Wilson wrote his best tune with Steve Cropper!
Wilson Picket wasn’t signed to Stax, he was on Atlantic, however, for a time they collaborated, and in the early/mid-60s, Wilson found himself working with Steve Cropper and the Stax house band. Together they wrote and recorded what was to become one of his biggest tunes, In the Midnight Hour.
This wasn’t just Wilson’s biggest success it was also his breakthrough tune. Prior to In the Midnight Hour, he’d been in Eddie Floyd’s band The Falcons but without any major tunes, the band had little success.
As a solo artist, he’d been releasing singles and one album since 1963, but so far nothing has charted so 1965 and In The Midnight Hour really was the turning point.
The following year, Wilson has three hit tunes, 634-5789 (Soulsville U.S.A), Land of 1,000 Dances, and every covers band’s emergency song, Mustang Sally. The first two went to #1. Mustang Sally only reached #6 but its legacy is far greater.
In early 1967, Wilson release another classic, Everybody Needs Somebody To Love, a tune later featured in the film Blues Brothers.
This two-year period, mid-1965 to early 1967 really defined his career as his five biggest tunes were released during this time.
After a few more singles without much chart success, he tries a few covers in Hey Jude (Beatles), Born To Be Wild, Hey Joe, and even The Supremes’ You Keep Me Hanging On.
In 1972 he also recorded Mama Told Me Not To Come, written by Randy Newman and released six years earlier, it had already been a hit. Wilson didn’t manage to resurrect it. In 2000, Tom Jones released his version.
Releasing almost an album a year during the 70s, Wilson slowed down in the 80s, with his final album in ‘89, suitably entitled, It’s Harder Now.
Wilson Pickett tunes | Related pages
In the Midnight Hour
| E A | E A | E A | E A |
I’m gonna wait ’til the midnight hour, that’s when my love comes tumbling down.
| E A | E A | E A | E A |
I’m gonna wait ’til the midnight hour, when there’s no one else around.
Mustang Sally
| C7 | C7 | C7 | C7 |
Mustang Sally, huh, uh. Guess you better slow your Mustang down.
| C7 | C7 | C7 | C7 |
Oh Lord, what I say now.
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