Target

Artist: Target

LP: Target

Song: "You Need a Woman"
[ listen ]

Not to be confused with the Kroger-owned superstore of the same name and similar logo, this Target was one of the most popular rock bands in Memphis, Tennessee in the 1970s. They released two LPs on A&M Records; this self-titled one from 1976 was the first. You can read a bit about Target and what became of bassist Tommy Cathey in a 2011 article from the State Gazette here.

"You Need a Woman" whisks me back to memories of awkward moments spent with my mother in the early '90s in Provo, Utah, right after I came out to the family.

Hi Rhythm

Artist: Hi Rhythm

LP: On the Loose

Song: "Superstar"
[ listen ]

After leaving Huntsville on Wednesday afternoon, I headed south toward the little Alabama town of Arab, where there's a record store Ashley and Andy at Vertical House Records had told me about. Arab is a cute little place with a funny name that provides some humorous signage that makes it seem like the town segregates Middle Easterners, who have to use separate recreational facilities from everyone else. 

The Arab record store, called The Spinning Groove, would have been more aptly named The Scratchy Groove. Quite a few of the records I was excited to find there were so scratched up or moldy that I ended up putting them back in the bins for someone else to buy. Also, a water leak in the ceiling above the R-Z portion of the Soul/R&B section had pretty much completely ruined all those records. I tried to browse through them anyway, but the record covers were all moldy and stuck together and when I tried to pull them apart they would rip. Still, I found a few neat records starting with A-Q, including this 1976 LP by Hi Rhythm, also known as the Hi Rhythm Section at Hi Records in Memphis. 

Willie Mitchell, who ran the label in the 1970s, employed the Hi Rhythm Section for backing on releases by Al Green, Ann Peebles and others who recorded on the label. Hi Rhythm was comprised of three Hodges brothers—Charles, Leroy, and Mabon—along with Howard Grimes on drums and Mitchell's stepson, Archie Turner, on keyboards. Though Charles Hodges went on to become an ordained minister, the group does still get together from time to time. In fact, Archie Turner and Howard Grimes stopped by The End of All Music in Oxford, Mississippi two months ago—just a few weeks after I was there on April 7th! They were in Oxford with their new group, The Bo-Keys, who are also going to be playing in Portland, Oregon on July 4th! You can read more about Hi Rhythm on Wikipedia here and go here to read about Hi Records. Individual photos of the Hi Rhythm guys from the back of their LP are included below, but I'm not sure who's who, aside from Howard Grimes. If anyone out there can clear this up, it would be appreciated.

PS. I was bummed to hear just now on NPR that Mabon "Teenie" Hodges passed away in Dallas, Texas this past Sunday, the day after I posted this LP. RIP Teenie Hodges, and condolences to all those who knew and loved him.

[ Hi Rhythm, relatively recently ]

L to R:

Leroy Hodges, Mabon "Teenie" Hodges, Archie Turner, Charles Hodges, Howard Grimes 

w/ Willie Mitchell (seated)

[ The Spinning Groove — Arab, Alabama ]

The Box Tops

Artist: The Box Tops

LP: Cry Like a Baby

Song: "Deep In Kentucky"

[ listen ]

Ever since I found this 1968 record by The Box Tops in Washington, DC a few months ago, I've been digging it — and digging it — and digging it. Originally known as The Devilles, The Box Tops, led by singer Alex Chilton, hit it big with "The Letter," which remained at the top of the Billboard singles charts for four consecutive weeks in 1967. The hits slowed to a trickle before the band called it quits in 1970—though they reformed in 1996 and continued performing and releasing music together until Chilton died of a heart-attack on St. Patrick's Day in 2010. You can read more about The Box Tops here and click here to visit the band's official website. Notes and pictures from the back of the "Cry Like a Baby" LP are included below.

The Box Tops on YouTube:

[ "The Letter" ]

 [ The Box Tops ]

Carla Thomas

Artist: Carla Thomas

LP: The Queen Alone

Song: "When Tomorrow Comes"

[ listen ]

I've been trying not to buy more records until I get rid of some of the ones I've got, since I'm running out of room in my apartment. But last week I had an hour to kill before meeting a friend for a drink and I was near a record store, so I couldn't help myself—I went in. In order to get my fix while still hopefully leaving empty-handed, I decided I'd only dig through the low-budget "as is" bins, which usually just contain hundreds of records by Kenny Loggins and Barbra Streisand. Unfortunately, not only did I find a Julie London record for the Deface Value site (her expression is perfect for having just been splashed across the face with mud while wearing one of her most exquisite gowns), but I also found this terrific 1967 LP from Carla Thomas—The Queen of Memphis Soul. Carla's father Rufus helped her get started in the music business, and it wasn't long before young Carla had stepped into "the magic circle of pop stardom." Ever the arbiters of good taste, U.S. servicemen in Vietnam chose Carla Thomas as their queen, whatever that might mean. My budget-priced copy of "The Queen Alone" does indeed have a few scratches and scuffs, but only enough to give it a bit of character. Released as a single in 1967, Carla's lovely "When Tomorrow Comes" somehow only made it to #99 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles charts. You can read more about the life and career of Carla Thomas on Wikipedia here, and the notes from the back of her record are included below.