Arthur Alexander

Arthur Alexander, Jr. (* 10. Mai 1940 in Florence, Alabama; † 9. Juni 1993 in Nashville, Tennessee) wir en US-amerikaansch Soulsinger un Komponist. Alexander wir en Wegbereiter vun'n Country-Soul, en Spelart vun'n Southern Soul.

Sin Lied You Better Move On wir dei irste grote Hit ut Muscle Shoals in Alabama. Sine Leder hebben uck The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan un Elvis Presley sungen. Sine Komposition Anna (Go to Him) is de irste Fremdkomposition op en Album vun de Beatles.

Leven un Loopbahn

Arthur Alexander Junior is in'n Norden vun Alabama tau Welt kaamen. Sin Vadder wir den Bugarbeeter un Blues-Musiker Arthur Alexander Senior. Dormet man weit, wem wem is, hebben dei Öllern ehrn Sohn blots June raupen, för Junior.

Met 20 Johren hadde Arthur sine irste Single Sally Sue Brown under sin Künstlernam June Alexander. Dei is ohn Erfolg bleven, äwer Rick Hall, en Produzent, hürde dorvun. Hei produzierte nu die tweite Single You Better Move On, wat de irste kommerzielle Hit ut Alabama wurde. Dat Lied hebben naeinander Doris Day, The Hollies un The Rolling Stones inspelt.

You Better Move On wir denn uck dei Nam vun sin Debütalbum in't Jahr 1962. Op disse LP wir dei nächste grote Hit ut de Feder vun Arthur Alexander: Anna (Go to Him). John Lennon mochte dat Lied so girn, dat dei Beatles Anna op ehr Debüt-LP Please Please Me spelt häbben. Na un na maakten uck annere Künstler wi Gerry and the Pacemakers, Dusty Springfield, The Bee Gees, Ike and Tina Turner, Ry Cooder un Otis Redding Interpretationen vun sine Lieder.

Zitate

“When the Beatles and the Rolling Stones got their first chance to record, one did Anna and the other did You Better Move On. That should tell you enough.“
(Keith Richards, The Rolling Stones)

”I first heard Arthur when we were kids, fifteen or sixteen, just playing in the clubs around Liverpool. I think maybe the records got here via somebody on a ship from New York. I loved his music, and I loved his style and his vocals. — Ick wir noch en Hosenschieter vun 15 oder 16 Jahren, als ick Arthur taun irsten Mal hürt häw. Dor spelten wi in de Danzschuppen rundum Liverpool. Ick glöw, wi hebben de Schallplatten vun de Seelüüd ut Neuyork kregen. Ick mocht sine Musik lieden, un ick mocht sin Utseihn un sine Stimm.”
(Gerry Marsden, Gerry & the Pacemakers)

”If the Beatles ever wanted a sound it was R&B. That's what we used to listen to, what we used to like, and what we wanted to be like. Black, that was basically it. Arthur Alexander.“
(Paul McCartney, The Beatles)

“Anna by Arthur Alexander was on the album (Please Please Me), too. I remember having several records by him, and John sang three or four of his songs. Soldier of Love was one; it appears on the BBC recordings. — Anna vun Arthur Alexander wir uck up den Album (Please Please Me). Ick weit noch, dat ick mihrere Schallplatten vun ehm havt hat, un John sang drei oder vier vun sine Lieder. Soldier of Love wir en; dat findst du uck bie de BBC-Upnahmen.”
(George Harrison, The Beatles)

“In My Life was a steal from You Better Move On by Arthur Alexander. That was my version of the beat.”
(Ringo Starr, Rory Storm & the Hurricanes)

Utteiknung

• In 'n Juli 1990 wurr Arthur ‘June’ Alexander in dei Alabama Music Hall of Fame upnommen.

Prominente Interpretationen

• Sally Sue Brown: Bob Dylan (1988), Elvis Costello (1994)
• You Better Move On: Doris Day (1962), The Hollies (1964), The Rolling Stones (1964), Mink DeVille (1980)
• A Shot of Rhythm and Blues — The Beatles (1962)
• Where Have You Been (All My Life) — Gerry & the Pacemakers (1964)
• Soldier of Love — The Beatles (1963), Pearl Jam (1999)
• Anna (Go With Him): The Beatles (1963), Humble Pie (1974)
• Every Day I Have to Cry (Some): Dusty Springfield (1964), The Bee Gees (1965), Ike and Tina Turner (1966) un Jerry Lee Lewis (1979)
• Johnny(s) Heartbreak: Otis Redding (1970)
• Go Home Girl: Ry Cooder (1979)
• Burning Love — Elvis Presley (1972)
• Sharing The Night Together — Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show (1978)

Platten

Singles (Utwahl)

• 1960: Sally Sue Brown / The Girl That Radiates That Charm (as June Alexander; Judd 1020)
• 1961: You Better Move On / A Shot of Rhythm and Blues (Dot 16309)
• 1962: Where Have You Been (All My Life) / Soldier of Love (Dot 16386)
• 1962: Anna (Go to Him) / I Hang My Head and Cry (Dot 16387)
• 1963: Go Home Girl / You're The Reason (Dot 16425)
• 1972: Burning Love / It Hurts to Want It So Bad (Warner Bros. 7658)
• 1975: Every Day I Have to Cry Some / Everybody Needs Someone to Love (Buddha 492)

Alben

• 1962: You Better Move On (Dot LP 3434)
• 1972: Arthur Alexander (Warner Bros. LP 2592)
• 1982: A Shot of Rhythm and Soul (Ace CH 66)
• 1989: Arthur Alexander The Greatest (Ace CHD 922)
• 1993: Lonely Just Like Me (Elektra)
• 1993: The Ultimate Arthur Alexander (Razor & Tie 2014)
• 1994: Adios Amigo: A Tribute to Arthur Alexander (Razor & Tie 2814), u. a. met Elvis Costello un Robert Plant.

Literatur

• Richard Younger: Get A Shot of Rhythm & Blues – The Arthur Alexander Story, University of Alabama Press, Tuscaloosa, Alabama 2000, ISBN 0-8173-1024-X. (engelsch)
• Alexander Fromm: Alexikon. Ein Sammelsurium für alle, die Alex heißen, Vergangenheitsverlag, 2014, S. 25-27, ISBN 978-3-86408-170-5. (deutsch)

Weblenken

• Arthur Alexander: Ein Soul-Talent, das keiner kennt (hoochdüütsch)
• Arthur Alexander opp Ace Records (engelsch)
• Interview mit Richard Younger: "Get A Shot Of Rhythm And Blues: The Arthur Alexander Story" (engelsch)
• The Annotated Arthur Alexander - The 120 recordings of Arthur Alexander (engelsch)
• Jon Pareles: Arthur Alexander, Singer, Dies at 53 (Naraup), The New York Times, 11. Juni 1993 (engelsch)