Neighbor, Neighbor

It's been a hectic week or so around here with work, preparing for the holidays, my cousin's wedding, and my sister moving to Italy with her fiancee, so while I have an evening or two before my in-laws come in to stay with me, let's talk about a record. Tonight, that record is Jimmy Hughes' version of "Neighbor, Neighbor" on Fame. I'd heard this tune before, the polished r'n'b version of The Graham Bond Organisation and the brutal yet phenomenal punk of New Zealand's Chants R&B (the CD on Bacchus Archives is highly recommended).

Jimmy Hughes' version is a straight up r'n'b, the 45 recorded so loud it seems to show the limits of the format. The vocals are nice and soulful, and there are plenty of clear guitar lines in the tune, which really sets it off, while the bass grumbles through most of the bottom end. Quite a juxtaposition. My copy of the 45 is not in the best shape, either, which I believe somehow lends to the grit and beauty of this record.

You can check out this tune via the great site The Soul of the Net, a site which I highly recommend. There are plenty of other sound clips there as well, both from Jimmy Hughes and other soul artists.