1967. 5th grade. My 7th grade neighbor has deemed me cool enough to be invited to her class parties. (Yes, from the beginning, older women.) And one of the songs that got played a lot was Billy Joe Royal's "The Greatest Love." That was a lesser hit for Royal, his bigger smash was "Down In the Boondocks." But they were both written by Joe South, a singer/songwriter from Atlanta. South didn't register with me until his own recordings hit the charts, especially "Games People Play" (1968), which won the Grammy for Song of the Year. South's also recorded "Walk a Mile In My Shoes" and "Don't It Make You Wanna Go Home." And then there was his biggest hit, Lynn Anderson's (I Never Promised You a) "Rose Garden" (1971), which won Grammys for her and South. And Royal and Deep Purple both had hits with South's "Hush." South's guitar playing was also much sought after, with his appearances including Aretha Franklin's "Lady Soul" (that's reportedly his intro on "Chain of Fools"), and Bob Dylan's "Blonde on Blonde." South gradually retreated from the spotlight, but a new generation of artists played tribute to him on the 2005 album pictured above, which features a soulful remake of "Walk a Mile In My Shoes" by Otis Clay. My favorite South remake is Aaron Neville's 1977 version of "The Greatest Love" (available on iTunes). It was produced by Allen Toussaint and Marshall Sehorn, so it's definitely funkier than Billy Joe Royal's version, replete with a snaky guitar line, punchy horns, and Toussaint's rollicking piano. Southern soul at its finest. Here's a happy 69th birthday wish to Joe South.
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