Wilson Pickett (March 18, 1941 – January 19, 2006) was an American R&B/Soul singer and songwriter.Wilson Pickett was a force of nature, a one-man hurricane that blew everything out of his path. As he sang in one of his many Top 40 R&B singles, he was A Man and a Half, a title so fitting it served as a summary for Rhino’s 1993 double-disc compilation, a collection that stood as the most exhaustive Pickett retrospective until Rhino Handmade unleashed the six-disc box Funky Midnight Mover: The Atlantic Recordings (1962-1978), a monumental testament to the sweatiest, grittiest, soul singer who ever grabbed a microphone. This set may not be billed as the "complete recordings", but it is effectively that, rounding up all the master takes Pickett cut for Atlantic during those 16 years, dipping back for a few sides by his early group the Falcons, skipping his three-year sojourn at RCA from 1972-1975, adding some rarities, but essentially serving up all his prime titles in a handsome, hardcover book. Subtlety wasn’t quite Pickett’s strong suit, but that isn’t a liability: no matter what song came his way, he never sounded anything less than committed, and in the case of his disco dabblings of the late ‘70s, it could be some real dregs indeed. As this set illustrates, Pickett was game to follow the shifting sands of fashion, singing blaxploitation funk at the beginning of the ‘70s and glitzy disco at the end of it, singing it with the same fire he had when he was at Muscle Shoals in the late ‘60s, where he cut such timeless sides as “In the Midnight Hour,” “Knock on Wood,” “634-5789 (Soulsville USA),” “Mustang Sally,” and “Funky Broadway.” These singles naturally form the foundation of Funky Midnight Mover, but that is to be expected, as they’re always the core of any Pickett collection -- what the box proves is the magnitude of his talent and the consistency of his prime. Dig deeper than the ‘60s hits and there’s a wealth of great music -- pure, uncut Southern soul that’s sometimes adventurous, like when Wilson flirted with rock & roll on covers of “Hey Joe” and “Hey Jude”-- but what impresses is how Pickett remains a dynamic force even when the quality of the songs dips, as it undeniably does in his second stint at Atlantic. Despite this limp ending, the box never feels weak, it’s always strong and soulful, a necessary monument to a talent with no parallel in his time or in any other.
Disc 1
01. I Found A Love (The Falcons)
02. Let's Kiss And Make Up (The Falcons)
03. Take This Love I've Got (The Falcons)
04. My Heart Belongs To You
05. Let Me Be Your Boy
06. If You Need Me
07. Baby Call On Me
08. It's Too Late
09. I'm Gonna Love You
10. I'm Down To My Last Heartbreak
11. I Can't Stop
12. Baby, Don't You Weep
13. Peace Breaker
14. I'll Never Be The Same
15. Give All Your Lovin' Right Now
16. I'm Gonna Cry
17. For Better Or Worse
18. Teardrops Will Fall
19. Come Home Baby
20. Take A Little Love
21. Don't Fight It
22. That's A Man's Way
23. In The Midnight Hour
24. I'm Not Tired
25. It's All Over
26. Danger Zone
27. I'm Drifting
28. 634-5789 (Soulsville U.S.A.)
29. Ninety-Nine And One-Half (Won't Do)
30. You're So Fine
Disc 2:
01. Land Of 1000 Dances
02. Something You Got
03. She Ain't Gonna Do Right
04. She's So Good To Me
05. Barefootin'
06. Nothing You Can Do
07. Mercy, Mercy
08. I Need A Lot Of Loving Every Day
09. Everybody Needs Somebody To Love
10. Sunny
11. New Orleans
12. You Left The Water Running
13. Mustang Sally
14. Three Time Loser
15. Ooh Poo Pah Doo
16. Up Tight Good Woman
17. Time Is On My Side
18. Knock On Wood
19. Love Is A Beautiful Thing
20. Soul Dance Number Three
21. Funky Broadway
22. Mojo Mama
23. I Found A Love (Part 1)
24. I Found A Love (Part 2)
25. I Found The One
26. You Can't Stand Alone
27. I'm Sorry About That
28. Something Within Me
29. We've Got To Have Love
30. She's Lookin' Good
Disc 3:
01. I've Come A Long Way
02. I'm In Love
03. Jealous Love
04. Don't Cry No More
05. That Kind Of Love
06. Bring It On Home To Me
07. Stagger Lee
08. Hello Sunshine
09. Deborah
10. Down By The Sea
11. I Found A True Love
12. Remember, I Been Good To You
13. Let's Get An Understanding
14. I'm A Midnight Mover
15. Trust Me
16. It's A Groove
17. A Man And A Half
18. Woman Likes To Hear That
19. Night Owl
20. Sit Down And Talk This Over
21. People Make The World
22. Hey Jude
23. Search Your Heart
24. Mini-Skirt Minnie
25. Back In Your Arms
26. Save Me
27. Toe Hold
28. My Own Style Of Loving
Disc 4:
01. Born To Be Wild
02. Hey Joe
03. She Said Yes
04. Sweet Inspiration
05. Steal Away
06. Funky Way
07. You Keep Me Hangin' On
08. Now You See Me, Now You Don't
09. Cole, Cooke & Redding
10. Groovy Little Woman
11. This Old Town
12. It's Still Good
13. Sugar Sugar
14. Lord Pity Us All
15. Run Joey Run
16. Bumble Bee (Sting Me)
17. Days Go By
18. Ain't No Doubt About It
19. Come Right Here
20. Don't Let The Green Grass Fool You
21. Get Me Back On Time, Engine Number 9 (Parts 1 & 2)
22. International Playboy
23. Help The Needy
24. Fire And Water
25. (Your Love Has Brought Me) A Mighty Long Way
Disc 5:
01. Covering The Same Old Ground
02. Don't Knock My Love (Part 1)
03. Don't Knock My Love (Part 2)
04. Hot Love
05. Not Enough Love To Satisfy
06. You Can't Judge A Book By It's Cover
07. Pledging My Love
08. Mama Told Me Not To Come
09. Call My Name, I'll Be There
10. Woman Let Me Down Home
11. One Step Away
12. Funk Factory
13. Love Dagger
14. Time To Let The Sun Shine On Me
15. Who Turned You On
16. Dance You Down
17. Dance With Me
18. She's So Tight
19. The Night We Called It A Day
20. Hold On To Your Hiney
21. Groovin'
22. Lay Me Like You Hate Me
23. A Funky Situation
Disc 6:
01. Hello Sunshine
02. Pray For The Rain (Take 1)
03. Groovy Little Woman (Take 12)
04. Let It Come Naturally
05. Believe I'll Shout (Gospel Jam)
06. Get Me Back On Time, Engine Number 9 (Takes 1 & 2)
07. Rock Of Ages
08. Many Roads To Travel
09. I Hope She'll Be Happier With Him
10. Heaven
11. Can't Stop A Man In Love
12. If You Need Me (Second version)
13. Don't Forget The Bridge
14. International Playboy (Second Single Version)
15. Talk Jive
16. I'll Be There
17. Groove City
18. Superstar
