We continue our look back at the music of 50 years ago….
After making his bones as “the Fifth Beatle”, keyboard ace Billy Preston released a series of funky solo LPs in the early 70’s including 1972’s “Music Is My Life”.
It’s a funky collection filled with Preston’s keys and soulful vocal work. he’s helped along by his A & M label mates George Johnson on guitar and Louis Johnson on bass who would later have some top shelf stuff as The Brothers Johnson. The horn section is tight featuring Tom Scott, Jim Horn & George Bohanon.
Side 1 is a killer which includes the single “Will It Go Round In Circles” which went to #1 on the charts. It’s so infectious…play it and I guarantee you will spin it again immediatly. Billy gets topical with “I Wonder Why” and “Ain’t That Nothin” which shows we havent’ moved as far as we might think in the last 50 years. The side also has a shoutout back to his Beatle days with a nice cover of “Blackbird”.
Billy playing live on The Midnight Special
Here’s Billy & his band live on a local New York tv show during this time period
Billy goes to church for much of side two embracing his gospel roots with “God Loves You”, “Make The Devil Mad”and the title track. He also delivers a beautiful slow jam on ‘Heart Full Of Sorrow.
I bought this record back in 1972 on the strength of the single but the rest, especially all of side one got worn out on my crappy turntable.
Preston was a special talent
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