George H Franklin

The tiny Faces label from Louisiana put out some first class soul by the likes of LC Steels and Ray Quarles, and the two discs by George H Franklin are right up there with the best of them. ListenGone For Good is his key track for me – it's the song that the master O V Wright recorded, but George certainly does it justice. I like his laid back delivery and the meandering sax behind him. The other side is a highly listenable version of Otis Clay’s “That’s How It Is”.

His second release was rather more modern in its approach, synths being much more in evidence, but his vocal skills are still there on the gentle “Satisfied” – lovely falsetto flourishes. The other side “First Good Thing” is a bit frantic for my tastes but the dancers seem to appreciate it.

Franklin went back to the church after these recordings, no doubt where he came from.



Discography

Someone will take over where you leave off / ListenGone for good ~ FACES 2015 (1977)
First good thing (makes you want more) / Satisfied ~ FACES 2018 (1978)

Note ~ There are two issues of Faces 2015. One has “That’s How It Is When You’re In Love” as the title, the other one has “Someone Will Take Over Where You Leave Off”. But both tracks are identical – and both are actually the Otis Clay song. But it does leave open the intriguing possibility that there is another recording by Franklin that really is “Someone Will Take Over”.

 

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