🎵 AotW Charles Bevel: MEET 'MISSISSIPPI CHARLES' BEVEL (A&M SP 4412)

Charles Bevel
MEET "MISSISSIPPI CHARLES" BEVEL
A&M SP-4412


Singer/Songwriter Charles Bevel was discovered by Isaac Hayes' manager and found a mentor in Soul Music Legend Jerry Butler ("The Ice Man"), executive producer of this album.

SIDE ONE
Overheard 6:38/ This Thing Happened to Me (Not in a Dream) 3:30/ You've Got the Power 4:19/ Keep on Stepping 4:23.

SIDE TWO:
Making a Decision 3:33/ Sally B. White 3:19/ Porcupine Meat 2:49/ Don't Lie to Me 3:19/ Trying to Break the Habit 4:28/ Black Santa Claus 3:06.

All songs by Charles Bevel, Butler Music Corp./Chappell Music Co. ASCAP
Produced by Calvin Carter for Fountain Record Productions

Recorded at Universal Studio, Chicago IL
Bass: Cleveland Eateon, Phil Uphchurch, Richard Evans
Drums: Morris Jennings, Ira Gates, Brian Grice
Lead Guitar & Wah-Wah: Phil Upchurch
Acoustic & Rhythm Guitars: Charles Bevel, Gerald Sims, Phil Upchurch, Roland Steele

Keyboard: Sonny Burke, Floyd Morris, Tennison Stephens
Percussion: Bobby Christian
Trumpet: Burgess Gardner, Murray Watson, George Bean
Trombone: John Avant, Morris, Ellis
Flute & Recorder: Kaye Clements, James Mack
Tenor Sax: Cliffton Davis, Donald Myrick
Baritone Sax: Willie Henderson

Strings: Karl Fruh, Emil Mitlermann, Harold Klatz, Roger Moulton, Elliot Golub, Bruce Hayden, Zlatoff Mirsky, Sol Bobrov, Frank Borgognone, Samuel Thavin, Ruth Goodman, Arthur Ahlman, Steven Galloway, Irving Levin, Leonard Chauson

All arrangements by James Mack except "Decision" (Johnny Pate)
Art Direction: Roland Young
Album Design: Chuck Beeson
Photography: Christian Micoine
Liner notes by: Chuck Casell

A special thanks to Jo-Ann Black who was kind enough to bring my homemade tapes to the attention of Billy Butler and the other members of Jerry Butler's songwriting workshop.

JB

https://www.blackradiodays.com/dfcharbev.htm

​

 

[W.B.]

I.I.N.M., the Sonny Burke credited amongst the keyboardists on this album is not the same person who produced many of Frank Sinatra's Reprise sides of the 1960's (most particularly the albums).

 

[Dave]

Holy shades in creation! Found out about "Black Santa Claus" via the A&M Corner Home Page, then had to look for this thread...

Glad to have heard this song, too... The Audio is provided & I urge many of you, if a fan of R&B, and perhaps an Isaac Hayes fan, at that, to check it out... It has a real neat Malaco Records feel... And wonder what the rest of the songs there must sound like... ("Understanding" and "Porcupine Meat" are resulting songs of Bevel's living in Liberia after being just married with his new bride, while "Making A Decision" is a saga of Mississippi Charles time to leave the TV station he'd been working at to finally step out and start his musical career...) Of which he'd had no musical experience, publicly singing or playing--just teaching himself to play a guitar he'd been given at age-30, and made the rest history...


-- Dave

 

[Rudy]

Wonder no more!

I found a very clean promotional copy of this record last month, and finally had a chance to upload this rarity and link it in the first post of this AotW entry.

Also, for a bio on Charles Bevel, JB has a link above that is worth reading:

https://www.blackradiodays.com/dfcharbev.htm

Give a listen to this rarity and put your thoughts below.

 

[Rudy]

For some reason, that link failed to stick when I posted it. Anyway, here is the complete album, which should have been in the post above.