In The 1970s Al Green

This American gospel and soul singer was born as Mr. Albert Green in 1946. Al was one of ten children in a family from Arkansas. Al sang and toured in the 50s and 60s, having some success with Al Greene and the Soul Mates in 1967 and was then heard by band leader Willie Mitchell who took him on his record label.

In 1970 Green had his first album called Al Green Gets Next To You which produced several hit singles, including Tired Of Being Alone which became a hit the UK single charts in 1971 getting as high as No. 4 and also became a gold single, although the song was actually recorded in 1969. The follow up was also a gold single the same year.

That song was Let’s Stay Together which got as high as No. 7 and was produced by Willie Mitchell. It also became the bestselling single of 1972 on the Billboard charts and would be a huge hit a decade later for Tina Turner.

1972 gave Al two singles one at No. 44 called Look What You Done For Me.The second was I’m Still In love With You a No. 1 stateside, but got only as high as No. 35 in the UK. But with a gold single in the U.S. Al could do no wrong with his songs on both sides of the Atlantic. As You Ought To Be With Me scored a top ten in the U.S. but did not even chart in the UK.

1973 gave Al three hit singles in the top ten and two going gold too. But Al was about to have a shock as in 1974 he released a single called Let’s Get Married which was a minor hit in the U.S. However, his girlfriend wanted to marry Al, even though she was already married. During an argument with Al she threw a hot frying pan of oil over him and then shot herself dead. Luckily Al Green’s wounds were not too serious, but that moment changed his life as he turned to religion and gospel music.

Amazingly the next hit in both UK and the States was Sha La La (Make Me Happy) which became another Gold single in the U.S. The last hit single in the UK would come from 1975 called L.O.V.E (Love) which Al co-wrote with Marbon Hodges.

Al Green had eight top ten albums and twelve top thirty singles.