Singer Jackie Wilson landed a slew of hit singles in the 1950s and early ’60s with a sophisticated strain of R&B that crossed over to the pop charts. In 1967 he managed a sizable comeback with the song for which he is now likely best remembered, “(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher.” The coinciding LP Higher and Higher, ranked amongst his best, is getting a well-deserved vinyl edition on June 14 by ORG Music as part of the label’s ongoing Brunswick Records reissue series. It finds Wilson in strong form throughout with typically dynamic backing from members of the Funk Brothers.
To insinuate that Jackie Wilson is today a neglected figure would be ludicrous given how “(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher” has endured as a musical staple. It feels safe to say I’ve heard this tidy platter of pop-soul uplift at least 50 times while shopping for groceries alone, a number that can be doubled (probably tripled) when taking oldies station rotation into account.
To be clear, Wilson has other killer songs in his body of work, and to expand on his importance, he’s a crucial figure in bringing an admittedly smooth and erudite strain of R&B to wider acceptance. In turn, he helped lay the groundwork for soul music of a refined variety. But here’s another flat fact: Wilson hasn’t been well served in the vinyl reissue market, perhaps in part because none of the full-length albums he cut have grown into consensus classics.
Wilson recorded over two dozen albums between 1958 and 1976, but only a small number made a dent in either the R&B or the pop charts. But just as germane to the issue is how that many LPs is a surefire recipe for an uneven discography, especially considering Wilson’s penchant for Broadway show tunes and straight schmaltz (a tendency spanning back to the ’50s that necessitated his comeback).
But if Higher and Higher had not been essentially out of print across the decades following its 1967 release, it also seems likely the record’s reputation might’ve grown alongside the single that gave it a title, especially as one of the album’s most impressive aspects is how its momentum never really staggers on either side. But are there a few peaks and valleys? Sure.
Higher and Higher begins with the hit tune (no shame cast upon anyone who’s unfamiliar with it), the cut opening with large, lithe bass, clean guitar strum and a crisp rhythm prior to Wilson’s confident vocal entering the scheme. From there, strings, horns and female backing vocals fill out three minutes of confidently soulful perfection, with Wilson’s falsetto the icing on the cake. it’s easy to comprehend his earned sobriquet “Mr. Excitement.”
“I Don’t Need You Around” slows the pace with lushness, as the strings are plentiful (and crucially devoid of syrup) but with soul verve at the core (there’s even a stretch that’s reminiscent of a Northern Soul Percy Sledge). It’s a sweet little slow burn kiss-off number, gradually progressing to full bloom with Wilson in command as he’s enhanced with more vocal backing.
Written by Van McCoy, “I’ve Lost You” is an energetic mover nodding to developments in early ’70s R&B, and even more so the grand vocal group sweep of “Those Heartaches,” with both tracks solidifying how Wilson’s Chicago comeback (in tandem with producer Carl Davis) largely avoided chasing last year’s trends and mostly stayed off the Middle of the Road.
This isn’t to suggest that Higher and Higher is a groundbreaking affair or that every (hell, any) song on it approaches the heights of the title cut; not at all, as side one’s closer “Soulville” is likeable but minor in how it dishes a vaguely Arthur Conley-ish motif. No, the record’s success is built foremost upon stylistic focus, as it’s a soul/R&B album from start to finish.
Then, there’s the essential enhancement of Wilson’s voice at undiminished strength bettering every track. And finally, but no less importantly, there’s the sharp musicianship, with bassist James Jamerson, drummer Richard “Pistol” Allen, guitarist Robert White, and keyboardist Johnny Griffith contributing to the single (and I suspect to additional tracks on the album).
Side two begins with “Open the Door to Your Heart,” the strings sweeping, the horns robust, and the rhythms driving as Wilson hits his familiar target, blending passion and flair. Next, “I’m the One to Do It” exudes a distinct Motown feel, as much through Wilson’s Levi Stubbs-esque vocal as in the playing (it does bear noting that a pre-Motown Barry Gordy wrote a few hits for Wilson). And then comes the up-tempo “You Can Count on Me,” the record’s momentum maintained, as mentioned above.
If there’s a throwback on Higher and Higher, it’s the gal-backing drenched sax-laden groover “I Need Your Loving,” which hits a bit like a Sam Cooke as a blues belter. If it’s filler, it’s the best kind of filler. Nearing the close, “Somebody Up There” taps back into the uplift mode of “Higher and Higher” and with a gospel undercurrent that’s intensified further in the lush finale “When Will Our Day Come.”
Falling somewhat short of masterpiece level (with the opening track an exception, of course), it’s debatable if Higher and Higher is Jackie Wilson best LP. Other contenders include Soul Time, Soul Galore, and Whispers. Hopefully, ORG Music gets around to reissuing them all so we can sort out the hierarchy here.
GRADED ON A CURVE:
A-
