Right Around the Corner - The Five Royales - 1955

Royalty of righteous rhythm & blues

Recorded on this day in NYC in 1955, "Right Around the Corner" is the kind of gospel flavored R&B that laid the prep work for the soul era of the 60s.  It's also my favorite dance record by my favorite vocal group of all time.


The 5 Royales began as a southern gospel group (The Royal Sons) from North Carolina in the late 1940s.  Future architects of soul music at Stax as well as James Brown and Ray Charles would be hugely influenced by the group and its lead guitarist Lowman Pauling.  Their role as forefathers of soul assures they will never be forgotten (I seem to remember there even being something in the Stax museum about them) but it's important for people to appreciate them for their own music, not just the music they would inspire.

So start off your day jumping and thumping and get rhythm & blues religion with the vivacious vocals of Jimmy Moore, Obadiah Carter, Otto Jeffries, Johnny Tanner and the roaring sax solo of Willis "Gator" Jackson.