Arthur Alexander (May 10, 1940 – June 9, 1993) was an American

country soul ''Country Soul'' contains recordings of a prestardom Glen Campbell, which were made around 1960-1961. This album, just like the other Starday album '' Country Music Star No. 1'', was released after Glen Campbell rose to international fame with hit ...

songwriter and singer. Jason Ankeny, music critic for

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Music ...

, said Alexander was a "country-soul pioneer" and that, though largely unknown, "his music is the stuff of genius, a poignant and deeply intimate body of work on par with the best of his contemporaries." Alexander's songs were covered by such stars as

the Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...

the Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the gritty, rhythmically dr ...

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...

, Gerry and the Pacemakers,

Otis Redding Otis Ray Redding Jr. (September 9, 1941 – December 10, 1967) was an American singer and songwriter. He is considered one of the greatest singers in the history of American popular music and a seminal artist in soul music and rhythm and blues. ...

Tina Turner Tina Turner (born Anna Mae Bullock; November 26, 1939) is an American-born Swiss retired singer and actress. Widely referred to as the " Queen of Rock 'n' Roll", she rose to prominence as the lead singer of the Ike & Tina Turner Revue before ...

Pearl Jam Pearl Jam is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. The band's lineup consists of founding members Jeff Ament (bass guitar), Stone Gossard (rhythm guitar), Mike McCready (lead guitar), and Eddie Vedder (lead vocals, g ...

, and

Jerry Lee Lewis Jerry Lee Lewis (September 29, 1935October 28, 2022) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Nicknamed "The Killer", he was described as " rock & roll's first great wild man". A pioneer of rock and roll and rockabilly music, Lewis mad ...

Life

Alexander was born in Sheffield, Alabama, United States. Working with Spar Music in

Florence Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico ...

, Alabama, Alexander recorded his first single, "Sally Sue Brown", under the name of June Alexander (short for Junior), which was released in 1960 on Jud Phillips'

Judd Records Judd Records was started by Jud Phillips (died 1992), brother of Sun Records co-founder Sam Phillips. Early releases were mostly recorded in Nashville or Memphis, but carried an address of Memphis, New York City, and Florence, Alabama (Phillips' h ...

. (Phillips is the brother of music pioneer Sam Phillips). A year later, Alexander cut " You Better Move On", at the fledgling

FAME Studios FAME (Florence Alabama Music Enterprises) Studios is a recording studio located at 603 East Avalon Avenue in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, an area of northern Alabama known as the Shoals. Though small and distant from the main recording locations of the ...

, which at that point was located above the City Drug Store in

Florence, Alabama Florence is a city in, and the county seat of, Lauderdale County, Alabama, United States, in the state's northwestern corner. It is situated along the Tennessee River and is home to the University of North Alabama, the oldest college in the ...

. (The studio would shortly move to its more famous location in nearby

Muscle Shoals, Alabama Muscle Shoals is the largest city in Colbert County, Alabama, United States. It is located along the Tennessee River in the northern part of the state and, as of the 2010 census, the population of Muscle Shoals was 13,146. The estimated popu ...

.) Released on Nashville's Dot Records, the song became a soul/R&B chart hit, and laid the foundation for the modern recording studio FAME. "You Better Move On" is perhaps Alexander's best-known song,

covered Cover or covers may refer to: Packaging * Another name for a lid * Cover (philately), generic term for envelope or package * Album cover, the front of the packaging * Book cover or magazine cover ** Book design ** Back cover copy, part of copy ...

the Hollies The Hollies are a British pop rock band, formed in 1962. One of the leading British groups of the 1960s and into the mid-1970s, they are known for their distinctive three-part vocal harmony style. Allan Clarke and Graham Nash founded the band ...

, George Jones & Johnny Paycheck,

Gene Clark Harold Eugene Clark (November 17, 1944 – May 24, 1991) was an American singer-songwriter and founding member of the folk rock band the Byrds. He was the Byrds' principal songwriter between 1964 and early 1966, writing most of the band's best ...

(from

the Byrds The Byrds () were an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1964. The band underwent multiple lineup changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn (known as Jim McGuinn until mid-1967) remaining the sole con ...

) and Mink DeVille. "

Anna (Go to Him) "Anna (Go to Him)", or simply "Anna", is a song written and originally recorded by Arthur Alexander. His version was released as a single by Dot Records on September 17, 1962. A cover version was performed by the Beatles and included on their 196 ...

", a U.S. R&B Top Ten Hit, was covered by

Roger McGuinn James Roger McGuinn (born James Joseph McGuinn III; July 13, 1942) is an American musician. He is best known for being the frontman and leader of the Byrds. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for his work with the Byrds. As a ...

(from

The Byrds The Byrds () were an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1964. The band underwent multiple lineup changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn (known as Jim McGuinn until mid-1967) remaining the sole con ...

) and

Humble Pie Humble Pie are an English rock band formed by guitarist and singer Steve Marriott in Moreton, Essex, in 1969. They are known as one of the first supergroups of the late 1960s and found success in the early 1970s with songs such as " Black C ...

The Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...

did live recordings of " Soldier of Love" (also performed by

Marshall Crenshaw Marshall Howard Crenshaw (born November 11, 1953) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and guitarist best known for hit songs such as "Someday, Someway," a US top 40 hit in 1982, "Cynical Girl," and "Whenever You're on My Mind." He is ...

and

), " A Shot of Rhythm and Blues", and "

Where Have You Been "Where Have You Been" is a song by Barbadian singer Rihanna, from her sixth studio album, ''Talk That Talk'' (2011) serving as the fifth single. The song was written by Ester Dean, Geoff Mack, Lukasz "Dr. Luke" Gottwald, Henry "Cirkut" Walte ...

" at the Star-Club in Hamburg in 1962. In 1962, Steve Alaimo was the first to record Alexander's " Every Day I Have to Cry", which reached No.46 on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart. Dusty Springfield also recorded the song for her first UK solo EP, "I Only Want to Be With You", released in 1964. In the mid-1960s, Alexander switched to another label,

Sound Stage 7 Sound Stage 7 was an American, Nashville, Tennessee based record label of the 1960s and 1970s, noted mainly for its soul music releases. The label's biggest star was Joe Simon, who placed numerous singles on the US R&B and pop charts during his ...

, but failed to find commercial success. Although a 1972 album for

Warner Brothers Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...

was promising, the singer's potential seemed to wither. He secured a pop hit with "Every Day I Have to Cry Some" on Buddah Records in 1975, but the success remained short-lived. The song was also covered by Ike and Tina Turner (produced by

Phil Spector Harvey Phillip Spector (born Harvey Philip Spector; December 26, 1939January 16, 2021) was an American record producer and songwriter, best known for his innovative recording practices and entrepreneurship in the 1960s, followed decades later by ...

), the McCoys, Dusty Springfield,

Joe Stampley Joe Stampley (born June 6, 1943) is an American country music singer. He had success as the lead singer of a rock group, in a country duo with Moe Bandy and as a solo performer. Stampley has released over 20 albums and more than 60 singles in ...

, C.J. Chenier,

, the Gentrys and others. The follow-up single "Sharing The Night Together" (written by Muscle Shoals songwriters Ava Aldridge and Eddie Struzick) reached No. 92 on the R&B charts, but earned Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show a Top 10 hit in 1978; the Dr. Hook version was used in the 2012 ''

Family Guy ''Family Guy'' is an American animated sitcom originally conceived and created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The show centers around the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their ch ...

'' episode " Mr. and Mrs. Stewie". For many years, Alexander was out of the music business; he was a bus driver for much of this time. In 1990, he was inducted into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame. He began to perform again in 1993 as renewed interest was shown in his back catalogue. His last album '' Lonely Just Like Me'' was his first in 21 years. He signed a new recording/publishing contract in May 1993 but suffered a fatal heart attack on 9 June 1993 in Nashville, three days after performing there with his new band. He is buried in Florence City Cemetery in

Legacy

Alexander is the only songwriter whose songs have been covered on studio albums by the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and

(who recorded "Sally Sue Brown" on his 1988 LP ''

Down in the Groove ''Down in the Groove'' is the 25th studio album by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, released on May 30, 1988 by Columbia Records. A highly collaborative effort, it was Dylan's second consecutive album to receive almost unanimously negative r ...

''). In 1987,

Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained worldwide fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John Lennon. One ...

claimed that "If the Beatles wanted a sound, it was R&B. That's what we used to listen to and what we wanted to be like. Black, that was basically it. Arthur Alexander."

Discography

(''USA issues except where noted'')

Singles

EPs

* ''Arthur Alexander'', Dot 655 (Sweden) (1962) * ''Alexander The Great!'', London 1364 (UK) (1963) * ''Arthur Alexander'', London 1401 (UK) (1963) * ''A Shot of Rhythm and Blues'', El Toro 15.086 (Spain) (2017)

Studio albums

* ''You Better Move On'', Dot & London (UK) (1962) * '' Arthur Alexander'', Warner Brothers (1972) * '' Lonely Just Like Me'', Nonesuch/Elektra (1993)

Album reissues

* ''Story Of Rock 'N' Roll'' (LP, 1977) Ariola (Germany) (Reissue of ''You Better Move On'') * ''Arthur Alexander'' (LP, 1989) Ace (UK) * ''You Better Move On'' (CD, 1993) MCA (UK) (Reissue of LP with 8 bonus tracks) * ''You Better Move On'' (CD, 2014) Hoodoo Records (EU) (Reissue of LP with 14 bonus tracks) * ''Rainbow Road: The Warner Bros. Recordings'' (CD, 1994) Warner Archives (Reissue of self-titled Warner LP above with bonus tracks) * ''Lonely Just Like Me: The Final Chapter'' (CD, 2007) Hacktone (Reissue of CD with bonus tracks) * ''Arthur Alexander: Expanded Edition'' (CD, 2017) Omnivore

Compilation albums

* ''Various Artists – Greatest Rhythm And Blues Stars'' (1965) Guest Star (two tracks by Alexander) * ''Carl Perkins – Sing A Song With Me'' (1979) Koala (four demos by Alexander) * ''A Shot Of Rhythm And Soul'' (1982) Ace (UK) * ''Soldier Of Love'' (1987) Ace (UK) * ''The Greatest'' (1989 & 2006) Ace (UK) * ''The Ultimate Arthur Alexander'' (1993) Razor & Tie * ''Jon Tiven's Ego Trip – Blue Guru'' (1996) Fountainbleu (one over-dubbed demo by Alexander) * ''Various Artists – Bill Haney's Atlanta Soul Brotherhood'' (1998) Kent (UK) (one track by Alexander) * ''Various Artists – Bill Haney's Atlanta Soul Brotherhood Vol 2'' (1998) Kent (UK) (one track by Alexander) * ''The Monument Years'' (2001) Ace (UK)

Tribute albums

* Various Artists: ''Adios Amigo: A Tribute To Arthur Alexander'' (1994) Razor And Tie (17 tracks by artists including

Elvis Costello Declan Patrick MacManus OBE (born 25 August 1954), known professionally as Elvis Costello, is an English singer-songwriter and record producer. He has won multiple awards in his career, including a Grammy Award in 2020, and has twice been nom ...

;

Graham Parker Graham Thomas Parker (born 18 November 1950) is an English singer-songwriter, who is best known as the lead singer of the British band Graham Parker & the Rumour. Life and career Early career (1960s–1976) Parker was born in Hackney, East L ...

; John Prine;

Nick Lowe Nicholas Drain Lowe (born 24 March 1949) is an English singer-songwriter, musician and producer. A noted figure in power pop and new wave,Marshall Crenshaw Marshall Howard Crenshaw (born November 11, 1953) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and guitarist best known for hit songs such as "Someday, Someway," a US top 40 hit in 1982, "Cynical Girl," and "Whenever You're on My Mind." He is ...

and Zucchero.) *

Donnie Fritts Donald Ray Fritts (November 8, 1942 – August 27, 2019) was an American session musician and songwriter. A recording artist in his own right, he was Kris Kristofferson's keyboardist for over forty years. In 2008, he was inducted into the Alaba ...

: ''June – A Tribute To Arthur Alexander'' (2018) ;Discography notes

Songs written by Alexander

* "Sally Sue Brown" (co-writer), recorded 1960, covered by

* " You Better Move On", recorded 1961, covered by

Tommy Roe Thomas David "Tommy" Roe (born May 9, 1942) is a retired American rock and pop singer-songwriter. Best-remembered for his hits "Sheila" (1962) and " Dizzy" (1969), Roe was "widely perceived as one of the archetypal bubblegum artists of the late ...

, George Jones & Johnny Paycheck, Billy "Crash" Craddock, Mink DeVille * "

Anna (Go To Him) "Anna (Go to Him)", or simply "Anna", is a song written and originally recorded by Arthur Alexander. His version was released as a single by Dot Records on September 17, 1962. A cover version was performed by the Beatles and included on their 196 ...

", recorded 1962, covered by

* "

Every Day I Have to Cry Some "Every Day I Have to Cry", also known as "Every Day I Have to Cry Some", is a song written by Arthur Alexander and first recorded by Steve Alaimo in 1962. Although the song has been recorded by many musicians over the years, Alexander did not ...

", written 1962, recorded 1975, produced by

, covered by Ike and Tina Turner,

Bee Gees The Bee Gees were a musical group formed in 1958 by brothers Barry Gibb, Barry, Robin Gibb, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. The trio were especially successful in popular music in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and later as prominent performers in ...

, Johnny Rivers, Debby Boone * " Go Home Girl", recorded 1962, covered by

Ry Cooder Ryland Peter "Ry" Cooder (born March 15, 1947) is an American musician, songwriter, film score composer, record producer, and writer. He is a multi-instrumentalist but is best known for his slide guitar work, his interest in traditional music, a ...

, Gary U.S. Bonds, Frank Black * "In the Middle of it All", recorded 1987

References

Bibliography

* Richard Younger; ''Get a Shot of Rhythm and Blues: The Arthur Alexander Story'' The University of Alabama Press (2000)

External links

* *
Arthur Alexander
''Secondhandsongs.com''

Interview With Richard Younger, "Get A Shot Of Rhythm And Blues: The Arthur Alexander Story"

"Arthur Alexander" by Richard Younger

"The Country Soul of Arthur Alexander" by Tim Quine
{{DEFAULTSORT:Alexander, Arthur 1940 births 1993 deaths People from Sheffield, Alabama American country singer-songwriters American soul musicians African-American male singer-songwriters Dot Records artists Monument Records artists African-American country musicians Omnivore Recordings artists Country musicians from Alabama Country musicians from Tennessee 20th-century African-American male singers Singer-songwriters from Alabama Singer-songwriters from Tennessee