a fine version of
Parchment Farm
(although the original LP referred to the song as
Parchment
Farm
the correct title is
Parchman Farm
), but by 1966Riley’s Californian adventure was
at an end.He headed back to the Southwhere labels likeHi and Staxwere churning out
soulmusic to anew audience andwhereBilly again felt comfortable and able to compete.
December 1966 found him at the Brave-FalconClub inAtlanta, Georgia, where his
live showwas recorded and subsequently issuedbyhis re-activatedMojoRecords in1968
under the title ‘Southern Soul’.
Distribution was negligible and it is
without doubt his rarest album release. It
was licensed to Cowboy Carl Records of
Illinois in 1981 and re-appeared briefly,
retitled ‘Twist And Shout’.
This is the first time that the ‘Southern
Soul’ albumhas appearedon compact disc
and it provides a fascinating snapshot of a
typicalRileyperformance from theperiod.
There is no
Red Hot
, indeed rockabilly is
not on the agenda at all. Still chasing that
elusive hit record, Billy kept his act
contemporarywith amixtureof soul, funk
and rock ‘n’ roll, sixties style. The Go-Go
influence is apparent throughout,
especially with the inclusion of
I Washed
My Hands In MuddyWater
and
Poor Side
OfTown
, both recenthitsby JohnnyRivers.
11
Billy1966
