Chico Banks

CANDY LICKIN' MAN

Evidence 26090
available on CD Universe

I first heard Chico play with the Staple Singers and had to know, "Who the hell the guitar slinger was?" His playing was straight to the point, uncluttered, and hard as the waves of heat coming from the concrete that July day in Washington DC. Yet it was tempered to fit right in with the Staples' sound. It snapped your head back and made you take notice. His playing is evidence of the influences and combined love for blues, rhythm and blues, gospel, and the psychedelia of Jimi Hendrix. His use of the wah wah pedal is tasty throughout the disc on whatever he is playing; yet it is never burdensome. He comes from a family steeped in music. His father, Jessie Banks was with the Mighty Clouds of Joy and also a bluesman, and his brother, Stanley Banks, is a keyboardist, with whom he co-wrote 2 of these songs, plus all the friends that dropped by the family home to jam, all helped him out when he was just starting out. His voice is more than adequate for the job, but the cuts that stand up are those that he concentrates on the guitar. On IT MUST BE LOVE, he has Mavis Staple doing the vocals and you can feel the electricity between the two born of a mutual respect for excellence. On ALL YOUR LOVE, he has "Big James" Montgomery handling the vocals and just listen to what is coming through that wah wah pedal. This is one of the finest guitar players to come down the avenue in a good stretch and as he matures he is only going to keep coming down harder. This is no throwaway first album, with one good cut and lots of dross. Its nearly 70 minutes are filled with some mighty fine playing. This is someone to keep an eye on, just take a deep listen to his version of Albert King's GOT TO BE SOME CHANGES MADE.

 


Chico Banks Candy

Songs, times and writers

  1. RED DRESS - 5:00 - Vernon "Chico" Banks
  2. CANDY LICKIN' MAN - 5:20 - Vernon "Chico" Banks
  3. DOWN THE ROAD I GO - 3:52 - Albert King-John Mayall
  4. IT MUST BE LOVE - 4:14 - Vernon "Chico" Banks-Stanley Banks
  5. ANGEL OF MERCY - 5:05 - Homer Banks-Raymond Jackson
  6. SOUL SERENADE - 6:12 - Luther Dixon-Curtis Ousley
  7. ALL YOUR LOVE - 5:51 - Samuel Maghett
  8. CARELESS THINGS WE DO - 4:10 - Vernon "Chico" Banks-Stanley Banks
  9. GOT TO BE SOME CHANGES MADE - 4:53 - Albert King
  10. YOU'RE FINE - 3:38 - Vernon "Chico" Banks
  11. GROOVE ME - 4:47 - King Floyd
  12. THE SKY IS CRYING - 5:09 - Elmore James-Clarence Lewis- Morgan Robinson
  13. TRUCK LOAD OF LOVIN' - 4:53 - James E. Lewis-Arthur Adams
  14. CALL MY JOB - 5:02 - Marshall Neal-Detroit Williams

    15. Musicians
    Chico Banks - guitar, vocals
    Ronnie Hicks - Hammond B-3, organ, keyboards
    Ken Hampton - bass
    Lester Holmes - drums
     The Chicago Playboy Horns - (5,7,8,11,14)
    "Big James" Montgomery - vocal (7), trombone
    Charles Kimble - tenor sax
    Special Guest - Mavis Staple - vocal (4)
    Produced by - Larry Huffman