“I’m Com’un Home in the Morn`un” :: Lou Pride
Best Northern Soul Music Monday
“I received a call from my woman,
tellin’ me she was feelin’ bad.
She didn’t know what to do,
she was all alone,
wanted me to come home,
she was feelin’ sad.”
The Best of Northern Soul Music coming to you on a Monday starts off with Lou Pride’s Northern Soul “I’m Com’un Home in the Morn’un”. Starting here, with the volume turned up high, let’s read up on Pride and this Stomper of a song.
George Louis “Lou” Pride was born in Chicago, Illinois, in May of 1950. He grew up on the “North Side” and attended the First Baptist Church, where the pastor was Nat King Cole’s father. It is said that after watching a B. B. King performance with his mom, blues singing became Pride’s career goal.
His first Music gig was with the Karls on service shows, in Germany. When he returned to Chicago from that stint he formed a duet with a female singer who went by the initials JLC. The two had a Sam & Dave type act and got on so well together that they eventually married, and settled in El Paso, Texas.
It was in Texas that Pride recorded “I’m Com’un Home in the Morn’un”, along with the other acclaimed single, “Your Love is Fading/Lonely Road”, both on Seumi Records, in the early 70’s.
Pride’s “on the road” resume include performing with Clarence Carter, Betty Wright, Ko Ko Taylor, Kool & The Gang, and B.B. King.
Following a period of illness, Pride died in Chicago, in June of 2012. He as 68 years old.
The song, “I’m Com’un Home in the Morn’un”, was recently featured in the movie, Northern Soul (2014), a British historical film directed by Elaine Constantine. It tells the tale of two teenagers from Lancashire, Matt and John, who are forever changed by the discovery of Northern Soul music, and the dance culture that grew up around it, in Britain.
From Fusion Magazine, written by Daniel Salas:
What makes “Im Com’un Home in the Morn’un” is all its individual elements—the bass and drums are charging along like crazy train in the middle of the night backed with that northern soul beat, then the horns come in blaring full of energy. Its undeniable charge is enough to get your feet tapping or like the northern soul kids, go crazy on the dance floor. On top of the up-charged track is a smooth layer of Pride’s vocal. The b-side “I’m Not Thru Lov’un You” is a great bluesy/soul song, smooth and complementary of the flipside, but the a-side far overshadows in popularity. What makes this record so rare is that it was pressed by a small label, and only so little were made. This little record out of El Paso was a huge hit in the UK’s northern soul scene.
“I’m Com’un Home in the Morn’un” by Lou Pride started us off for our Best Northern Soul Music Mondays. Check back every Monday for more of the Best Northern Soul Music and start your Mondays out right.
