Search - Percy Mayfield :: Specialty Profiles (Bonus CD)

Percy Mayfield

R. H. Hogan | Mobile, AL USA | 01/04/2007

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Two songs, "Please send me someone to love" and "The rivers invitation". Once again I find myself buying a cd full of other stuff in order to fill holes in my collection. This time, there were some pleasant surprises along with the package. I never realized what a good blues singer Mr. Mayfield was. This one's wort the price of admission. Nice packaging, nice bonus."

Profile with a bonus.

r.j. zurek | Cape Coral, FL United States | 04/30/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Fans of vintage rhythm and blues are in for a treat with the recent Specialty Profile Series. When Concord Music bought the Fantasy back catalog in 2004, they put together a roster of ten r&b and early rock and roll artists. Perhaps the premier writer of this group was Percy Mayfield.

Known as the "poet laureat of the blues", Mayfield is best known for "Please send me someone to love", his plea for racial harmony. Along with this selection are the often covered "Strange things happening", a catchy duet with Joy Hamilton, "Sugar Mama- Peachy Papa", and the wrenching "Memory Pain". Although he has been quoted as saying "I fell in love with sadness because there is more truth in it", his playfully ribald "Loose Lips" is one of the more lighthearted numbers in the entire blues oeuvre.

The real gem here is the vocal only demo of "Hit the Road, Jack", which Mayfield submitted to Speciality owner Art Rupe. Mayfield's friend (and fan) Ray Charles picked up the tune and.... you know the rest.

Each Speciality Profile comes with a bonus disc- one track from each of the ten artists represented , so you're treated to great songs by Little Richard, Sam Cook, Lloyd Price and Guitar Slim (who also worked with Charles). Each disc has great production and informative liner notes."