Joe Simon
No question Joe Simon is the most underrated southern soul singer. Why? I think it’s because at first listen it all sounds so easy, so laid back. Never an “in –your-face” screamer, he achieved his emotional impact through a complete command of phrasing and dynamics, his rich dark velvet baritone voice simply oozed class and the subtlety of his approach worked on listeners like a slow flame. Simon had a beautiful dark velvet baritone voice which floated effortlessly over and around a tune. But if you pay close attention you’ll hear a master craftsman at work. I don’t know any singer who repays repeat listening so handsomely. Every time I play a Joe Simon track I hear subtle shades of emphasis, nuances of timing, volume and diction that make the cut come up brand new.
There is no space here to go through his whole career but enough to demonstrate
why he deserved his great success in the business – over 30 years
he scored almost 50 hits in a wide variety of styles from near doo-wop to
disco. After early releases as a member of the Golden Tones, and as a solo
artist for Hush, Gee Bee and Irral he cut several fine tracks for Vee Jay.
My favourite is the Fame recorded ballad 
Let’s Do It Over which
was one of the first of his wonderful country soul ballads. The way he glides
through the verses and raises his game for the hook is a consummate object
lesson in how to sing a song.
His records for John Richbourg at Sound Stage
7 are a byword in excellence and should have a place in every soul fan's
collection. Quite apart from the big hits, try “Woman
Without Love” and “Silver
Spoons And Coffee Cups” as examples of the quality of this period
in Joe’s career but perhaps the best example is Straight
Down To Heaven. Barney Hoskins rightly identified this beautifully realised
waltz as one of the top 20 country soul performances.
I think it's possible to make two generalisations
about Simon's 70s work for Spring. The first is that the later the date of
the recording the higher the chances are that the quality will be poor -
and Joe will be lost in the disco excess. The second is that his best tracks
were produced by John Richbourg, who continued to use studios in Nashville
and Muscle Shoals, where the musicians were most sympathetic to the sound
tboth he and Joe were after.
Take the gorgeous "Georgia Blue" from "Simon Country" for example or the superbly
structured "Sweet Memories" from "Easy To Love". The most consistent set was
surely “Mood Heart And Soul”. Aside from such super tracks as “Walking
Down Lonely Street” and “I Would Still Be There” it contained
one stone five star killer ballad, I’m In The Mood For You.
The playing of the MSS crew is just phenomenal – Roger Hawkins subtle
touches, Barry Becket’s organ fills, Pete Carr’s beautifully judged
licks and the understated horns are just perfect. And Simon responds with such
a convincing vocal – stretching phrases and moaning gently. Perhaps the
most obvious tracks to mention outside these southern recordings were his Philly
ones - discs like “Drowning In The Sea Of Love” and “Pool
Of Bad Luck” are quality mainstream soul.
At the turn of the
80s Simon joined the Nashville Posse label, making a very welcome return
to country soul. Cuts like “Magnolia”,
the lively “Love Look At Us Now” and the delicate “Baby
When Love Is In Your Heart” are simply magnificent. But the pick is
the beautiful Glad
You Came My Way. This classic had a super
melody and Joe at his most introspective almost caresses the lyric. Such
dynamic range and control. This return to form continued as he signed
for Compleat in the mid-80s. “Morning Noon And Night” and “Let
Me Have My Way With You”, despite the lack of sweetening, are amongst
the best black music from that decade.
Simon’s last secular 45 found him back with Richbourg cutting the fine Tony Joe White penned "Alone At Last"/ “Stay Love” but JR passed away and Simon lost heart. These days Bishop Joe Simon leads his congregation in song, his glorious mellow voice still capable of sending shivers down your spine. Long may he continue to do so.
Discography
It's A Miracle / Land Of Love ~ HUSH 103 (1960)
Call My Name / Everybody Needs Somebody ~ HUSH 104 (1961)
It's All Over / Pledge Of Love ~ HUSH 106 (1961)
I See Your Face / Troubles ~ HUSH 107 (1961)
Land Of Love / I Keep Remembering ~ HUSH 108 (1962)
Just Like Yesterday / Only A Dream ~ IRRAL 778 / DOT 16570 (1963)
My Adorable One / Say (That Your Love Is True) ~ GEE BEE 077 / VEE JAY 609 (1964)
When I'm Gone / When You're Near ~ VEE JAY 663 (1965)
Let's Do It Over / (The) Whoopee ~ VEE JAY 694 (1965)
Too Many Teardrops / What Makes A Man Feel Good ~ SOUND STAGE 7 2569 (1966)
Teenager's Prayer / Long Hot Summer ~ SOUND STAGE 7 2564 (1966)
(You keep me) hangin' on / What makes a man feel good ~ SOUND STAGE 7 2569
(1966)
My Special Prayer / Travelin' Man ~ SOUND STAGE 7 2577 (1966)
Put Your Trust In Me / Just A Dream ~ SOUND STAGE 7 2583 (1967)
Nine Pound Steel / (The) Girl's Alright With Me ~ SOUND STAGE 7 2589 (1967)
No Sad Songs / Come On And Get It ~ SOUND STAGE 7 2602 (1967)
You Keep Me Hangin' On / Long Hot Summer ~ SOUND STAGE 7 2608 (1968)
Message From Maria / I Worry About You ~ SOUND STAGE 7 2617 (1968)
Standing In The Safety Zone / Looking Back ~ SOUND STAGE 7 2622 (1968)
(The) Chokin' Kind / Come On And Get It ~ SOUND STAGE 7 2628 (1969)
Baby, Don't Be Looking In My Mind / Don't Let Me Lose The Feeling ~ SOUND STAGE
7 2634 (1969)
Oon-Guela (Pt. 1) / Oon-Guela (Pt. 2) ~ SOUND STAGE 7 2637 (1969)
San Francisco Is A Lonely Town / It's Hard To Get Along ~ SOUND STAGE 7 2641
(1969)
Moon Walk (Pt. 1) / Moon Walk (Pt. 2) ~ SOUND STAGE 7 2651 (1970)
Farther On Down The Road / Wounded Man ~ SOUND STAGE 7 2656 (1970)
I Got A Whole Lotta Lovin' / Your Love ~ SOUND STAGE 7 2664 (1970)
When / That's The Way I Want Our Love ~ SOUND STAGE 7 2667 (1970)
Your Time To Cry / I Love You More (Than Anything) ~ SPRING 108 (1970)
Help Me Make It Through The Night / To Lay Down Beside You ~ SPRING 113 (1971)
I Ain't Givin' Up / You're The One For Me ~ SPRING 115 (1971)
All My Hard Times / Georgia Blue ~ SPRING 118 (1971)
Drowning In The Sea Of Love / Let Me Be The One ~ SPRING 120 (1971)
Pool Of Bad Luck / Glad To Be Your Lover ~ SPRING 124 (1972)
Power Of Love (The) / Mirror Don't Lie (The) ~ SPRING 128 (1972)
Trouble In My Home / I Found My Dad ~ SPRING 130 (1972)
Misty Blue / That's The Way I Want Our Love ~ SOUND STAGE 7 1508 (1972)
Step By Step / Talk Don't Bother Me ~ SPRING 133 (1973)
Theme From Cleopatra Jones / Who Is That Lady ~ SPRING 138 (1973)
River / Love Never Hurt Nobody ~ SPRING 141 (1973)
Carry Me / Do You Know What It's Like To Be Lonesome ~ SPRING 145 (1974)
Best Time Of My Life (The) / What We Gonna Do Now ~ SPRING 149 (1974)
Who's Julie / (The) Girl's Alright With Me ~ SOUND STAGE 7 1512 (1974)
I Got A Whole Lotta Lovin' / Someone To Lean On ~ SOUND STAGE 7 1514 (1974)
Funny How Time Slips Away / Message From Maria ~ SOUND STAGE 7 1521 (1974)
Get Down, Get Down (Get On The Floor) / In My Baby's Arms ~ SPRING 156 (1975)
Fire Burning / Music In My Bones ~ SPRING 159 (1975)
I Need You, You Need Me / I'll Take Care (Of You) ~ SPRING 163 (1976)
Come Get To This / Let The Good Times Roll ~ SPRING 166 (1976)
Easy To Love / Can't Stand The Pain ~ SPRING 169 (1976)
You Didn't Have To Play No Games / What's Left To Do ~ SPRING 172 (1977)
One Step At A Time / Trace Of Your Love ~ SPRING 176 (1977)
For Your Love, Love, Love / I've Got A Jones On You, Baby ~ SPRING 178 (1977)
Nine Pound Steel / Put Your Trust In Me ~ SOUND PLUS 2178 (1977)
I.O.U. / It Must Be Love ~ SPRING 184 (1978)
Love Vibration (Pt. 1) / Love Vibration (Pt. 2) ~ SPRING 190 (1979)
Going Through These Changes / I Can't Stand A Liar ~ SPRING 194 (1979)
I Wanna Taste Your Love / Make Every Moment Count ~ SPRING 3003 (1979)
I Still Love You / Hooked On Disco Music ~ SPRING 3006 (1980)
Are We Breakin' Up / Baby, When Love Is In Your Heart ~ POSSE 5001 (1980)
Glad You Came My Way / I Don't Wanna Make Love ~ POSSE 5005 (1980)
We're Together / Are We Breakin' Up ~ POSSE 5010 (1981)
Fallin' In Love With You / Magnolia ~ POSSE 5014 (1981)
You Give Life To Me / You Give Life To Me (Instr) ~ POSSE 5018 (1982) (with
CLARE BATHE)
Go Sam / Go Sam (Instr) ~ POSSE 5019 (1982)
Get Down, Get Down '82 / It Be's That Way Sometime ~ POSSE 5021 (1982)
Deeper Than Love / Step By Step ~ POSSE 5038 (1982)
Mister Right Or Mister Right Now / Let Me Have My Way With You ~ COMPLEAT 146
(1985)
It Turns Me Inside Out / Morning, Noon And Night ~ COMPLEAT 140 (1985)
Stay Love / Alone At Last ~ MEL-O-SOUN 8001 (1987)
Simon pure soul ~ SOUND STAGE 7 LP 15003 (1966)
No sad songs ~ SOUND STAGE LP 15004 (1968)
Simon sings ~ SOUND STAGE 7 LP 15005 (1969)
The chokin' Kind ~ SOUND STAGE 7 LP 15006 (1969)
Better than ever ~ SOUND STAGE 7 LP 15008 (1969)
Sounds of Joe Simon ~ SPRING LP 4701 (1971)
Drowning in a sea of love ~ SPRING LP 5702 (1972)
The power of ~ SPRING LP 5704 (1973)
Simon country ~ SPRING
LP 5705 (1973)
Mood heart and soul ~ SPRING LP 6702 (1974)
Get down ~ SPRING LP 6706 (1975)
Today ~ SPRING LP 6710 (1976)
Easy to love ~ SPRING LP 6714 (1977)
A bad case of love ~ SPRING LP 6716 (1977)
Love vibrations ~ SPRING LP 6720 (1978)
Happy birthday baby ~ SPRING LP 6724 (1979)
Glad you came my way ~ POSSE LP 10002 (1981)
Mr Right ~ COMPLEAT LP 671015 (1985)
Note:- Joe also appeared on Warner Bros LP 2719 "Cleopatra Jones" soundtrack.