Agent 00 soul edwin starr9/16/2023 ![]() ![]() Listen to the Temptations’ version of “War” Instead, the label decided, another artist on the group’s roster would re-cut the song. The album track had generated a fair amount of interest, especially among college students involved in the protest movement, but Motown was reluctant to associate the Temptations with a politically infused lyric. Written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong (the latter of “Money” fame), “War” had already been recorded and released by the Temptations on their Psychedelic Shack album of 1970. There wasn’t much interest in a new version of that one, but with “War” in 1970, Starr hit gold. You not only keep rooting the walker on-even though you’ve known the happy ending forever-but you probably sing along with him as he makes his way there.įollowing the record’s chart run, Edwin Starr was next heard from via the minor chart single “Oh, How Happy,” his own version of a gospel-tinged tune he’d co-written and which had been a hit in 1966 by the Shades of Blue. “Twenty-Five Miles” is one of those likable numbers that never gets old. The Beatles at Budokan in 1966: Tokyo Rocks.Bettye LaVette’s Soulful Interpretations: Concert Review.Bob Ludwig, Legendary Mastering Engineer, Retires. ![]() The Band’s Pioneering ‘Music From Big Pink’.Graham Nash, Stephen Stills on How CSN Got Their Start.Grand Funk’s ‘We’re An American Band’ Backstory.Elvis Costello and the Attractions’ ‘Imperial Bedroom’: Multi-Colored Delights.Gordon Lightfoot ‘At Royal Albert Hall’ Live Album Set for Release.Color-Coded Love: A Bounty of Affection for the Beatles’ ‘Red Album’.When Carole King Played ‘Tapestry’ Live For 1st Time.Peter Gabriel Shares Stunning 7th Track From New Studio Album, ‘i/o’.The Zombies’ Busy 2023: Tour, New Album.Remembering Barry White and Love Unlimited.Pour One Out: Our Tribute to the Red Solo Cup Inventor.The Souther Hillman Furay Band’s Debut LP: Less Than the Sum of its Parts.Waddy Wachtel Talks About Linda, James, and His Career as a Session Ace.It's respectable, but not something you'll put on nearly as often as his best vintage discs. He gets the big hits - "25 Miles," "S.O.S.," and "War" - out of the way right away, throws in covers of "My Girl" and "Let's Stay Together," and makes occasional outings into disco arrangements that the soul fans who comprise the majority of his constituency might not dig. Starr is in good voice and high energy and the band is punchy and competent, though not up to Booker T. But really, who can speculate on an exact date for sure, leaving hapless reviewers no option but to look a bit like buffoons? Anyway, even working on the near-certain assumption that this is from the 1990s or early 2000s, it's better than you might expect, though not a necessary addition to your Starr library. An educated guess would place it as having been recorded shortly before the CD's 2002 release date, and certainly it postdates his 1960s-1970s salad days. That's not the greatest of signs if it was a relic from Starr's commercial prime, they'd be sure to plaster that date very prominently in the package. At no point in the track listing or liner notes is the important information as to what date or dates this live material was recorded divulged. ![]()
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