Syl Johnson

Syl Johnson (b. July 1, 1936) is an American blues and soul singer and music producer.

Born Sylvester Thompson in Holly Springs, Mississippi, Johnson sang and played with blues artists Magic Sam, Billy Boy Arnold, Junior Wells and Howlin' Wolf in the 1950s, before recording with Jimmy Reed for Vee-Jay in 1959. He made his solo debut that same year with Federal, a subsidiary of King Records of Cincinnati, backed by Freddie King on guitar.

He then began recording for Twinight Records of Chicago in the mid 1960s. Beginning with his first hit, Come On Sock It to Me in 1967, Johnson dominated the label as both a hitmaker and producer. His song Different Strokes, also from 1967, featured recently on the Ultimate Breaks and Beats breakbeat compilation.

Like other black songwriters of the period, several of his records at this time explored themes of African-American identity and social problems in songs including Is It Because I'm Black, which reached Number 11 in the R&B charts in 1969.

In 1971, Willie Mitchell brought Johnson to Hi Records, for whom he recorded three albums and a number of singles. Produced in Memphis with the Hi house band, these yielded music of power and enduring value, including the hits We Did It, Back for a Taste of Your Love and Take Me to the River, his biggest success, reaching Number 7 on the R&B charts in 1975. However, at Hi Johnson was always to some extent in Al Green's shadow commercially, if not artistically.

After the Hi years ended, Johnson produced two LPs for his own Shama label, the latter of which (Ms. Fine Brown Frame, 1982) was picked up for distribution by Boardwalk Records and produced Johnson's last hit record, the title cut.

Around the mid-eighies, Johnson started a fast-food fish restaurant business, and became semi-retired from performing, only making occasional appearances at blues club gigs.[1]

In 1992, Johnson found out that his classic song "Different Strokes" have been sampled by number of rappers including Wu-Tang Clan, Hammer, and the Ghetto Boys. Stimulated by this fact, he decided to make a come back in the music business.[2] In 1994, he released the album Back in the Game on Delmark Records. The album featured the the Hi rhythm section and his youngest daughter Syleena Johnson.

Blues guitarist and singer Jimmy Johnson, and basisst Mack Thompson are his brothers.

Discographie

 1968 Dresses Too Short (Twinight)
 1970 Is It Because I'm Black? (Twinight)
 1973 Back For A Taste Of Your Love (Hi)
 1974 Diamond In The Rough (Hi)
 1975 Total Explosion (Hi)
 1979 Uptown Shakedown (Hi)
 1982 Ms. Fine Brown Frame (Shama)
 1994 Back In The Game (Delmark)
 1995 This Time Together by Father and Daughter (Twinight) with Syleena Johnson
 1995 Bridge to a Legacy (Antone's)
 1999 Talkin' About Chicago (Delmark)
 2000 Hands of Time (Hep Me)
 2001 Two Johnsons Are Better Than One (Evangeline) with Jimmy Johnson
 2004 Straight Up! (P-Vine)

Il a parmis les morceaux que j'aime le plus, "That's Just My Luck" avec ce violon de fou qui parcours toute l'instru, et le chant qu'il te sort, un de mes morceau préféré tou style confondu. C'est un blues, l'instru et son chant c'est du Blues et c'est énorme.
"I'm Talking about freedom" ou "Could I Be Falling In Love", qui a servie pour le fameux sample de Heaven Or Hell de Raekwon.

Le prie c'est que RZA l'a telement samplé que sa musique c'est devenu le son de la Soul pour moi. Et trop de ces morceaux sonnent trop sample du Wu Tang de toute façon.
Un monstre un chant de dingue et un son parfait quand il est bon.

Perso j adore , could I be fallin in love et It is because i'm black , deux gros titre , apres pour le reste j connais plutot mal