King Curtis - Soul Serenade (Vinyl LP)

King Curtis – Soul Serenade is an album by tenor saxophonist King Curtis, first released on Capitol in 1964 and produced by Dave Cavanaugh. It contains Curtis' best-known composition, Soul Serenade, co-written with Luther Dixon, plus Soul Twist, alongside instrumental versions of R&B and pop hits such as Tequila, Night Train, Honky Tonk, Memphis and Herbie Hancock's Watermelon Man. The short, danceable tracks show Curtis' powerful, gritty saxophone tone that shaped many soul and R&B records of the 1960s. In the UK the album first appeared on Speciality in 1967, with liner notes by John Abbey. This copy is that 1967 UK edition (cat. no. SPE 6600) with the original inner sleeve.

Pressing details

• Label / Cat. no.: Speciality SPE 6600
• Format: Vinyl LP, Album, Stereo
• Pressing: UK original (first UK edition)
• Country: UK
• Year of this pressing: 1967 (US original: 1964)
• Genre: Soul & Funk, Jazz, Rhythm & blues
• Extras: Original inner sleeve (OIS)

Condition

• Condition: Second hand
• Media: NM-
• Cover: VG+ with edge wear

Graded to Goldmine standard (see Vinyl Grading). The images are our own scans of the actual copy for sale.

Tracklist

Side A

1. Tequila (Chuck Rio)
2. Night Train (Jimmy Forrest/Lewis Simpkins/Oscar Washington)
3. Java (Allen Toussaint/Alvin Tyler/Freddy Friday)
4. Harlem Nocturne (Earle Hagen/Dick Rogers)
5. Honky Tonk (Bill Doggett/Billy Butler/Clifford Scott/Shep Shepherd)
6. Soul Twist (Curtis Ousley)

Side B

1. Memphis (Chuck Berry)
2. Watermelon Man (Herbie Hancock)
3. Soul Serenade (Curtis Ousley/Luther Dixon)
4. Swingin' Shepherd Blues (Moe Koffman/Kenny Jacobson/Rhoda Roberts)
5. My Last Date (With You) (Floyd Cramer/Boudleaux Bryant/Skeeter Davis)
6. Wiggle Wobble (Les Cooper)

Personnel

King Curtis (tenor saxophone) with band; credited on the labels as King Curtis And The Noble Knights.

Produced by Dave Cavanaugh; liner notes of the UK edition: John Abbey.

FAQ

Is this the original pressing?
It is the first UK edition from 1967 on Speciality (SPE 6600). The very first release came out in the US in 1964 on Capitol (ST 2095).

Who wrote Soul Serenade?
King Curtis himself, born Curtis Ousley, together with Luther Dixon. The piece was later recorded by Aretha Franklin and Willie Mitchell, among others.

What does Media NM- / Cover VG+ mean?
NM- (Near Mint minus) for the record means close to new with at most minimal signs of use. VG+ (Very Good Plus) for the sleeve means light wear. All grades are explained on our Vinyl Grading page.

Do you have more King Curtis records?
Yes, for example King Curtis – Everybody's Talkin'. More titles are in our Soul & Funk collection.