Higher And Higher
Posted: Mon Jul 08, 2019 10:51 pm
When introducing Jackie Wilson to the audience at the Las Vegas midnight show on 20 August 1974, Elvis performed just one line of Wilson's famous song, "Higher and Higher."
Wilson recorded this in Chicago with members of The Funk Brothers, who were Motown's house band. As detailed in the documentary Standing In The Shadows Of Motown, these musicians were responsible for the distinctive Motown sound, but they didn't make much money and moonlighted by playing sessions for artists like Wilson. Playing on this track were bassist James Jamerson, drummer Richard "Pistol" Allen, guitarist Robert White, and keyboardist Johnny Griffith.
Released in August 1967, on the album Higher and Higher, the song reached number one on the US Billboard R&B chart and, in November, peaked on the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 6.
https://youtu.be/mzDVaKRApcg
But what about The Dells’ version? According to Songfacts, ‘Higher and Higher’
Yet, is that all there is to it? That The Dells recorded the original, and Wilson ‘covered’ it? It seems to me The Dells recorded one version of ‘Higher and Higher’, while Wilson recorded a fairly different version of it. Let me know what you think of it. Thx!
Compare with The Dells’ version:
https://youtu.be/XJOPOc9hQAM
Sources:
https://www.songfacts.com/facts/jackie- ... and-higher
https://davidneale.eu/elvis/originals/list1.html#S1721
Wilson recorded this in Chicago with members of The Funk Brothers, who were Motown's house band. As detailed in the documentary Standing In The Shadows Of Motown, these musicians were responsible for the distinctive Motown sound, but they didn't make much money and moonlighted by playing sessions for artists like Wilson. Playing on this track were bassist James Jamerson, drummer Richard "Pistol" Allen, guitarist Robert White, and keyboardist Johnny Griffith.
Released in August 1967, on the album Higher and Higher, the song reached number one on the US Billboard R&B chart and, in November, peaked on the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 6.
https://youtu.be/mzDVaKRApcg
But what about The Dells’ version? According to Songfacts, ‘Higher and Higher’
was originally recorded by the vocal group The Dells [i.e. before Jackie Wilson]. It was written by the blind songwriter and producer from Chicago, Raynard Minor, who worked on the original version with Billy Davis of Chess Records and producer Carl Smith. Davis allowed another songwriter in the Chess stable, Gary Jackson, to make some changes and pitch the song, with Davis removed from the credits. Jackson got the song to Brunswick Records, and they recorded it with their artist Jackie Wilson before The Dells could release their version.
Yet, is that all there is to it? That The Dells recorded the original, and Wilson ‘covered’ it? It seems to me The Dells recorded one version of ‘Higher and Higher’, while Wilson recorded a fairly different version of it. Let me know what you think of it. Thx!
Compare with The Dells’ version:
https://youtu.be/XJOPOc9hQAM
Sources:
https://www.songfacts.com/facts/jackie- ... and-higher
https://davidneale.eu/elvis/originals/list1.html#S1721
