Carl Marshall
The two 45s that Carl Marshall cut in the 70s are highly regarded by the cognoscenti – and no wonder as they are class through and through.
I Can’t Live Without You is
one of the rarest of all deep soul 45s and it’s presence here will
delight more than a few who are desperately looking for it. It is a masterpiece.
The musicianship of the Muscle Shoals crew has seldom been better – check
out the way they play with the tempo for example slowing things down as the
song nears the chorus, or marvel at Barry Becket’s beautiful arpeggios
and overdubbed church fills and rolling touches. The horns are superbly well
arranged by Harrison Calloway and on top of all this Marshall simply blows
the song away with his grit and intensity. Love his doubled tracked wailing
as well.
In comparison to this even a performance as good
as the one he gives on Your
Woman Really Turns Me On slides into the gloom – but checking
out the song fresh on its own and you can hear that he really could go for
it. Obviously the production values are rather different at the end of the
70s from earlier in the decade but the “burping” bass guitar
doesn’t really intrude and the lead guitar is comparably well throttled
back. Real bonuses are the waiting sax break and the fine background harmonies.
On virtually any other page on this website this Nashville cut would be given
pride of place - but the Double Hit release really did raise the qulaity
bar!
I have this fantasy that somebody will find a treasure trove of other Marshall cuts from the 70s in a tape vault somewhere.
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Discography
I can't
live without you ~ DOUBLE HIT 801 (mid 70s)
Your
woman really turns me on / Let's go humping ~ T-JAYE 775 (1979)
Notes ~
1. The flip to the Double Hit release is “Hey Baby” by Wayne Armstrong.
2. There is a version of “I Can’t Live Without You” utilising the same wonderful backing track sung by Chet Davenport. This was apparently cut for Johnny Vincent’s Ace label. It can be found on the Westside UK CD “Curiosities” making it rather cheaper to purchase than the 45. But the vocal isn’t so good!
3. Carl is now billing himself as the Grown Folks Party King and making music from his New Orleans base. We wish him luck with his career – but sadly his newer recordings are way outside the scope and interest of this website.