One Step Beyond

Performer: Johnnie Taylor
Engineer: Larry Hamby; Ron Capone
Distributor: Fantasy (distributor)

Notes: Includes liner notes by Ron Bowman. Recorded in 1970. Personnel: Johnnie Taylor (vocals); Eddie Hinton, Steve Cropper (guitar); Rudy Robinson, Barry Beckett (keyboards); Roger Hawkins (drums). Liner Note Author: Rob Bowman. Recording information: Muscle Shoals Sound Studios, AL (1970); Stax Recording Studio, Memphis, TN (1970). Photographer: Joel Brodsky. Cut in the middle of Taylor's late-'60s and early-'70s stay at Stax, One Step Beyond qualifies as one of the singer's best LPs. Captured in his Southern soul prime, Taylor lets loose on fine mix of gospel-inspired ballads ("I Don't Want to Lose You"), countrified mid-tempo burners ("Party Life"), and breezy stings-and-horns soul ("Will You Love Me Forever"). And, yes, there are such unforgettable hits as "I Am Somebody" and an amazing reading of the jazz standard "Time After Time." A must-have for all Taylor fans. ~ Stephen Cook

Johnnie Taylor first achieved notoriety when he joined Sam Cooke's former group, the Soul Stirrers, in 1957. Taylor's blues-based R&B records of the '60s, like his biggest hit, "Who's Makin' Love?," featured an irresistible beat and Taylor's gruff, emphatic vocals. While he never achieved the fame of Otis Redding or Wilson Pickett, Taylor stuck around long enough to enjoy a second surge in popularity with the lusty hit "Disco Lady" in 1976.

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