ARTHUR CONLEY RIP

**Greg Wilson** · November 17th, 2003, 03:39 PM

'Sweet Soul Music' Star Is Dead

Arthur Conley, a 1960s soul singer best known for his 1967 hit Sweet Soul Music, died today at his home in the Netherlands, where he had lived for several decades after fleeing the pressure of the US music industry, Dutch television and friends said. He was 57.

Conley, a protege of Otis Redding, had been suffering from intestinal cancer and had grown progressively weak in recent weeks, said Gunter Giesen, the band leader of a group Conley was advising. He died in his home in the town of Ruurlo, in the eastern Netherlands.

Conley was born in Atlanta, Georgia, and started his recording career in 1959 as leader of the group Arthur and the Corvets. He co-wrote Sweet Soul Music with Redding based on a number by Sam Cooke. He had several minor hits in the following two years.

He moved to Europe in the early 1970s after several tours of the continent, deciding that he was “fed up with the pressure” in the United States, said Giesen.

http://www.news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=2186166

Sweet Soul Music
Arthur Conley

Do you like good music
That sweet soul music
Just as long as it's swingin'
Oh yeah, oh yeah

Out here on the floor now
We're going to a go go
Ah dancin to the music
Oh yeah, oh yeah

Spotlight on Lou Rawls y'all
Ah don't he look tall y'all
Singin' loves a hurtin' thing now
Oh yeah, oh yeah

Spotlight on Sam and Dave now
Ah don't they look boss y'all
Singin' hold on I'm comin'
Oh yeah, oh yeah

Spotlight on Wilson Pickett
That wicked picket Pickett
Singin Mustang Sally
Oh yeah, oh yeah

Spotlight on Otis Redding now
Singing fa fa fa fa fa fa fa fa
Fa fa fa fa fa fa fa fa
Oh yeah, oh yeah

Spotlight on James Brown now
He's the king of them all, yeah
He's the king of them all, yeah
Oh yeah, oh yeah

http://www.webfitz.com/lyrics/Lyrics/1967/521967.html

**Com King** · November 17th, 2003, 04:40 PM

It's really sad, I always liked this song.

BTW, thanks for the lyrics cause some words are almost impossible to understand for me.

**originalbigm** · November 17th, 2003, 04:46 PM

Christ another one gone!How sad.I guess as we all get older these passings become commomplace but the sad part is that a lot of these greats are leaving us at relatively early ages. Condolences and thoughts go out to his family!

**Forrrce** · November 17th, 2003, 05:14 PM

I grew up on 'Sweet Soul Music' and loved it as a kid. I've never known any other songs by him and to be honest, would have assumed he was both older and had already passed.

Sure, another one has gone, but we're all children of the 20th century and so were all the artists whose demise we've witnessed recently. It's just one of life's little rules we're constantly having to be reminded of.

**PaulC** · November 17th, 2003, 06:52 PM

...

**efunk_adelic** · November 18th, 2003, 02:26 AM

Hard to believe.... this has been a bad year being a star...

Great song... I loved the energy it gave....

R.I.P. Arthur :(

**QUINNY** · November 18th, 2003, 03:24 AM

RIP Arthur Conley, the man who recorded a song that defined an era.
His only other crossover dancefloor hit Funky Street was one of the first records I remember that included 'audience participation'. It was a delight to see punters screw up on the incredibly fast handclaps and know that as a DJ you were looking just as ludicrous to them with your own attempts.

**efunk_adelic** · November 18th, 2003, 09:39 AM

Originally Written by QUINNY

RIP Arthur Conley, the man who recorded a song that defined an era.
His only other crossover dancefloor hit Funky Street was one of the first records I remember that included 'audience participation'. It was a delight to see punters screw up on the incredibly fast handclaps and know that as a DJ you were looking just as ludicrous to them with your own attempts.

Quinny,

I assume a punter is a dancer? :P Anyways, here's a chart information on his career, all on ATCO RECORDS.....

Sweet Soul Music (#2 R&B, #2 POP) gold single originally written by Sam Cooke as "Yeah Man"

Shake, Rattle & Roll (#20 R&B, #31 POP)
Whole Lotta Woman (#73 POP)
Funky Street (#5 R&B, #14 POP)
People Sure Act Funny (#17 R&B, #58 POP)
Aunt Dora's Love Soul Shack (#41 R&B, 85 POP)
Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da (#41 R&B, #51 POP)
God Bless (#33 R&B, #107 POP)

**Keith RS** · November 18th, 2003, 05:37 PM

Great song! He was one of the many artist on Atlantic Records during that time period. R.I.P. 8)

**zeca azevedo** · November 21st, 2003, 12:20 PM

Sad news for all soul music fans (just like me),

ARTHUR CONLEY, was gifted but underrated singer. I have 2 of his albums and a compilation that shows his talent.
ARTHUR CONLEY will be truly missed by fans of REAL soul music.

Arthur, sleep on.

zeca azevedo, :cry:

P.S.: ARTHUR CONLEY wasn't a DISCO SINGER at all, he wasa SOUL SINGER, so I think this topic will be better placed on the SOUL MUSIC part of the FORUM. Just an opinion.

**NickNack** · November 21st, 2003, 08:43 PM

Originally Written by zeca azevedo

P.S.: ARTHUR CONLEY wasn't a DISCO SINGER at all, he wasa SOUL SINGER, so I think this topic will be better placed on the SOUL MUSIC part of the FORUM. Just an opinion.

You're right --- I moved it.