"Chuck Strut"
Chuck Roberson
Posted from Daddy B. Nice's New CD Reviews:
Year-End Wrap-Up: Coco Wade, Uncle Wayne, R&B Pooh, Chuck Roberson, 12-1-20
CHUCK ROBERSON --- The Clean-Up Man --- SOLID *** Three Stars
This is the album that's been mentioned a couple of times on Daddy B Nice's Corner. One thing's for sure, musically you'll find all of the southern soul memes, motifs and derivations Uncle Wayne (above) wanted nothing to do with. Chuck has always been a reliable reflection of whatever is current in southern soul music, although as he's aged the emulations are sounding a bit more forced. In fact, Chuck Roberson is so southern-soul old-school he can't/won't sell his album online through any of the major music-sellers. He blames CD Baby's now defunct website, a great loss to all of us, for the lack of distribution. But fans who want to buy the longtime, Florida-based, southern soul journeyman's THE CLEAN-UP MAN can do so by calling his label Cruise On Records at 850-643-2100.
--Daddy B. Nice
See "Tidbits" below for the latest updates on Chuck Roberson. To automatically link to Chuck Roberson's charted radio singles, awards, CD's and other references, go to "Roberson, Chuck" in Daddy B. Nice's Comprehensive Index.
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Note: Daddy B. Nice has replaced "Love Freak" with "Chuck Strut" as Chuck Roberson's #1 (Signature) Single.
Listen to Chuck Roberson singing "Chuck Strut" on YouTube.
Daddy B. Nice's Original Critique:
Chuck Roberson is the quintessential journeyman of Southern Soul, with all the professionalism and resilience the word implies. Although mentored through most of his 90's LP's on Ecko Records by R&B producer
John Ward, the hit-maker for
Lee "Shot" Williams,
Barbara Carr,
Ollie Nightingale and so many other Southern Soul artists, Roberson has never broken through with a bona fide, incontestable hit song, although "Love Freak," from the 2000 CD of the same name, comes close.
Instead, Roberson has toiled away in the middle ranks of adult R&B vocalists, dispensing not especially distinguished material, frequently covering the hits and themes of the day (1999's "Back Up Lover," 2001's "Candy Man," 2002's "Keep It In The Bedroom," and 2003's "I Forgot To Be Your Lover"), but without the blinding talent or sheer authoritativeness of stars like
Tyrone Davis,
Johnnie Taylor or
Bobby "Blue" Bland.
"Love Freak," is the most self-assured of Chuck Roberson's songs, blending his easy-going way of styling a vocal with a serviceable melody and a peppy horn and organ-embellished arrangement. The keyboard in particular seems to mesh with the timbre of Roberson's bordering-on-speech vocal, giving "Love Freak" the momentum if not the bluesy depth of a classic dancehall rocker.
"Got in my car,
Drove as fast as I could.
'Cause once I got there,
I knew it was all good.
All she had on
Was a negligee.
She said, 'Tonight's the night,
You can have it your way.'"
Chuck Roberson could never have dragged Southern Soul music into the limelight of international recognition the way
Johnnie Taylor and his fellow stars of the Deep South circuit did. However, he's played the clubs, he's recorded the albums, he's done it consistently over many years, and as the influx of young artists into Southern Soul grows, it's only fitting to recognize and honor the "soldiers" such as Roberson without whose contributions the "generals" couldn't have won the war.
--Daddy B. Nice
About Chuck Roberson
Chuck Roberson was born in the late 1940's in Augusta, Georgia and moved with his family to Florida, where he spent his formative years. He began his professional career in the 70's, issuing a series of singles on small regional labels in the South.
After a disappointing attempt at a Philadelphia-based disco career, Roberson returned to the South and chitlin' circuit-style rhythm and blues in the mid-80's, writing material for Johnnie Taylor's Lover Boy and scoring a regional hit with the single "Lollipop Man," reissued in 1997 on the Meet Me Tonight CD.
Chuck Roberson's career took a major step forward when he signed with R&B powerhouse Ecko Records, and his output in the 90's, aided and guided by R&B producer John Ward, resulted in a series of LP's that solidified Roberson's reputation as a reliable and credible purveyor of chitlin' circuit rhythm and blues.
The prolific Roberson continued to record close to an album a year into the early 00's, including 2003's A Woman Wants A Freak. His output tapered off (only the Expressions of Yesterday CD, privately printed in 2005) until Dylann DeAnna, a longtime Roberson admirer, brought out a new Chuck Roberson CD on his CDS label in 2009.
Roberson remains one of the most consistently-played artists on contemporary Southern Soul radio. For updates on Chuck's career since this critique was written, scroll down to "Tidbits" section.
Chuck Roberson's discography:
1990 Lollypop Man (Vision)
1996 Something Good for You (Ecko)
1997 Meet Me Tonight (Ecko)
1999 Love Power (Ecko)
2000 Love Freak (Ecko)
2001 I'm Your Candy Man (Ecko)
2002 Let's Party (Ecko)
2003 A Woman Wants a Freak (Ecko)
2005 Expressions of Yesterday (Cruise On)
2009 For Real This Time (CDS)
2011 Deep South Southern Soul (CDS)
2012 The Devil Made Me Do It
2014 The Other Side Of Me
2015 Over In The Woods
Tidbits
1. November 29, 2006.
Ecko Records has released The Best Of Chuck Roberson, a survey of Chuck's signature songs. The disc includes two new tracks and a remix of the "Lollipop Man." This compilation is a no-brainer for Chuck Roberson fans. DBN.
2.
August 31, 2009: New Album Alert: FOR REAL THIS TIME (CDS)
For Real This Time
Comparison-Priced For Real This Time CD, MP3's
Single to watch: "I Want You To Rock Me"
3.
November 7, 2009:
"A Change Is Gonna Come" and "At The Hideaway" from Chuck's FOR REAL THIS TIME CD will be featured on Daddy B. Nice's Top Ten "Breaking" Southern Soul Singles for November 2009.
DBN
4.
December 10, 2009:
CHUCK ROBERSON: For Real This Time (CDS) Three Stars *** Solid. The artist's fans will enjoy.
Chuck Roberson's
For Real This Time is an excellent outing that will please his core audience. CDS Records continues and even improves on its all "live-instrument" style, with its spare, respectful homage to sixties and early-seventies, vintage-soul arrangements. Special mention has to go to guitarist Mike Gallaher, who practically steals the album, and--to a lesser extent--the restrained horn section of Quinton Ware and Mike McDaniel.
Chuck is in good vocal form--engaging, friendly and well-balanced. But you do finish the CD knowing he still hasn't recorded a song that would convert anyone to Southern Soul. He still hasn't had a bona fide "Southern Soul hit."
Most artists of Chuck's stature and longevity have a signature tune that thrust them into the public eye: Theodis Ealey's "Stand Up In It," Carl Marshall's "Good Loving Will Make You Cry," Mel Waiters' "Hole In The Wall."
And yet, even allowing for the slippery nature of that term "Southern Soul hit," it's safe to say
Chuck Roberson has never had one. He's acquired his reputation through a journeyman's consistency, a little "smoke and mirrors," and a professional tenacity that illustrates the old Benjamin Disraeli axiom: "The secret of success is constancy of purpose."
The best and most hummable cuts on
For Real This Time are "I Want You To Rock Me," "At The Hideaway" (with a great guitar lick) and "A Change Is Gonna Come." "The Lollipop Man Can" and "Show Me What You're Working With" deserve special mention.
CDS's Dylann DeAnna has taken upon himself a kind of personal crusade to reprise and rejuvenate the careers of Southern Soul's second-rank performers--witness the recent Barbara Carr album, Savvy Woman--and
For Real This Time follows the same formula, matching pristine background around a tried and true vocalist.
All but one of the songs are done in the usual mid-tempo, Roberson style: nice-guy, easy-going, don't-ruffle-any-feathers. However, Chuck's version of "A Change Is Gonna Come" is an eye-opener. It's obviously performed as a "tribute" song, but in imitating the more operatic Cooke style Roberson achieves a range and an intensity seldom if ever before hinted at.
It raises the question of why Roberson has never ventured beyond the emotionally-even, middle-of-the-road vocal stylings that have been his bread and butter over the years. A recent press release from his label provides some insight, advertising the CD as "Chuck Roberson and that Old School sound. . . Chuck has made an album for all those who still love the old-school Tyrone Davis sound."
The thing is, if you're imitating or emulating Tyrone Davis (as opposed to, say, Sam Cooke), you're walking a very fine line--let's call it a Bing Crosby kind of casualness--which even Tyrone the Master frequently slipped from during his prolific recording career. That was why quality material was so crucial to Davis, who ransacked every Southern Soul hit within sight and covered it.
But for Chuck Roberson, who is not the singer Tyrone Davis was, to walk that tightrope-fine line verges on mediocrity more often than not. Good clean fun, mind you, but light fun.
The mostly-admirable "At The Hideaway" is an example. The guitar on the well-put-together composition is better than the vocal. Chuck's vocal is just middling, nothing to write home about. And Chuck seems to be content with that--and pretty much always has.
That's why Chuck's rendition of Sam Cooke (which sounds live) is such a revelation. On "A Change Is Gonna Come" Chuck sings better than he does on any of "his" songs. Is it because he's trying to imitate Sam Cooke? His voice is sweeter and more emotional. Why does he put so much more feeling--and so many more vocal nuances--into this song as opposed to his own?
It makes you wonder if Chuck wasn't born to imitate--and do it really well. And it's as if now that Johnnie Taylor (not to mention Tyrone Davis) is dead, Chuck no longer has a really great artist to imitate--that is, to make him excel.
In the meantime, Roberson's music yearns to join that upper echelon of the music, and that monumental single--that "holy grail" of a Southern Soul hit song--still beckons. Chuck is getting up in years--I'd guess somewhere in the early-sixties about now--but don't count him out. Stranger things have happened.
--Daddy B. Nice
Bargain-Priced For Real This Time CD, MP3's
5.
March 1, 2011: NEW ALBUM ALERT
Bargain-Priced Deep South Southern Soul CD, MP3's
Comparison-Priced Deep South Southern Soul CD
Recommended Singles: "Jamming With The Blues," "Deep South Southern Soul"
See Daddy B. Nice's Top Ten "Breaking" Southern Soul Singles for February 2011
6.
August 11, 2013: Re-Posted from Daddy B. Nice's New CD Reviews:
November 4, 2012: CHUCK ROBERSON: The Devil Made Me Do It (Desert Sounds) Four Stars **** Distinguished Effort. Should please old fans and gain new.
I suspected this CD would be a winner when I first heard Chuck's new "Chuck Strut" single last summer. The nifty, muted (think MJ's "Billy Jean"), disco rhythm track insinuated itself into
Daddy B. Nice's Top Ten "Breaking" Southern Soul Singles in August at:
2. "Chuck Strut"----------Chuck Roberson
This is a new and much better-tempo-ed and more melodic version of the "Chuck Strut" that graced Roberson's 2003 Woman Wants A Freak CD. In fact, Chuck hits this one out of the Southern Soul ball park. Congratulations to Desert Sounds producers/writers Pete Peterson and Eric "Smidi" Smith for helping make it happen.
"Chuck Strut" has a cruising vibe and I can imagine people driving and--yes--even waiting in traffic a little more patiently while listening to this light-hearted Chuck Roberson fare. Chuck is in fine form. He's not out to impress you. He's out to soothe you, to give you a lift, and that he does as well as--and perhaps better than--he's ever done before.
In the microbrewery of contemporary Southern Soul singers, Roberson has always been "lite" and imitative. But on his new album,
The Devil Made Me Do It (Desert Sounds, 2012), the downsides of derivation--for example, his uncanny conjuring of Roy C on the album's last cut, "After Our Love Affair"--are outweighed by the joy, wit and skill Roberson takes in surveying the current scene and creating his own portrait.
After "Chuck Strut" the song that practically jumps out of the stereo console is
"They Got A Room," an inspired rendition of the single Millie Jackson and Jesse James made popular last year as "Let's Get A Room Somewhere."
Millie Jackson and Jesse James were willing participants in the motel fun in "Let's Get A Room Somewhere." On the other hand, Chuck Roberson's lyrics in
"They Got A Room"--from a third person perspective--give the story its own special twists, for instance:
"I went by her mama's place
And she wasn't there,
I said, 'Please don't tell me
She's in a room somewhere.'"
Chuck's version is at least as good, maybe better, with lazy, saucy horns and a rhythm section to grovel for. I drifted off for a few seconds and drifted back and thought I was listening to reggae's premier reggae section, Sly & Robbie.
Eric "Smidi" Smith on programming gets the credit, but it's all tied together by the elaborate and playful fretwork of Stevie J. on guitar.
Stevie J., who plays guitar throughout, contributes country-style inflections to his bluesy runs on Roberson's "Hometown Blues." Halfway through the song, we're treated to a full-blown steel guitar verse that all but turns the song inside-out.
"I'll Take Care Of You" will remind hardcore fans of Bobby Jones' "You Ain't Got No Proof" and/or Ghetto Cowboy's "Staying In Love With You," two other songs with kangaroo-bouncing, background tracks by--coincidentally--Desert Sounds producers Pete Peterson and Eric "Smidi" Smith.
Roberson returns to cover-song mode with less success in "Woman Enough," a redo of the already-classic Karen Wolfe single, "(If You're) Man Enough (To Leave, I'm Woman Enough To Let You Go)." The song doesn't grate--in fact, it's pleasant to hear the melody in Chuck's light and unfettered delivery.
But unlike the Millie Jackson/Jesse James original, which had a desultory air and tempo that Roberson could easily improve upon, Roberson's remake of "Man Enough" suffers when compared to the soulful emotional depth of the Karen Wolfe original.
This tendency to retool published music in a streamlined, sometimes-vanilla style has been Chuck's Achilles heel historically, but with
The Devil Made Me Do It he buries those questions under an avalanche of otherwise fine tracks, including "It Should Have Been Me" (featuring the album's well-cast background singers, Levy Marie and Misty Lundey), "Spare Me The Heartache" (a seriously-sung ballad) and the distinctive, mid-tempo" It's Not Over."
But it's
"Chuck Strut" that will define this CD for years to come. It's got the Georgio Moroder through Donna Sumner thing going, and Chuck's vocal is (never thought I'd say this) nothing short of amazing. Chuck deserves all the credit in the world. He still believes, and this album is good listening from beginning to end.
Sample or Buy Chuck Roberson's The Devil Made Me Do It CD, MP3's.
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7.
August 11, 2013:
Read Daddy B. Nice's....
November 4, 2012: CHUCK ROBERSON: The Devil Made Me Do It (Desert Sounds) Four Stars **** Distinguished Effort. Should please old fans and gain new.
....new CD review, re-posted to this page in "Tidbits" #6. (Scroll down.)
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8.
October 21, 2012: NEW ALBUM ALERT
Bargain-Priced THE DEVIL MADE ME DO IT CD
Recommended Single: "Chuck Strut"
See Daddy B. Nice's #2 "Breaking" Southern Soul Single for August 2012.
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9.
Reprinted from Daddy B. Nice's CD REVIEWS
CHUCK ROBERSON: The Other Side Of Me (Desert Sounds) Three Stars *** Solid. The artist's fans will enjoy.
(11-24-14)
Chuck Roberson's new album on Pete Peterson's Desert Sounds Records will hearten his fans with its seamless blend of vintage covers and contemporary originals. Three adeptly-executed covers--Teddy Pendergrass's "I Can't Leave You Alone" (written by Gamble & Huff), Sam & Dave's "When Something Is Wrong With My Baby" (written by Hayes & Porter) and James Carr's "A Man Needs A Woman" (written by Quinton Claunch) establish a dauntingly high standard of quality that Roberson successfully matches on at least two of his original singles: the durable ballad "She Was Your Wife, But Now I'm Her Man" and the likeable, easy-going dance jam, "We're Gonna Party, We're Gonna Have Some Fun." After a couple of years of copyright disputes with Pete Peterson
(See Daddy B. Nice's Mailbag), Producer/Arranger Eric "Smidi" Smith from Roberson's well-received 2012 Desert Sounds album THE DEVIL MADE ME DO IT is out. Writer/producer Juvy Peterson (not to be confused with gospel singer Judy Peterson) is in, along with producer LaQuinton Williams. Juvy Peterson was the executive producer of Bobby Jonz AIN'T GOT NO PROOF CD, also released on Desert Sounds. Watch for an updated link when the disc is released commercially. DBN.
Listen to Chuck Roberson singing "She Was Your Wife But Now I'm Her Man" on YouTube.
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10.
Chuck Roberson on YouTube:
Listen to Chuck Roberson singing "If You're Woman Enough To Leave" on YouTube.
Listen to Chuck Roberson singing "Lollipop Man" on YouTube.
Listen to Chuck Roberson singing "Booty Scoot" on YouTube.
Listen to Chuck Roberson singing "You're Gonna Miss Me When I'm Gone" on YouTube.
Listen to Chuck Roberson singing "I'll Even Blow Down There" on YouTube.
Listen to Chuck Roberson singing "I'll Take Care Of You" on YouTube.
Listen to Chuck Roberson singing "I Want You To Rock Me" on YouTube.
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11.
November 24, 2014: NEW ALBUM ALERT!
CHUCK ROBERSON
THE OTHER SIDE OF ME
(Desert Sounds Records)
Scroll down to Tidbits #9 to read Daddy B. Nice's CD Review.
12.
May 2, 2015: NEW ALBUM ALERT
Chuck Roberson releases a new CD,
OVER IN THE WOODS. Both of Chuck's latest CD's have been self-published without any distribution. Fans desiring copies of these albums--not available on the Web--can write or call:
CRUISE ON RECORDS
P O BOX 993
MADISON, FLORIDA
32341
Phone: 850-673-2100
Listen to Chuck Roberson singing "She Was Your Wife But Now I'm Her Man" on YouTube from his THE OTHER SIDE OF ME album.
13.
May 2, 2015: NEW ALBUM ALERT
Chuck Roberson releases a new CD,
OVER IN THE WOODS. Both of Chuck's latest CD's have been self-published without any distribution. Fans desiring copies of these albums--not available on the Web--can write or call:
CRUISE ON RECORDS
P O BOX 993
MADISON, FLORIDA
32341
Phone: 850-673-2100
Listen to Chuck Roberson singing "She Was Your Wife But Now I'm Her Man" on YouTube from his THE OTHER SIDE OF ME album.
14.
January 26, 2016: Re-Posted from Daddy B. Nice's NEW CD REVIEWS:
August 16, 2015:
CHUCK ROBERSON: Over In The Woods (Cruise On) Three Stars *** Solid. The artist's fans will enjoy.
I was listening to an old southern soul mix tape of mine the other day--a cassette--the result of a major house renovation in which a huge quantity of old music of various outmoded technologies was upended. And sure enough, after sliding the tape into the popped-out-at-an-angle, boombox cassette drawer (remember those?) I found myself nodding along to "Love Freak" by Chuck Roberson circa 1999. (I'd play it for you if it was on YouTube.) The quintessential southern soul journeyman was truckin' along even then.
Over In The Woods, Roberson's latest CD, takes off on Bobby Stringer's excellent single of 2009 or thereabouts,
"Over In The Woods," which for your Daddy B. Nice always triggered memories of Thanksgiving. "Through the woods / To Grandma's house..." or something like that. The chorus is a chunka-chunka rhythm fest. Yet, the Stringer original is so obscure it's only received a dozen views since April 2014 when it was posted on YouTube. Chuck Roberson's version is destined for even greater obscurity, in all likelihood. Still, it's a good song, and like pancakes for breakfast sticks to your innards long after consuming.
An even better selection from the new album,
"She Was Your Wife But Now I'm Her Man," makes a definitive statement and could be the set's premier southern soul single. Chuck's tenor has lost none of its expressiveness or mahogany-rich resonance.
One of the untold blessings of Chuck Roberson CD's is that they're miniatures of their time eras, featuring imitations of the popular songs and themes of the day. Thus, "You Been Cheating On Me," "We're Gonna Have A Party," "It's Not Over Till You Say We're Through" and "Tired Of Waiting On You" all sound like covers or B-sides of contemporary fare.
Nor is the old school forgotten. Sam and Dave's "When Something Is Wrong With My Baby," written by Isaac Hayes and David Porter, is given a respectful outing, and Johnnie Taylor's "Disco Lady," written by Harvey Scales, is taken from the strobe lights of the ballroom to the casual candlelight of an intimate bedroom in Chuck's rendering.
Listen to Chuck Roberson singing "Disco Lady" on YouTube.
LaQuentin Williams co-produced and engineered the disc, Pete Peterson promoted, and Miss Bernice Stringer is included in the dedications.
--Daddy B. Nice
Sample/Buy Chuck Roberson's OVER IN THE WOODS by writing CRUISE ON RECORDS, P.O. BOX 993, MADISON, FLORIDA 32341.
Browse through all of Chuck Roberson's CD's in Daddy B. Nice's CD Store.
To link to all of Chuck Roberson's awards, citations and other references on the website, go to Daddy B. Nice's Comprehensive Index.
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If You Liked. . . You'll Love
If you can imagine Chic's "Le Freak" de-disco-fied and transformed into a Southern Soul hit, you'd be pretty close to Chuck Roberson's "Love Freak."
Honorary "B" Side
"I Want You To Rock Me"