The Very Best of Eddie Floyd

by Eddie Floyd

Overview

Although he is far from a household name in the 21st century, as a songwriter, producer, and performer Eddie Floyd made regular visits to the R&B charts from the mid-'60s through the mid-'70s while he was a part of the legendary Stax Records family. Floyd was originally hired by Stax as a writer and, paired with MG's guitarist Steve Cropper, he wrote several hits for the label, including one for himself, the classic "Knock on Wood" (based on the chord progression for "In the Midnight Hour" reversed), which was Floyd's second single when it was released in 1966. Later, Floyd began writing with another MG's member, Booker T. Jones, and his stay at Stax neatly divides into a Cropper era and a Jones era, both of which are covered in this fine 20-track set. Included are "Knock on Wood," the poignant "Big Bird" (written in the wake of Otis Redding's death, it should have been a bigger hit and remains a favorite of many collectors of vintage soul sides), and a strong cover of Sam Cooke's "Bring It on Home to Me," as well as essentially every key track Floyd sang lead on for Stax. He did much more behind the scenes as a writer and producer, but this set makes a solid introduction to Floyd as a performer, and while he might not have bottled dynamite on-stage quite as famously as Redding or Wilson Pickett, he certainly knew what to do with the recipe. The very definition of unsung, Eddie Floyd truly deserves a wider contemporary audience.

Product Details

Release Date:	07/17/2007
Label:	Stax
UPC:	0888072303058
catalogNumber:	30305
Rank:	84626

Tracks

1. Things Get Better
2. Knock on Wood
3. Raise Your Hand
4. Love Is a Doggone Good Thing
5. On a Saturday Night
6. Big Bird
7. I've Never Found a Girl (To Love Me Like You Do)
8. Bring It on Home to Me
9. I've Got to Have Your Love
10. Don't Tell Your Mama (Where You've Been)
11. Why Is the Wine Sweeter (On the Other Side)
12. California Girl
13. My Girl
14. The Best Years of My Life
15. Blood Is Thicker Than Water
16. Yum Yum Yum (I Want Some)
17. Baby, Lay Your Head Down (Gently on My Bed)
18. Check Me Out
19. Soul Street
20. I Got a Reason to Smile (Cause I Got You)

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Eddie Floyd   Primary Artist

Technical Credits

Steve Cropper   Composer
Eddie Floyd   Composer
Smokey Robinson   Composer
Bill Belmont   Licensing
Booker T. Jones   Composer
Rob Bowman   Liner Notes
Ronald White   Composer
Joe Shamwell   Composer
Alvertis Isbell   Composer
Larissa Collins   Art Direction