Willie Johnson photo by Garry Cape via Sir Shambling
The Bahamian guitar chop and funky drummer congeal the track, and Johnson’s vocals, exhibit similar roots as James Brown. Like Brown, Johnson is from Georgia; and every note rings of sanctified soul, and red clay blues. The Caribbean effect of recording with Miami players, engineers, and producers creates a true funk. Topics include love and lust and make Johnson relatable universally. If only there were more of his music on wax, Johnson may have been a household name. But as it stands, music fans should be thankful for the gifts he gave the world, grooves that spark harder than Miami sunshine and a rhythm that just won’t quit.
From 1946 to 2014, Henry Stone ruled the Florida music industry with an iron fist, a brick of cash, and a warehouse full of vinyl. HSM is the last of over one hundred record labels he personally founded. The HSM record label includes works from every decade in his sixty-five year career right up until today. Licensing available for film, samples, advertising, movies, video games, and more. Family owned and operated.