28 Days of Soul Food: Day 16
I'm serving up the ultimate 'soul food' playlist of the Top 8 songs that will make you hungry for collard greens, cornbread and much more.
It’s already the 16th day of Black History Month, y’all.
With all this soul food talk, you should be hungry by now. And, if you’re anything like me, great food always needs a soundtrack. For some reason, it just makes the food taste better. So, I’ve created a little playlist that’ll take you all the way back to the 1960s with tasty hits leading you all the way to the present.
Kelis: “Biscuits n’ Gravy” (2014)
The Neo soul star turned private chef came out with Food in 2014. In this album, Kelis explored several genres, including funk, pop, gospel, and even Afrobeat. Though the song is more about self-love than satiation, it’s literally about waking up with a different mindset. And the first thing I’m thinking about when I wake up is breakfast. Biscuits and gravy works for me, and this is indeed a beautiful, piano-forward number that’s been blessed by her gritty vocals.
Little Milton: “Grits Ain’t Groceries” (1969)
Little Milton’s catchy blues song is about a man who's demanding that his woman cooks real food. Grits are good, but a man is gonna need more if you want him to stick around. That’s as real as it gets!
The J.B.’s: “Pass the Peas” (1972)
Speaking of grit, “Pass the Peas” is raw funk in its essence. It is pretty much an instrumental ditty by James Brown and his legendary band from the 1970s, early 1980s. There are no other words than “Pass the Peas,” and I am to assume they’re referring to black-eyed peas.
Anthony Hamilton: “Cornbread, Fish, Collard Greens” (2012)
Folks always remark that Anthony Hamilton sounds like he’s been around for a million years. He certainly embodies an old soul, with his throwback swagger giving me flashbacks of David Ruffin from The Temptations or Al Green in his heyday. You just don’t hear the young guys belting it out like this anymore, which is why “Cornbread, Fish, Collard Greens” is in my Top 5 for the new soul songs.
Chuck Womack & The Sweet Souls: “Ham Hocks & Beans Pt. 1” (1970)
Deep and funky, this hit from the early 1970s got the party started — in the kitchen. It’s a little bit humorous, with Womack instructing an imaginary woman “not to burn those beans!” There were reportedly only 500 copies of this song pressed on vinyl, so an original might be worth some money.
Fantasia: “Collard Greens & Cornbread” (2010)
A nod to the 1960s classic, “Precious Love” by Marvin Gaye and Tammy Terrell, “Collard Greens & Cornbread” was written in part by the soulful dynamic duo of Ashford & Simpson. Fantasia’s sweet, gospely voice adds just the right seasoning to make this song the perfect side dish for any Sunday feast.
David “Honeyboy” Edwards: “Catfish Blues” (1941)
Famed blues guitarist David “Honeyboy” Edwards was 95 years old during this performance in 2011 at Cat Head Delta Blues & Folk Art in Clarksdale, Mississippi. “Catfish Blues” was his signature song, and to be able to watch him do it with such ease is such a treat.
Olu Dara: “Okra” (1998)
“Okra” was on the debut album, In the World: From Natchez to New York, for jazz cornetist Olu Dara. In the song, the Mississippi-born artist croons about his fondness for his favorite vegetables, which, of course, included okra. But what’s even cooler is that Dara is the father of rap star Nas. Here’s an exhilarating performance of them together in 2004.
[Photo: Chicken and waffles from Luella’s Southern Kitchen.]
Fantastic playlist! Thank you so much!