Syl Johnson

about

Syl Johnson (born Sylvester Thompson in Holly Springs, Mississippi, on 1 July 1936; died 6 February 2022 ) was an American blues and soul singer and music producer. His most successful records included "Different Strokes" (1967), "Is It Because I'm Black" (1969) and "Take Me to the River" (1975). "Different Strokes" has been sampled by number of rappers including Wu-Tang Clan, Hammer, and the Ghetto Boys. Blues guitarist and singer Jimmy Johnson, and bassist Mack Thompson, are his brothers. In the 1950s, Johnson sang and played with blues artists Magic Sam, Billy Boy Arnold, Junior Wells and Howlin' Wolf, before recording with Jimmy Reed for Vee-Jay in 1959. He made his solo debut that same year with Federal, a subsidiary of King Records of Cincinnati, backed by Freddie King on guitar. He then began recording for Twinight Records of Chicago in the mid 1960s. Beginning with his first hit, Come On Sock It to Me in 1967, Johnson dominated the label as both a hitmaker and producer. His song Different Strokes, also from 1967, featured recently on the Ultimate Breaks and Beats breakbeat compilation. Like other black songwriters of the period, several of his records at this time explored themes of African-American identity and social problems in songs including Is It Because I'm Black, which reached Number 11 in the R&B charts in 1969. In 1971, Willie Mitchell brought Johnson to Hi Records, for whom he recorded three albums and a number of singles. Produced in Memphis with the

top songs

albums

Complete Mythology

Is It Because I'm Black

Diamond In The Rough

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Dresses Too Short (1968) & Is It Because I'm Black (1970)

Music to My Ears

Dresses Too Short

Shaolin Soul Episode 1

Back for a Taste of Your Love

Back in the Game

Talkin' About Chicago

The Complete Twinight Singles

The Complete Syl Johnson on Hi Records

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