{"product_id":"dan-penn-spooner-oldham-sweet-inspiration-the-songs-of-dan-penn-spooner-oldham","title":"Dan Penn \u0026 Spooner Oldham – Sweet Inspiration (The Songs Of Dan Penn \u0026 Spooner Oldham)","description":"\u003ch4\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDan Penn \u0026amp; Spooner Oldham – Sweet Inspiration (The Songs Of Dan Penn \u0026amp; Spooner Oldham)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003eOriginally released in 2011 by Ace Records, \u003cem\u003eSweet Inspiration: The Songs Of Dan Penn \u0026amp; Spooner Oldham\u003c\/em\u003e is a superb 24-track collection celebrating one of the great songwriting partnerships of American Southern soul. Rather than focusing on performances by Penn and Oldham themselves, the compilation brings together original-era recordings by a remarkable cast of artists who interpreted their songs during the mid-to-late 1960s, with the recordings on this set dating broadly from 1965–1969.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003eDan Penn and Spooner Oldham were central figures in the development of Southern soul and deep soul, writing songs that combined emotional vulnerability with the gospel-influenced intensity and earthy musicality of the Memphis and Muscle Shoals scenes. Their compositions were recorded by some of the most distinctive voices of the era, and this collection demonstrates just how adaptable their songwriting was across soul, R\u0026amp;B, pop and country-influenced material.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003eThe album opens with Percy Sledge's \"Out Of Left Field\", followed by Dionne Warwick's \"I'm Your Puppet\", one of the most enduring songs associated with the Penn \u0026amp; Oldham partnership. The Sweet Inspirations' \"Sweet Inspiration\" provides the collection's title track, while Charlie Rich's \"A Woman Left Lonely\" and Etta James' \"I Worship The Ground You Walk On\" demonstrate the pair's ability to write intensely emotional material that could be interpreted in very different musical settings.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003eThe compilation is particularly strong on Memphis and Southern soul, with performances from The Ovations, Solomon Burke, James Carr, Irma Thomas, Tony Borders, Sandy Posey and Joe Simon. James Carr's \u003cem\u003eLet It Happen\u003c\/em\u003e and Irma Thomas's \u003cem\u003eGood Things Don't Come Easy\u003c\/em\u003e are especially representative of the deep-soul aesthetic, while Tony Joe White's \"Watching The Trains Go By\" brings a swampier Southern character to the collection.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003eThere are also plenty of discoveries for collectors. Jeanne Newman's \"It Tears Me Up\" is a previously unissued Goldwax recording, while the compilation deliberately avoids relying exclusively on the most obvious versions of Penn \u0026amp; Oldham compositions. Ace's own notes highlight less familiar selections such as Arthur Conley's \"In The Same Old Way\", The Box Tops' \"Everything I Am\" and Tommy Roe's \"Wish You Didn't Have To Go\", making the set valuable not only as an introduction but also for listeners already familiar with Southern soul.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003eWith performances by Percy Sledge, Dionne Warwick, The Sweet Inspirations, Charlie Rich, Etta James, Solomon Burke, James Carr, The Box Tops, Tony Joe White, Arthur Conley, Irma Thomas and Barbara Lynn, \u003cem\u003eSweet Inspiration\u003c\/em\u003e provides an excellent overview of the songwriting legacy of Dan Penn and Spooner Oldham. For fans of Ace Records, Kent soul, Memphis soul, Muscle Shoals, deep soul and 1960s R\u0026amp;B, it is a particularly useful songwriter-focused compilation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eTracklist\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003col data-spread=\"false\" start=\"1\"\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePercy Sledge – Out Of Left Field – 3:27\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDionne Warwick – I'm Your Puppet – 3:01\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe Sweet Inspirations – Sweet Inspiration – 2:52\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCharlie Rich – A Woman Left Lonely – 3:14\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eEtta James – I Worship The Ground You Walk On – 2:24\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe Ovations – I'm Living Good – 2:31\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSolomon Burke – Take Me (Just As I Am) – 2:59\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eArthur Alexander – Cry Like A Baby – 2:18\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eJeanne Newman – It Tears Me Up – 3:08\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eArt Freeman – Slippin' Around – 2:56\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eTony Borders – I Met Her In Church – 2:26\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSandy Posey – Are You Never Coming Home – 2:58\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eJames Carr – Let It Happen – 2:36\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe Box Tops – Everything I Am – 2:16\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eTed Taylor – Feed The Flame – 2:32\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eTony Joe White – Watching The Trains Go By – 3:02\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eArthur Conley – In The Same Old Way – 2:45\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eRonnie Milsap – Denver – 3:21\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePatti LaBelle \u0026amp; The Bluebelles – Dreamer – 2:21\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIrma Thomas – Good Things Don't Come Easy – 2:56\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe Wallace Brothers – I Need Someone – 2:29\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBarbara Lynn – He Ain't Gonna Do Right – 2:53\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eTommy Roe – Wish You Didn't Have To Go – 2:15\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eJoe Simon – Let's Do It Over – 2:21\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ol\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/JadFn9CXcjc?si=JFByk-1KAFbcijsM\" title=\"YouTube video player\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Ace Records","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55540046725462,"sku":"CDCHD 1284","price":6.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1009\/1013\/7686\/files\/rn-image_picker_lib_temp_f18dc47b-35fb-475d-b81b-06f189495ce5.jpg?v=1790767100","url":"https:\/\/www.sounds-grounds.co.uk\/products\/dan-penn-spooner-oldham-sweet-inspiration-the-songs-of-dan-penn-spooner-oldham","provider":"Sounds + Grounds","version":"1.0","type":"link"}