The Dark End of the Street

James Carr is to soul what... Otis Redding is to... soul.

James Carr was on all sorts of drugs and drinking very heavily while he was on tour in the late 60's, which went really well with his being bipolar and all. It took hitting rock bottom, and that rock was found in the middle of a concert in Japan in 1970. As his body began to succumb to an overdose of anti-depressants, he just stopped singing mid-song; he pretty much finished his career right then and there. Next stop, mental hospital. Next, next stop - lung cancer, to really stick it to him.

The Dark End of the Street was written by Chips Moman and Dan Penn, and originally sung by James Carr in Memphis, 1966. If you like this song, the rest of his stuff is even better.

Clarence Carter, who was a dirty, dirty blind soul singer, did the best version of this song I've ever heard, and there are a LOT of covers out there - from Aretha to My Morning Jacket to Dolly Parton. Everyone seems to sing and play it exactly the way James Carr did it (even Frank Black). Clarence did his own intro to the song and changed it forever.

PLAY: The Dark End of the Street - James Carr
PLAY: (Making Love at) The Dark End of The Street - Clarence Carter