Eddie Floyd
b. 25 June 1935, Montgomery, Alabama, USA. A founder member of the Detroit-based Falcons, Floyd was present on both their major hits, You're So Fine (1959) and I Found A Love (1962). Eddie then recorded solo for Lupine in Detroit and Safice in Washington, DC, before moving to Memphis in 1965 to join the Stax organization. He first made his mark there as a composer, penning Wilson Pickett's 634-5789 among others. During Floyd's recording tenure at Stax, he enjoyed the use of the session bands Booker T. And The MGs and the Mar-Keys. He opened his account with Things Get Better (1965), followed by the anthem-like Knock On Wood (1966), one of soul's enduring moments. Probably the only time lightning and frightening can be coupled without sounding trite; ‘just like thunder and lightning, the way you love me is frightening think I'd better knock on wood’. Although subsequent releases failed to match its success, a series of powerful singles, including Love Is A Doggone Good Thing (1967) and Big Bird (1968), confirmed his stature both as performer and songwriter. Although Floyd's compositions were recorded by several acts, his next US Top 20 pop hit came with Sam Cooke's Bring It On Home To Me in 1968. Eddie stayed with Stax until its bankruptcy in 1975, whereupon he moved to Malaco. His spell there was thwarted by commercial indifference and he left the label for Mercury in 1977, but met with no better results. Briefly relocated to London, he recorded under the aegis of Mod resurrectionists Secret Affair, before surfacing in New York with the album TRY ME (1985). In 1990 Floyd appeared live with a reformed Booker T. And The MGs.