RDX EXCLUSIVE
Artist: Kent and The Candidates
(Written by Bill King)
Title: 7" Release
Wha Cha Trying To Do? / I Know You’re Gonna Leave Me
Genre: Memphis Soul / 60s Rock
Year: 1967
Label: Double Shot Records
"Fantastic Memphis Soul"
- Stagga Lee WRFG 89.3FM - Atlanta, GA, USA
"Loving both of these feel good tracks!"
- Jay Scarlett Bayerischen Rundfunks Regional Radio - Munich, Germany
"Tracks have the Memphis Stax sound along with a 60's psychedelic rock flavor."
- Drew Keller WUTK-FM 90.3 - Knoxville, TN, USA
It was the summer of 1967 when Kent & the Candidates met piano/organist Bill King at Local 149 in Hollywood for an extended afternoon jam session. The band was looking to hire a new B-3 player and King fit right in.
The Candidates had made a name for themselves around LA as sidemen for two hit records, “Gimme Little Sign” and “Oogum Boogum Song” for singer Brenton Wood.
Drummer Kent Sprague (Butch Dubarri – Boone’s Farm) also held down the lead vocal chair. Alongside, long-time Little Richard sideman, guitarist Walter P. Smith and bassist Reginal Davis.
The band played a mix of Bobby Bland, Lowell Fulson, Otis Redding and others. As a premier backing band, the unit did a two-week stint at Mambo Maxie’s California Club on Santa Monica Boulevard in LA backing the Raelettes (Merry Clayton/Clydie King and Margaret Hendricks) and after hours at the De La Soul Social Club in Watts playing behind the Dells and other great singing groups of the era. Over the year the band traveled up and down the Pacific coast playing rhythm and blues lounges with one final stop at celebrity after hours club, The Duke in Las Vegas.
The four-piece band had a sound as wide as a football field. It was King’s daily dose of the east coast band the Vanilla Fudge while living in Greenwich Village and Kent Sprague’s hard-core driving drums and testimonial style vocals that made the band a much in demand entity.
One recording was made of the band by legendary producers Hooven and Wynn at Double Shot Records. Besides serving up hits from Brenton Wood, Double Shot scored a major hit with the Count Five’s “Psychotic Reaction” the only such venture away from rhythm & soul.
“Wha Cha Trying To Do?" and “I Know You’re Gonna Leave Me” where the first originals from Bill King released on the west coast. King wrote “Hurtin’ World” the same year, which was recorded by east coast artist Charlotte Stokes and produced by legendary pioneer Herb Abramson at the old Atlantic Studios in NYC. Janis Joplin would perform the song in front of thousands while sharing the stage with Memphis soul hierarchy at Stax Records annual Xmas bash in 1968.
King was heavily influenced by pianist Ramsey Lewis, organist Jimmy Smith, Booker T and the MGs and the funky piano jazz trio, The Three Sounds. The producers kept the band’s live sound in tack. It’s fat, edgy and funkier that a plate of mama’s home fried chicken, collard greens and a side dish of black-eyed peas and rice.
Available on Bandcamp
https://billkingpiano.bandcamp.com/
Artist: Kent and The Candidates
(Written by Bill King)
Title: 7" Release
Wha Cha Trying To Do? / I Know You’re Gonna Leave Me
Genre: Memphis Soul / 60s Rock
Year: 1967
Label: Double Shot Records
"Fantastic Memphis Soul"
- Stagga Lee WRFG 89.3FM - Atlanta, GA, USA
"Loving both of these feel good tracks!"
- Jay Scarlett Bayerischen Rundfunks Regional Radio - Munich, Germany
"Tracks have the Memphis Stax sound along with a 60's psychedelic rock flavor."
- Drew Keller WUTK-FM 90.3 - Knoxville, TN, USA
It was the summer of 1967 when Kent & the Candidates met piano/organist Bill King at Local 149 in Hollywood for an extended afternoon jam session. The band was looking to hire a new B-3 player and King fit right in.
The Candidates had made a name for themselves around LA as sidemen for two hit records, “Gimme Little Sign” and “Oogum Boogum Song” for singer Brenton Wood.
Drummer Kent Sprague (Butch Dubarri – Boone’s Farm) also held down the lead vocal chair. Alongside, long-time Little Richard sideman, guitarist Walter P. Smith and bassist Reginal Davis.
The band played a mix of Bobby Bland, Lowell Fulson, Otis Redding and others. As a premier backing band, the unit did a two-week stint at Mambo Maxie’s California Club on Santa Monica Boulevard in LA backing the Raelettes (Merry Clayton/Clydie King and Margaret Hendricks) and after hours at the De La Soul Social Club in Watts playing behind the Dells and other great singing groups of the era. Over the year the band traveled up and down the Pacific coast playing rhythm and blues lounges with one final stop at celebrity after hours club, The Duke in Las Vegas.
The four-piece band had a sound as wide as a football field. It was King’s daily dose of the east coast band the Vanilla Fudge while living in Greenwich Village and Kent Sprague’s hard-core driving drums and testimonial style vocals that made the band a much in demand entity.
One recording was made of the band by legendary producers Hooven and Wynn at Double Shot Records. Besides serving up hits from Brenton Wood, Double Shot scored a major hit with the Count Five’s “Psychotic Reaction” the only such venture away from rhythm & soul.
“Wha Cha Trying To Do?" and “I Know You’re Gonna Leave Me” where the first originals from Bill King released on the west coast. King wrote “Hurtin’ World” the same year, which was recorded by east coast artist Charlotte Stokes and produced by legendary pioneer Herb Abramson at the old Atlantic Studios in NYC. Janis Joplin would perform the song in front of thousands while sharing the stage with Memphis soul hierarchy at Stax Records annual Xmas bash in 1968.
King was heavily influenced by pianist Ramsey Lewis, organist Jimmy Smith, Booker T and the MGs and the funky piano jazz trio, The Three Sounds. The producers kept the band’s live sound in tack. It’s fat, edgy and funkier that a plate of mama’s home fried chicken, collard greens and a side dish of black-eyed peas and rice.
Available on Bandcamp
https://billkingpiano.bandcamp.com/
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