The Eddie Hinton appreciation thread

He was an amazing "blue-eyed soul" singer, a great musician and an excellent songwriter, but the late Eddie Hinton (1944-1995) never got the recognition he deserved, IMO.
I hadn't even heard about him when a music magazine I read (I can't remember which) reported his death back in 1995. The brief obituary mentioned some songs he wrote and some he played on. I played a few of them and remembered the name Eddie Hinton.
Several years later, I stumbled across a CD called "Dear Y'All: The Songwriting Sessions". I bought it without listening to a single note, a decision I've had no reason to regret. It was great and I tried to find every other Eddie Hinton release available. Sadly, there are not a lot of them.
Any other Eddie Hinton fans here?

 

Patterson Hood has recommended him to millions of us, a Legend.

 

"Hard Luck Guy" is highly recommended, but "Dear Y'All: The Songwriting Sessions" is too good for words. IMO.

 

A pretty well known Eddie Hinton song:

 

He sounds blacker than any other white person I've ever heard. An amazing talent.

 

Unfortunately this thread is destined to sink like a stone. Be that as it may, it's great to see a thread here on one of the best-kept secrets in American music - bar none.

I was first introduced to Hinton through his '78 Capricorn album Very Extremely Dangerous. An eye ear-opener if there ever was one and I wondered "where the hell has this guy been?" There were no other releases by Hinton I could find.

Always in the back of my mind, whenever I saw an album of his, I'd pick it up - sight unseen sound unheard. I was never disappointed and ended up with the four albums released in his lifetime:

• Very Extremely Dangerous
• Letters From Mississippi
• Cry and Moan
• Very Blue Highway

Shortly before the original MFSL went belly up, in fact one of the very last releases, was MFCD 749 Letters From Mississippi. One of the most treasured CDs in my collection. By all rights, Hinton should be a household name. But the gods of music move in many mysterious ways, unfortunately.

 

We need reissues of Eddie's OOP albums.
Calling Real Gone!

 

Very Extremely Dangerous was redone in 2009 but I have no clue regarding how it sounds. Anyone heard the "Shout" label CD?

 

A Eddie Hinton song:

A great question. I'm interested in any opinion about that reissue. I only have the vinyl and a needledrop a friend was kind enough to do 10 years ago or so.

 

Can't comment on the Shout reissue - never heard it. But the 199? Capricorn 536 111-2 CD sounds good to me.

 

I'll watching this! i love Eddie!

 

I've yet to see Dangerous Highway but I want to see it in a bad way. Letters From Mississippi is my favorite album and I've watched this video more times than I can count.

 

I only have the original Capricorn vinyl of Very Extremely Dangerous, but it's a keeper.

 

Thank you for helping me spend my money. What about Cry and Moan and Very Blue Highway, any decent CD's? Everything will pale compared to the Mofi I assume but anything decent would do.

 

Tremendous artist with a whole lot of great session credits in addition to his own output, including guitar work on the Elvis Country album. He was invited to play the Elvis sessions by Norbert Putnam and David Briggs, members of the original FAME rhythm section in Muscle Shoals.

 

Known as the last of the great white soul singers or the white Otis Redding, Eddie Hinton is one of my all-time favorite artists.

Fine songwriter, guitarist and vocalist. He wrote tunes covered by Percy Sledge, Aretha Franklin, Dusty Springfield, Bobby Womack and the Box Tops. His lead guitar graced many sessions including the Staple Singers - I'll Take You There, R. B. Greaves - Take A Letter, Maria and the killer Elvis version of Merry Christmas Baby. But my favorite thing about Eddie Hinton were those vocals tinged with weariness and sadness. Never to be confused with Sam Cooke, the writer Robert Gordon said it best, "If a frayed rope could sing, it would sound like only two people, and since Otis is dead, that leaves Eddie."

Very Extremely Dangerous was released in 1978 right before Capricorn folded. Was later reissued on CD when PolyGram brought Capricorn back for a short revival.

Letter From Mississippi originally came out on vinyl in the mid-80's in only Sweden and Germany. It was later reissued on CD by Zane in England and Mobil Fidelity in the US.

Cry And Moan came out on Rounder in 1991 and is my favorite Eddie Hinton album. If you dig gritty Southern soul, check this one out.

Very Blue Highway also on Rounder came out in 1993 and was Hinton's final album released while he was alive.

Hard Luck Guy was released by Rounder in 1999 and features Hinton demos with sympathetic backing added.

Dear Y'all: The Songwriting Sessions came out on Zane in 2000

Playin' Around: The Songwriting Sessions Vol. 2 came out on Zane in 2004

Beautiful Dream: Sessions Vol. 3 came out on Zane in 2005

A Mighty Field Of Vision: The Anthology 1969 - 1993 was released on the Australian Raven label in 2005. I wish I could recommend this collection but I find the sound quality to be less than optimal and the song selection questionable, at best. But if you are a completist like me, there are three tracks here, which are unavailable elsewhere.

I have all of these and if I heard of a new Eddie Hinton album, I would buy it immediately. I even have a VHS tape with Hinton and John Wyker sitting in the studio talking and Hinton doing several songs solo in what is probably the late 1980's or early 1990's.

There are a number of great Eddie Hinton stories out there but here is my favorite. Following Otis Redding's death, his widow hired Eddie to give their sons vocal lessons and teach them how to play guitar. Obviously, he came by the white Otis Redding tag honestly.

 

One of my favourite pastimes is to see you empty your pockets.

Cry and Moan - Rounder/Bullseye CD BB 9504

Very Blue Highway - Rounder/Bullseye CD BB 9528

Both pre-loudness, released 1991 and 1993 respectively, as mentioned by Texas T above. But I'm surprised you don't have these.

 

Absolutely. They used to play his music as they walked on stage. I remember asking the sound guy about the music, asking who it was; he told me, and I have been digging Eddie Hinton ever since.

 

Mine too, it sounds awesome. But it was released in '93, well before MFSL closed the doors in 1999

 

Thanks to Texas T and YBYB for the info. It was a "never got a " situation. I will remedy that in the future.

 

I love Eddie Hinton,as someone post above i'm yet to see the documentary,what a voice!
his first solo album is my fav,love the songs,the musicianship and the great horn arrangements,i miss a little bit more of guitar work but Eddie
wasn't a flash player,not that he could't! but he was a Musician not a strict guitarist.

 

Recently I got Very Extremely Dangerous on LP and while I think it's OK I haven't totally flipped over it yet. My wife asked me if that was a young Otis with modern back up. I laughed,yeah, I knew what she meant. It sounds a bit slicked out maybe been better if done some years earlier like the Dan Penn Fame Recordings. Does he have earlier stuff that's not as polished as VED?

 

Thanks again to @Texas T and @You Better You Bet for the info on his releases, I found some slick deals for the original albums I was missing.

 

A thank you for the recommendation and a futile bump for a thread on an incredible artist.

 

Can somebody tell me exactly on what otis redding cuts he played?
Also any clues about the Dangerous Highway release.

Bump bump