Sir Henry Ivy

If you thought - as I tend to - that Memphis stopped making real soul around the middle of the 70s here's Sir Henry Ivy to show you otherwise. The slightly funky fell to Two Time Loser contrasts very well with Henry's bluesy delivery - love the way he lets his vocals drift downwards at the end of the lines. As well as his great sense of dynamics. The band is just first class with a horn section that comes down like a ton of lead making the track sound like an outtake from Willie Mitchell's studio from five years before. That is even clearer from the hard driving other side He Left You Standing There. The fact that this excellent slab of southern soul has found favour on the dance floor certainly shouldn't put you off - this is class stuff with Henry full of fiery anger.

Sadly Henry's other 45s are nowhere near this league. "Ain't It A Lots Of Fun" is a good ballad in the 80s indie idiom, and the two sides of traditional blues of the Brian Manor are good songs. But oh dear those dreadful synths! They make the discs almost unlistenable to these ageing ears - despite Henry's vocal strengths being well to the fore. 

 

 

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