Mighty Sam McClain (April 15, 1943 – June 15, 2015) – Never Too Busy (1971)

This rare soul funk anthem with soaring horns could and should have been a Top-10 pop hit for Mighty Sam, written by Stax songwriter Joe Shamwell.

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Mighty Sam McClain was a singer/songwriter who released many great but underappreciated soul records in the 1960s and early 70s,

Born in Louisiana, Samuel McClain started singing gospel in his mother’s church at age five.  He left home at thirteen to “escape an abusive step-father,” according to his official bio, and went on the road with Little Melvin Underwood, a local R&B performer and guitarist.  His first job was as Underwood’s valet, but by age 15 became his lead vocalist.

At a gig in Pensacola, FL, McClain was introduced to record producer and radio station owner Papa Don Schroeder, who in 1966 produced his first single.  It was a haunting cover of Patsy Cline’s “Sweet Dreams” with the raw, bluesy soul slow burner “Good Humour Man” on the flip.  Billed as Mighty Sam, he put out another six 45’s produced by Schroeder over the next two years, all released on Bell Records’ sub-label Amy.

Two singles on Atlantic followed in 1970.  They featured tracks recorded at Muscle Shoals Sound Studio and produced by Charlie Capri, including the superb, upbeat “Lovebones,” which was co-written by Don Davis.

Then came a 1971 release on Jackson, MS-based Malaco, only the fourth record ever issued by the label.  The A-side was “Mr. & Mrs. Untrue,” a touching soul poem to a cheating couple in love.  The B-side was a song judged immortal from the first note, the stunning “Never Too Busy.” Co-produced by label owner Tommy Couch, and written by Joe Shamwell, who was a fairly prolific songwriter for Stax artists like Eddie Floyd, Carla Thomas and Johnnie Taylor.

This upbeat anthem with soaring horns and great backing vocals could and should have been a Top-10 pop hit for Mighty Sam, and if it had, might have helped usher in the disco revolution a little bit sooner.  If Malaco hadn’t been a brand new label, who knows, “Never Too Busy” could have changed up the entire course of dance music history.

But instead, it was sadly McClain’s last record for fifteen years.  He eventually dropped out of the music industry, worked menial jobs, and ended up homeless.  Then, in the mid-eighties, the Neville Brothers helped get him back on track, and he began a highly successful second act as a blues artist. Starting with Your Perfect Companion (1986), released on Orleans Records, McClain put out at least 17 albums in the two decades before his death and won several blues awards.

In 2008, he joined the Give US Your Poor project in New York City, a stage show that raised money to fight homelessness.  He and saxophonist Scott Shetler co-wrote one of the songs, “Show Me The Way,” performed by McClain as a duet with Jon Bon Jovi.

Happy 80th Birthday in Heaven to Mighty Sam.

#soul #funk #MightySamMcClain