King's hometown, due east from Greenville and Leland, the heart of the Delta's musical cradle. Willie Clayton was born in 1956 in Indianola, Mississippi, B.B. Queued up together, the two songs flowed effortlessly into one another, Clayton's "Woman's World," if anything, surpassing Brown's "Live In Woman" in power.įrom the opening note, "Woman's World" sounded like Willie Clayton had found the purest corner of the soul since B.B. In that respect, it mirrored Pat Brown's triumphant remake of the Ronnie Lovejoy classic, "Live In Man."īoth songs, Clayton's "Woman's World" and Brown's "Live In Woman," were steeped in a jazzy-bluesy paradise both songs implied years spent in private hells and purgatories. Relying on the inspired songwriting of Vick Allen and Paul Richmond, who as individuals or together have composed most of Clayton's ballads over the years, Clayton went beyond winsome and romantic to the heart of the matter to deliver the starkest truth of a woman's love:Įven that "damn mean" phrase had antecedents in R&B tradition, harking back to "The sweetest woman in the world/ Could be the meanest in the world" from the Persuaders' 1971 hit, "Thin Line Between Love And Hate."Īnd even more directly, in terms of inspiration, Clayton's "Woman's World" was a redo of the James Brown classic, "It's A Man's World": But it was "Woman's World," a bluesy ballad, that marked an artistic peak. In spite of its lifted riff from "Unchained Melody," "Unconditionally" proved extremely popular with fans and Deep South deejays. The material from Changing The Game, especially the songs "Woman's World" and "Unconditionally," surpassed anything Clayton had done in the past, an astounding accomplishment given his already high level of excellence. The blues world sat up and took notice too, naming Clayton the top R&B performer of the year. The song owes a debt to Johnnie Taylor's "Electric Slide," with a lyric that runs, "Two steps to the left/ Two steps to the right,/ Slide to the left/ And rock it all night." Clayton's "Wiggle" doesn't stray far:Ģ004 ushered in yet another stellar album, arguably Clayton's finest yet, Changing The Game (N-Zone). Soul) was Willie Clayton's raggedy rocker, his self-proclaimed dance song (from 2001's The Little Giant Of Soul, Claytown). "Wiggle" (written, incidentally, by the young Terry Kimble before he forged a name for himself as T. Nice always had a soft spot in his heart for an uptempo (relatively speaking) Clayton number with lyrics that declaim: An old and grizzled dance floor veteran (the fondest fraternity of them all), your Daddy B. Hits such as the atmospheric "Old-Fashioned Girl" floated into "Party Like We Used To Do," which merged in the mind with "I Love Me Some You," which conjured the seminal "Love Mechanic," and so on, the melodies invariably winsome, the arrangements sparkling with a lush part-Memphis, part-Motown sheen. Prior to 2004's Changing The Game (Endzone), it was hard to pinpoint a single spectacular Willie Clayton track. Listen to the excellent "Drowning In The Sea Of Love" or "Let The Good Times Roll" from The Last Man Standing (N-Zone, 2002). is so confident in his artistry that he transforms the music into his own virtually every time. But we (as listeners) are so far removed from the masterworks of yesterday that we wouldn't know the difference, and would enjoy it even if we did. He respects them and emulates them, sometimes almost shamefully so. Willie Clayton sounds like he really does listen to the old songs. Even remakes of sixties' classics, in case you didn't get the point. Why? Simply because music like this isn't supposed to exist in the era of hiphop-dominated R&B.Ĭlayton's work, although not flamboyant, represents a "golden mean," the essence of what the new rhythm and blues is all about. Willie Clayton blends blues and soul into such a sweet-tempered hybrid that 21st century listeners may initially look upon it with disdain. The guy-next-door modesty, the aching vocal, the nostalgia for "back in the day": these are the calling cards of Willie Clayton. To automatically link to Willie Clayton's charted radio singles, awards, CD's and many other appearances on the Southern Soul website, go to "Clayton, Willie" in Daddy B. See "Tidbits" below for the latest updates on Willie Clayton. Listen to Willie Clayton singing "Loving Each Other For Life" on YouTube. Nice's Recommended Single: "Loving Each Other For Life" Sample or Buy Willie Clayton's "I Am Rhythm & Blues" on iTunes.ĭaddy B. Sample or Buy Willie Clayton's "I Am Rhythm & Blues" on Amazon. Nice's new 21st-Century Artist Guide to Willie Clayton. Nice's new 21st Century Top 100 Countdown. Willie Clayton is now the #3-ranking Southern Soul artist on Daddy B. Nice's Top 100 Countdown: The New Generation (Chart In Progress) Willie Clayton - Southern Soul Music Artist - Southern Soul RnB