Charles Wright & The Watts 103rd Street Band ~ Express Yourself 1970 Funky Purrfection Version

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Charles Wright was born April 6, 1940 in Clarksdale, Mississippi becoming the seventh child of twelve children and was raised on a cotton plantation. When he was 12, the family moved to Los Angeles where Charles began to listen to the radio and fall in love with popular music, against the wishes of his religious father.

One of his heroes was Jesse Belvin ("Guess Who", #31 pop 1959) who after hearing his song on the radio looked up Belvin in the phone book and called him. Out of that conversation Belvin advised Charles to "stop copying my sound and find your own". Belvin was bemused by this child and became his mentor until he died in a car crash in early 1960.

Wright joined the doo wop group The Shields ("You Cheated, #35 1958) taking the lead vocal duties and began to write songs having varying degrees of success on the R&B charts. In 1962 he formed a new band, Charles Wright & The Wright Sounds with John Raynford and keyboardist Daryl Dragon best known as the Captain of Captain & Tennille. Members came and went and led to the formation of the Watts 103rd Band.

The name came from producer/owner Fred Smith at Keymen Records and gave the band instant street cred. Future EWF guitarist Al McKay was once a member. When they went into the studio to record "Express Yourself" veteran drummer James Gadson, guitarist Bernard Blackman, bassist Melvin Dunlap, saxophone players Bill Cannon and John Rayford, trombonist Ray Jackson who also played piano, pianist/trumpeter Gabe Flemings with Wright handling lead vocals, lead guitar and piano in addition to having written and produced the song.

Wright also talk sang "Express Yourself" and with the loose funky sound track grabbed the attention of the US audience, reaching #12 pop and #3 R&B attaining the #57 spot on the 1970 year end hot singles listing. It was nominated for Best R&B Performance by Duo or Group with Vocal, but lost to Delfonics "Didn't (I Blow Your Mind This Time)".

In 1988 NWA sampled "Express Yourself" on their "Straight Outta Compton" LP and brought Wright to the attention of the record buying public and the song became ubiquitous, it was everywhere. Wright is 81 this year.
Category
Funky