Cliff Nobles & Co. - Love Is All Right (The Horse) - 1968

[captainsonic]

I think I actually like it better with the vocals.

[teresadoyle]

Wow! Have never heard it with the words! High school memories for sure 1969 through 73. the band played the Horse at every pep rally1  Awesome!!!

[Medic83301]

My college had an r&b band that used to play this horns & all . I played baritone sax , sang backgrond & played some keybords .

[trtomthedrummer2]

The story as I've heard it years ago was that Cliff was so drunk he didn't make it to the recording session when they cut "The Horse" (side b )and did it with just the instruments. They later dubbed his vocals onto the track when he sobered up to make this record. No disrespect intended...RIP Cliff.

[OriginalNeNe84]

RIP Uncle Cliff

[Medic83301]

@OriginalNeNe84 Your uncle Cliff Nobles , may god rest his soul made one of the most unforgetable instrumental in r&b . I LOVE THIS SONG !

[thewalruswasrichard]

I had the 45 and at the time, I thought this was a silly idea but now I think it rocks!. Thanks for posting this rarity!

[Toomadbeats]

Cooll

[japola5]

Hey everyone ! In fact, the horse lives on with a vocal track entitled: The Horse, sung by The James Boys, Phil L.A. of Soul # 316 Jesse James wrote the lyrics, and the "James Boys" were believed to be Cliff Nobles and The Fantastic C, singing the vocals. I love this version of "The Horse", and treasure this single in my collection of GREAT R&B music !!

[pa017064]

Daddy C..I'm trying to get Bobby to add this to the song list. When you come up for rehearsal, help me put a bug in his ear. Always loved the guitar riff.

[DaddyClb]

Cliff Nobles...that poor bastard. The only song he ever had a hit with and it was the instrumental side that took off and went gold. God bless you, Cliff. Rest In Peace.

[OldGoldSoul]

Cliff Nobles Died in 2009.

[hollidayevery]

Didn't think I was going to like this with vocals, but I do...Actually a very powerful song with Cliff singing...my High School band used to play this song also...I had not thought of it for years, and read the title...the melody just flowed right back into my mind!!

[MrPJSoul]

You're damn right about being an excellent example of backing track re-use. It was somewhat common for labels to throw the instrumental on the flip of a record. This is a rare example where the instro became the hit. The Cliff Nobles album on Phila Of Soul blows my mind.. They recycled a few original backing tracks including Fantastic Johnny C's "Boogaloo Down Broadway" and Brenda and The Tabulations "Dry Your Eyes"

[kakarrot62]

god, I can still hear Don Cannon on WIBG here i Philly at the end of the song "this is don cannon on wibg and that was the horse from cliff nobles". wow. memories. I can still remember the way the city was at that time. awesome.

[djminimoto1]

So...This instrumental DOES have lyrics! So..."The Horse is Not an instrumental after all!

[georgethedj]

@LaiLai: Thanks, LaiLai. I'm sorry to hear that Cliff Nobles passed away.

My alma mater uses "The Horse" for a pep band song every time they play a football or basketball game. I hope somebody is getting paid for that usage!

From 1998 to 2004, we (a friend and I) used "The Horse" as the theme song for an oldies request show on local, live FM radio at COOL 104.3 in Montgomery, AL.

[georgethedj]

The funniest thing here is the record label: "Phil-L.A. of Soul". It's a play on "filet of sole" which would be a piece of a flat fish. Here, the fish on the label is dead with his bones showing. Is that an indication of the record company's success? "The Horse" was a good tune, and is played today by college bands everywhere. The label had at least one other hit, "Boogaloo Down Broadway" by the Fantastic Johnny C. Where did they all go: Cliff Nobles, Johnny C, and Phil-L.A. of Soul?

[LaiLai528]

@georgethedj : Hi George. I am the best friend of Cliff's daughter, so he was always Uncle Cliffy to me. I'm sad to say he passed away from cancer two years ago, actually exactly two years ago come this Tuesday. I know he toured the country behind this song after he came up with the dance, and he had several other songs that hit the charts but this was the most well known. Thankfully we have this to keep his memory alive.

[lucullusxerxes]

sunuvamuthafuckin' bitch. i've had this records for years, and I just realized this is the source of The Chosen Ones - Robodoc.

..well, actually, the flip is, but it's just the instrumental named The Horse.

[ponkaton1]

do u have this on mp3? anyway to find it ?

[poppa8169]

I can see the plaid bellbottoms and big afros now!

[bow2urepnoy]

oh wtf haha, i looked up love is alright hoping to find mayer hawthorne. I didn't think I would find that THIS was the breakbeat. I always hear this at jams! haha

[indskate]

Played by MFSB before they became Gamble and Huff's band for Philadelphia International. The musicians created the music with chordsheets and instinct as they often did as MFSB. Very creative guys.

[euflavionete]

anyone knows the lyrics for this song? thnks

[njmikec]

I've always loved both version of this tune. I think the instrumental a bit more.

Odd thing about this record is that it starts out mono and goes to stereo about a third of the way in...at least my 45 does.

[wibo08]

...hey love is alright...dis da hot true sh

[computergeek89]

Our very own legendary director Dr. Bill Moffit wrote an arrangement of this piece for the University of Houston 40 years ago. We still play it at UH!! GO COOGS!!!!

[flosser42689]

When Dr. Bill Moffit left UH, all of us at Purdue University were fortunate to have him bring it with him to West Lafayette. He was one of the greatest pioneers in marching and music performance

[radfordred]

Any chance you have this song on MP3 ?

[jzoren64]

i just heard this 4 the first time and thought how wierd some 1 put words to "the horse " lol i feel stupid now great tune thanks 4 posting it

[tommerrigan1956]

Is that Ringo on drums?

[Myra1959]

I like both the vocal version and the instrumental version. Good old songs. Yum.

[drwhatson]

Released in the UK on Direction, "The Horse" became a classic of the "Rhythm & Soul" scene, while poor old Cliff Nobles came to realize that most folk would prefer to hear his record WITHOUT him singing on it! :-)

However, I understand the backing musicians later formed the nucleus of MFSB, so it's a classic Philly track in it's own right.

[smartypantsnancy]

Love this track x

[jelboysvw]

me too Honeeeee  xx

[parlet]

How wild to hear this song with lyrics after only hearing the instrumental version for so many years!

[lrh1966]

Great 45 mono of this classic hit, also enjoy the clarity projected by the vintage mono Newcomb.

I have a 1961 tube Newcomb purchased from a local school district for next to nothing, and it performs great with clean powerful sound...Lloyd.

[recordmans1948]

FLIP side of the horse 1968

[burrexkeefers]

The same as was done with 'Boogaloo Down Broadway' by The Fantastic Johnny C (anything to do with Cliff Nobles being that it's on the same label? I should do my research.) Flip that one over and you'll hear "Look What Love Can Do" with the same audio track as the A-side and equally as good.

[phillylutz5]

This Is AWESOME!!!!!

[pgh45rpms]

The same record company, Phil L.A. of Soul, did a backtrack reuse with the Fantastic Johnny C's Boogaloo Down Broadway b/w Look What Love Can Make You Do.

[will79601]

in the mornin love is allright in the evening love is allright!

[wibo08]

...love is all right...put you in a groove, put music in your heart...look what your love has done for me...!

hey! hey...!

[will79601]

this song still kicks ass 31 years later!

[misterdegraft]

41, but i agree :)

[djminimoto]

Yes, it certainly does... and it always will.

[JackMDT8888]

Brass and voice combo that is s good its hard to think of better. Ktf

[pyassov]

This song is GREAT!!!! One of the best songs of its time and still even today. His Wilson Pickett sound is music to my ears and he dances like no other and I'm not just saying that because he is my dad. Much love to you daddy ... your memory lives on! Always ~ Yvette ("Sweet Pea")

[jhclouse]

That's really touching, pyassov. As a kid in the 80s, I used to love the instrumental version of this song on the oldies station. It's much better with your dad's vocals though. A great voice with so much enthusiasm.

[ultimabass]

You're his daughter?!!! WOW!! it must be great to be related to such a legend! not like all these other losers that will end up on one o those "where are they now?" shows

[gjazz22]

In seattle the soul station was KYAC am.

& they used this song as back ground to afro sheen commericials......

[cmulwee001]

I never knew this song actually had words to it! I guess it was one of those instances where DJ's turned the record over and played the B side which became the hit.

[BrianCDP]

This song was great fun way back in the '70s in High School Band. Glad to hear it's still being played!

[steve89z]

yes 1972 high school for me

[ultimabass]

Yep... this song is great. The pepband at my school plays this... very impressive song.

[yuhatn]

the song without the lyrics is "the horse", that is likely the version you are hearing. look it up. i prefer the horse over this, great song!

[will79601]

they're both great!

[lwallace3]

Wow, this is blowing my mind! I've never heard this before. To think they just took away the vocals to this one and voila, a brand new single called "The Horse." That was some great brass.

[loempiavreter]

Oh man this is even better then "The Horse"

[ginsud]

Luv that song! Luv the newcomb too! What the model # of the needle? Is it a Astatic 89T?

[mrmoss19]

this is my hs fight song. ive heard it all my life. but i never knew it had lyrics. nice!!!

[PhillyQT84]

Cliff Nobles is actually my grat uncle. I never heard this before until now, and I must admit that I do like this!

[TheJailProductions]

Yeah so my school's marching band was just playing this today. Mellophone part is the same as the trumpet here. THIS SONG ROCKS

[bigragadeeangel]

I know! I play the Flute...it's sounds kind of weird on the flute part, but it is STILL AWESOME! ROCK ON!

[94fordtaurus]

This is the fight song my at my high school and it carries a special significance to me. My late father was a popular football player and a member of its last state championship team in 1968 or '69. Legend has it that his touchdown runs inspired the playing of "The Horse" after every touchdown, a tradition that is still honored to this day.

[JaySkulk]

I remember doing the Horse at a big disco in Milan Italy back in 1968. The whole club stopped to watch me and this fine Italian girl who was dancing with me. I had to teach them all the horse afterwards. Aviano rocked!! So did Vicenza. :-)

[bigragadeeangel]

we have to play this in band!

[jwmellott]

This sucks with words.

Dropping them was a great move.

[TheJailProductions]

Both of the versions have their pros and cons, but i know what you mean.

[74sodapop]

Legend has it a D.J. played the wrong side by mistake.Of course,we want The Horse,erase the vocal.

[cmulwee001]

I believe the same thing happened with Barbara Acklin's original recording of "Am I The Same Girl"(later remade by Swing Out Sister). The DJ's played the flip side(much to Ms. Acklin's dissapointment) and, PRESTO!

we had "The Soulful Strut" by The Young Holt Unlimited, which was the in house band.

[jasonstlawrence]

Apparently the A side was scratched and this was just a B side instrumental but hey they're both immense! I love the Foundations vocal version but can't find it on here :(

Keep the Soul alive :)

[steve89z]

mrhs linwood nj go mustangs 1972!

[n196158]

4 angel garcia aka junbug lookin 4 old friends

[peetie25]

yea! this song was actually the "a" side of the record. But the "b" side got more airplay and was actually favored over this one and eventually became a hit. still a cool version though. it was and will always be the instrumental that brings back those memories of 1968.

[AlecBoy006]

WOAH! Didn't know there was a vocal version of this!

[mitchgnr]

im in pep band... we play this at basketball games ....... GO CARDINALS!!

[Lupitamihita]

Excellent recording. Love this.

[bennyrobino]

Who is the drummer on this track? I alway's loved the drum break and backbeat on this tune. I never heard this version and it makes sense with the vocals.Very groovy!

[DiscoCat78]

The drummer is Bobby Soul. FYI the horn section evolved into MFSB horns...

[soonersmile2]

This one was one of my favorite songs to play in Jr. high band at football games We had a trumpet player who could jam it out. And was he ever cute! lol

[Jeff8051]

Hey this is my high school fight song....Myers Park........GO MUSTANGS

[Zerg006]

Oh man this is my favorite song! I'm in my school marching band, and we used to play this at the beginning of the fourth quarter for every football game!  We played a slightly different version, but it was the horse none-the-less

[luckyshortie9]

we play this at basketball games and the football games this is one of my favorites other than build me up buttercup.

[n196158]

this 1 is 4 angel

[gjazz22]

the instrumental version was used in the background of commercials on blk radio to sell afro sheen and such!!!!!

KYAC blk. radio in seattle

[n196158]

for you angel

[xxmeleepurxx]

my dad played football and he said this was his favourite "pump it up" song to get siked for the game...sounds good!

[laydey55]

Song from the 60's We did a dance to this called the mashed potato.

[tabares85]

my band plays this at basketball games

[BeckyPoC]

I've always wanted to hear the vocal version of this. If you were in a school band in the 70s, I guarantee you played "The Horse" at one point or another. Thank you!

[milkieways]

if there were words they woulda been on the single and they were not the many weeks it charted so my guess it is a setup and afterthought many yrs later and not on the single

[originalbigdaddy]

I love this!!! I didn't know there were words to this song!!! Thanks for posting it!!! It really takes me back!!!

[razelma]

Top top tune!

[jameycruz]

Amazing,they just erased the vocal track.The singing is good.Haven't heard Love Is All Right,it's good.I heard a D.J played the wrong side by mistake.And The Horse took off.

[NorthernsoulDJ]

***** from me love the track ..ktf

[LinKov08]

good song, thanks for posting it.

[esmereldatitswallop]

Oooh I like this :O)

[tellit2]

Used to dance to this one....thanks