Profile of Wilson Pickett on Famous Like Me

Wilson Pickett (born March 18, 1941, in Prattville, Alabama) was an American soul singer who began his career with The Falcons in the early 1960s. He signed as a solo artist with Atlantic Records and recorded "In the Midnight Hour" (1965), perhaps his best-remembered hit.

The genesis of "In the Midnight Hour" was a recording session on May 12, 1965 in which producer Jerry Wexler approached studio musicians Steve Cropper and Al Jackson (from Stax house band Booker T. and the M.G.'s) and said, "Why don't you pick up on this thing here?" He performed a dance step. Cropper later explained in an interview that Wexler told them that "this was the way the kids were dancing; they were putting the accent on two. Basically, we'd been one-beat-accenters with an afterbeat; it was like 'boom dah,' but here this was a thing that went 'um-chaw,' just the reverse as far as the accent goes." The song that resulted from this encounter established Pickett as a star and also gave Stax Records, for which Pickett recorded, a bona fide hit.

"Mustang Sally" and "Funky Broadway" followed, though Pickett's biggest pop hit was "Land of the 1000 Dances". By the early 1970s, Pickett had released several more hits, including a cover of The Beatles' "Hey Jude" and a cover of "Sugar Sugar" by The Archies. His last hit song was "Fire and Water" in 1972.

Discography

Albums

• In the Midnight Hour (1965, Atlantic) US: #107
• The Exciting Wilson Pickett (1966) US: #21
• The Best of Wilson Pickett (1967) US: #35
• The Wicked Pickett (1967) US: #42
• The Sound of Wilson Pickett (1967) US: #54
• I'm In Love (1967) US: #70
• The Midnight Mover (1968) US: #91
• Hey Jude (1968) US: #97
• Wilson Pickett in Philadelphia (1970) US: #64
• Right On (1970) US: #197
• The Best of Wilson Pickett, Vol. II (1971) US: #73
• Don't Knock My Love (1972) US: #132
• Mr. Magic Man (1973) US: #187
• Wilson Pickett's Greatest Hits (1973) US: #178
• Pickett in the Pocket (1974)
• I Want You (1980)
• American Soul Man (1987)

Singles

• "If You Need Me" (1962, Double L) R&B: #30 US: #64
• "It's Too Late" (1963)
• "I'm Done to My Last Heartbreak" (1963)
• "My Heart Belongs to You" (1963, Verve)
• "I'm Gonna Cry" (1964, Atlantic)
• "Come Home Baby" (1964)
• "In the Midnight Hour" (1965) R&B: #1 US: #21 UK: #12
• Don't Fight It (1965) R&B: #4 US: #53 UK: #29
• "634-5789" (1966) R&B: #1 US: #13 UK: #36
• "Ninety Nine and a Half" (1966) R&B: #13 US: #53
• "Land of 1000 Dances" (1966) R&B: #1 US: #6 UK: #22
• "Mustang Sally" (1966) R&B: #6 US: #23 UK: #28
• "Everybody Needs Somebody to Love" (1967) R&B: #19 US: #29
• "I Found a Love Pt. 1" (1967) R&B: #6 US: #32
• "You Can't Stand Alone" (1967) R&B: #26 US: #70
• "Funky Broadway" (1967) R&B: #1 US: #8
• "I'm in Love" (1967) R&B: #4 US: #45
• "Soul Dance Number Three" (1967) R&B: #10 US: #55
• "I'm a Midnight Mover" (1968) R&B: #6 US: #24 UK: #38
• "I've Come a Long Way" (1968) R&B: #46
• "She's Looking Good" (1968) R&B: #7 US: #15
• "I Found a True Love" (1968) R&B: #11 US: #42
• "Jealous Love" (1968) R&B: #18 US: #50
• "A Man and a Half" (1968) R&B: #20 US: #42
• "Hey Jude" (1968) R&B: #13 US: #23 UK: #16
• "Mini-skirt Minnie" (1969) R&B: #19 US: #50
• "Born to Be Wild" (1969) R&B: #41 US: #64
• "Hey Joe" (1969) R&B: #29 US: #59
• "You Keep Me Hanging On" (1969) US: #92
• "Engine Number 9" (1970) R&B: #3 US: #14
• "Sugar Sugar" (1970) US: #25
• "She Said Yes" (1970) R&B: #20 US: #68
• "Cole, Cooke, and Redding" (1970) R&B: #11 US: #91
• "Don't Knock My Love - Pt. 1" (1971) R&B: #1 US: #13
• "Don't Let the Green Grass Fool You" (1971) R&B: #2 US: #17
• "Call My Name, I'll Be There" (1971) R&B: #10 US: #52
• "Fire and Water" (1972) R&B: #2 US: #24
• "Funk Factory" (1972) R&B: #11 US: #58
• "Mr. Magic Man" (1973) R&B: #16 US: #98
• "Take a Closer Look at the Woman You're With" (1973) R&B: #17 US: #90
• "International Playboy" (1973) R&B: #30
• "Soft Soul Boogie Woogie" (1974) R&B: #20
• "Take Your Pleasure Where You Find It" (1974) R&B: #68
• "I Want You" (1979) R&B: #41
• "Live With Me" (1980) R&B: #95
• "Don't Turn Away" (1987) R&B: #74

Source

Ross, Andrew and Rose, Tricia (Ed.). (1994). Microphone fiends: Youth music and youth culture. Routledge: New York.

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