The Exciting Wilson Pickett | ||||
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Studio album by Wilson Pickett | ||||
Released | August 1966 | |||
Recorded | May 12, 1965–May 8, 1966 Memphis, Tennessee and Muscle Shoals, Alabama |
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Genre | R&B/Soul | |||
Label |
Atlantic 8129 |
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Producer | Jerry Wexler, Steve Cropper, Jim Stewart, Rick Hall, Tom Dowd | |||
Wilson Pickett chronology | ||||
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Professional ratings | |
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Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
Allmusic |
The Exciting Wilson Pickett, released in 1966, was the third album by R&B and soul singer Wilson Pickett. The album charted at #3 on the U.S. Billboard R&B albums chart and #21 on the popular albums chart. According to AllMusic, this second album firmly established Picket's "stature as a major '60s soul man". The album launched four major hits for Pickett, but AllMusic emphasizes that the non-hit cuts, "of nearly an equal level", will be of more interest to collectors.
Originally released on the Atlantic label, the album has been re-issued on CD by Rhino, Collectables and Warner Bros. Records. In 2007, a new LP edition was released by the label 4 Men with Beards.
The Exciting Wilson Pickett launched four crossover hit singles. "In the Midnight Hour" reached #1 on the Billboard R&B singles chart and #21 on the pop singles chart. "Land of a Thousand Dances" reached #1 and #6 respectively, his biggest pop hit. "Ninety-nine and a Half (Won't Do)" reached #13 and #53. "634-5789 (Soulsville, U.S.A.)", a song which Pickett had not on first hearing liked, reached #1 and #13.
Pickett later redid the song "Land of a Thousand Dances", originally a hit in 1963 for New Orleans-based composer Chris Kenner, for the soundtrack of The Great Outdoors, a 1988 film starring Dan Aykroyd and John Candy.