Don Covay

At a time when soul veterans with less-than-high profiles, like Solomon Burke, are getting some respectful dues, Don Covay may be the most neglected old master out there. Born in 1938, the son of a Southern Baptist minister, Covay grew up in Washington, D.C., where he became a protege of Little Richard. By the early 1960s, he was writing the songs and recording the singles for Atlantic that established him as among the most clever inheritors of the Sam Cooke style. His tunes included hit classics like Aretha Franklin's "Chain of Fools" and little-known should-be classics like Little Richard's "I Don't Know What You've Got (But It's Got Me)." As a songwriter Covay has a knack for dramatizing very plain, down-home situations and attaching an indelible phrase, as in his tale of motel infidelity "I Was Checkin' Out (She Was Checkin' In)." Although out of print, his exceptional career overview Mercy Mercy: The Definitive Don Covay, particularly valuable for including singles before and after his Atlantic years, can still be found used. A worthy substitute is the combination release of his first two Atlantic LPs, Mercy!/See-Saw. Covay had as much blues bark as church shout in his vocals, which made him a prime inspiration for Mick Jagger and Peter Wolf of the J. Geils Band, among others. House of Blue Lights, his third Atlantic, is a rough-and-ready response to the heavy-blues fashions of the late '60s and now sounds only a bit more earthbound than his celebrated earlier sides. Covay was not the most consistent stage act, and he spent long stretches away from music.

Though few noticed, Adlib was a sharp, well-paced comeback album boosted by help from Wilson Pickett, Huey Lewis, and Lee Konitz. Recovering from a stroke, Covay reined in his voice a bit, but whether he was anguished or exultant, he remains what the geezers call a solid sender. (MILO MILES)

From 2004's The New Rolling Stone Album Guide