One of the forgotten soul singers of the 1960s, Brenton Wood was one of the few artists not pigeonholed in either the Motown, Atlantic or Stax categories. He was a tenor vocalist, and a bit of a high-toned one at that, and his songs were a bit on the pop side. He had a handful of fantastic hits, all of which are included here, some of which are still used in contemporary commercials.
He had a youthful innocence on ditties like “The Oogum Boogum Song” while there are few tunes more hip that the sassy “Gimme Little Sign” and the cozy “Baby You Got It.” He was able to do wonders with a ballad such as “Me and You” and did a respectable read of the civil rights anthem “A Change Is Gonna Come.”
I’m not sure why his career never went past this era, but for a few years the star shined brightly. Check out a cheerful time of soul stirring, and I dare you not to sing along with “The Oogum Boogum Song.”