Arthur Alexander ...Steppin' Out! (CD)

Arthur Alexander, born in Sheffield, Alabama, in 1942, was the first hit artist to emerge from Rick Hall's Muscle Shoals studio with a beautifully understated interpretation of the self-penned 'You Better Move On' (1962) — a seminal per-formance, reflected by many later southern soul hits. Recorded before Hall had formed his own Fame label, it was released by Dot who proceeded to market Alexander as a pop singer.

Despite less sensitive productions, he was equally impressive on the Mann /Weil song 'Where Have You Been' and his own 'Anna' (1962) and 'Go Home Girl' (1963), and although he was indifferently received at home, all four records were much admired and covered by British acts (including the Rolling Stones and the Beatles). Subse-quent records for Dot, Sound Stage 7 (1965-9), Monument (1968), and most recently a fine album on Warner Bros., nearly all excellent examples of southern country soul, were ignored until he returned to the Hot Hundred with his own `Everyday I Have To Cry A Little' in 1975.