Sweet Inspiration: Dan Penn and Trudy Lynn
Singer Songwriter Dan Penn is the master behind so many well-loved R&B songs, from James and Bobby Purify’s “I’m Your Puppet” to Aretha Franklin’s “Do Right Woman, Do Right Man” and Alex Chilton and the Box Tops’ “Cry Like a Baby,” and many more. We’ll talk with him about his prolific catalog of songs, plus stories behind the scenes at Fame Records in Muscle Shoals and American Recordings in Memphis, and scoring his very first with a rockabilly Conway Twitty. Then, from Houston’s Fifth Ward, Blues singer Trudy Lynn who got her start as a high schooler singing with Albert Collins and Archie Bell and the Drells before going on to her own career in blues and R&B.
HOUR ONE
Open Bed: Sweet Inspiration King Curtis
Sweet Soul, Atlantic
Shame, Shame, Shame Jimmy Reed
Solid Gold, Vol. 1 , Liquid Eight
Cold, Cold Heart Hank Williams
Turn Back the Years: The Essential Hank Williams Collection , UMG
Segment: Dan Penn
Clip: Dan Penn's First Hit
Is a Bluebird Blue? Conway Twitty
It’s Only Make Believe/The MGM Years , Mercury
So Many Reasons Dan Penn
So Many Reasons: More Fame Recordings , Ace
Instrumental: Ram-Bunk-Shush Bill Doggett
28 Big Ones , Gusto Records
Clip: Writing at Fame
You Really Know How to Hurt a Guy Jimmy Hughes
The Best of Jimmy Hughes , Fame
Clip: I'm Your Puppet
I'm Your Puppet James and Bobby Purify
James and Bobby Purify , RCA
Clip: Aretha Franklin and Do Right Woman, Do Right Man
Do Right Woman, Do Right Man Aretha Franklin
I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You , Atlantic
You Left the Water Running Otis Redding
Southern Soul #1: True Love Travels on a Gravel Road , Warner
Sweet Inspiration The Sweet Inspirations
The Sweet Inspirations , Atlantic
Steal Away Jimmy Hughes
The Best of Jimmy Hughes , Fame
Instrumental: Cry Like a Baby The Memphis Horns
Memphis Horns, Atlantic
Clip: The Dark End of the Street
The Dark End of the Street James Carr
The Complete Goldwax Singles , Ace
Tearjoint Dan Penn
Nobody’s Fool , RCA
Clip: Memphis and The Box Tops
Cheater Man Irma Thomas
Something Good: The Muscle Shoals Sessions , UMG
Cry Like a Baby Box Tops
Cry Like a Baby , Arista
The Letter Box Tops
The Letter/Neon Rainbow , Sundazed
Clip: Studio Cat
Sweet Inspiration Dan Penn and Spooner Oldham
Moments from This Theatre-Live , Last Music Company
End Bed: Walkin' with the Duke The Mar-Keys
The Great Memphis Sound, Atlantic
HOUR TWO
Open bed: Kissing in the Dark Trudy Lynn
I’ll Sing the Blues for You , Connor Ray Music
Crazy Blues Mamie Smith
Crazy Blues: The Best Of Mamie Smith , Sony
Kind Hearted Woman Blues Robert Johnson
The Centennial Collection , Sony
Lady Be Good Martin Bogan and the Armstrongs
Barnyard Dance , Rounder
Lady Sings the Blues Billie Holiday
Lady Sings the Blues , Verve
Careless Love Dinah Washington
Dinah Sings Bessie Smith , Verve
Instrumental: Last Affair - Instrumental Lightnin’ Hopkins
The Very Best of Lightnin' Hopkins (Expanded Edition) , Tradition Records
Stormy Monday Bobby Blue Bland
Turn on Our Love Light--The Duke Recordings , UMG
Texas Flood Stevie Ray Vaughn
The Essential Stevie Ray Vaughn and Double Trouble , Sony
Sunday Morning Clarence Garlow
Bayou Blues Blasters: Goldband Blues , Ace
I'm a Good Woman Barbara Lynn
Barbara Lynn--Movin’ on a Groove , Demon Music Group
Honey Hush aka Talkin Woman Blues Albert Collins
Ice Pickin’ , Alligator
Instrumental: Avalanche Albert Collins
The Most Essential Texas Blues , Alligator Records
Segment: Trudy Lynn
End Bed: Blues Keep Knockin' Trudy Lynn
Blues Keep Knockin’ , Connor Ray Music