Top Ten Songs by Johnnie Taylor

Who? Johnnie Taylor - Anyone Who Likes Sam Cooke, Sam & Dave, Magic Slim or the Blues Brothers Will Love This Guy

I am going to go in reverse order, so you get the best last, and I will endeavor to tell you a little about him as we go.

Johnnie Taylor was one of the Stax guys at the time when Stax was HOT.  Those who are unfamiliar with Stax records might not know what vinyl is either, but that can be forgivien if you study up on the legacy of these men.  They have affected every genre of music that follows, from Soul, to R&B to Hip-Hop to Rock & Roll, to Dance and so on.

Remember that these are my top ten, but with his extensive collected works, you can certainly find your own.

Johnnie Taylor was born Johnnie Harrison Taylor in Crawfordsville, Arkansas on May 5, 1938, and raised in the Memphis area, where he was exposed to a wealth of blues, gospel.  Apparently he even lived next door to legendary blues musician Junior Parker.

The first track he ever laid down was when he was part of the Five Echoes, which was a Doo Wopp group under the Chance label in Chicago.  He had a lot of similarities in his singing style to Sam Cooke, so in 1957 he replaced Sam Cooke with the Soul Stirrers.  After a few years as a Soul Stirrer, Johnnie was inspired to leave the profession to become a preacher, and then, ironically, Sam Cooke recruited him  to the new label (Sar) which had signed Cooke a a result of his success as a solo artist.  

During this time, Taylor had a hit with number 10:

10.  "Rome wasn't built in a day" (1962)

After Sam Cooke's tragic shooting death in December of 1964.  It was at that point that Sar records suspended its operations.  Johnnie's career also took a nose dive for a couple of years.  Then in 1966, he signed with Memphis based Stax records.

9.  "That's Where its At" - Stax Records 

8.  "Toe Hold" - Stax Records

7.  "I ain't Particular" - Stax Records

6.   "I am somebody (Parts I & II)" - Stax Records  

This track was one of his late sixties/revolutionary songs, and it rssonates with the message of the value of the working man.  It is quite a piece.

5. "I could never be President" - Stax Records