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Artist
Johnny Sayles
12+ albums
soulfunkDeadbluesfunk and blues
about
Johnny Sayles was born on February 9, 1937 in Winnsboro, Texas, USA. He died on August 17, 1993 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. Sayles was possibly one of the finest ‘tough-soul’ singers of the earliest (early 60s) soul era, and several of his recordings for George Leaner’s Chicago-based Mar-V-Lus label are as potent and telling as anything recorded by far better-known singers, such as Wilson Pickett and Otis Clay. Sayles only had four sides released at the time, but several others were reissued later on a superb Japanese album. At the age of 18, he moved to St. Louis and worked with Eugene Neal’s Rocking Kings, Ike Turner’s local Kings Of Rhythm, and fronted his own band at Chuck Berry’s Paradise Club. After quitting music for a time to study in Houston, in 1963 he joined the Five Dutones’ Review tour, playing the role of ‘Little’ Johnny Taylor, who had a current R&B number 1 hit with ‘Part Time Love’. His first recording for Leaner the fine, up-tempo ‘Don’t Turn Your Back On Me’, which featured Sayles’ driving, tough-soul vocal, and was coupled with ‘You Told A Lie’, a great Bobby Bland -style, ‘bluesoul’ track. His second release, ‘You Did Me Wrong’ (May 1964), with its metronomic slow, plodding beat, appealed equally to both blues and deep-soul lovers. It was backed by ‘Got You On My Mind’, an even slower and more bluesy number. Further Mar-V-Lus releases included the mid-paced ‘Tell Me Where I Stand’ and ‘The Girl That I Love’, Subsequently, Sayles joined a Lou Rawls s
top songs
albums
Soul Legend
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The Chess Story 1947-1975 (1967-1968) (Disc 12)
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Monster Vintage Halloween Soundtrack
Stompers, Floaters, and Floorshakers - Northern Soul
Man On The Inside
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All Tore Up: Unrequited Love, Tormented Romance, Tragedy and Tearjerkers... 1955-1968
Move With the Groove - Hardcore Chicago Soul 1962-1970
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All Tore Up: Unrequited Love, Tormented Romance, Tragedy & Tearjerkers (1955-1968)
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Vintage Halloween Soundtrack
Downtown Soulville!
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Johnny Sayles' Don't Turn Your Back On Me
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Soul legends - Rainy night in Georgia