Search - Oscar Toney :: 1967-1968 - Oscar's Winners-Papa Don

One of southern souls greatest balladeer's

swampshaka | New Orleans, Louisiana | 07/11/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"southern soul don't git no finer than this! pleading, passionate and thouroughly persuasive is Oscar Toney Jr.'s performance throughout these recordings. These tracks initially cut for Bell Records in 1967-1968 find Toney primarily backed by Chips Moman's American Studio house band, who never fail to deliver the goods. I suppose my attraction to these recordings lie in my taste for good ol' fashioned deep soul balladry which Oscar serves up in hearty portions here, check out Oscar's renditions of Dan Penn's "Dark End Of The Street" and "Do Right Woman-Do Right Man", also check out the reworking of Jerry Butler's gospel tinged "For your Precious Love", and if that don't do it for ya you can dip into "A Love That Never Grows Cold" or the heart wrenching "Never Get Enough Of Your Love". Oscar Toney Jr. may never have reached the popularity level which Otis Redding reached in his short career, but was every ounce as important of an artist to his generation and genre of music."