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Al Green: He Is the Light

By Jesse Kornbluth
Published: May 20, 2019
Category: Soul

For a lot of people, Al Green is the sophisticated version of Barry White.

Consider the songs he released in the early 1970s: "Tired of Being Alone," "Let’s Stay Together," "I Can’t Get Next to You," "I’m Still in Love With You," "Call Me," "Here I Am," "Let’s Get Married" and "Love and Happiness."

That music had it all: a beat as tight as a noose, sweeping violins, sassy horns and, floating over them all, Al’s glorious voice. He soared, he dipped, he begged — he testified to the power of love.

We believed. You couldn’t not. Romances were launched by this music. Relationships were saved. Babies were made. 

Al Green had a not-so-secret weapon in this remarkable run of hits. His name is Willie Mitchell, and he was Green’s producer — his inventor, really. From a history of soul:

Green and Mitchell’s historic meeting took place in 1969, soon after Green decided to go solo. Mitchell — then a renowned bandleader, arranger and trumpeter — hired the young singer to front his band for a gig in Midland, Texas, and hearing something special, approached Green after the show. "I told him, ‘You come to Memphis and you can be a star,’" Mitchell says. "Al asked me, ‘How long?’ and I said ‘Eighteen months, it’s going to take a little work.’ He told me he didn’t have that much time," says Mitchell, laughing. Green quickly reconsidered, though. "I didn’t have any money," Green says, "so I told him, ‘About this star thing, if that’s what you really wanna do, fine — but I need fifteen hundred dollars.’”

Mitchell arranged a contract. Green rehearsed and rehearsed. The hits are testimony to the genius of the experiment.

In 1974, with Green at the height of his popularity, his girlfriend poured boiling grits on him as he showered — and then killed herself. Green, who had been a gospel singer when he was 9 years old, drew the obvious conclusion: God wanted him to leave secular music. He became a minister and, in 1976, became pastor of the Full Gospel Tabernacle in Memphis.

He still made music — secular music. It didn’t sell as well, so he turned to gospel. These records didn’t sell either.

Then, in 1985, Green reunited with Willie Mitchell. The result is "He Is the Light," a seven-song, 35-minute masterpiece. Green wrote four of these songs; Sam Cooke gets credit for two others.

What does "He Is the Light" sound like? Very much like Green’s greatest hits. These songs are his version of gospel: sexy music with God as the love object. But even more, they’re Willie Mitchell’s creative triumph — they’re dominated by a beat that invites you to make a special kind of march to God. [The CD is only available used. To buy it, click here. To buy the MP3 download — highly recommended — click here.]

Imagine that classic Green-Mitchell groove. The drum-guitar combo has you on your feet right away. If there were an altar, you’d find some way to get there. But not in a straight-ahead, head up, shoulders back way. This music twists you. Gets your hands in the air. You slide. Glide.

"Come and go with me….to my father’s house. Let’s go!" Yeah, you can lean into that. "Nothing but joy when you’re going away!" No fooling. And then comes that Al Green scream — a sudden ascent into a whole other octave. "I don’t know ’bout you but I find joy in nothin’ but the Lord." Hey, me too. "I live to love You…Take my hand and lead me to the land." Absolutely.

I have the greatest ambivalence about all organized religion. I have none about Reverend Al when he’s testifying like this. If you’re a sucker for music with punch and spirit — music that makes you see angels and rainbows and a heaven smoky with sensuality — this is essential listening.