“Soul Song”
Joe Stampley
Written by George Richey, Billy Sherrill, and Norro Wilson
Billboard
#1 (1 week)
January 20, 1973
This record is a great example of one of my favorite things about writing this series: discovering a fun record that I’ve never heard before.
Joe Stampley had been recording since the early sixties, both as a solo artist and as the lead singer of the Uniques. After four albums with the band, he signed a solo country deal that paid off immediately, with his debut country set earning a top ten single with “If You Touch Me (You’ve Got to Love Me).”
Stampley followed up that hit with his first of several number one singles. “Soul Song” is a fun play on words, with the “soul” referring to the spirit of the relationship, not the style of the record.
It’s a fun country romp that taps into my sweet spot of songs about songs. Stampley has a distinctive voice that I’m looking forward to hearing more of as a decade progresses, especially since I’m most familiar with his duets from the end of the decade with Moe Bandy.
I don’t have anything deep or profound to say about this record. It’s just fun to listen to and I’m glad I got to discover it through this feature.
“Soul Song” gets a B+.
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Better than I remembered. I give it an “A-“. Just a really good feel song with an infections production.
I’d say the “soul” in the title refers to BOTH the spirit of the relationship, and the style of the record.
Stampley was one of a number of country-soul singers who had success to varying degrees in the era: Razzy Bailey, Tommy Overstreet, etc. and, of course, the big Kahuna, Charlie Rich.
Like a lot of people, I’m sure, I got to Joe Stampley via his partnership with Moe Bandy. I think Bandy is a great country artist, but Stampley was a better singer.
I think Country Gold with Rowdy Yates is how I found out about this song. He plays a lot of stuff you don’t often hear on “classic country” shows. Good stuff.
Joe Stampley had a pretty decent run of hits (33 top twenty songs during the 1970s and 1980s) although only three of his solo hits made it to #1 on Billboard. My favorite of his singles was “Red Wine and Blue Memories” which got to #6, and I loved his cover of the Arthur Alexander song “Everyday I Have To Cry Some”.
Joe Stampley was difficult to pigeonhole as a singer as his recordings covered a broad spectrum of styles. At least one of his singles “Billy, Get Me a Woman” has been stricken from oldies playlists over the last thirty years as being politically incorrect, although at the time it was released in 1975, I don’t recall there being much controversy about the song.
I agree with the B+ given to this song
I was surprised how much I liked this. If I’ve ever heard any of Joe Stampley’s solo hits before, I’m not aware of it. He has a clear and distinctive tone that I never picked up on listening to those Moe & Joe duets they still play on classic country radio. I’m now looking forward to hearing more of his solo hits in this feature as the 70s progresses.
Serendipity is a sweet thing. The day before this review was posted I had picked up a vinyl copy of Stampley’s 1978 “Red Wine and Blue Memories” album for $1.98 CAD at Kops Records on Danforth Avenue in Toronto’s east end. I loved the album title and image of a forlorn Stampley at a table with a tumbler of red wine and an ashtray with with a burning cigarette. Classic stuff! The album is produced by Billy Sherrill. I bought the album because I really knew nothing about him beyond his most famous singles. The song titles were intriguing: “Hey Barnum and Bailey,” “Do You Ever Fool Around?,” “I’ll Marry You Tomorrow (But Let’s Honeymoon Tonight),” and “If You’ve Got Ten Minutes (Let’s Fall in Love).”
Like “Soul Song”, the album is fun and Stampley’s vocals have a distinctive timbre.
It’s funny, because I’d argue Moe Bandy’s name is more familiar in country music circles these days, but it was Joe Stampley who had better chart success of the 2. I had heard of this song, but save for Moe and Joe’s hit duets, I was completely unfamiliar with Joe Stampley’s solo output. What a delight this song is. Stampley is a good singer, better than Moe Bandy in my opinion. Though Moe could do a thematically classic country (cheating, drinking, etc.) very well.
Team Moe Bandy here, though I like this largely forgotten Joe Stampley tune perfectly fine.
And for those contributors to this discussion claiming to not know any of Stampley’s solo hits, I find it hard to believe/accept from one country music fan to another. Surely you are at least familiar with the trucking anthem “Roll on Big Mama.” Surely?!?