Today’s classic song of the day is an obscure soul banger that never gained a foothold on the pop charts but later got rediscovered by England’s Northern Soul scene. The song is “The Right Track” and it was recorded by soul singer Billy Butler.
“The Right Track” was written by blues guitarist Johnny Jones and released, in 1966, on Chicago’s Okeh Records label. The track was produced by Carl Davis and peaked at #24 on Billboard’s R&B chart. It failed to chart on the mainstream Billboard Hot 100, however, but later ranked as #11 on the all-time Northern Soul Top 500.
“The Right Track” sounds a little like a Motown track with its four-on-the-snare groove and tambourine backbeats. But it’s got a lot more sweaty energy, with a bit more dirty soul than was coming out of Detroit at the time. It’s also not that harmonically interesting, sitting on a single chord for most of the song. That freed up Mr. Butler’s powerful vocal performance, which really distinguishes this one.
Billy Butler was a Chicago native, younger brother to legendary soul singer Jerry Butler. While still in high school, he formed a vocal group called the Enchanters. The younger Butler brother signed with Okeh Records as a solo artist in 1963 and had a handful of minor hits on the R&B charts. His first recordings were produced by Chicago’s own Curtis Mayfield (still with the Impressions) and his later ones by Carl Davis.
After his solo career fizzled, Billy Butler formed another group called Infinity, which scored a few more minor R&B hits between 1969 and 1973. He also wrote some songs for his brother Jerry and for other Chicago musicians, such Major Lance and Gene Chandler. Billy Butler passed away in 2015, age 69.
To get an idea of what the Northern Soul scene is all about (there’s a lot of dancing involved), check out today’s daily bonus video of the day. It’s the crowd at the King’s Hall in Stoke-on-Trent in 2012, out on the dance floor moving and grooving to Billy Butler’s “The Right Track.” Like I said, it’s a banger.
