Johnnie Taylor’s big break came with the ever-fabulous September 1968 single “Who's Making Love.” His ninth 45 for the Stax label, it went Top Ten on the Billboard Hot 100. Up to this point, the Arkansas-born singer had been on the R&B charts only. Hitting the mainstream countdown had taken a while: Taylor’s first solo single had been issued in April 1961.
Before this, he had been in gospel outfits The Five Echoes – who he joined in 1951 or 1952 at age 17 – and, from 1957, The Highway QC’s, who Sam Cooke had passed through. In August 1960, he took on the Cooke role in the Soul Stirrers – that 1961 solo single and its five follow-ups were on Cooke’s SAR label and associated imprint Derby. Following Cooke’s murder in December 1964, the singer/entrepreneur’s business affairs were on borrowed time and Taylor would be left without a label. Stax picked him up in early 1966.
According to the essay in the booklet coming with Who's Making Love: The Stax Singles 1966-1970, Stax puzzlingly saw Taylor as a blues singer. This was how he was to be marketed. The gospel background was disregarded, as was the potential sales hay to be made from the association with Sam Cooke. Johnnie Taylor, it seemed, was not in charge of his musical identity.
There were other convolutions. The “Who's Making Love” single was released shortly after Stax ceased being distributed by Atlantic and moved to an arrangement with Paramount following a formidable, acrimonious contractual dispute which left the Memphis label’s big hitters Sam and Dave and all of its back catalogue with Atlantic. If that wasn’t enough, Otis Redding had died in a plane crash at the end of 1967. The biggest Stax star was gone. When “Who's Making Love” went on sale, Taylor’s label was rebuilding itself.
Who's Making Love: The Stax Singles 1966-1970 is as per its title: a straightforward, chronologically sequenced collection of the A- and B-sides of Taylor’s first 13 singles for the label and one side of the 14th (space meant that no more could be included: there will be a second volume). It is illuminating – not only does it cover the period before, during and after the cleavage with Atlantic, it also catches the before-and-after a hit Johnnie Taylor. Naturally, it is weighted towards the before. “Who's Making Love” is track 17 of 27.
The early A-sides – February 1966’s Stax debut “I Had a Dream,” its June 1966 follow-up “I Got to Love Somebody's Baby,” November 1966’s “Little Bluebird” – are, indeed, bluesy in a southern soul way: moody, smouldering, as much about atmosphere as the song. “Little Bluebird” isn’t too far from Otis Redding’s “Try a Little Tenderness,” which was released the same month. There’s a change with the fourth single, January 1967’s “Ain't That Lovin' You (For More Reasons Than One).” It’s still slow, but more in the soul bag than blues. Before this, the A-sides were all co-written by Isaac Hayes. This was co-penned by Homer Banks and Alan Jones. A shift in style was taking place. A change duly borne out by the next top side, July 1967’s fantastic, gospel-tinged swinger “You Can't Get Away From it.” This was co-written by Booker T. Jones, Al Jackson and David Porter. After a year-and a-half with Stax, the approach was loosening up. Taylor now sounded like a different singer to the buttoned-up one heard on the earlier, blues-oriented sides.
Moving a year on, the single preceding “Who's Making Love” was April 1968’s “I Ain't Particular.” Written by Isaac Hayes and David Porter, and produced by Steve Cropper and Al Jackson Jr., it swings like the clappers.
When Taylor was presented with the Homer Banks, Bettye Crutcher, Don Davis and Raymond Jackson co-write “Who's Making Love” as his next single he wasn’t, according to the booklet, happy. He disliked it, calling it “the boogity boogity song.” Producer Don Davis compelled him to record it. Voila, the big hit.
It’s easy to hear why “Who's Making Love was a hit.” It’s not just the lyrics – “Who's making love to your old lady, While you were out making love?” – but the irresistible, jumpy rhythm, the catchy breaks and the Sam and Dave feel which Taylor sidesteps with his stabbing vocal. Despite his antipathy to the song, Taylor does not sound as if he is giving less than his all.
Johnnie Taylor was now a star. “Who's Making Love” reportedly sold two million copies. The music paper R ’n’ B World reported that on the back of the hit he had a custom-built Cadillac Excalibur which was trimmed with mink (pictured above right). Not a bad outcome from recording “the boogity boogity song.”
Given the years he had dedicated to music before the mainstream breakthrough, it might be assumed that Taylor was a patient man. But no one will ever know as he died in May 2000 at age 66. Whatever the conjecture, it’s clear his talent was formidable. As well as malleability, he had staying power: his 1976 post-Stax single “Disco Lady” was a US chart topper and another two-million seller. By focussing on the early Stax singles, Who's Making Love: The Stax Singles 1966-1970, brings a different slant to his story than the one told by the big hits and his albums. A thought-provoking, essential soul release.
- Next week: Homosapien and XL-1 - the return of Pete Shelley’s first two post-Buzzcocks albums
- More reissue reviews on theartsdesk
- Kieron Tyler’s website
