We continue our look back at the music of 50 years ago…..
If you could hear nothing else except the song ‘Do You Know What I Mean” from Lee Michaels “5th” Lp in 1971 it would be enough. It hit #6 on the singles charts. A fabulous soulful take on a broken romance…fresh and funky…and not a guitar in sight. No lead…no rhythm…no bass. Michaels played organ as his lead instrument. Big chunky chords in stripped down arrangements featuring only his Hammond B-3, some occasional piano along with sax and drums. That’s it..and the result sounds good. Something different from the reams of guitar bands strutting around.
The album also includes an interesting choice of covers. Ya-Ya that was a hit for Lee Dorsey years earlier…Willie & The Hand Jive, a fun little number from Johnny Otis…and the Motown standard ‘Can I Get A Witness”.
From the gospel tinged opening number “Keep The Circle Turning” featuring the fantastic Merry Clayton on background vocals to the final chords of the uptempo “I Don’t Want Her” Michaels delivers the goods. He can slow the groove down too as he does nicely on songs like “Didn’t Have To Happen” and “Oak Fire”.
If you only know Michaels from the hit, even a hit as well done as “Do You Know What I Mean”, dive in here and check him out a little further. The joys of discovering what’s underneath the “one hit wonder”.
