Funky Way: Venture Recordings 1967-1969

by Calvin Arnold

Overview

Calvin Arnold was a journeyman R&B artist from Georgia who enjoyed his greatest success as a behind-the-scenes guy, racking up plenty of credits as a songwriter, producer, engineer, and instrumentalist. Arnold didn't fare as well as a performer, though it wasn't for lack of talent -- his best-known song, "Funky Way," is a pointed, witty meditation on various human failings that suggests the sort of life lessons Joe Tex made his trademark, powered by a taut, elemental groove and some tough, scrappy guitar work from Arnold. If more people in radio had decided "funky" wasn't a dirty word in 1967 (and if his label had a better promotions staff), "Funky Way" probably would have charted higher than number 22 on the R&B singles charts, and number 72 on the pop survey, still a respectable showing for a debut artist. Arnold cut four singles for Venture Records (an R&B-oriented branch of MGM Records) in the late '60s, and all eight of those tracks appear on 2024's Funky Way: Venture Recordings 1967-1969, along with five additional songs from his time at Venture that were never released. "Funky Way" was the hit here, but the other material shows Arnold could have been a bigger star if he'd had better luck. Arnold is a strong vocalist who knows how to engage the listener, the songs match satisfying grooves with street-smart lyrics, and this is great Southern soul that's flavorful and well-crafted, with a no-nonsense rhythm section and punchy horn charts. (Clarence Paul produced or co-produced most of these tracks, though the Mighty Hannibal was at the controls for "Just a Matter of Time" and "You've Got to Live for Yourself.") It's anyone's guess why the five bonus tracks were shelved, beyond the financial troubles that led to Venture's early demise, but they're as good as the stuff that did make it to record shops, and Brian Proust's liner notes deliver a concise, compelling history of Arnold's salad days. He never got to make an album during his years as a headliner, and it's too bad some of his later singles for Sonday and IX Chains couldn't have been included, but Funky Way is a long-overdue tribute to a talent that deserved wider exposure. ~ Mark Deming

Product Details

Release Date:	02/02/2024
Label:	Kent
UPC:	0029667021111
Rank:	41627

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Calvin Arnold   Primary Artist