Guitar Man

Celebrating Steve Cropper, 21st October 1941 to 3rd December 2025.

As much as any hits-packed soul compilation will feature Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett, Aretha Franklin and Sam & Dave, check the credits and you'll also find Steve has either co-written or played on it.

If you're of a certain age however, then like me your first exposure to Steve's brilliance will have been the 1980 classic movie The Blues Brothers. 

Dan and John aside, I thought Steve looked super cool in that film and whilst in latter years, he went on to sport one of the worst beards in barbering history, his songwriting and guitar prowess is untouchable.

And in print and audio interviews, Steve came across as a genuinely lovely and modest man, as well as a supreme talent. Steve may have worked with some of the greatest artists on the planet, but it was clearly reciprocal,

The only difficulty in pulling together a selection in tribute to Steve was keeping it to 10 songs. So, there's 11, with apologies for the many, many that I've left off. 

No thanks to me, but I reckon this is probably the best half hour of music you'll hear today.

Thank you, thank you, thank you, Steve.

1) Hold On I'm Coming: Sam & Dave (1968)

2) Think: Aretha Franklin (1980)

3) Knock On Wood: Eddie Floyd (1966)

4) Time Is Tight: Booker T. & The MG's (1969)

5) (Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay: Otis Redding (1968)

6) Femme Fatale (Cover of The Velvet Underground): Big Star (1975)

7) In The Midnight Hour: Wilson Pickett (1968)

8) Soul Man: Sam & Dave (1968)

9) Green Onions: Booker T. & The MG's (1968)

10) 634-5789 (Soulsville, USA): Eddie Floyd (1966)

11) Gimme Some Lovin' (Cover of The Spencer Davis Group): The Blues Brothers (1980)

Guitar Man (32:04) (GD) (M)

Soul Tight, Alright?

Side 2 of a mixtape, recorded sometime in February 2000. Time to get your wig on and get to Wigan Casino for some Northern Soul.

 

Whereas Side 1 was essentially an edited and re-sequenced selection from the 1998 budget price CD Soul Brother, Side 2 does the same with 1999 compilation This Is Northern Soul (volume 1, as it later transpired). Both were among many bought for a snip at Woolworths at the tail end of the 20th Century.

This selection packs 17 of the original 24 tracks onto one side of a C90 and contains classics either covered or sampled by the likes of The Clash, David Holmes/The Free Association, Soft Cell and Fatboy Slim, as well as Northern Soul takes on The Rolling Stones and The Jimi Hendrix Experience.

 

If you want to relive the Woolies bargain bin experience, you can pick up both volumes of This Is Northern Soul for a couple of quid on Discogs.

 

1) The Snake: Al Wilson (1967)

2) Better Use Your Head: Little Anthony & The Imperials (1965)

3) Sliced Tomatoes: Just Brothers (1972)

4) Out On The Floor: Dobie Gray (1966)

5) Time Is Tight: Booker T & The MG's (1969)

6) Blowing My Mind To Pieces: Bob E Relf (1968)

7) 24 Hours A Day: Barbara Pennington (1976)

8) Wrapped, Tied And Tangled: LaVern Baker (1968)

9) What: Judy Street (1965)

10) I've Lost You: Jackie Wilson (1967)

11) Under My Thumb (Cover of The Rolling Stones): Wayne Gibson (1966)

12) Dearly Beloved: Jack Montgomery (1966)

13) Bok To Bach: Father's Angels (1967)

14) Goodbye Nothing To Say: The Javells ft. Nosmo King (1974)

15) Purple Haze (Cover of The Jimi Hendrix Experience): Johnny Jones & The King Casuals (1968)

16) Girl I Need You: The Artistics (1968)

17) Long After Tonight Is All Over: Jimmy Radcliffe (1964)

Side Two (46:10)

Side One here