Week 31: Finger-lickin’
Hello, friends!
Week 31 offers another fine album from Cal’s and mine visit to the used record store (see Week 30) – when Cal chose the $800 Lee Fields joint, I went with a rare album by Art Jerry Miller…a mint copy of his “Rated X – Suggested for Mature Souls” from 1969! Both of the albums were found in the dollar bin…so the dollar spent on the Art Jerry Miller album is another fine investment – I just found the album for sale for over $300 right here!
But before we get into the music, we just need to thank you for the support you all laid on us and last week’s post. Much appreciated! A special thanks to SB is in order, for rounding up all our old regulars – felt like the good old days…nice to have you all back. You should come by more often! :¬)
We got some feedback on the new blog set-up as well. Some of you mentioned problems regarding the navigation on the site, so this might be a good time to give you all some simple instructions:
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1. If you click the right side of a posts main photo you go straight to the previous week’s post – click the left side of the main photo and you move forward. Real simple (if you know about it)!
2. If you forget how to navigate via the main photo, use the really big arrows at the bottom of each post! Can’t be missed!
3. If you want a quick overview of previous posts, or a speedy shortcut to a specific week – click the “Archive” button at the top right corner. Real nifty!
And if you have any other problems, need help in any way, or have suggestions for improvements – don’t hesitate, drop us a line!
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OK, now you know all there is to know about the navigation on 4BB Weekly – but what do you know about Art Jerry Miller?! Not much, right? Well, neither did I. I’m sure I remembered his name from somewhere, but to be honest, I picked this one up because of the risque cover photo and the generally misleading album title. And boy, I’m glad I did!
A first listen revealed a fantastic batch of sweet, laid back instrumentals – perfect for staying up late on a hot summer night, sipping on cool drinks in good company. Like the wonderful A-side closer “Finger-lickin’ Good” – cool and slammin’ at the same time, and a sample just waiting to happen…just listen:
According to the Stax archives (and the liner notes above), Art Jerry Miller, born in 1945, was a Memphis pianist/organist, who worked a lot for Hi Records. Funky 16 Corners’ Larry Grogan had this to say on Art Jerry Miller’s one and only LP in a post on Memphis organists (and Bobby Emmons in particular):
“Art Jerry Miller also started as part of the Hi studios band, writing the funky ‘Up Hard’ for Willie Mitchell. His 1969 LP, burdened with the suggestive but ultimately misleading (though there is a semi-visible breast on the album cover) title “Rated X: Suggested For Mature Souls”, was recorded for the Stax-associated Enterprise label. Miller is best known for the funky 45 ‘Grab a Handfull’ b/w ‘Finger Lickin’ Good’ (both tracks appear on the LP), but both of those numbers are largely electric piano features. Of the remaining organ-based tracks on the LP (which is entirely instrumental) the best are ‘Mod Strut’ and ‘Moon Shot’.
Bearing the clear influence of Booker T. & The MGs, Miller lays it down with help from drummer Willie Hall and the Memphis Horns. Though it doesn’t feature anything groundbreaking, the LP is still worth checking out if you dig soul organ. Bobby Emmons went on to write a number of country hits and play on scores of LPs. I have no idea what happened to Art Jerry Miller.”
Me neither – I can’t find any information whatsoever of what happened to A J…on the web or elsewhere. So I guess we have to settle for what we’ve got right here and now…a great set of 12 songs by an almost completely overlooked artist. Apart from my favourite cut “Finger-lickin’ Good”, I really like the album closer “Inner Soul” – but also seconds Larry’s opinion on both “Moon Shot” and “Mod Strut”. All in all, a thoroughly enjoyable experience!
Get your own copy of “Rated X – Suggested for Mature Souls” right here (ranging between $50 and $300)! Or why not his wicked 7″ “Grab a Handfull/Finger Lickin’ Good” available here!
Thank you for the music, A J!
65 comments on “Week 31: Finger-lickin’”
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4BB | Album Of The Week 
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Thank you Laffy… 🙂
I’m still working on them rips I told you about the other day…
What do you think.
Peace and blessings
Sorry, Vincent…totally forgot all about that! I’ll get back at you in the morning! 😉
Beautiful, tks for sharing!
exciting post 😉
thanks
Thanks Laf!
You’re welcome, Simon 🙂
This looks great.Completely new to me, so looking forward to it! Thanks!
Never heard any of this before!! Much thanks Laf and 4BBs. Can’t wait to hear this one. Im lovin’ that sample track already.
Interested to hear this Thanks guys
You guys have always been the gate-keepers of the groove. Thanx for another.
Hey fam! Life has been keeping me overly busy those past months, but I´m glad to come back and see that so many wonderful records have been posted. I kinda missed the blog 😉 Time for some catch up…
Peace y´all !
LP2!!!
Hope you’re OK!
And yeah, the blog’s been blessed with many great nuggets of sweet music!
Don’t be a stranger! 😉
/Laf
WOW..this is a true gem right here. Great for the summer nights.
thanks for sharing
Great find Laf,
I once saw this LP out in Cali in 2005.
They wanted $150 for a mint condition copy.
Sipping on a beverage, listening and enjoying….. Just like you said Laf.
You always come correct. Love the album even if it ain’t X-Rated…LOL.
Wonder what his sound would have evolved into if he’d done some more?
Quite a find and very entertaining. Keep’em coming.
Will do, Slick…check back next week! 😉
hey thanks alot for this joint!!! can’t wait to hear it, just from the sample vid alone my mouth is watering,lol
Hey, P…nice to see you back!
Thanks so much. I can’t wait to give this a listen.
Awesome, thank you very much
Wooh, Hot Hot Hot album!! Thanks a lot 4bros! You guys are the freaking best!!
Thanks, Laf. Definitely appreciate it.
i love y’all.
Thank you.
Many thanks Laf!
damn you guys keep commin’ with gems. i can’t wait to hear this one. much appreciated!
looks great 🙂 thanx 1
Thanks. Much appreciated.
Amazing album! THANKS a million friend!!!!
Say whaaaaaaat?! 😕
Yeah, that’s right, #2 😀
Uh, I don’t THINK so! 😛
once again another exquisite post from some of the hardest workin brothers doin’ it….appreciate the work & keep droppin’ jewels….PEACE
looks interesting…thanks for sharing
Sonray!!! Long time, no see 😉
Ok after seeing the title & cover I had no idea what to expect at all.. I was expecting some harder funk or really uptempo soul, but the first gem “suggested” starts this album off beautifully .. i don’t know what it is.. but I go bonkers over instrumentals… they get stuck in my head more often than songs wirh lyrics do.. very smooth and mellow, but this album is pure soul all throughout.. the sax in “take it all off” cuts through the mix and stirs the soul so textured … there are so many beautiful instrumentals on this album “pineapple wine” is such a great title for that song, and I can only imagine pineapple wine would taste like that song! (smooth and kinda bouncy) Finger-lickin’ Good my fav on the album, it just captures a groove so well… “Grab A Handful” now thats a jam kickng off a more spunky b-side mod strut is cool but moon shot is really cool (kinda has an expressway to your heart riff in there) inner soul kinda jazzy bluesy awesome closer … what a great album thanks for sharing
Couldn’t have said it better, Marty! I love this little gem too…I’ve had it spinning constantly for about a week now…it’s the perfect soundtrack for my vacation! Thanks you for the feedback, very much appreciated! 🙂
/Lafayette
Thanks a lot!! good summer 4 everybody !
Well, this album is another one I never came across, let alone Art Jerry Miller, except for his song ‘Strange Things’, which I enclose:
http://rapidshare.com/files/262782397/Art_Jerry_Miller_-_Strange_Things.rar
You and Cal – what a team! – have a great talent for coming up with these incredible gems 😉
Thanks m8s
Thanks for the link, Mr. Moo. 😉
Yeah….props for he bonus track, Moo! Where did you find it?! Which year is this? Sounds so very different…
Exellent! Thank You so much for all job You do here!!!
Yes, this song is quite different than any song on the album. I even doubted whether it’s the same Art Jerry Miller when I first listened to it (it’s quite vocal, for starters), although the organ sounds familiar. I can’t find any factual info, but I think it’s dated around 1969.
‘Strange Things’ is included in “Memphis 70 – The City’s Funk & Soul In The Decade After Otis 1968 To 1977”:
http://www.swapacd.com/cd/album/1313974-memphis+70
http://www.acerecords.co.uk/content.php?page_id=59&release=7741
http://www.dustygroove.com/item.php?id=dykg8cthtv
FYI: There’s another song ‘Got To Get Home’ which can be found in this compilation “Play The Game – The XL & Sounds Of Memphis Story Vol 2”:
http://www.swapacd.com/cd/album/1422950-play+the+game+the+xl+and+sounds+of+memphis+story+vol+2
http://www.acerecords.co.uk/content.php?page_id=59&release=7822
http://www.dustygroove.com/item.php?id=gstngftssr
And the (previously unreleased) single ‘Put Me In The Mood’ is part of “Let’s Crossover Again”:
http://www.swapacd.com/cd/album/450794-lets+crossover+again
http://www.freakemporium.com/archive/artist/Let's%20Crossover%20Again/artistpage.html
Yeah…I reacted pretty much the same way – until I heard the organ! 🙂
Thanks for the followthrough, Moo!
/Laf
Thanks!
thanks Laf! you guys keep coming with the hottest stuff. this record has got some real beautiful music on it. ‘take it all off’ and ‘inner soul’ are the stand out tracks for me. been bumpin ‘inner soul’ all day shit is so smooth. many thanks
Thanks for sharing the music and the knowledge.
Yeah, that’s the stuff I like. Thank you
Never heard of this before ,thanks a million.
thanks again fellas for another gem I probably would have never heard! hope all is well!!!
Very nice, thanks for sharing this.
Sweet, thanks for sharing this.
No problemo…and if you ike this one, try the Gregory James Edition – another great instrumental LP, but more spaced-out! 😀
thanks for sharing
I Love it. Thank you Lafayette.
Well, I do not know this artist, once again. Don’t blame me, blame my parents!
Thanks for this discovery, you are some kind of spaceship to me.
Part Booker T. part Bar-Kays pre. Mercury and the good old memphis stomp in the middle. I saw Booker T. this summer in Stockholm w. his new group of young rock musicians and I saw what they meant when it took several organists/pianists to fill his chair over at Stax. Art Jerry had a fine job indeed. A nice album. Thanx Laf & the Brothers.
/Funkback
There are some nice cuts on this one… thanks for sharing.
Beautifull post, many thanks for making me discover all those treasures
Fabulous work….
thank you !! great musics !! fantastic blog !!
I’ve hunted high and low for this album. Could you please reupload it?
Thanks! (great site btw…just discovered it)
Hi, Thomas!
Re-up in progress…check the link in the first comment at the top – should be available within the hour.
All the best,
L
thanks so much! groovy album
hey, I have two of these tracks and would love to hear the rest but I think the link is dead? it won’t open….
It is so refreshing to see that my father’s album is being appreciated after so many years. I am the younger of his two daughters and will definitely share this article with him…I know he will be ecstatic about this finding. Thank you for sharing his musical talents with the world and keeping his musical legacy alive.