David Brinston

Brinston first appeared on the radar when his Jomar Records release "Hit And Run" became a regional hit. Producer Marshall Jones released an album of the same name in 1996. Brinston had been extensively touring the chitlin circuit and pleasing crowds since 1992. Brinston recorded two albums for the small R & B label before enjoying another hit with "Somebody's Cuttin' My Cake" In 2001 the best disc of his career was released on Susie Q called "Fly Right", a great vehicle for his Al Green-like chops. Malaco Records signed him after he opened for Marvin Sease and he released his first for the label in 2005.

Album Discography

"Hit And Run" aka "Slow Down" (Jomar 1996)

***** The title track is a classic pop/ soul song- an upbeat jam with a Marvin Gaye-like vocal. The sheer quality of these 11 songs is special- slow soul wailers like "Old Feeling" & "Last One" and toe-tapping, head-bobbing ear candy like "Trouble Maker", "Dirty Lover" & "Home Recka"- this truly is a "lost" retro-soul classic. Hopefully, some label will re-release this. The album was produced by Marshall Jones. A 12-track version was also released as "Slow Down" including the single "Slow Down (From The Run-A-Round)", which is a must-have track.

"The Real Deal" (R & B 1997)

*** Moderate low-budget release featuring the funky "Double Clutch", which sounds like something that might come out of the Prince camp. "Just Can't Take It" is a smooth number with the disc's best vocal performance. "I'm With You Baby" ain't far behind. "Hit And Run" makes another appearance on this disc as well but it pales compared to the Jomar version.

"Too Hot" (R & B 1998)

** More modern soul blues from underrated singer. The romantic "I Love Being Tied Down" is a highlight, as is the kickin' dancer "Shake That Booty". An acoustic guitar introduces the pop confection "I'm Packin' Up In The Mornin'" and "I've Joined The Player's Club" is a fine midpaced Southern Soul cut. There's some weak spots that mark this release uneven like the goofy melody on "I'm Sorry". Meanwhile, "Looks Like's It's Over" is hampered by out of tune backing vocals. "Cha Cha" is a generic dance workout that you really can't "cha cha" to. Things got better next time around.

"Somebody's Cuttin' My Cake" (METT 1999) LISTEN

** 1/2 Yet another small label release contains some quality Southern Soul like the regional hit title cut, "Two-Way Love Affair", "I'll Be There" & "Joy".

"Fly Right" (Susie Q 2001)

**** The opener "Straighten Up (And Fly Right)" is straight out of Willie Mitchell & Al Green's cookbook of Hi Records Memphis soul groovin'. With an insinuating rhythm section and Brinston's mellifluous phrasing the song builds as a hypnotic head-bobbing jam. Great! The rest of the disc leans more to the upbeat Southern Soul and slower sweet soul ache of more modern times. "Party ('Til The Lights Go Out)" and "Kick It" are funky dancers, "I Paid The Price" is a sweet soul number about regret, "Same Old Feeling (Every Time)" a classic midtempo swayer. Brinston even nails a straight up blues ("Don't Change The Blues"). All 10 songs (there's also 4 "radio versions" tacked on) were co-written by Brinston mostly with Marshall Jones, the man behind his "Hit And Run" album.

"Rockin'" (Waldoxy 2005) 

** Alternating between labels and producers for years, Brinston finally lands on a company with strong distribution. "Rockin'" is his fifth CD but he's best known for his Southern Soul classic "Hit And Run" from the album of the same name (produced by Marshall Jones). So it's odd that although Brinston is on a bigger label, the production on the disc is lower-budget than you'd expect from Malaco. Programmed rhythm, synthesizers and electric piano back the Al Green-inspired voice of Brinston (think Robert "Duke" Tillman) on most tracks. Programmed music may be the norm (Tyrone Davis did just fine for the label with this stuff) but compared to other Malaco releases "Rockin'" sounds small, which detracts from party dancers like "Junk In Your Trunk" and the Carl Sims-like "Rockin'". The production fares better on the slower tracks like the lovely "Memories" and "I Don't Want To Lose Your Love". But what's up with that awful vocal on "You Can't Trust Anybody"? The highlight for me is the percolating "I Need A Girl Like You" and romantic "Woman Enough For Me". This could've been quite a disc with beefier backing. For a better example of Brinston's work locate "Fly Right" on the Susie Q label or "Hit & Run" from Jomar if you can find it.

"Mississippi Boy" (R & B 2006) LISTEN

**** Chitlin' Circuit veteran David Brinston is back on the independent route. After one disappointing disc for Waldoxy he's redeemed himself with the excellent "Mississippi Boy". The disc plays to his strengths- classic Soul. While it often gets packaged together, actual modern Southern Soul resembles the upbeat title cut, a paean to the great city, is the true style rather than generic "Party Blues" dancers with libidinal lyrics so popular nowadays. Brinston sings that swaying Soul- the kind you catch yourself singing along to even after one listen. "Trap Set", "Good Woman (With Bad Habits)", "It Just Don't Pay", "The Bus Stop" all deliver on melody rather than beats. This makes it resemble Brinston's masterpiece "Hit And Run".  Only the tepid "Let's Go Steppin'" caves in to the formulaic, programmed dance music that's as disposable as a Bic razor. Obviously, more time was spent on actual songwriting, such as the moving "Soldier Boy". It's been done before- the letter home from a commissioned jarhead- but Brinston's pleading voice hits the spot. While real horns rather than synths would've sent this album thru the stratosphere, "Mississippi Boy" sounds "bigger" than many of the big budgeted music out there now. Good ole' Soul sangin' music.

"Here I Go Again" (Ecko 2007)  LISTEN

*** 1/2 Brinston's debut LP "Hit & Run" is a classic of modern soul and a benchmark for the Southern Soul genre. Brinston hasn't hit those heights since but came close with "Fly Right", which featured the same producer as that record, Marshall Jones. Also his independent 2006 release "Mississippi Boy" played to his strengths- bumpers and ballads rather than Contemporary R & B. I mention "Hit & Run" because his latest disc captures some of that magic.

Now on his fifth record label, Ecko, Brinston delivers the goods with simple melodic bumps, ballads and beach. Though it's heavily synthetic music a singer like Brinston can still make it sound soulful. The set opens with the title track, a sweet dancer nearly ruined by obnoxious background vocals (that goofy "here I go here I go" bit). It sounds like an outtake from the "Hit & Run" sessions! The likely radio cuts though are the bump "Baby Let Me Hit It One More Time" and midtempo "Too Many Women",  both have the strongest refrains on the LP. The latter also features a bona fide B-3 Organ part by John Ward, who this time gives co-production credited to frequent collaborator Morris J Williams. After a mediocre stretch Morris J has written some strong songs ("Love's Always Gonna Be Around", "After Party" with Big John Cummings, "You Took That Dog In Me" as well as the aforementioned cuts) and cut out that gurgling "bucka bucka bucka" percussion programming.. Also noteworthy is a superior take on the dancer "Work That Thang", which was rather lazy on Bill Coday's final Ecko CD "Take Me". Interestingly another cut from that album, "Back It Up And Put It There", is also here and is one for the Carolina shaggers.