The Very Best of Jackie Wilson

Wilson, Jackie

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The Collected Greatness of the Black Elvis

Though his discography is erratic, Jackie Wilson looms as one of the underappreciated titans of popular music, a dynamo who taught generations of performers—from Patti LaBelle to Michael Jackson— how to bring it live. Combining his hurt, everimpassioned loverman singing with rapid spins and splits and dancing feats of considerable skill, Wilson earned his title "Mr. Excitement" every night. Dionne Warwick, whose first national touring gig was opening for Wilson, recalls learning the fine art of galvanizing a crowd from him: "He always gave his audiences pure excitement." Even Elvis Presley was enamored: Between takes during the 1956 recording of The Million Dollar Quartet, the King can be heard raving about Jackie Wilson's live performance of "Don't Be Cruel."

A former boxer who grew up in Detroit, Wilson (1934–1984) could pump an ordinary song into a showstopping event. With him, the draw was rarely the song itself—it was what happened to it. He'd swoon as though in the grip of a paranormal force, or wind up pleading on his knees. He would combine extravagant blues dips, melismatic U-turns, and controlled trills (see the blithe, blazing-hot "Reet Petite") into a finely wrought emotional appeal.

Wilson was one of the most persuasive singers popular music has produced. Alas, this is not always reflected in his recording career, which was plagued by mismanagement. Early on, he enlivened jump blues and swing tunes with Billy Ward and the Dominoes, but as a solo artist he also got sidetracked doing schmaltzy pop. The tragedy of this becomes clear when you hear a song written by Berry Gordy Jr. before he started Motown: The doo-wop-tinged "Lonely Teardrops," one of Wilson's six Top 10 pop hits, demonstrates his gift for forthright confessional singing, while later singles (like "Baby Workout") exhibit a more assertive rhythmic swagger. Wilson proved that the combination of those traits could be incendiary—he's an important bridge between up-tempo '50s R&B and the more thoughtful, personal style of soul that Ray Charles made famous. Known for a stretch in the '60s as "the Black Elvis," Wilson earned the comparison with his sharp sense of timing and incandescent passion. To hear a singer leaving it all on the studio floor, cue up the 1967 gem "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher" or really anything here. It doesn't get much better than this.

Genre: R&B
Released: 1993, Brunswick/Ace
Key Tracks: "Lonely Teardrops," "Baby Workout," "I'll Be Satisfied," "I Get the Sweetest Feeling," "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher"
Next Stop: Clyde McPhatter: Clyde McPhatter
After That: Ben E. King: Don't Play That Song
Book Page: 870

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