40 Year Itch : One Week's Worth of '73 Soul Singles

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For proof that 1973 was a great year for soul, look no further than this list of singles that all entered the Billboard soul charts on August 25, 1973. 

Entering the charts the highest is "Get It Together", the title track from the Jackson 5's new album which closes with the future  #2 hit "Dancing Machine".

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Entering the soul chart at #64 is "Sexy, Sexy, Sexy" from James Brown's soundtrack to Slaughter's Big Rip Off. The single peaked at #6 on the soul chart and #50 on the pop chart.

The future #1 single ( originally written as "Midnight Plane to Houston" by Jim Weatherly) debuted in the soul charts at #75. Rolling Stone ranked it #432 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

Tina Turner says Marc Bolan of T.Rex plays guitar on this rocking, semi-autobiographical single that became Ike and Tina Turner's last big hit. Debuting on the soul charts at #79, the song peaked at #11 and #22 on the Hot 100 pop chart.

Originally released by Lee Dorsey in 1970, "Yes We Can Can" debuted at #83 on the soul charts for the Pointer Sisters on its way to #11 on the pop charts and #12 on the soul charts. Written by Allen Toussaint.

Other new singles:

#81 Tribe - KDKE, pt 1

#86 Freda Payne - Two Wrongs Don't Make a Right

#90 John and Ernest - Soul President Number One

#97 Barrett Strong - Stand Up and Cheer for the Preacher

#98 Manhattans - Do You Ever

#99 Eddie Floyd - Check Me Out

#100 Creative Source - You Can't Hide Love

40 Year Itch : Paid The Cost To Be The Boss

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Following in the funky footsteps of Issac Hayes ( SHAFT), Curtis Mayfield (SUPERFLY) and Marvin Gaye (TROUBLE MAN), James Brown ( and Fred Wesley) finally contributed a soundtrack album to a blaxploitation picture. Sold as the Godfather of Harlem, Black Caesar stars Fred Williamson as a black member of the Mafia who goes to war with the rest of the city while bedding down with pretty lady Gloria Hendry.

    It seemed natural to have the Godfather of Soul work on the soundtrack to a movie about the Godfather of Harlem. There are some decent cuts on the soundtrack ( released in February of 1973) -- most notably the opener "Down And Out In New York City" and "The Boss". Both feature great funk instrumentation and lyrics gangsta rappers of the 80's and 90's would envy. The rest of the album, made up mostly of Wesley instrumentals, isn't so inspired. The "Dean", Robert Christgau, gave the album a D+ and suggested Brown "should never be allowed near a vibraphone again".

James Brown and Fred Wesley would return later in the year with another soundtrack, Slaughter's Big Rip-Off, which featured one of the great tag lines in film history :"The mob put the finger on Slaughter …so he gave them the finger right back curled around a tight trigger."