Sixty years after its release, ‘The Exciting Wilson Pickett’ remains one of the defining albums of the soul era, marking Wilson Pickett’s commercial breakthrough and documenting a pivotal shift from Memphis to Muscle Shoals that helped shape the sound of American rhythm and blues.
by Paul Cashmere
Released in 1966 on Atlantic Records, The Exciting Wilson Pickett celebrates its 60th anniversary as the album that established Wilson Pickett among the leading voices of American soul. The record became the highest-charting studio album of his career, reaching No. 3 on the Billboard R&B Albums chart and No. 21 on the Billboard Pop Albums chart, while producing four major hit singles that crossed from the R&B charts into the mainstream.
The anniversary highlights an album that captured Pickett during a period of artistic transition. Having established himself with recordings at Stax Studios in Memphis, Pickett moved to FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, for much of the album’s recording. The change of location introduced a different studio environment and rhythm section that would become central to some of his most influential recordings over the following two years.
The Exciting Wilson Pickett also reflected Atlantic Records’ growing confidence in the singer following the success of “In the Midnight Hour”. Rather than relying on a single hit, the album delivered a collection of performances that demonstrated Pickett’s versatility across rhythm and blues, soul and gospel influenced material. While its best known songs became radio staples, the album’s deeper cuts have continued to attract attention from collectors and fans of classic soul music.
Among its biggest successes was “Land of 1000 Dances”, Pickett’s interpretation of Chris Kenner’s song. Recorded during Pickett’s first sessions at FAME Studios in May 1966, the single became his third No. 1 R&B hit and his biggest crossover pop success, reaching No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100. His version popularised the now familiar “na na na na na” refrain that had first appeared in Cannibal & the Headhunters’ 1965 recording.
The song has remained one of Pickett’s signature performances, later appearing in films including The Great Outdoors and The Full Monty, while continuing to feature in television advertising and popular culture decades after its release.
The album also included “In the Midnight Hour”, although that recording had originally been released the previous year. Written by Wilson Pickett and Steve Cropper, the song was recorded at Stax Studios in Memphis and became Pickett’s first Atlantic Records hit, reaching No. 1 on the Billboard R&B chart and No. 21 on the pop chart.
Steve Cropper has credited Atlantic executive Jerry Wexler with influencing the distinctive rhythmic feel of the recording by encouraging the musicians to accent the beat in a way that reflected contemporary dance styles. The result became one of the defining grooves of 1960s soul music. In later years, “In the Midnight Hour” was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame and selected for preservation in the United States National Recording Registry because of its cultural and historical significance.
Another standout was “634-5789 (Soulsville, U.S.A.)”, written by Eddie Floyd and Steve Cropper. Although Pickett reportedly did not initially warm to the song, it became another No. 1 R&B single and reached No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100. The recording featured backing vocals by Patti LaBelle and the Blue Belles and drew inspiration from The Marvelettes’ earlier hit “Beechwood 4-5789”.
The album’s fourth charting single, “Ninety-nine and a Half (Won’t Do)”, also reached the Billboard R&B Top 20, further reinforcing Pickett’s position as one of Atlantic Records’ leading artists during the mid 1960s.
Beyond the singles, The Exciting Wilson Pickett assembled an impressive group of musicians drawn from both the Stax and Muscle Shoals recording scenes. Steve Cropper, Jimmy Johnson and Chips Moman contributed guitar performances, while keyboard duties were shared between Isaac Hayes, Spooner Oldham and Joe Hall. The rhythm sections included Donald “Duck” Dunn, Albert “Junior” Lowe, Al Jackson Jr. and Roger Hawkins, with the horn arrangements featuring Wayne Jackson, Andrew Love, Charles “Packy” Axton, Gene “Bowlegs” Miller and Floyd Newman.
Production supervision came from Jerry Wexler, Tom Dowd, Rick Hall, Steve Cropper and Jim Stewart, reflecting the collaboration between Atlantic Records, Stax and FAME during one of soul music’s most productive periods.
Originally released by Atlantic Records, The Exciting Wilson Pickett has remained in print through a series of reissues from Rhino, Collectables and Warner Bros. Records, while a vinyl edition was reissued by 4 Men with Beards in 2007.
Six decades after its original release, the album continues to represent a defining moment in Wilson Pickett’s career. It captured the transition from his Memphis recordings to the Muscle Shoals era, produced four enduring hit singles and helped establish a catalogue that remains among the most influential in American soul music.
Tracklisting
“Land of 1000 Dances” (Chris Kenner) – 2:28
“Something You Got” (Chris Kenner) – 2:58
“634-5789 (Soulsville, U.S.A.)” (Steve Cropper, Eddie Floyd) – 3:00
“Barefootin'” (Robert Parker) – 2:22
“Mercy Mercy” (Don Covay, Ronald Dean Miller) – 2:30
“You’re So Fine” (Lance Finney, Willie Schofield, Robert West) – 2:38
“In the Midnight Hour” (Steve Cropper, Wilson Pickett) – 2:36
“Ninety-nine and a Half (Won’t Do)” (Steve Cropper, Eddie Floyd, Wilson Pickett) – 2:44
“Danger Zone” (Steve Cropper, Wilson Pickett) – 2:12
“I’m Drifting” (Homer Banks, Wilson Pickett, David Porter) – 2:54
“It’s All Over” (Steve Cropper, Wilson Pickett) – 2:21
“She’s So Good to Me” (Bobby Womack) – 2:17
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