The Iceman Cometh--The Very Best of Jerry Butler

Jerry Butler came from some pretty humble origins--he was born and raised in Sunflower, Tennessee (I know my home state like the back of my hand, but I have no idea where Sunflower is), but he headed to Chicago at an early age. There he hooked up with soul legend Curtis Mayfield and formed The Impressions. Butler co-wrote and sang lead on the band's 1958 smash hit, For Your Precious Love, and after a brief and successful career with the Impressions, he decided to go it on his own and became a solo performer. After a string of hits in the late sixties and early seventies, Butler's career slowly wound down and he left the business, only returning to the studio sporadically, in back-up roles and guest appearances. As of this writing, he is alive and well in Chicago, pursuing a career in politics.

Jerry Butler was nicknamed "The Iceman" because of his cool, ultra-hip soulful delivery. His vocal effect was smooth, and the whole image he created probably served as a prototype to such artists as Teddy Pendergrast, Peabo Bryson, and yes, even that ton o' fun, Barry White. Part of the Jerry Butler mystique can be attributed to the fact that he hooked up with with some Philadelphia soul producers when he went solo, and their use of strings and orchestration lent a certain "show" style to Butler's music.

The Very Best Of Jerry Butler is a twelve-track collection of his best music from 1966 until 1972. The Philadelphia influence is best seen in the tracks recorded in 1968 and 1969, but the entire collection features a great vocalist doing soul music from the soul, when soul was soul.

Track Listing

1. Only The Strong Survive
2. Hey, Western Union Man
3. Never Give You Up
4. Moody Woman
5. Ain't Understanding Mellow
6. I Dig You Baby
7. One Night Affair
8. What's The Use Of Breaking Up
9. Lost
10. Mr. Dream Merchant
11. How Did We Lose It
12. Are You Happy

My Favorites

I can vividly remember the summer of 1969--that's the first time I ever heard Never Give You Up, with the cool hook line "don't you understand, what you're doin' to the man". If Jerry Butler had never done another song, he'd be a winner with me, but classics like Only The Strong Survive, done in the context of a pep talk from mother to son, and Hey, Western Union Man, featuring those Philly orchestrations, insure his place in my Hall of Fame. What's The Use Of Breaking Up was a big hit, and Moody Woman received significant airplay in 1969.

One Night Affair and How Did We Lose It are good examples of the lush Philadelphia sound that Butler adopted later in his career, while I Dig You Baby and Mr. Dream Merchant are from his early solo career, with more emphasis on his great voice and less on the rich musical ornamentation.

It's not difficult to see how Jerry Butler got the nickname "The Iceman"--he was one really cool cat, and his smooth, effortless singing style made him one of more elegant soul singers of his era, at a time when soul was soul.

Do me a favor--investigate Jerry Butler for yourself. I think you'll get pretty chilled out listening to "The Iceman".

Thanks for reading.