Mighty Sam McClain (Born 1943)

Another Primer entry which proves that R&B and deep soul is still alive and well, but where the story of the man is almost as important as his music. Sam McClain was born on the northern edge of the Bible Belt in Monroe, Louisiana. At the age of five, he began singing with his mother's Gospel Group and he knew he'd like to give it a crack professionally. He left home when he was thirteen to escape an abusive relationship with his step-father and followed local R&B guitarist Little Melvin Underwood through the Chitlin Circuit, eventually becoming his lead vocalist. While he was singing at the 506 club in Pensacola, Florida, he was introduced to Producer/DJ Papa Don Shroeder and in 1966, Sam recorded Patsy Cline's hit 'Sweet Dreams'. Several Music Shoals sessions produced singles, including 'Fannie Mae' and 'In the Same Old Way'. And yet for fifteen years, first in Nashville, then in New Orleans, Sam worked menial jobs, was homeless at times and forced to sell his plasma to survive. From the cotton fields to the Apollo Theatre, to the park bench, McClain has been there, seen it, done it and got the t-shirt.

Proving that it's never too late, McClain has obviously had his fair share of heartache but he is now enjoying by far the most successful phase of his somewhat checkered career. Mighty Sam is a specialist in Southern soul-blues, one of the original masters from the 1960s, when the music enjoyed its peak popularity. He carries on the tradition of vocalists like Bobby Bland, Solomon Burke, Otis Clay, James Carr and Otis Redding. His excellent 1990s recordings on Audioquest are now reasonably available, but that wasn't always the case for Sam or his music. His inspirations included Little Willie John, Clyde McPhatter of the Drifters, B.B. King, and Bobby "Blue" Bland. McClain recalled seeing Bland at the city auditorium in Monroe as a real turning point, a time when he committed to try to follow in Bland's path. After the Muscle Shoals sessions mentioned above, McClain continued to create an ever-broadening audience with appearances at the Apollo Theatre in Harlem. He recorded a single for Malaco and two singles for Atlantic in 1971 but then fell off the music radar for quite awhile.

For the next 15 years or so, McClain took menial day jobs, living in Nashville and New Orleans and going through a significant period of instability in his life. The Neville Brothers and others from the Crescent City scene have been credited with helping him revive his career as a singer. McClain met Mason Ruffner's drummer Kerry Brown, and the two put a band together. Shortly after, they recorded a single for Carlo Ditta's Orleans label, and McClain's recording and performing career was rejuvenated. After recording with Hubert Sumlin on Hubert Sumlin's Blues Party for the BlackTop label in 1987, McClain began to re-establish his deserved former reputation as a great soul-blues singer, touring with Sumlin and his entourage. By the late 1980s, McClain had moved from Houston to Boston. From the 1990s onwards, he's lived in Boston and southern New Hampshire.

McClain didn't record his first studio album under his own name until he was 50 when he hooked up with the Audioquest label. McClain's Audioquest albums include "Give It Up to Love" (1992) which was his first recording for the label. McClain sings soul with incredible power - he intrinsically knows when to go for it and when to hold back. Bruce Katz's contribution on B-3 Hammond organ expands McClain's sound, particularly on the 'Green Onions' influenced 'What You Want Me to Do'.

"Sledgehammer Soul and Down Home Blues" from 1996 is another fine example of the man's consummate skills as a vocalist. Definitely influenced by Bobby "Blue" Bland but nonetheless stamped with his own personality, the album is a convincing blend of blues gems like 'Where You Been So Long', and 'They Call Me Mighty' along with such southern soul treasures as 'Trying to Find Myself' and 'Things Ain't What They Used to Be'. A worthy addition to any soul lover's collection.

All of the Audioquest releases feature a full horn section and a selection of fine material, much of it penned by the man himself. They are all worth exploring if you can get hold of them. There is also a compilation album called "Soul Survivor", pulling tracks from all four Audioquest CDs, which is an excellent introduction to the man and his work. Who said southern soul was dead and buried? Take a listen to this CD for ample proof to the contrary. You'll probably find yourself going straight from the compilation to the individual Audioquest releases. Mighty Sam then got a deal with the Telarc label and found it easier to get distribution in the mainstream shops and more and more soul afficionados got to hear a true soul original at work. "Blues For The Soul" was the first Telarc release, "Sweet Dreams" the second. However, in an effort to take some control of his recording and publishing career, look out for future recordings to be self produced and released on his own record label - "One More Bridge To Cross" came out on the Blueblood label in 2003.

As the man says:-
"It´s been quite a life, quite a life. I´ve gone from singin´at the Apollo Theater to eatin´out of a garbage can. I know what it´s like to sleep outside when there´s snow on the ground. But I´ve always kept some sort of respect and dignity about myself. And if there´s one thing I can say I´ve done in my life, it´s that I´ve pursued my dream. I´ve done what Sam McClain wanted to do".