line up 1 (1965-71)

- Bobby Purify (aka Robert Lee Dickey) -- vocals

- James Purify (RIP 2021) - - vocals

  line up 2 (1974-77)

NEW - Ben Moroe (aka Bobby Purify) -- vocals (replaced 

  Robert Lee Dickey)

- James Purify (RIP 2021) - - vocals

- Ben and Spence (Ben Moore)

- Bobby Purify (solo efforts)

- James Purify (solo efforts)

- JImmy Tig and the Rounders (Ben Moore)

Genre: soul

Rating: *** (3 stars)

Title:  James and Bobby Purify

Company: Bell

Catalog: 6003

Year: 1967

Country/State: Muscle Shoals, Alabama

Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+

Comments: mono pressing

Available: 1

Catalog ID: 

Price: $35.00

Produced by Don Schroeder, 1966's "James and Bobby Purify" is simply a classic slice of mid-60s southern soul.  Curiously, for years it never dawned on us the album had been recorded at Muscle Shoals' Fame Studios rather than in Memphis.  The overall sound, the song selection, the whole package just has that unique Stax feel ...  For anyone who's viewed these guys as little more than a second rate Sam and Dave, this LP will come as a major surprise.  Backed by the cream of Muscle Shoals sessions players, James and Bobby never sounded as good.  The pair effortlessly roll through a first-rate mixture of ballads, up-tempo soul and Gospel-influenced numbers.  With the exception of a rote cover of Eddie Floyd's "Knock On Wood", there isn't a bad track on the album.  Besides the mega hit title track, highlights include the rollicking "Hitch Hike", a nice cover of The Nightingales "I Got Everything I Need" and the two other Dan Penn/Spooner Oldham originals "Wish You Didn't Have To Go" and "You Left the Water Running".

Nah, in spite of what the liner notes say, they weren't brothers.  They were cousins ...

"James and Bobby Purify" track listing:

(side 1)

1.) Wish You Didn't Have To Go   (Dan Penn - Spooner Oldham) - 2:15

2.) So Many Reasons   (Greene - Dan Penn) - 2:37

3.) Knock On Wood    (Steve Cropper - Eddie Floyd) - 2:35

4.) I've Been Loving You Too Long (To Stop Now)   (Otis Redding - Jerry Butler) - 3:00

5.) Hitch Hike    (Marvin Gaye - William Stevenson - Clarence Paul) - 2:16

6.) I've Got Everything I Need (I've Got You)    (Steve Cropper - Eddie Floyd) - 2:43

(side 2)

1.) I'm Your Puppet    (Dan Penn - Spooner Oldham) - 2:59

2.) You Left the Water Running   (Dan Penn - Spooner Oldham) - 2:40

3.) A Change Is Gonna Come   (Sam Cook) - 3:29

4.) Blame Me (Don't Blame My heart)   (Steve Cropper - Al Bell) - 3:38

5.) You Can't Keep a Good Man Down   (Papa Don Schroeder - Montgomery) - 2:34

Genre: soul

Rating: ** (2 stars)

Title:  The Pure Sounds of the Purifys

Company: Bell

Catalog: 6010S

Year: 1967

Country/State: Muscle Shoals, Alabama

Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+

Comments: stereo pressing

Available: 1

Catalog ID: 

Price: $35.00

Music is a product and when there is demand for a product, the marketplace responds by rushing to fill the gap.  Frequently the resulting product is poorly made, if not outright shoddy.  And that takes us to this album.  Released less than a year after their debut, 1967's "The Pure Sounds of the Purifys" was a good example of how the market worked. Produced by Papa Don Schroeder and recorded at the famed Muscle Shoals studios, the album sounded haphazard and rushed.  As non-writers The Purifys were dependent on producers for material and in this case they were poorly served.  The inclusion of multiple Stax covers may have seemed like a smart marketing move, but if did little to underscore the duo's originality.  The inclusion of two rote Sam and Dave tunes simply made you wonder just how desperate was Bell to pad the album out?  As good and energetic as the debut was, this one was simply flat and uninspired.  None of those criticisms were meant to demean Bobby and James Purify.  When paired with quality material the cousins were easily a match for Sam and Dave, or lesser known soul duos like Mel and Tim, or Baltimore's Gene and Eddie.  Sadly, this time around there just wasn't that much quality material.  Their covers of The Five Du-Tones 'Shake a Tail Feather' and The Rubber Band's 'Let Love Come Between Us' were acceptable while a cover of Willie Cobb's 'You Don't Love Me' stood as the album's most commercial and enjoyable track.  All told a disappointment.

"The Pure Sounds of the Purifys" track listing:

(side 1)

1.) I Take What I Want  (Isaac Hayes - Hodges - David Porter)  - 2:12   rating: *** stars

To be honest, their cover of this soul classic wasn't all that different than the Sam and Dave version.  Yeah, the speeded it up a little and Steve Cropper nifty little guitar riff was given a fuzz effect.  Nice, but not an improvement over the earlier version.  Bell tapped it as the LP's third single:

- 1967's 'I Take What I Want' b/w 'Sixteen Tons' (Bell catalog number 680)

2.) Hello There   (Dan Penn) - 2:21   rating: *** stars

I'm normally not a big fan of '50s ballads, but I have to admit that The Purifys turned in a surprisingly attractive cover of this one.

3.) Sixteen Tons   (Merle Travis) - 2:27   rating: * star

No idea why they thought this was a good song to cover ...  The shrill female backing singers didn't make it any better,

4.) I Don't Want To Have To Wait   (Don Colver)  - 3:10   rating: *** stars

With the church organ washes and the deep, Gospel-ish feel, the ballad 'I Don't Want To Have To Wait' would have been a great track for Solomon Burke.

5.) When Something Is Wrong (with My Baby)  (Isaac Hayes - David Porter) - 3:30   rating: ** stars

You had to wonder why anyone thought it would be a good idea to include another stab at a Sam and Dave hit.  Once again, their take wasn't that different and it suffered as a result of the comparison.

6.) Let Love Come Between Us   (Joe Sobotka - John Wyker III) - 2:23   rating: **** stars

A blue-eyed soul classic, their version was certainly better than The Rubber Band original.  One of the album's standout performances and the album's second single:

- 1967's 'Let Love Come Between Us' b/w 'I Don't Want To Have To Wait' (Bell catalog number 685).

(side 2)

1.) Shake a Tail Feather   (Otha Hayes - Andre Williams -Verlie Rice) - 2:08   rating: **** stars

'Shake a Tail Feather' offered up another classic soul cover.  In my book The Five Du-Tones own this song, but The Purifys did a solid job of updating the tune.  At the same time it's a sad commentary on modern society that most folks know the song via The Blues Brothers.  The song was tapped as the album's debut single:

- 1967's 'Shake a Tail Feather' b/w 'Goodness Gracious' (Bell catalog number 669)

2.) Soothe Me  (Sam Cooke) - 2:57   rating: *** stars

Always loved Sam Cooke's breezy 'Sooth Me' and while they turned in a nice enough version, why not listen to Cooke's original?

3.) Goodness Gracious   (Lindon Oldham - Dan Penn) - 1:51   rating: *** stars

'Goodness Gracious' wasn't anything special, but OMG did it sport  a mammoth bass line.

4.) I Love You (Most of All)   (Bill Withers) - 2:29  rating: ** stars

Breezy, but forgettable tune with kind of a Sam Cooke vibe to it ...  Chiefly interesting for the writing credit - early Bill Withers.

5.) You Don't Love Me   (Willie Cobb) - 2:57   rating: **** stars

Perhaps because I'd never heard it before, their cover of Willie Cobb's 'You Don't Love Me' stood as my favorite performance.  Kicked along by some swirling Hammond B3, this one had everything needed for chart success.  Shame it wasn't tapped as a single.  By the way, Cobb's bluesy original is even better.

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