Alive Natural Sound continues its programme of reissuing all things Swamp Dogg with Charlie Whitehead’s 1970 album, released eponymously under the Raw Spitt’ pseudonym. Opening with a smooth cover of ‘Put A Little Love in Your Heart’ the remainder of the material on the original album was penned by Williams (Dogg), and it’s fair to say the album has his stamp all over it (the liner notes credit Williams as producer, arranger, conductor, pianist and genius), and essentially this is his album. That’s no bad thing: the man had a knack for a tune – and a unique way of putting things that from certain perspectives could be perceived as self-sabotage. Take for example, song titles like ‘Raw Spitt’, ‘I Dig Black Girls’ (I’d wager that Sir Mix A Lot took notes while listening to this) and ‘Call Me Nigger’. Even in 1970… and then there’s the cover art. Ok, it’s not as bad as that which graces ‘Rat On!’ or ‘Gag a Maggott’, but it’s still pretty bloody awful.
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The bonus tracks are really strong: ‘Between the Lines’ is rambunctious; the slow blues of ‘Predicament #2’ is pure class and ‘That Ain’t My Wife’ packs heartache into a raft of jiving lingo. The cover of ‘Hey Jude’ inspired, too.
Credit of course must got to Whitehead: even while playing second fiddle to Dogg, his vocals are spot on, and are key to bringing Williams Jr’s vision to life and realising yet another lost classic.
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