Saturday, August 3, 2013

Jimmy Hall--I'm Happy That Love Has Found You (1980)

     There were several southern rock bands that deserved more recognition during their time, but was left in the wake of bands like Lynyrd Skynyrd, Charlie Daniels, and Marshall Tucker. Some of them were hard to classify because their orientation leaned beyond the boundaries of  rock. Little Feat and Sea Levell fell into that category. One group that leaned into a soul/rock sound was Wet Willie. Much of that could be contributed to the harmonica/sax and lead vocals of Jimmy Hall.
     Hall and drummer Lewis Ross started the band which at the time was called Fox in 1969, then a year later changed it to Wet Willie. They were always a popular band in the south, as they didn't rock quite as hard as Skynyrd, but their white soul conjured up images of a mix between them and a group from the Stax family of artists. They recorded a series of great albums, but never truly caught on to a nationwide audience outside of the single (and album), "Keep On Smiling" in 1974. They left a legacy of great albums, and from what I've been told legendary concerts. However, after record sales just wouldn't allow them to get another foothold in the business, they went separate ways in 1980.
     After the band's demise in 1980, lead singer Hall took off on his own and released the album, "Touch You" which spawned the top 40 hit, "I'm Happy That Love Has Found You". He had another charting hit a couple of years later with, "Fool For Your Love" in 1982, but since has found a niche as a studio musician. A move to Nashville prompted him to meet up with a small but talented group of like minded blues musicians and he has released a series of top notch albums over the last 17 years. If you are a fan of his, you need to check them out as well. We, of course have his biggest hit single here but also a little taste of what he's been up to lately with a song from the 2007 release, "Build Your Own Fire"


     

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