“Charlie Whitehead is the greatest unknown soul artist of all time.” – OFFBEAT
Charlie Whitehead, a.k.a. Raw Spitt, 1970 first full length, produced by Swamp Dogg for Canyon records, and a highly sought after collectors’ album of unconventional Southern Soul. The remastered CD version includes 5 bonus tracks and new liner notes penned by Swamp Dogg. This will also be available in Limited Edition Colored Vinyl exclusive to Bomp-mailorder.
The following are Swamp Dogg’s newly penned liner notes for Charlie Whitehead’s Raw Spitt album:
Top Ten on my very best friends list. Charlie Whitehead a/k/a Raw Spitt hails from Smithfield, Virginia; about thirty miles from my hometown, Portsmouth, Virginia. Nevertheless, we didn’t meet until 1966 in New York City. I was knocked out by his voice and delivery so I immediately got Musicor Records, who I was working for, to sign him. We cut one single, “How Can I Forget” b/w “Story Of Mr. Pitiful”, which was not unusual in those days. If you didn’t hit the first time out, your ass was grass and Broadway was the lawnmower.
Charlie was doing well financially with his singing partner, Joe Pond, making frequent trips to Europe as Sam & Dave and alone as Ben E. King. In the meantime I signed with Canyon Records and had plans of Charlie being the other Swamp Dogg; that’s why the two “t’s” in Spitt. Upon release the album started getting play on underground stations, but Canyon went belly-up before sales could be realized. Charlie was on the FTA Tour with Jane Fonda, Dick Gregory, Peter Boyle, Donald Sutherland and I. I signed Charlie to United Artist but that didn’t last long. Just a single and they gave me the album back. Charlie’s contract called for two albums a year, so they had to pay us for the non-existing album. This gave credence to the axioms, “there’s some dumb motherfu**ers in this industry” and “money don’t make you smart.”
We hit it big together in 1974 on Island Records with “Love Being Your Fool.” which was also covered by the Staple Singers, Jerry Reed, Coon Elder Band, Travis Womack (top 20 pop) and a few others. Charlie came to me with most of the lyrics and thought they were sh*t and I was not going to record it. He told me that he had adhered to every song and concept that I had suggested, without any success. He was right, so I swallowed my fu**in’ ego and let him have his day in court. He was right and I was happy to take credit for this genius change of directions. We have a tremendous past together which includes the writing of Dee Dee Warwick’s Grammy nominated “She Didn’t Know (She Kept On Talking)”.
Charlie is in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he’s a recent widower, avid gambler who always wins, and a sometime performer. If I divulge more you won’t buy my autobiography. – Swamp Dogg.
RAW SPITT TRACK LISTING:
1. Put A Little Love In Your Heart
2. Call Me Nigger
3. The Freedom Under Certain Konditions Marching Band
4. Midnight Rider
5. Who Do They Think They Are
6. I Dig Black Girls
7. This Old Town
8. Sweet Bird Of Success
9. Excuses
10. Between The Lines
11. Predicament 2
12. That Ain’t My Wife
13. Synthetic World
14. Hey Jude
FOR MORE INFO ON CHARLIE WHITEHEAD:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_Whitehead
FOR MORE INFO ON ALIVE RECORDS:
http://www.alive-totalenergy.com
FOR MEDIA AND INTERVIEW REQUESTS:
Tony Bonyata
Pavement PR
p: 262.903.7775
e: bonyata@wi.rr.com
https://pavementpr.com