rich source material for many blues, soul, rock and country artists. He may have earned the recognition of his peers, but he remained relatively unknown to the general public, right up to his death in 1993. In order to raise his profile, Razor & Tie released "Adios Amigo: A Tribute to Arthur Alexander" in 1994, assembling a stellar and diverse lineup to record new versions of his songs. The diversity and the fresh arrangements illustrates the depth of Alexander's songs and how well they lent themselves to new readings. Like any tribute album, Adios Amigo is uneven, with a few tracks falling flat, but the best moments -- Elvis Costello's "Sally Sue Brown," Robert Plant's "If It's Really Got to Be This Way," Chuck Jackson's "You Better Move On," Frank Black's "Old John Amos," John Prine's "Lonely Just Like Me," Gary U.S. Bonds' "Genie in the Jug," Graham Parker's "Every Day I Have to Cry" and Nick Lowe's "In the Middle of It All" -- are affectionate salutes to a departed master, and they're damn enjoyable in their own right as well. Allmusic