Percy Mayfield - River's Invitation / Baby Please
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Percy Mayfield – River’s Invitation / Baby Please (1953)
A superb slice of early blues and R&B from one of the genre’s finest songwriters and vocalists. Released on Specialty Records, “River’s Invitation” showcases Percy Mayfield’s distinctive, laid-back delivery, with a gently rolling rhythm and atmospheric arrangement that builds around his expressive voice. Its understated performance and lyrical storytelling give the track a haunting quality, setting it apart from the more hard-driving R&B of the era.
The flip, “Baby Please”, is a slower, more intimate blues performance, with a gentle shuffle and organ backing that lets Mayfield’s soulful vocal take centre stage. Both sides are fine examples of his ability to combine blues feeling with the smoother, more sophisticated sound of West Coast R&B.
Mayfield was also a remarkable songwriter, best known for “Please Send Me Someone to Love” and for writing Ray Charles’s classic “Hit the Road Jack”. “River’s Invitation” would later be re-recorded for Ray Charles’s Tangerine label, becoming a Top 25 R&B hit in 1963. This UK single pairs two excellent Mayfield compositions and is a lovely addition for fans of deep blues and vintage R&B.