Beau Williams [2021] - White Flag [Timeless]

I received the new single from soul/gospel veteran Beau Williams yesterday called "White Flag", and whilst it's a more funky tune than is usually posted, I felt that it deserves to be shared from an artist who has 'paid his dues'. 

I don't know what it is with the neo funk bands, but I can tell almost immediately that it's new and not as authentic as back in the day, perhaps it's the production. This new single is the business, the real deal, it's tight and funky and most of all authentic, from an artist who is now 71 but whose voice still sounds strong.

His name may not trip off the tongue but his career goes way back, as far as 1971 when he released a couple of singles as Bobo Mr. Soul on, what is becoming a bit of a legendary label, Houston's Ovide (which featured many tracks on the compilation I posted last week: "Get Your Point Over!").  

Curiously and coincidentally, his first single, "Answer To The Want Ads", was co-written by none other than Greg Perry (another artist featured last week whose first album "One For The Road" has just been reissued) along with Norman 'General' Johnson (Chairmen Of The Board) and Barney Perkins. I presume that it's an answer song to Honey Cone's "Want Ads" (who included Perry's wife Edna Wright (aka Sandy Wynns)) as the same writers wrote that song. The flip side is an early 70s heavy, psychedelic  funk tune "H.L.I.C." written by LeRoy Lewis a member of The T.S.U. Toronadoes, which has just appeared on a recent compilation "Get It!" by Tuff City who also released "Get Your Point Over!".

His next single from 1972 has been gaining attention in recent years, a song written by Phillip Mitchell, "Hitch Hike To Heartbreak Road" as it's a good crossover dancer. The flip is a wonderful deep soul cut written by Archie Bell "She's My Woman". It was recorded earlier on Ovide by Archie Bell & The Drells in 1967, but I actually prefer Bobo Mr. Soul's version.

He continued in the heavy/psychedelic funk groove on another release (which I'm guessing is the next release as no dates are available but may have been before Ovide) as James Williams & The Ghetto Sounds with "Wazuri" the only release on Ghetto, another Houston label, perhaps an off-shoot, one-off, from Ovide for this release? 

It wasn't until 1982 that he resurfaced as Beau Williams releasing four albums on Capitol before turning to gospel in 1989.  From that era, probably his best known song is "All Because Of You" from 1987. He had three entries in R&B chart, the previous single along with two ballads "You're The One" in 1984  and "There's Just Something About You" in 1986.

In 2014 Truth & Soul unearthed a couple of previously unreleased tracks and issued them on vinyl for the first time, "I'll Be Home Soon" / "Outside Love".

Since the late 80s Williams has been involved in gospel music and the new single due for release on 16 Jul 2021 comes as a bit of a surprise which I thought I'd share.

You can read more on his website.

Details

Rating:	7.8
Genre/Style:	Funk
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Timeless
Cat No:	None
Year:	16/07/2021
Key/BPM:	N/A
Value:	£1