Al Green

Al Green
With a novel idea of forming a music platform way back in April 13, 1946, they are better known as Al Green, which emerged as an American gospel and soul music faction that received great acclaim in the 1970s. The bloc gained its inspirational push from the Green, son of a sharecropper, who started it all at nine in a Forrest City quartet called the Greene Brothers and later displayed his acoustic sense as a solo artist.

Curtis Rogers and Palmer James, two members of the group called Al Greene & Creations, formed an independent label called Hot Line Music Journal. In 1967, they changed their name to Al Greene & the Soul Mates and recorded "Back Up Train" which later became an R&B chart hit, although the album did not do well in sales. Later Green came into contact with band leader Willie Mitchell of Memphis' Hi Records in 1969, when Mitchell hired him as a vocalist for his band and later demanded him to sign the label.

Mitchell predicted stardom for Green, coaching him to find his own, unique voice at a time when Green had previously been trying to sing like his heroes Jackie Wilson, Wilson Pickett, James Brown, and Sam Cooke. Green's debut album with Hi Records was Green Is Blues, a slow music that allowed Green to show off his powerful and expressive voice, with Mitchell arranging, engineering and producing.

The album was a moderate success. The next LP, Al Green Gets Next to You (1970), was a massive success that included four gold singles as Green developed his vocal and songwriting talents. Let's Stay Together (1972) was an even bigger success, as was I'm Still In Love With You (1972). Call Me was a critical sensation and just as popular at the time; it is one of his most fondly remembered albums today. Al Green Explores Your Mind (1974) contained the song "Take Me to the River", later covered by the Talking Heads on their second album.

Several years of extra ordinary efforts and remarkable performances, Green started producing duets. In 1989 Green worked with producer Arthur Baker writing and producing the international hit "The Message Is Love". In 1992, Green recorded again with Baker, The Fine Young Cannibals, and released the album "Don't Look Back". His 1994 duet with country music singer Lyle Lovett garnered him his ninth Grammy in a pop music category. Green's first secular album Your Heart's In Good Hands (1995) produced positive reviews but ravishingly disappointing sales. Fortunately, the same year Green was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

In 1969, Al Green met Willie Mitchell bandleader and vice president Hi Records who got highly impressed with Green's voice that he signed him to Hi Records on his debut album. Released in early 1970, Green's debut album Green Is Blues showcased the signature sound -- a sinewy, sexy groove highlighted by horn punctuations and string beds that let Green display his remarkable falsetto. The album was well-received and set the stage for the breakthrough success of his second album. Thus the path to stardom started reaching its pinnacle that had its roots planted deep way back in 50's.

Green was known as both a hit maker and an artist who released consistently engaging, frequently excellent, critically-acclaimed albums until 70's when he released his album Call Me in 1973. His hits continued the next two years reaching Top Ten gold singles. An unpleasant incident in Green's life initiated him to retrieve back to religion yet he had not given up singing and he released three other Mitchell-produced albums -- Al Green Is Love (1975), Full of Fire (1976), Have a Good Time (1976). However, by the end of 76' the disco culture over powered the market which dropped the sales of his albums and they began to sound formulaic.

In order to break free from his slump, Green stopped working with Willie Mitchell in 1977 and built his own studio, American Music, to produce his own records. The first album The Belle Album, was critically acclaimed but failed to win a crossover audience. During a concert in 1979, Green fell off the stage and seriously injured himself. This instigated Green to retire from secular music and he devoted himself to preaching.

Throughout the '80s, he released a series of gospel albums on Myrrh Records. In 1982, Green appeared in the gospel musical with Patti Labelle. In 1985, he reunited with Willie Mitchell for his first album for A&M Records. Thus a long time super hit singer and soul nurturer later emerged as a transition and an inspiration for all who could cash the signals ordained to him. Although the transfusion was not an easy one yet it bestowed Green with immaculate power and strength of being in harmony with the Nature. His inspiring songs are still the heart beats of many and are word of mouth for the acoustically mature souls who had an opportunity to be the part of his live performance.