Something must have been in the air back then.

“A short-lived but legendary supergroup comprised of some of the biggest names in ’60s soul, the Soul Clan’s proper recording career amounted to a mere two songs, but the act’s lineup was enough to make any R&B aficionado take notice: Solomon Burke, Arthur Conley, Don Covay, Ben E. King, and Joe Tex.”

quote from Solomon Burke, Mojo Magazine, Jan 2007:

Soul Meeting came about because Wilson Pickett, Don Covay, Ben E King, Otis Redding, Joe Tex and myself had organised ourselves as a group originally called the Solid Gold Soul Clan. We had already been getting together as a group for about two years before the 45 came out in 1968. We would meet, go to restaurants and eat, talk and put our plans and our monies together to try to do things we believed in. We wanted to start a scholarship fund for our children and help other people.

I thought we had enough strength between us to get a loan from our record company for a million dollars to purchase a great deal of land in Alabama. It was up for sale and could have been turned immediately into development. We really believed Atlantic would support us because of the status we had record-wise. But they shot us down and cancelled out LP. But they released Soul Meeting, from which the funds were supposed to go to the Sould Clan foundation for scholarships and endowment plans.

Don put the track down, and we went in and individually put our voices on. We were waiting for Otis to do his part, because he was having a throat problem, but after surgery had cured it he went on tour. I talked to him two days into the tour and he was telling me “The weather’s crazy but I’m going on to Madison, Wisconsin.” He said: “Man, I’ve got a new plane: it’s incredible! You should have come with me,” To this moment in time his passing still takes my breath away.

Otis’s protégé, Arthur Conley, took Otis’s place on the record. I don’t think we should have ever done that, but we did. When Soul Meeting came out, Atlantic didn’t promote it whatsoever. In those days, Atlantic records could get a record played overnight. That was the power they had. But they didn’t believe in us. That’s why I left Atlantic. I was heartbroken. I felt that they had let us down. Also the family atmosphere had changed into a corporate atmosphere. Atlantic did put an LP out of songs we did as individuals, but the 45 is not just special, it’s a classic. To me it’s worth more than gold.

Soulback: Side A: The Soul Clan – Soul Meeting (don lowed)

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Soulback: Side B: The Soul Clan – That’s How It Feels (don lowed)

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