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Joe Perkins
If for some perverse reason you’re looking for the worst record to get a mention on this website Joe Perkins’ “Little Eefin’ Annie” would get my vote. On Sound Stage 7 too. However almost everything else he cut (apart from the rather indifferent Musicor 45) is class southern soul which should be in everybody’s collection – which certainly makes up for this awful lapse.
Both toe-tapping sides of his “screamer” 45 
“I’m
Not Gonna Leave” and the bluesy “Until You Were Gone” for
Wylie Sappington are a case in point. As is the very fine “Thing
Of The Past” – both discs being cut in Memphis as the names of Dan
Greer and George Jackson on the 45s testify. From this period came the unissued
deep ballad "I Know What You're Up To" - really one of his
best recordings
“Think I’ll Go Somewhere And Cry Myself To Sleep” is a splendid 12/8 country soul ballad cut at the Quinvy studios in Muscle Shoals. Perkins used a noticeable but not unpleasant nasal twinge to his delivery here but the Percy Sledge touch doesn't grate at all.. The Tennessee based producer of the session, Audie Ashworth, is perhaps best known to R&B fans for his work with the soulful country artist J J Cale.
In the early 70s he cut two superb discs back
in Memphis. “Wrapped
Up In Your Love” for Plush is quite outstanding, with great vocal support
from the Memphians who later cut for Hi subsidiary Pawn. The group also recorded
for Bluff City which released Joe’s final single, the great double
sider “Try Love” / “Hungry For Your Love”. Joe was
a very fine emotive singer in the southern soul tradition.
Discography
How much love / A new feeling ~ KING 5030 (1957)
Until you were gone / I'm
not gonna leave ~ SAPTON 100 / BERRY 102 (1961)
Uncle Eeef / Little Eeefin Annie ~ SS7 2511 (1963)
Natalie would / Runaway slave ~ MUSICOR 1064 (1965)
Think I'll go somewhere and cry myself to sleep / Movin' in the groove ~ NUGGET
1029 (1968?)
Until you were gone / Thing
of the past ~ CHRIS 001 (1970)
Looking for a woman / Wrapped
up in your love ~ PLUSH 100 (early 70s)
Hungry for your love / Try love ~ BLUFF CITY 220 (1974)
Notes:-
1. The version of “Until You Were Gone” on Chris 001 is a recut of the Sapton/Berry track.
2. "I'm Not Gonna Leave" and the unissued “I Know What You’re Up To” can be found on the Westside UK CD “Soul Jewels Vol 1”
