Wilson Pickett - 634-5789

Wilson Pickett was born March 18, 1941 in Pratville, Alabama and grew up singing in Baptist church choirs. Pickett's forceful, passionate style of singing was developed in the church and on the streets of Detroit, under the influence of recording stars such as Little Richard, whom he later referred to as "the architect of rock and roll."

In 1955, Pickett became part of a gospel music group called the Violinaires or bernadette. The group accompanied The Soul Stirrers, The Swan Silvertones, and The Davis Sisters on church tours across the country. After singing for four years in the locally popular gospel-harmony group, Pickett, lured by the success of other gospel singers of the day, including Sam Cooke, Aretha Franklin, and others who left gospel music in the late 1950s for the more lucrative secular music market, joined the Falcons in 1959.

Pickett's Atlantic career began with a self-produced single, "I'm Gonna Cry." Pickett's breakthrough came at Stax Records' recording studio in Memphis, Tennessee, where he recorded his third Atlantic single, "In the Midnight Hour."

Pickett recorded three sessions at Stax in May and October 1965, and was joined by keyboardist Isaac Hayes for the October sessions. In addition to "In the Midnight Hour," Pickett's 1965 recordings included the singles "Don't Fight It," "634-5789 (Soulsville, U.S.A,)" (#1 R&B, #13 pop) and "Ninety-Nine and A Half (Won't Do)" (#13 R&B, #53 pop). All but "634-5789" were original compositions Pickett co-wrote with Eddie Floyd and/or Steve Cropper; "634-5789" was credited to Cropper and Floyd alone. All of these recordings are considered soul classics, and show a range of different styles, from the hard-driving "Midnight Hour" and "Don't Fight It," to the more overtly gospel-influenced "Ninety-Nine and A Half" (which borrowed its title from a gospel standard recorded by The Ward Singers) and the pop-soul of 634-5789.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• Wilson
• Pickett
• 634-5789
• Tribute
• Baptist
• church

[coffeeicecream1]

Oh My G-d, this is the best. I again have to get up an dance by myself. !

The comment from Joeytwosubs, was GREAT!!!!!!

IT'S SO TRUE. Let's face it if you don't get into this song, you might as well be DEAD!!

HERE I GO AGAIN LISTENING TO THIS 100 TIMES.

THANKS SO MUCH!!

[moonstar7]

@coffeeicecream1 Keep dancing!

[OctaviasVlog]

You know I wonder has anyone ever tried calling that number to see who you get on the other line?

[moonstar7]

@OctaviasVlog Yeah, I did as a kid when it came out, didn't everyone? lol

[joeytwosubs]

Four dislikes? How could anyone not love this song? Dead people move their feet when they hear this song . I'm an old ,fat white guy and I feel like dancing right now. Wilson Pickett lives on. I have an old juke box with this song in it and I play it so loud the windows shake.

[moonstar7]

@joeytwosubs "Dead people move their feet when they hear this song." That's a good one! LOL

[commandodude1265]

One of the saddest things about loving this music is that I can't go out and see it live from the original artists, just listen to it and toast to that they may not be forgotten.

[MissFourthOfJuly91]

really love it!

[SMILEY7414]

wilson and jimi at 01:43

[tomthefunky]

@GeorgiaBoy1961 : Good point, my man. Those cat's left the hangup's of the outside world outside where they belonged. Whether you're working together in a band, or you're a team of waiters in a restaurant, or on a construction crew, negativity breeds contempt.

All those guys were teachers as well as entertainers.

[adriancrutch]

Wicked Pickett

[PWood31]

I absolutely love this song. I may be 31 years old and this song is alot older than me, but I grew up with artists like this playing. This is when music was music.

[GeorgiaBoy1961]

@TheWerewolf64: Many people don't know it, but almost all of Wilson Pickett's great songs were done in the deep south, at places like Stax in Memphis and at Muscle Shoals in Alabama or maybe American Studios in Memphis. The bands on these records were biracial, and including everything from redneck country boys to hip city dudes... but when the light went on, they made beautiful music together. That's true of many other artists who recorded in the south, by the way...

[GeorgiaBoy1961]

There are so few soul singers who had that rare combination of artistry and raw power in their singing. Wilson Pickett was unique, and only James Brown, Johnny Taylor and maybe someone like Syl Johnson in his HI Records days came close.

[mrt57rn]

@joeytwosubs I'm an old, overweight white chick & brother I'm with u all the way!!! Remember the old days when we could dance up a storm?? I also entertain the neighborhood with great, loud music.....never a complaint.