Your second classic instrumental hit this week that you didn’t know had lyrics is “Soulful Strut,” a big hit for a little combo called Young-Holt Unlimited. Released in November of 1968, it went on to hit #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and Rhythm & Blues Singles charts, #2 on the Easy Listening Chart, and #1 in Canada.
The song was written by Eugene Record and Sonny Sanders. Mr. Record was better known as the lead vocalist of the Chi-Lites and wrote some of their biggest hits, including “Oh Girl” and “Have You Seen Her.” Mr. Sanders made his bones as an arranger, working with artists like the Reflections (“Just Like Romeo and Juliet”), Edwin Starr (“Agent Double-O Soul”), Jackie Wilson (“Higher and Higher”), and, not surprisingly, the Chi-Lites.
Even though “Soulful Strut” is credited to Young-Holt Unlimited, neither bassist Eldee Young or drummer Redd Holt play on it. That’s because it wasn’t recorded by them—it was originally the backing instrumental track for a song called “Am I the Same Girl,” by Barbara Acklin, with her vocals wiped and a new piano lead put in by jazz pianist Floyd Morris.
That original track was played by a bunch of otherwise-anonymous studio musicians dubbed the Brunswick Studio Band, for record label Brunswick Records. The label gave the track to Misters Young and Holt to give their act a little bump; they’d previously been two-thirds of the Ramsey Lewis Trio (with Mr. Lewis on piano, of course), who’d gone out on their own in search of the same kind of fame generated by the Trio’s hit recordings of “The ‘In’ Crowd” and “Wade in the Water.” “Soulful Strut,” even though they didn’t play on it, provided that bump.
Interestingly, even though “Am I the Same Girl” was recorded first, “Soulful Strut” was released first. “Strut” came out in November 1968, followed by “Am I the Same Girl” in February 1969, which made the original recording seem like a follow-on. Ms. Acklin’s recording did well, although not quite as well as “Soulful Strut,” hitting only #79 on the Billboard Hot 100 (and #33 on the Rhythm & Blues Singles chart). It’s kind of faded from memory today.
Later in 1969, Brit songbird Dusty Springfield recorded her own version of “Am I the Same Girl.” Her version, with similar instrumental backing, brought out the inherent sadness of the lyrics as only Dusty could, and went to #43 on the UK Singles chart. (It wasn’t released as a single in the U.S.)
Several decades later, in 1992, Brit pop group Swing Out Sister did their own cover of “Am I the Same Girl,” and it did the best of all the vocal versions, hitting #1 on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary chart, #45 on the Hot 100, #21 on the UK Singles chart, and #1 on the European Dance Radio chart. This version, like all of the group’s music, features a sophisticated arrangement and triumphant, energetic vocals by vocalist Corinne Drewery. The group apparently was inspired to record the song after Ms. Drewery heard the original Barbara Acklin version by chance at a Manchester disco specializing in Northern Soul music. The more things go around, the more they come around.
Of all the different versions of this song, both vocal and instrumental, I like Swing Out Sister’s the best. Of course, I’m a huge Swing Out Sister fan; I love their sophisticated arrangements and Ms. Drewery’s vocals. If you like more adult pop—think Burt Bacharach and similar music—I think you’d like them, too. Their first big hit was way back in 1986 with “Breakout,” which went to #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart. Their other big hits were “Surrender” (#7 in 1987), “Twilight World” (#32 in 1987), and another cover, of the Delfonics’ “La La (Means I Love You)” (#37 in 1994). Ms. Drewery and her compatriot Andy Connell continue to record and perform today; their most recent album was 2017’s Almost Persuaded. They’re very big in Japan, for some reason.
