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Personnel includes: Wilson Pickett (vocals); Cornell Dupree, Robert Ward, Lance Finnie, Wally Richardson, Steve Cropper (guitar); Joe Grimaldi, Charles "Packy" Axton (tenor saxophone); Haywood Henry, Floyd Newman (baritone saxophone); Clark Terry, Jack Cortner, Ernie Royal (trumpet); Tony Studd (bass trombone); Ivory Joe Hunter, Paul Griffin, Joe Hall (piano); Jimmy Lewis, Donald "Duck" Dunn (bass); Ted Sommer, Al Jackson, Panama Francis (drums). Recorded between 1961 & 1965. Originally released on Atlantic (8114). Includes liner notes by A. Scott Galloway. Wilson Pickett's first Atlantic album, IN THE MIDNIGHT HOUR, is actually a collection of singles recorded between 1961 and '65 (the year of the record's release). Even on the earliest track, "I Found a Love"--recorded by the Falcons, Pickett's first group, which also featured star-to-be Eddie Floyd--the singer's fierce, gospel-influenced style seems fully formed. Two other singles by the Falcons are included here, as are the R&B hit "Don't Fight It," "I'm Gonna Cry" (co-penned by Don Covay), and numerous tracks with the Stax rhythm section (who helped craft some of the finest soul music of the '60s). Pickett co-authored almost every song on the collection with a host of other songwriters. One such collaboration was with Stax session guitarist Steve Cropper, which yielded "I'm Not Tired," the aforementioned "Don't Fight It," and the magnificent title track. An all-time soul classic, "In the Midnight Hour" boasts a loping bass line, punchy horn charts, and fiery vocals that have been reverently replicated by thousands of bands. Pickett's original, however, stands untouched. Verging on the brilliance of his follow-up, THE EXCITING WILSON PICKETT, IN THE MIDNIGHT HOUR is an excellent sampler of this soulster's early work.
