Show Me - Joe Tex (Dial 4055)
Show Me
Alright. In the comments on the latest installment of the Chips Moman saga, 'rpj' asked:
"Hoping you could solve a quandary for me from this time period: Is Chips playing that great, simple pick lead on Joe Tex's 'Show Me'?"
Hmmm... while the guitar intro at the beginning is (I think) almost definitely Reggie Young, those leads later on don't really sound like his style. He has a point... it just might be Moman!
Here's what Chips told Allen Smith; "Joe Tex was an unbelievable talent. He was a great songwriter but he couldn't play an instrument. He'd have all these songs that he knew the words to but no one knew the chords! He would just stand there and sing a cappella. Usually Bobby Emmons would sit there for an hour or so on every song and put some chord changes to what Joe had. And then we'd just take it from there. Cause Joe would have all these things in his head but he didn't exactly know how to get them out. But he was brilliant. He was one of the most brilliant recording artists I've ever known."
Word.
This rockin' little number (kinda like I Can't Turn You Loose on steroids), went to #24 R&B in the spring of 1967.
What do you think?
posted by Red Kelly at 5:58 PM
5 Comments:
I know it was a big hit and everyone's heard it a million times but this has still gotta be one of the greatest things ever committed to vinyl.
Amen, brother!
I don't think Buddy Killen ever got near enough credit as the positively fantastic R&B producer he really was... and I think Joe Tex's latter day big pop chart breakthroughs like 'I Gotcha' and 'Ain't Gonna Bump No More (With No Big Fat Woman)' overshadow what a major, major talent he was... like I pointed out over on The B Side a while back, Joe was the brightest star on the Soul Clan single when it was released in 1968... I think the fact that he died over 25 years ago also lends to his continued under-appreciation.
Thanks, Todd!
While in California in August of 1969, I was at Disneyland one night when Joe Tex performed at the Coca-Cola pavillion. Opening for Joe was a band called Checkmates, LTD. What a night of Incredible music! One I'll always remember!
This song was popular among bands in Dublin,Ireland. We used to expand the drum part. Great song.
By the way, folks, Chips recently told me that it's Reggie Young all the way, and that he's not playing guitar on here... Thanks!
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