Wilson Pickett

In The Midnight Hour - Atlantic, August 1965, (written by Steve Cropper and Wilson Pickett)
Don't Fight It   (B side of Midnight Hour)
6345789
Ninety Nine And A Half (Won't Do)
THREE TIME LOSER / MUSTANG SALLY
Land Of A 1000 Dances
Everybody Needs Somebody To Love
If You Need Me
That's a Man's Way
I Found a True Love
Funky Broadway
I'm A Midnight Mover
She's Looking Good
Soul Dance Number Three
Engine Number 9
I Found Love - 1962

Born in the town with the unfortunate name of Prattville, Wilson Pickett was a firm soul favourite in Manchester and all across the UK in the sixties. His song In The Midnight Hour with its famously recognisable banging intro was a big hit at Manchester's Twisted Wheel. It fitted well as a theme song in describing our own soul dancing midnight hour escapades. It reached 12 in the UK pop charts (and around 21 in the USA).

Wilson started out in The Falcons he wrote I Found Love. His first record contract was with Lloyd Price's Double L Records. Later he signed for Atlantic who sent him to record at Stax where he teamed up with Steve Cropper and they collaborated on the classic In The Midnight Hour.

'Wicked Pickett' was his nickname. Many of his tracks were recorded at Muscle Shoals. He retuned to being a member of a group for a period in the late sixties as part of The Soul Clan.

Wilson has to be up there with all the great soul stars, a singer who fired up the dance floors and a major talent on the original Manchester soul club scene. His last hit was in 1972  with Fire and Water.

He appeared in the Blues Brothers 2000 film singing his hit 6345789.