Good midweek to the fam, I’m hoping you all enjoyed the Asbury Park 45 Sessions. It was indeed a really great time. If you’re from Richmond, VA or Washington, DC and you didn’t get to the Sessions, fret not, as Mr. Funky 16 Corners himself, DJ Larry Grogan and myself will be making appearances there next Friday and Saturday night the 6th and 7th of March. What I have today is a slice of Soul fresh out of the Post, from a set sale in Atlanta, GA. Here’s Freddie Terrell & The Soul Expedition – with “Soul Know How To Make Music” on Shout Records.
Born in Atlanta, GA in 1947, Freddie Terrell was born into a musical family. His mother was in The Every Ready Gospel Singers with her 2 sisters and mother while his father Johnny was in an alkl male group called The Southern Belles. He would be hired (he wanted to be in a group so bad but had to wait) at age 12 or 13 as a guitarist in his father’s band. He would get into secular music through Jazz, and a band in school called The New Breed. They played Jazz favorites of the time, and then Freddie moved on to R& B through his friend Jay Floyd. Floyd played bass with Lee Moses in a band called the Showstoppers. It was here Terrell could let it all hang out, something Christian music did not allow guitarwise. Terrell played the club scene with Moses, playing with jamming such as Mighty Hannibal, Calvin Arnold (who produced this record), and even Jimi Hendrix, who was in town playing with the Isley Brothers. Freddie played on many of Lee Moses ( Musicor, Dynamo) and Hermon Hitson ( Minit, Atco), and went on to make music further with Mighty Hannibal, Major Lance, and Wilson Pickett. The latter two he would go on tour with, most notably with the Wicked One. Terrell worked the Chitlin’ Circuit in Pickett’s band, touring extensively with the who’s who of R & B in the 60′s. After his time with Pickett he released “You Had It Made” on Capitol with The Blue Rhytym Band, and later went on to form The Soul Expedition. A church based band, they would play in church but also back major players when they came through. Their debut on Lefevre was pressed in small quantities and is definitely sought after. The Soul Expedition were reissued by Jazzman many years after. As the music progressed to Disco, the Soul Expedition went their separate ways, with Terrell, the master guitar player, working as a sideman once again for many years This very record is what Freddie is best known for. He continues to play music today, some 40 years plus since he started.
“Soul Know How To Make Music” is just what I was looking for this past weekend. Starting out with an accapella and handclaps, then progressing through all the instruments (each shouted out individually), from guitar to drums to organ to bass (not in that order), by the time the horns kick in, you’re already out of your seat dancing. The drum break in the middle of this record (coupled with Terrell killing it on guitar) is well worth the price of admission. Highly recommended by Flea Market Funk. If you can’t dance to this, you must be dead. Keep Diggin’!
