That Lovin' Feeling

• Artist: King Curtis
• Rating:
• Release Date: 1966
• Genre: Rhythm & Blues

Review

That Lovin' Feeling was originally released in 1966 on Atlantic subsidiary Atco Records and featured King Curtis playing saxello (a soprano saxophone, for all practical purposes) on a dozen 1960s pop hits. This isn't the hard-blowing and honking Curtis that most people will recall from his Enjoy sessions, but shows him in a jazzy MOR mode working with heavily orchestrated arrangements done by Arif Mardin. The end result is a restrained and refined album with a mellow, after-hours feel, and if Curtis fails to really belt anything out, his tone is always appropriate (with just the hint of an edge) and his lead lines show his jazz roots and his ease with a ballad. The standout tracks are both Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller songs, the beautiful and easy groove of "Spanish Harlem" and the light, rhythmic funk of "On Broadway." Curtis is in full lyrical mode on these cuts, playing within the arrangements, and if this style is not the one most people expect from him, it is revealing to realize how versatile he was as a horn man (one of the reasons he was so in demand as a session player). Fans of King Curtis' more familiar hard R&B sax sound may want to skip this release, but listeners who want a full and rounded portrait of this wonderful musician's range should definitely give That Lovin' Feeling a try. ~ Steve Leggett, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
The Shadow of Your Smile	Johnny Mandel, Paul Francis Webster	King Curtis	(2:59)
Michelle	John Lennon, Paul McCartney	King Curtis	(2:10)
Cryin' Time	Buck Owens	King Curtis	(2:39)
I Left My Heart in San Francisco	George Cory, Douglass Cross	King Curtis	(2:16)
Moonglow	Irving Mills, Eddie DeLange, Will Hudson	King Curtis	(3:07)
Spanish Harlem	Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller	King Curtis	(2:48)
You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'	Barry Mann, Phil Spector, Cynthia Weil	King Curtis	(3:21)
What Now My Love	Gilbert Bécaud, Pierre Delanoé, Carl Sigman	King Curtis	(2:27)
And I Love Her	John Lennon, Paul McCartney	King Curtis	(2:29)
Make the World Go Away	Hank Cochran	King Curtis	(2:08)
The Girl from Ipanema	Vinícius de Moraes, Norman Gimbel, Antonio Carlos Jobim	King Curtis	(2:47)
On Broadway	Jerry Leiber, Barry Mann, Mike Stoller, Cynthia Weil	King Curtis	(2:13)

Credits

King Curtis (Saxophone), King Curtis (Main Performer), Tom Dowd (Engineer), Melvin Lastie (Trumpet), Arif Mardin (Supervisor), Bob Rolontz (Liner Notes), Jerry Wexler (Producer), Haig Adishian (Cover Design), Nick Samardge (Cover Photo)