Take me to Upchurch

November 14, 2023 6:34 PM

Imagine if you can an intro that lasts 1 minute and 18 seconds long that has a whole world in it comprised in part 1 of thrilling runs, wah wah effects, gospel-style ooohhhh's, drums that are keeping up in kind and then in part 2 some long notes, more ooohhhh's and plenty of feeling. This bit of magic is in a song called Evil by Upchurch/Tennyson. Interested? There's a bit...

The body of the song is pretty good too and comes from the album called Upchurch/Tennyson which came out in 1975 on Creed Taylor's Kudu Records. It features a cast with names like Bob James, Steve Gadd, David Sanborn, Rudy Van Gelder and ties to people like Stevie Wonder, Chaka Khan and Franz Schubert.

It's a remarkable album but don't take my word for it, Thom Jurek at allmusic has some nice things to say as well.

I'm burying the lede a bit but Phil Upchurch is a guitar god that should be more widely known and who has been mingling with the A-list soul, jazz, rnb and souljazz crowd for his entire career and he deserves an FPP Rhaomi style, but that is not for today and perhaps not for me to make.

posted by ashbury (6 comments total)

I think the first link got broken a little bit.
posted by roue at 8:00 PM on November 14, 2023 [1 favorite]

I could have used another couple of minutes of intro, and then gotten rid of the rest of the song. Honestly the worst problem songs in the 70's & 80's had was awesome intros to disappointing songs.
posted by evilDoug at 8:27 PM on November 14, 2023

well, i thoroughly enjoyed ALL of that. thanks ashbury!
posted by lapolla at 10:15 PM on November 14, 2023

Daaaamn. That took me solidly back to my high school days, but in a good way. Many thanks!
posted by Thorzdad at 2:33 AM on November 15, 2023

Mod note: Fixed that first link!
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane (staff) at 3:01 AM on November 15, 2023 [1 favorite]

Terrific! Really enjoyed that. Wow! Holy cow!
posted by Don.Kinsayder at 5:34 PM on November 15, 2023