Excellent Sides of Swamp Dogg, Vol. 4

by Swamp Dogg

Overview

Jerry Williams reissues two long out-of-print albums from the back catalog of his not-so-secret identity Swamp Dogg in the fourth volume of the Excellent Sides of Swamp Dogg series. This set manages a .500 batting average, pairing one fine album with another that's one of Swamp Dogg's least interesting efforts. Swamp Dogg's Greatest Hits? was a 1976 release so obscure it doesn't even appear in many of Williams' discographies, in which he re-recorded a handful of obscure Swamp Dogg tunes, none of which were hits in this or any alternate universe. They may not have sold, but tunes like "I've Never Been to Africa," "Buzzard Luck," and "Call Me Nigger" capture the eccentric fervor of Williams' philosophical style as well as anything he's ever recorded, and "Or Forever Hold Your Peace," "I'm Still In Love with You," and "Don't You Try to Be My Man" are fine examples of his own distinct brand of Southern soul. 1977's Finally Caught Up with Myself, however, is nothing much to write home about; the backing band, credited as "Riders of the New Funk," sounds meek and anemic where Swamp Dogg's sessions are usually cooking with potent funk, and with a few exceptions Williams wasn't faring much better as a songwriter. There are a few bright spots, but outside of "If You Gotta Do Wrong (Do It Right)," "Trash," and "Understanding California Women," this is Swamp Dogg's most disposable album of the '70s. It doesn't help that on this reissue, Finally Caught Up with Myself sounds harsh and murky, and while the tracks from Greatest Hits? feature much better audio quality, "Ebony & Jet" has a very noticeable speed fault that wasn't corrected in mastering. Given how hard to find both of these albums are, Swamp Dogg fans aren't likely to complain about the flaws of this disc, but it's too bad the prime craziness of Greatest Hits? couldn't have been paired up with something more interesting. ~ Mark Deming

Product Details

Release Date:	11/13/2007
Label:	S.D.E.G. (Swamp Dogg Ent. Group)
UPC:	0722247195829
Rank:	132879

Tracks

1. Buzzard Luck
2. Or Forever Hold Your Peace
3. I Can't Stand to Hear Her Say Please
4. Call Me Nigger
5. Ebony & Jet
6. Don't You Try to Be My Man
7. Paradoxical (No Bugles)
8. I'm Still in Love with You
9. I've Never Been to Africa
10. Eat the Goose Before the Goose Eats You
11. If You Gotta Do Wrong (Do It Right)
12. Trash
13. Communication #2
14. New Orleans My Home
15. Understanding California Women
16. Silly Silly Silly Silly Me
17. Walking on Eggs
18. All Around Friend
19. Communication #1
20. My Heart Just Can't Stop Dancing
21. Embryo S.O.S
22. Slow Slow Disco

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Swamp Dogg   Primary Artist,Organ,Piano,Vocals,Keyboards,Mellotron,Tambourine,Fender Rhodes,Piano (Grand),ARP Synthesizer,Moog Synthesizer,Vocals (Background),Synthesizer
Linda White   Vocals (Background)
Court Pickett   Guitar (Bass),Bass
Sammy Harris   Drums,Drums
Stave Goss   Horn
Audie "Ed" Watkins   Percussion,Congas
Jimmy "Be Bop" Evans   Drums
Bob Wray   Guitar (Bass),Bass
9th Street Recreational Center, Bippy City, Oklahoma   Strings
Leroy Stubblefield   Vocals (Background)
Claudette Balle   Vocals (Background)
Ricky "Bongo" Starr   Percussion,Percussion
Maurice "Poochie" Cotton   Guitar (Bass),Bass
Oliver Sain   Flute,Trumpet,Trombone,Sax (Alto),Sax (Tenor),Fender Rhodes,Sax (Soprano),Sax (Baritone)
Randy McCormick   Organ
George Soule   Drums
Oswald Peters   Guitar
Stacy Goss   Horn,Trumpet
Mike Stough   Horn,Trumpet
Toni Stubblefield   Vocals (Background)
Ronnie Eades   Horn,Sax (Baritone)
Ernie Freeman   Vocals (Background)
Harvey Thompson   Horn,Sax (Tenor)
Sonny Royal   Horn
Travis Wammack   Guitar
Clayton Ivey   Organ
Charles Rose   Horn,Trombone
Jerry Williams, Jr.   Organ,Piano,Keyboards,Mellotron,Tambourine,Arp Strings,Synthesizer,Fender Rhodes,Piano (Grand),ARP Synthesizer,Moog Synthesizer,Vocals (Background)
Rual Yarbrough   Banjo

Technical Credits

Oliver Sain   Audio Engineer,Audio Production,Engineer,Producer,Dance
Jerry Williams, Jr.   Audio Production,Arranger,Producer
David "Bat" Johnson   Audio Engineer,Engineer
Howard Roberts   Inspiration
Charlie Whitehead   Inspiration
Joe McEwen   Inspiration
Johnny Jenkins   Inspiration
Johnny Carson   Inspiration
Donnie Fritts   Inspiration
Mary Ellen Mason   Inspiration
Phyllis White   Inspiration
Matt Parsons   Inspiration
Harold Carter   Inspiration