Eddie Finley

On the obscure Rapturea label from Dallas, TX comes the screaming Eddie Finley. I’ve absolutely no idea which disc was issued first but I’ll take them in numerical order. Sad Honored Night is the sort of deep soul that the heavy hitters go for. No concessions to sweetening or a pretty melody, this is as raw and as tough as they come. Eddie’s voice is cracked with emotion and he breaks into an almost uncontrollable passion as the song reaches its climax.

Treat Me Right Or Leave Me Alone is very much in the same vein, but without quite the same authority or intensity. The “wah wah” guitar rather distracts attention, but Eddie is still a notch or two above most other vocalists when it comes to the sheer force of his of fervour and excitement. Just check out those screams! In your face just doesn’t cover this sort of soul music. The very funky flip (not the Jimmy “Bo” Horne song) has found favour with some devotees of the genre.

UPDATE ~ Dante Carfagna writes to say that Finley performed often with the unrecorded Apollo Commanders (a Dallas band). The Cincinnati Show Band who back Finley on his Rapturea records were actually from Cincinnati, as members Allen Perry and Larry Lesley (formerly of the New Dapps) relocated to Texas in the early 70s. The CSB would later become the Conspiracy (with a 45 on True Soul from Little Rock, AR) to some extent.

Many thanks to my friend Yass for the details and soundclip of the second Rapturea 45. And to Dante Carfagna once again.

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