Take Me To The River
Tired
Of Being Alone - 1971
Let's Stay Together - 1970
Al Green together with The Soul Mates did Back Up Train in 1964.
Although he became popular on the soul scene after the demise or at least deterioration of
clubs such as The
Blue Note
and the Twisted Wheel,
Back Up Train was regularly played at both.
The Reverend Al Green played at other locations such as Wigan Casino in the mid
1970's and there is no doubt that his music is of great soul quality. Al Green has an unusual graceful, soulful, falsetto voice. Originally recording for Hot Line records he had a minor hit in 1967 (re-released) "Back Up Train" USA Hotline 500. With Willie Mitchell arranging and producing, Al Green started a golden era for Hi Records and became major star of soul music. Al's records - His first big hit was Tired of Being Alone in 1971 [Hi 2194]. He followed up with Let's Stay Together [Hi 2202] and I'm Still in Love With You [Hi 2216] in 1972. All were classic soul tracks. Al Green had seven more Top 20 hits for Hi. Then gave up pop music to become a minister and opened his own church in Memphis.
BORN: April 13, 1946, Forrest City, his soul singing included wild moans and wails, his records were very stylish. He started out in Arkansas, where he formed a gospel quartet, the Green Brothers, at the age of nine. The Green Brothers continued to perform until Al's father kicked him out after catching him listening to Jackie Wilson on the radio. At the age of 16, Al formed an R 'n B group, Al Green and the Creations, with several high school friends. Two members, Curtis Rogers and Palmer James, started their own independent record company, Hot Line Music. The Creations recorded on the label, but were re-named: the Soul Mates. The group's first single, "Back Up Train," became a small hit, reaching five on the R 'n B charts early in 1968.
It was Hi Records vice president Willie Mitchell that signed Al to Hi Records 1969.
Tragedy struck Al when Mrs. Mary Woodson, broke into Al's Memphis home in October 1974 and poured boiling water on Al as he was bathing, resulting in second-degree burns on his back, stomach and arms; after assaulting Al, she killed herself with his gun. This event is said to have led to Al spending his life in the ministry and rejecting, to a large degree his former life. This is a strange echo of the supposed curse attributed to Sam Cooke as he and Al both gave up Gospel for the Devils music! But not every soul singer has suffered from such problems and most were one time gospel singers. He released three Willie Mitchell-produced albums -- Al Green Is Love (1975), Full of Fire (1976), Have A Good Time (1976) without success.
In 1977 he built his own studio, the first album was The Belle Album, an intimate record, critically acclaimed but failed to gain any major success Truth and Time was a worse commercial failure. At a concert in Cincinnati in 1979, Al fell off the stage a sign? from God! so Al retired from performing commercial music and devoted himself to preaching. In the '80s, he released a series of Gospel albums on Myrrh Records. In 1982, with Patti Labelle he did some live gospel music. In 1985, he returned with Willie Mitchell making the album He Is the Light,A and M Records.
Al sang Put A Little Love In Your Heart with Annie Lennox for the Bill Murray comedy film Scrooged. Four years later, he recorded his first full-fledged soul album since 1978 with the UK-only Don't Look Back. In 1995, he released Your Heart's In Good Hands,
He still sings occasionally, appears on TV from time to time - he had a cameo as an imaginary judge on Ali McBeal.
Al Green was included the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995.
In 2004 WILLIE MITCHELL, returned to the famous Royal Studios in Memphis with AL GREEN and recorded a truly great Soul CD I CANT STOP !!!