SAM MOORE

Biography
 Press Release, October 11, 2002
Critical Soundbites
Press Release, July 8, 2002

(Biography)

For years, SAM MOORE had been best-known as the trademark lead voice of legendary '60s soul duo Sam & Dave, responsible for such classic Pop and R&B hits as "Soul Man," "Hold On! I'm A-Comin'," "I Thank You," "Wrap It Up," "When Something Is Wrong With My Baby," "You Got Me Hummin'," "You Don't Know Like I Know," "I Can't Stand Up For Falling Down" and "Soothe Me." And that's just for openers...

Now, SAM MOORE steps out of his own estimable shadows with Plenty Good Lovin': The Lost Solo Album, which is set for U.S. release via the EMI-distributed 2K Sounds label on August 13. Astonishingly, this is SAM MOORE's first solo album. Equally astonishingly, this record was his first solo album languishing in the vaults at Atlantic Records' New York headquarters for 32 years.

There's a deep back-story, of course, involving death, fire, drugs, offstage poli-tricks, the soul-deep connection that MOORE's music still makes with his audience, and...a little bit of serendipity.

It begins with then-Rhino Records product manager David Gorman innocently asking MOORE to autograph a DJ promotional copy of "If I Should Lose Your Love," which the owner believes is a rare Sam MOORE solo single issued by Atlantic Records in 1971. MOORE can't believe his eyes. He's never even seen this or any record issued solely under his name.

Memory sufficiently jogged, MOORE dimly recalled recording some songs, but it never occurred to him that it was an album's worth of material, mostly under the auspices of session saxophonist/hit-making solo artist King Curtis shortly before the latter was stabbed to death in 1971. Fortunately, Rhino was in the process of reissuing the Atlantic catalog and--emboldened by MOORE's remembrances--Gorman and company not only locate the original master recordings, which were thought to have perished with so many other historic Atlantic recordings in a warehouse fire in 1972, but also much to the credit of Richard Foos' belief that the album was so special Rhino was not in a position to do it justice, MOORE then is able to strike a licensing deal through Warner Special Products Senior VP Mark Leviton that places them back in MOORE's hands.

Sounds amazing. So does the album. Curtis produced eight of the 10 cuts, with ample contributions from such New York City session luminaries as guitarists Eric Gale and Cornell Dupree, drummer Bernard Purdie, bassist Chuck Rainey, and keyboardists Donny Hathaway and --notably on MOORE's epic, gospel-drenched cover of Little Johnny Taylor's deep blues staple, "Part Time Love"--Aretha Franklin. (Sophisticates--and sophisti-kittens--will note that this is basically the same line-up heard on "Rock Steady" and countless other hits for Aretha, et al.)

"When it comes to songs, I look for a story that I can tell," MOORE explains. "And I look for something that people can whistle, hum, sing, or dance along to. So if they've had a bad day, week, month, or whatever, they can hear my song and walk away feeling good about themselves."

Most of the album's contents are covers; some familiar ("Shop Around," composed by Smokey Robinson for the Miracles; "Get Out Of My Life Woman," written by Allen Toussaint for Lee Dorsey; and the aforementioned Clay Hammond-authored "Part Time Love"); some more obscure (everyone who owns copies of the Detroit Emeralds' "If I Lose Your Love," the Soul Sisters' "I Can't Stand It," and Lee Michaels's "Heighty Hi" is too hip for the room and is hereby excused.), but all radically rearranged in a proto-funk/soul style that enabled MOORE to showcase his cinemascopic range, glass-shattering power, burnished tone, and quicksilver melisma across hitherto unexplored musical boundaries: gospel, jazz, blues, and country.

Witness the dramatic transformation of "Tennessee Waltz" from tearjerking country standard to slow-grinding slice of Southern soul. (This--and the relentlessly bouncy, four-on-the-floor title track, "Plenty Good Lovin'," written by MOORE himself--stem from a Dave Crawford-produced session that took place in Miami, MOORE's hometown.)

"At first, I was afraid to play the record," MOORE confesses. "I thought it might sound dated. But at the end of the day, I'm pleased. I think people are going to say, 'Wow, this guy could really sing!' I truly think this is some of the best work I've ever done. King Curtis was definitely headed in the right direction to place me as an artist, showing that I could sing in all these different styles--not just keep me in that Memphis bag from whence I came to fame. I really look at this as my first solo album."

Nevertheless, in the wake of Curtis's demise, the album was shelved and thought burned (no one ever bothered to check). Coerced into professionally reuniting with his long-estranged partner, MOORE plunged into a twilight world of substance abuse that lasted until he cleaned up--and went solo--in 1982. (This was well documented in the autobiography "Sam & Dave: An Oral History," edited by noted rock scribe Dave Marsh and published by Avalon Books in 1998.)

Since then, MOORE has lent his inimitable vocal skills to such platinum discs as Bruce Springsteen's Human Touch, Don Henley's Building The Perfect Beast, and the Don Was & Tony Brown-produced Rhythm, Country & Blues concept LP, which featured MOORE's duet with the late Conway Twitty on "Rainy Night In Georgia" and was nominated for Academy of Country Music, Country Music Association, and TNN Music City News awards.

Having previously appeared with his late partner Dave (Prater, who died in an 1988 car accident) as themselves in Paul Simon's semi-autobiographical "One Trick Pony" (1980), MOORE embarked on a solo film career that spans acting in "The Blues Brothers 2000" (1998) and the Mike Nesmith-produced "Tapeheads" (1988). The latter found MOORE teamed with the now-late Junior Walker as fictional soul duo the Swanky Modes, contributing several tunes--notably the mordantly satirical music-biz saga "Ordinary Man"--to the film's Island Records soundtrack.

MOORE is also the centerpiece and one of nine soul legends profiled in the forthcoming documentary "Only The Strong Survive," directed by D.A. Pennebaker of "Don't Look Back," "Monterey Pop," and "The War Room" fame. His current and forthcoming acting appearances include the Steve Bing/Adam Rifkin project "Night At The Golden Eagle" and the Sydney Pollack-directed "Forty Shades Of Blue." Prior to these features, MOORE played a notable role in the PBS-TV adaptation of Armistead Maupin's acclaimed "Tales Of The City."

As a recording artist, MOORE has been honored with everything from a Grammy--"Soul Man" took Best R&B Duo Performance in 1967; the disc and MOORE have also been inducted into the NARAS Hall of Fame--to membership in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (1992).

Among his countless live appearances all across Europe, Asia, and the U.S., MOORE's favorite moments include playing Carnegie Hall in 2000--when he shared the stage with Sting, Elton John, Billy Joel, James Taylor, Tom Jones, and Ricky Martin to benefit the world's rainforests--and, more recently, performing alongside Joe Cocker, Michael Bolton, and a 30-piece choir in Cardiff, Wales as part of the recent Queen's Golden Jubilee celebration. "Man, we did 'Hold On! I'm A-Comin'' and we went to church with it!" MOORE laughs. In addition, MOORE performed at the opening of Mohegan Sun's new complex at his dear friend Dan Aykroyd's 50th birthday when he was suddenly joined in song by both Valerie Simpson and Steven Tyler while backed by Duck Dunn, Paul Schaffer and Steve Cropper for a true life highlight.

"You know, after I played this album, it really knocked my socks off. I think the vocals and the music will stand the test of time. I've done some of these songs live in England--where the record was released earlier this year--and the people just went crazy 'cause this guy is still giving it the best that he has."

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