Wilson Pickett – Get Me Back On Time (Engine Number Nine)
Wilson Pickett – Bumblebee
Wilson Pickett – Run Joey Run
The kind of record that should be in just about every self-respecting DJs collection, Wilson Pickett in Philadelphia is a perfect combination of contrasting styles, the grit and gruff of Southern Soul with the stately fuzz of Philly’s Holland & Dozier. “Get Me Back On Time” is an absolute classic, sampled by a few. “Run Joey Run” is a fairly weak song overall, but man oh man does it have a monster introduction and “Bumblebee” is a nice tune for the dancefloors with punchy horns and big expansive drums. For years I’d always assumed that the whole “Engine Engine Number 9” line from Black Sheep was inspired by this song, but then again there’s a “Engine #9” mention in “Super Good” too, and it gets me to thinking of how little I actually know about this titular engine, since I grew up in the South and have spent most of the rest of my time on the West Coast. Maybe there are a bunch of other “Engine #9” songs out there, but even if there are, I highly doubt any are as thrilling, wild and funky as this classic.
Cheers,
Michael