O.V. Wright
A truly incendiary deep soul performer. O. V. Wright's melismatic vocals and Willie Mitchell's vaunted Hi Rhythm Section combined to make classic Memphis soul during the early '70s. Overton Vertis Wright learned his trade on the gospel circuit with the Sunset Travelers before going secular in 1964 with the passionate ballad "That's How Strong My Love Is" for Goldwax in Memphis. Otis Redding liked the song so much that he covered it, killing any chance of Wright's version hitting. Since Wright was already under contract to Houston-based Peacock as a gospel act, owner Don Robey demanded his return, and from then on, Wright appeared on Robey's Backbeat subsidiary. Wright's sanctified sound oozes sweet soul on the spine-chilling "You're Gonna Make Me Cry," a 1965 smash, but it took Memphis producer Willie Mitchell to wring the best consistently from Wright. Utilizing Mitchell's surging house rhythm section, Wright's early-'70s Backbeat singles "Ace of Spades," "A Nickel and a Nail," and "I Can't Take It" rank among the very best Southern soul of their era. No disco bandwagon for O. V. Wright -- he kept right on pouring out his emotions through the '70s, convincing his faithful that "I'd Rather Be (Blind, Crippled & Crazy)" and that he was "Into Something (Can't Shake Loose)." Unfortunately, he apparently was -- drugs have often been cited as causing Wright's downfall; the soul great died at only 41 years of age in 1980.
© Bill Dahl /TiVo
Discography
10 album(s) • Sorted by Bestseller
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Rare & Unissued Hi Recordings
Al Green, O.V. Wright, Don Bryant
Soul - Released by Fat Possum on 1 Jan 1989
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
A Nickel And A Nail And Ace Of Spades
R&B - Released by Geffen on 1 Jan 1971
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Soul Of O.V. Wright
Blues - Released by Geffen* on 1 Jan 1992
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Into Something (Can't Shake Loose)
R&B - Released by Fat Possum on 25 Jul 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Complete Back Beat / ABC Singles 1965-1975
Soul - Released by Geffen on 5 May 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
We're Still Together
Soul - Released by Fat Possum on 8 Jun 2010
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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God Blessed Our Love
Soul - Released by Susie Q Records on 26 Jan 2006
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo