Representative Albums: "The Ultimate Arthur Alexander," "Rainbow Road: The Warner Bros. Recordings," "Greatest Hits"
Representative Songs: "You Better Move On," "Anna (Go to Him)," "Go Home Girl"
Biography
Although his songs were covered by the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, and Elvis Presley, country-soul pioneer Arthur Alexander remains largely unknown to the general listening audience -- nevertheless, his music is the stuff of genius, a poignant and deeply intimate body of work on par with the best of his contemporaries. Born May 10, 1940, in Florence, AL, Alexander was the son of a bottleneck blues guitarist who performed each Saturday night in the blues joints scattered throughout the region. Rooted as much in white country music as black R&B, Alexander was still in the sixth grade when he joined a gospel group dubbed the Heartstrings. After high school, he worked as a hotel bellhop, befriending Tom Stafford, an R&B-obsessed white kid who fancied himself a lyricist -- Alexander began adding melodies to his words, and through Stafford was introduced to a likeminded crowd of fledgling musicians including future legends Dan Penn, Spooner Oldham, Billy Sherrill, and Rick Hall. In 1958 Alexander partnered with Henry Lee Bennett to write "She Wanna Rock," which Stafford then sold to Decca Records; country singer Arnie Derksen recorded the song a year later, and in 1960 Alexander made his solo debut for Judd Records with the gritty blues number "Sally Sue Brown," written and produced with Stafford and credited to June (short for "Junior") Alexander.
During the summer of 1961, Alexander and Hall crossed the Tennessee River to build a recording studio in the town of Muscle Shoals, transforming an abandoned tobacco warehouse into one of the most fabled facilities in popular music history. The first record incubated within Muscle Shoals was Alexander's 1962 classic "You Better Move On." The product of the singer's roots in both country and R&B, its earthy, backwoods flavor anticipated the deep soul popularized by Memphis labels like Stax and Hi, reaching number 24 on the national pop charts following its release on Dot Records. Later covered by the Rolling Stones, "You Better Move On" earned Hall enough money to begin work on a new Muscle Shoals Studio, but the deal with Dot effectively halted his collaboration with Alexander, who arguably never reached the same heights again. Dot producer Noel Ball next assigned the singer the Barry Mann/Cynthia Weil composition "Where Have You Been All My Life," which barely scraped the Top 60. Worse, the label buried the Alexander original "Soldier of Love" on the flip side. But his third Dot effort, the self-penned "Anna (Go to Him)," was a Top Ten R&B smash and was later covered by avowed fans the Beatles, who also recorded "Soldier of Love."
Although singer Steve Alaimo enjoyed considerable success in 1963 with the Alexander-penned "Every Day I Have to Cry," Alexander himself struggled to deliver a follow-up -- "Go Home Girl" couldn't even crack the Hot 100, and after a series of little-heard singles such as "You're the Reason," "Ole John Amos," and "Detroit City," Dot terminated his contract in early 1965. Alexander soon resurfaced on the Sound Stage 7 label with "(Baby) For You," but after "Show Me the Road" a year later, he did not release a new record until 1968's "I Need You Baby." Accounts vary as to the circumstances dictating Alexander's fade from recording and touring at this time -- he later admitted to suffering a long and debilitating illness, and there were rumors he became something of an acid casualty well before psychedelia blossomed in full. Sound Stage 7 issued a single a year for the remainder of the decade -- "Love's Where Life Begins" in 1968, "Another Place, Another Time" in 1969, and "Cry Like a Baby" in 1970 -- but otherwise he was almost completely absent from music for the latter half of the 1960s, albeit reportedly cutting a session for ABC/Dunhill that remains unreleased.
In 1971 Alexander resurfaced as a staff songwriter at Nashville-based Combine Music, working alongside the likes of Kris Kristofferson, Billy Swan, Tony Joe White, and Donnie Fritts. Combine executives soon orchestrated a recording deal with Warner Bros., and he entered Chips Moman's renowned American Studio in Memphis to record his first LP in a decade, a self-titled affair highlighted by readings of Dennis Linde's "Burning Love" (later a smash for Elvis Presley) and the Penn/Fritts collaboration "Rainbow Road," as plaintive and beautiful a record as Alexander ever made. Neither the album nor its accompanying singles made any noticeable commercial impact, however, and he soon exited Warner Bros., finally giving up on Nashville three years later and returning home to Florence. There he signed to Buddah, going back to Muscle Shoals to cut his own rendition of "Every Day I Have to Cry," a minor hit that would prove his final commercial success of note. "Sharing the Night With You" appeared the year following, and after one last effort for Music Mill, the aptly titled "So Long Baby," Alexander quit the music business altogether, driving a social services bus for a living. Elektra/Nonesuch coaxed him out of retirement to make a comeback album, 1993's Lonely Just Like Me, but while on tour in support of the record he fell ill, passing away in Nashville on June 13, 1993. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide
Arthur Alexander (May 10, 1940 – June 9, 1993), born in Sheffield, Alabama, was perhaps one of the biggest stars to arise out of the American countrysoul scene. Jason Ankeny, music critic for Allmusic, said Alexander was a "country-soul pioneer" and though largely unknown, "his music is the stuff of genius, a poignant and deeply intimate body of work on par with the best of his contemporaries."[1]
Working with Spar Music in Florence, Alabama, Alexander recorded his first single; "Sally Sue Brown" which was released in 1960 on Jud Phillips' Judd Records. (Phillips is the brother of music pioneer Sam Phillips). A year later, Alexander cut "You Better Move On" at a former Tobacco Warehouse-turned-Recording Studio in Muscle Shoals. Released on Nashville's Dot Records, the song became a Soul/R&B chart hit, and laid the foundation for the modern recording studio FAME. "You Better Move On" is perhaps Alexander's best-known song, covered by The Rolling Stones, the Hollies, George Jones & Johnny Paycheck and Mink DeVille. "Anna (Go to Him)", a U.S. R&B Top Ten Hit, was covered by The Beatles and Humble Pie. The Beatles also did live recordings of, "Soldier of Love", which was also performed by Marshall Crenshaw and Pearl Jam, "A Shot of Rhythm and Blues", and "Where Have You Been" recorded live at the Star Club, in Hamburg, 1962. "Set Me Free" (covered by Esther Phillips and Joe Tex) were also major hits and established Alexander as a pioneering arranger of others' tunes, as well as an established songwriter in his own right. He switched to another label, Sound Stage 7 founded by Fred Foster, and although a 1972 album for Warner Brothers was promising, the singer's potential seemed to wither. He secured a pop hit with "Every Day I have to Cry" on Buddah Records 1975, but the success remained short-lived. The fine follow-up single "Sharing The Night Together" (written by Muscle Shoals songwriters Ava Aldridge and Eddie Struzick) reached #92 on the R&B charts, but earned Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show a Top Ten in 1978.
For many years, Alexander was out of the music business; he was a bus driver for much of this time. He began to perform again in 1993 as renewed interest was shown in his small but important catalogue. His last album Lonely Just Like Me was his first in 21 years. He signed a new recording/publishing contract in May 1993 but suffered a fatal heart attack the following month, three days after performing in Nashville with his new band.
Legacy
Alexander deserves a special mention in pop and rock history for his particular influence, as indicated, on the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. It is believed that John Lennon, in particular, was heavily influenced by Alexander's singing style. The above-mentioned tracks such as "Anna", "You Better Move On", and "Soldier of Love", in particular, but maybe also "Go Home Girl" might confirm this artist's influence on the Beatles and, if the listener needs further convincing, "You Better Move On", also recorded by the Rolling Stones. Arthur Alexander is the only songwriter whose songs have been covered by The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and Bob Dylan (who covered "Sally Sue Brown" on his 1988 LP "Down In The Groove.") As further evidence of his influence, "Go Home Girl" was also recorded by the eclectic master Ry Cooder on his groundbreaking 1979 album Bop Till You Drop.
Discography (USA issues except where noted)
Singles
"Sally Sue Brown/"The Girl That Radiates That Charm" Judd (1960)
"You Better Move On"/"A Shot Of Rhythm And Blues" Dot (1961) London (UK) (1962)
"Soldier of Love (Lay Down Your Arms)"/"Where Have You Been All My Life" Dot (1962) London (UK) (1962)
"Anna"/"I Hang My Head And Cry" Dot (1962) London (UK) (1963)
"Go Home Girl"/"You're the Reason" Dot (1962) London (UK) (1963)
"Dream Girl"/"I Wonder Where You Are Tonight" Dot (1963)
"Baby, Baby"/"Pretty Girls Everywhere" Dot (1963)
"Where Did Sally Go"/"Keep Her Guessing" Dot (1963)
"Old John Amos"/"Black Night" Dot (1964) London (UK) (1964)
"Detroit City"/"You Don't Care" Dot (1965)
"Baby For You"/"The Other Woman (In My Life)" Sound Stage (1966) London (UK) (1966)
"Show Me The Road"/"Turn Around (And Try Me)" Sound Stage (1966)
"Love's Where Life Begins"/"Set Me Free" Sound Stage (1968)
"I Need You Baby"/"Spanish Harlem" Monument (1968)
"Bye Bye Love"/"Another Time, Another Place" Sound Stage (1968)
"Cry Like A Baby"/"Glory Road" Sound Stage (1969)
"I'm Coming Home"/"It Hurts To Want It So Bad" Warner Brothers (1972)
"Burning Love"/"It Hurts To Want It So Bad" Warner Brothers (1972)
"Mr John"/"You've Got Me Knockin'" Warner Brothers (1972)
"Lover Please"/"They'll Do It Every Time" Warner Brothers (1973)
"Every Day I Have To Cry Some"/"Everybody Needs Someone To Love" Buddah (1975) Buddah (UK) (1976)
"Sharing The Night Together"/"She'll Throw Stones At You" Buddah (1976) Buddah (UK) (1977)
"Hound Dog Man's Gone Home"/"So Long Baby" Music Mill (1977)
EPs
"Alexander The Great" (1963) London (UK)
"Arthur Alexander" (1963) London (UK)
Albums
LPs
You Better Move On (1962) Label: Dot & London (UK)
Arthur Alexander (1972) Label: Warner Brothers
Story Of Rock 'N' Roll (1977) Label: Ariola (Germany) (Reissue of "You Better Move On" LP)
CDs
You Better Move On (1993) Label: MCA (1994) MCA (UK) (Reissue of LP with bonus tracks)
Lonely Just Like Me (1993) Label: Nonesuch/Elektra
Rainbow Road: The Warner Bros. Recordings (1994) Label: Warner Archives (Reissue of LP with bonus tracks)
Lonely Just Like Me: The Final Chapter (2007) Label: Hacktone (Reissue of CD with bonus tracks)
Compilation albums
LPs
Various Artists - Greatest Rhythm And Blues Stars (1965) Label: Guest Star (2 tracks by Arthur Alexander)
Carl Perkins - Sing A Song With Me (1979) Label: Koala (4 demos by Arthur Alexander)
A Shot Of Rhythm And Soul (1982) Label: Ace (UK)
Soldier Of Love (1987) Label: Ace (UK)
CDs
The Greatest (1989 & 2006) Label: Ace (UK)
The Ultimate Arthur Alexander (1993) Label: Razor & Tie
Jon Tiven's Ego Trip - Blue Guru (1996) Label: Fountainbleu (1 over-dubbed demo by Arthur Alexander)
Various Artists - Bill Haney's Atlanta Soul Brotherhood (1998) Label: Kent (UK) (1 track by Arthur Alexander)
Various Artists - Bill Haney's Atlanta Soul Brotherhood Vol 2 (1998) Label: Kent (UK) (1 track by Arthur Alexander)
