"Boom Boom Boom"
Willie Clayton
Composed by Willie Clayton and Mike Snoddy
January 28, 2023:
Best Song By Longtime Veteran:
"Don't Make Me Beg" is the overriding reason to get this CD---or at least the MP3. What a song! While it may not be on the heavenly level of Percy Sledge's "When A Man Loves A Woman," it is close---a kind of lower-key version. Love, integrity, wisdom and heartache mingle with astonishing force. The vocal rendering never slips. Written by Christopher Forrest and Clayton and performed by an all live band, "Don't Make Me Beg," is exquisitely produced in tandem with Daryl Cooper.
"If you cared about this relationship," Willie sings in "I Can't Keep Loving You," "then you wouldn't always be on a trip!" It's one of the best mid-tempo anthems Clayton's ever recorded, and whoever is currently collaborating on the songwriting is exceptional. Remember, Clayton's been dropping albums for more years than most of today's listeners have been alive. The greying T.K. Soul, for example, got his start writing for Clayton more than twenty years ago.
Willie Clayton is who we thought he was, and that goes for the believers and non-believers. For the believers---the fans who cherish the Willie who brought us the albums FULL CIRCLE and CHANGING THE GAME and GIFTED and THE LITTLE GIANT OF SOUL, not to mention the fans who were with Willie in the nineties for NO GETTING OVER YOU and ACE IN THE HOLE---he is the old school's singer's singer, the living receptacle of all that is pure and authentic in southern soul music.
1
--Daddy B. Nice
About Willie Clayton
Somewhat younger than the older generation of Southern Soul stars (Johnnie Taylor, Tyrone Davis, Little Milton Campbell, J. Blackfoot, Marvin Sease) who have passed away since the turn of the century, while somewhat older than the younger generation of stars (Sir Charles Jones, T. K. Soul, Reggie P., etc.), Willie Clayton is considered the vocalist "to whom virtually all male singers in the field are compared," according to David Whiteis, whose exhaustive account of Clayton's life in his new book, SOUTHERN SOUL-BLUES, is the best biography to date of the performer.
For example, in awarding Vick Allen's "Soul Music" the number-one Southern Soul song of 2012 (the "Soul Music" album also was #1 in Blues Critic's Annual Readers' Poll), Daddy B. Nice described the song as "This sleek, Willie Claytonesque ballad... ," using an adjective--"Claytonesque"--that has become a routine part of his critical vocabulary, pertaining to both Clayton's craftily-seasoned vocal outings and his scintillating, state-of-the-art arrangements.
Willie Clayton was born near Indianola in 1955 in the unincorporated hamlet of Fansonia along the Indianola-Leland-Greenville corridor in north-central Mississippi. A singing prodigy, Willie was escorted surreptitiously by an older brother and sisters to local venues to sing at a very early age, leading to singing gigs with local bandleader Leon Wright and Texas Southern Soul legend Ernie Johnson, among others.
Around 1970 Clayton followed his sisters to Chicago, where he quickly impressed local deejay (WVON) and black music promoter Pervis Spann, who showcased him in all the landmark Chicago venues. His tutelage under Spann led to recording opportunities with Willie Mitchell of Memphis's Hi Records, where Al Green was the reigning soul music king. Hi issued a series of Clayton singles on its Pawn subsidiary, including "I Must Be Losin' You," "It's Time You Made Up Your Mind," and "Baby You're Ready."
In 1984 Clayton scored his first regional hits with "Tell Me" and "What a Way to Put It". Picked up by Polygram, the song "Tell Me" charted on Billboard's R&B at #74. Other singles followed on various indie labels without much success.
Clayton signed with respected Southern Soul label Ichiban in the early 90's, then--in 1993--he finally found his "metier" with Johnny Vincent's Ace Records back in Jackson, Mississippi.
After almost ten previous LP's, Clayton's third Ace outing, Ace In The Hole (Ace, 1996), including the smash chitlin' circuit singles "Three People Sleeping In My Bed" and "Equal Opportunity" (featuring Pat Brown) from two previous Ace collections, at last made Willie Clayton a bona fide star on the Southern Soul circuit.
Meanwhile, Clayton was also recording solid material on the Ichiban label, notably "(There Ain't) No Getting Over Me," which would become another chitlin' circuit standard, and "Meet Me Tonite," a cover of the Lee Fields original, both included on No Getting Over Me (Ichiban, 1996).
Clayton recorded a series of lesser albums on various indie labels throughout the late nineties, including two gospel stints on the respected Avanti label and a "greatest hits" collection, the out-of-print Midnight Doctor: Willie Clayton's Greatest Hits (Blueside 1998).
In 2000 Clayton incorporated his own label, Claytown, and began the most productive stage of his career to date. For Call Me Mr. C (Claytown 2000) and Little Giant Of Soul (Claytown 2001), Clayton enlisted the aid of an unknown writer/producer, Terrence Kimble, who would go on to become the Southern Soul performer T. K. Soul. The collaboration resulted in two hit singles, "Party Like We Used To" and "Wiggle."
In 2002 Clayton released Last Man Standing on an updated personal label, EndZone Entertainment, bringing on another unknown talent, writer/producer (and former gospel singer) Vick Allen, who would also go on to become a younger-generation Southern Soul star, and notching solid radio singles with the Allen-written "Old-Fashioned Girl" and "I Love Me Some You."
The following year, Willie published a much more representative "greatest hits" collection, Classic Soul Vol. 1 (EndZone). The set included:
1. I Love Stealing It
2. I Love Me Some You - (Remix)
3. Won't You Be My Lollipop
4. Loving Each Other 4 Life
5. Party Like We Use to Do
6. Wiggle
7. Simply Beautiful
8. Tell Me
9. Three People
10. Let's Get Together
11. Good Enough to Keep Me
12. Blues, The
13. Love Is Something Beautiful
14. Sparetime
15. No Getting Over Me
Clayton was at the top of his form, and his next four albums--two on Endzone and two on Jackson, Mississippi's venerable Malaco Records--were the most influential of his career. Each was distinguished by a powerful hit single (the four in total comprising arguably the most powerful set of Southern soul singles by any performer over that four-year period) as follows:
Changing The Game (EndZone 2004), with the hit single:
"Love Mechanic" (also, "Whipped");
Full Circle (End Zone Ent./Malaco 2005), with the hit single:
"Going Crazy";
Gifted (Malaco 2006), with the hit single:
"Boom Boom Boom"; (also, "Beautiful"); and....
My Tyme (Malaco 2008), with the hit single:
"A Woman Knows".
About "Going Crazy," Daddy B. Nice opined:
February, 2006. The hits just keep coming for Willie Clayton. If there was a Southern Soul deejay not playing Clayton's "Going Crazy" (Full Circle, Endzone) during the winter of 05-06, he or she must have been on vacation. Clayton is on an amazing roll--never off the Southern Soul playlists, always there with a sterling new track. He seems incapable of making a bad record.
And about "Boom Boom Boom," Daddy B. Nice wrote:
November 14, 2007:
"Boom Boom Boom" from the (Gifted CD) also scored high on Daddy B. Nice's year-end "best-of" list. The tag-line description:
"Could Willie come even close to replicating the success of "Going Crazy"? The answer is yes."
The two smash chitlin' circuit hits gave evidence of Willie Clayton's present-day dominance of the Southern Soul charts. Even better, both discs were devoid of filler, boasting above-average songs--songs that might have been centerpieces of CD's by other artists'--songs that far-flung chitlin-circuit deejays did not hesitate to play all through 2006 and 2007.
Clayton kept up a voluminous output over the succeeding five years on various (mostly personal) indie labels, but never repeated the successes of 2004-2008.
Here are some contemporaneous accounts from Daddy B. Nice's Corner that reflect the waning reaction to the latter-day product over that period, beginning with the still-euphoric 2008:
Update: April 21, 2008.
Willie's new CD My Tyme's first single, "A Woman Knows," is a unanimous hit across the chitlin' circuit. It's hit number one or close on just about every Southern Soul radio station out there. The song is distinguished not only by its smoking rhythm section and sterling vocal (achievements we take for granted with Willie Clayton) but a divergence of sorts in theme, at least in recent years. With Willie it's all about love, and it's been major helpings of the positive lately ("Going Crazy," "Boom Boom Boom," etc.). "A Woman Knows" is a walk on the "wild" side--the cheatin' side, the negative side. The good news is that Willie still knows how to negotiate that negative territory and produce a hit. DBN.
Update: September 3, 2008
Willie Clayton's My Tyme. is surprisingly absent from the Stations of the Deep South scene--other than "A Woman Knows," of course. Another Willie C. stunner, "A Woman Knows" (#2, Daddy B. Nice's Top 10 "Breaking" Southern Soul Singles way back in December 2007) has saturated the chitlin' circuit scene for months, but with no sign of another single.
This may be a calculated strategy on the part of Willie and Malaco (his record company). And it has worked for them in the past, extending the "shelf lives" of Willie's recent CD's a year or more, based upon a strategy of holding back product long past the original release date and then carefully--slowly--releasing singles. My Tyme continues to sell well, but now that "A Woman Knows" has faded, it's nothing less than eerie not to hear any airplay for a new Willie Clayton CD.
(The above piece ran on Daddy B. Nice's Corner in August 2008 under the title "Speaking Of Albums Flying Under The Radar. . . Where's Willie?" DBN)
January 10, 2009: New CD Alert:
Soul And Blues
Daddy B. Nice notes: Sorry for the delay on this, Clayton fans, but nothing has jumped out and grabbed me--radio-wise--from this new one. Stay tuned. I'm beginning to think maybe Willie is "human" after all.
DBN.
Bargain-Priced Soul And Blues CD
March 1, 2009
Updating the new CD alert below. . . "Another Man's Gain" appears to the the first breaking single from the new Soul And Blues album. It's a light-hearted, slightly revved-up, mid-tempo tune on the order of "A Little Bit More" from the phenomenal Gifted CD--in other words, not the very best Clayton has to offer, but good enough.
Another song garnering a little air time is the first cut from the CD: "I Feel A Cheatin' Comin' On."
"I Can't Stand The Rain" is receiving some air play on the Stations of the Deep South.
On a down note, "Your Body," the final cut, is an unsuccessful attempt to recreate the fabulous atmosphere, detail and poignancy of Willie's "Boom Boom Boom" from the Gifted CD.
DBN
5/31/09: Update: Add the memorable single "Strong Love" to the new Willie Clayton tracks making headway on the Stations of the Deep South. It's another strong single (DBN #4 Single, May 09) from the Soul And Blues album.
November 4, 2009
NEW ALBUM ALERT: Love, Romance & Respect
The CD contains the early-seventies-sounding, word-of-mouth underground single, "Dance The Night Away," and a rare "cut-up" Willie Clayton dance track called "Shake Your Money Maker" which will be featured on Daddy B. Nice's Top Ten "Breaking" Southern Soul Singles for November 2009.
Bargain-Priced Love, Romance & Respect CD
Comparison-Priced Love, Romance & Respect CD
--DBN
January 6, 2011: NEW ALBUM ALERT:
Bargain-Priced The Voice CD
And watch for. . .
Willie Clayton's upcoming album: RELOADED
Pre-Order Bargain Priced Reloaded CD
May 8, 2011: NEW ALBUM ALERT:
Bargain-Priced If Your Loving Wasn't Good Enough To Keep Me... CD
Comparison-Priced If Your Loving Wasn't Good Enough to Keep Me... CD
Music critic Heikki Suosalo from Europe's "Soul Express," one of Clayton's most enthusiastic supporters over the years, complained regularly about the recycling of prior Clayton material during this "plateau" in Clayton's career. When I Am Rhythm & Blues (EndZone) arrived in 2012, Suosalo enthused:
Hooray! Willie has released a CD with mostly new songs on it!
"I Am Rhythm & Blues" on iTunes.
In fairness to Clayton, the artist had published CD's replete with old material throughout his career. In fact, it may have been the very successes of the mid-00's that raised expectations and invited more scrutiny.
Here is an approximately full Willie Clayton discography:
Forever (Timeless 1988)
Never Too Late (Mercury 1989)
Open The Door (About Time 1992)
Feels Like Love (Ichiban 1992)
Hi Records Presents Bobby McClure & Willie Clayton (Hi 1992)
Let's Get Together (Ace 1993)
Simply Beautiful (Ace 1994)
No Getting Over Me (Ichiban 1995)
At His Best (Ichiban 1995)
Willie Clayton & Otis Clay: Chicago Soul Greats (Hi Records 1995)
Ace In The Hole (Ace 1996)
Chapter One (Gamma 1997)
Something To Talk About (Avanti 1998)
Midnight Doctor: Willie Clayton's Greatest Hits (Blueside 1998)
God Has A Plan (Avanti 1999)
It's About Love (Sumthing Else 1999)
Best Years Of Our Life (Vivid 1999)
The Lost Tracks (Avanti 2000)1. Three People (Sleeping in My Bed)
Call Me Mr. C (Claytown 2000)
The Little Giant Of Soul (Claytown 2001)
Essential Love Songs (Bellmark 2002)
The Last Man Standing (EndZone 2002)
Classic Soul Vol. 1 (EndZone Ent. 2003)
Changing The Game, Endzone 2004)
Full Circle (End Zone Ent./Malaco 2005)
Gifted (Malaco 2006)
My Tyme (Malaco 2008)
Soul & Blues (Malaco 2008)
Love, Romance & Respect (C & C 2009)
The Voice (C & C 2010)
Reloaded (2010)
If Your Loving Wasn't Good Enough To Keep Me...How In The World Do You Think It Can Bring Me Back (S.D.E.G 2011)
Sings The Number Ones (Music Access 2011)
The Tribute: One Man, One Voice" (EMG 2011)
I Am Rhythm & Blues (EndZone 2012)
The Tribute Volume 2: One Man, One Voice (EMG 2013)
Untamable (Music Access 2014)
Heart & Soul (Endzone 2015)
Crossroad Of The Blues (Endzone 2017)
Tidbits
1.
August 31, 2013: Willie Clayton on YouTube
Listen to Willie Clayton singing "Wiggle" on YouTube.
Listen to Willie Clayton singing "(There Ain't) No Getting Over Me" on YouTube.
Listen to Willie Clayton singing "Boom Boom Boom" on YouTube.
Listen to Willie Clayton singing "Love Mechanic" on YouTube.
Listen to Willie Clayton and Pat Brown singing "Equal Opportunity" on YouTube.
Listen to Willie Clayton singing "I Love Me Some You" on YouTube.
Listen to Willie Clayton singing "I Feel A Cheating Coming On" on YouTube.
Listen to Willie Clayton singing "Party Like We Used To Do" on YouTube.
Listen to Willie Clayton singing "Going Crazy" on YouTube.
Listen to Willie Clayton singing "Three People Sleeping In My Bed" Live Onstage on YouTube.
Listen to Willie Clayton singing "Unconditionally" on YouTube.
Listen to Willie Clayton singing Live Onstage in Greenville, Mississippi on YouTube.
Listen to Willie Clayton singing "Rocking Chair" on YouTube.
Listen to Willie Clayton singing "My Miss America" on YouTube.
2.
Willie Clayton vs. Daddy B. Nice Re: Southern Soul Singers; Postscript with J-Wonn....
Posted here... 12/31/13
September 21, 2013:
Listen to Willie Clayton singing "Can We Talk" on YouTube while you read.
In a late September "Corner" article responding to a comment Willie Clayton made about the current generation of singers not being "true soul singers" (scroll down this column), your Daddy B. Nice summed up his belief in the current generation by offering as an example a young Jackson artist, J-Wonn, who had just recorded a hot song, brimming with sensitivity, called "I Got This Record." It was, in fact, his first real Southern Soul record.
Honorary "B" Side
"Wiggle"
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