All You Wanna Do Is Ride Around, Sally.


The word came down this afternoon that Wilson Pickett had died today at the age of 64. I'd forgotten how well he could belt out a tune, and for that reason I shall haul out my vinyl and crank up the old KLH directly.

I went to the last big Murray the K show in NY back about 1967 or so with my girlfriend Lynn, who had stolen my heart temporarily before she decamped to Norway. One of the featured acts was the Wilson Pickett Soul Review. The only thing that even came close was Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels.

Damn, the man had style and voice power that may not be seen for a long time to come. He was on stage in a bright spotlight, dressed in a green and gold iridescent suit with a moderately sized Afro-if you have to ask what all that was you're too young. There was a three girl chorus on the side, and the band was behind him on chrome columns and waaaaaaaaaay at the top was a dude on a double set of drums-and the horns! Oh my word! the horns!

One thing's for sure-the party over on the Other Side sure got a lot louder and more fun because now, they got somethin' to DANCE to.