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MP3 Charles Wigg Walker - Still Finding My Way
15 MP3 Songs in this album (56:27) !
Related styles: URBAN/R&B: Rhythm & Blues, URBAN/R&B: Funk
People who are interested in Otis Redding Tower of Power Johnny Taylor should consider this download.
Details:
Charles Walker is a native of Nashville , Tennessee and actually began his recording career there. R&B record collectors have long assumed him to be a New York artist since the majority of his records were recorded there and released by New York labels.
Charles or ‘Wigg’ as he is known by his friends ( his mother nicknamed him when he was born with a full head of hair) cut his first record in 1959 for Ted Jarretts legendary Champion labels. One cut ‘Slave To Love’ was credited to “Charles Walker and the Daffodils”. In fact there was no such group as the Daffodils. The backup singers on the record were labelmates the Kinglets and Larry Birdsong.
In 1960 Charles moved to New York City where studios and nightclub work was plentiful. 1962 found Charles recording with Chess Records out of Chicago and soon signed on as lead singer with the J.C. Davis Band. This band began touring the country opening for the greats of the era including James Brown, Jackie Wilson, Etta James, Wilson Pickett, Little Willie John, Otis Redding and Sam Cook and recorded some real barn-stormers like ‘ Sweet Sweet Love’ and ‘The Chicken Scratch’. In 1964 Charles formed his own group ‘Little Charles and the Sidewinders’. They became one of the most in demand soul bands in New York City’s nightclub scene , performing at the Apollo Theater, Small Paradise and venturing out to Las Vegas and Atlantic City . They subsequently recorded for Chess and Decca labels. The Sidewinders stayed together through the 60’s and in 1969 Charles cut some sides for Botanic Records. The Sidewinders reformed in 1973 and worked as a show band in hotels, nightclubs and casinos without the benefit of a recording contract. In 1979 Charles signed on with Motown as a staff writer.
Early in the 80’s Charles recorded in England and re-issued many of the Sidewinders classic sides. Realizing that there was a market for soul music in the U.K. , he formed his own label P.R.G. and released the single ‘See Me’ in Europe. Charles spent most of the 1980’s in England and Spain and worked steadily and recorded occasionally, but this wasn’t enough. In 1993 he moved back to Nashville to do some serious recording since Nashville’s Blues and R&B scene was really booming. He also released an album on the U.K. label Zane records called ‘ Number By Heart ’ around the same time.
Charles has recently been the featured singer for a band called ‘The Dynamites featuring Charles Walker’ and a record was released in June of 2007 “Kaboom” on Outasight Records a Sony subsidiary label. They are currently touring the states and have a European tour planned.
In 2004 , he was contacted by a producer Randy Coleman who had worked with him live and some in the studio in 1994. They had lost touch with each other for about 10 years. But in 05’ and 06’ they decided to start cutting tracks for a solo project . Charles cut about 27 new tracks , some written by Charles and the others written by Johnny Neel (formerly of the Allman Bros. Seven Turns album), Ronnie Godfrey(Formerly of The Marshall Tucker Band), Kim Morrison and various other writers.
This new solo album titled “Still Finding My Way” will soon be available on CD BABY. It is a culmination of various r&b , soul ,and funk grooves from Otis Redding to Tower of Power featuring an extremely tight rhythm and horn section with strong backing vocals both male and female. There are some very strong ballads such as ‘How Wrong’ , and some furious funk on one cut titled ‘ Livin In A World of Hurt ’. The title cut is something along the feel of ‘Dock of the Bay’ about Charles’ life in the business.
Charles is one of the few remaining original soul singers from back in the day when what is termed today, as ‘old school r&b’ was brand new on the popular music scene , all around the world. There has recently been a resurgence of this style of music and it is finding a younger audience as well as rekindling memoryies for the old schoolers. If you’re a soul and R&B fan you”ll enjoy this solo project from Charles ‘Wigg’ Walker.
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