RIP Willie Mitchell (1928-2010)

2010-01-09 by Hal Berstram

Al Green – I Didn’t Know

Received the sad news earlier this week that one of THE great soul producers of all time, Willie Mitchell, had passed away aged 81.

Mitchell started out as a jazz trumpeter then moved into production at the Memphis-based Hi Records in the 1960s. As Al Green’s producer for 9 albums on Hi from 1970 until 1976, and developed a distinctive production based around a razor-sharp drum sound, innovative string and horn arrangements and organ and guitar work that could be fiery or smooth as the mood demanded. The Hi backing group – featuring such brilliant musicians as Teenie Hodges on guitar, Charles Hodges on organ, Leroy Hodges on bass and drummer Howard Grimes – were an indispensable part of the sound. With them, Green and Mitchell produced at least half a dozen classic soul albums in that time period – Al Green Gets Next To You, Let’s Stay Together, Call Me, Al Green is Love – the list goes on.

In the 2000s, they hooked up again for I Can’t Stop and Everything’s OK, two albums sounding like they could have been recorded in 1974… which was just fine with me. The old magic was still there.

Al Green albums always used to feature a long, slow track – usually a cover of an artist who would not normally be associated with the soul genre, but whose work was transformed in Mitchell’s hands (e.g. The Bee Gees’ “How Can You Mend a Broken Heart” or Kris Kristofferson’s “For The Good Times”.) The track featured here, however (from Al Green Is Love) is a Green original. Although I like Green on uptempo or downtempo numbers equally, there’s just an amazing intensity about these long cuts that you will not find many other places in the whole of music. And the production is just perfect.

You’ll be much missed, Willie.

Download MP3 (0:00min / 0MB)

Available from Rough Trade
on reissue vinyl! Nice
Willie Mitchell and Royal Studios website
# | Posted in > p*soul | soul | *now offline*
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  1. The Double K says (on Jan 9, 2010 @ 09:58 AM):

    Sad news indeed – RIP Willie.
    You're right about those long tracks. How Can You Mend A Broken Heart is totally awesome – I never knew it was a Bee Gees number.

  2. stevie G says (on Jan 12, 2010 @ 08:53 PM):

    RIP

    Here is my tribute

    http://djstevieg.podomatic.com/entry/eg/2010-01-12T11_00_38-08_00

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