Soul music has no shortage of songs about forbidden romance, from Billy Paul’s classic “Me and Mrs. Jones” to Atlantic Starr’s “Secret Lovers” on down to Erykah Badu’s “Next Lifetime”. In my not so humble opinion, nothing comes close to the gut-wrenching glory of James Carr’s “The Dark End of the Street”. Carr’s stunning mix of anguish and excitement almost made the pain and secrecy seem desirable. Aloe Blacc and his newly formed band the Grand Scheme just cut a version of “The Dark End of the Street” for Carhartt’s soul comp of the same name. Here they’ve traded Carr’s dread-soaked gravitas for what almost sounds like glee. The song ambles by on a slight, sedate shuffle before exploding into an impossibly funky coda. I’m not gonna lie and say I’m completely sold on the idea of Blacc as a soul singer, but tracks like this certainly help.
Stream “The Dark End of the Street” below and download after the jump.
[audio:http://potholesinmyblog.flywheelsites.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/the_dark_end_of_the_street.mp3|titles=The Dark End of the Street]Download: Aloe Blacc & The Grand Scheme – “The Dark End of the Street” [Right Click Save-As]