Swamp Dogg

Gospel music was an important part of his early life, and he developed his singing through church work and performances with the Bradford Singers.

In 1966, he released Go For Yourself on Loma Records, and it was written by Leon Silvers and produced by Jerry Long.

The record has a driving rhythm and an infectious energy that made it a natural choice for the northern soul saint.

Now we're stopping in Chicago for a genuine Northern Soul classic from a singer whose voice has become part of the soundtrack of the British Soul scene.

Originally issued on the flip side of I Shed A Tear, it has since become a valued discovery on the northern soul scene.

And now we're heading east towards New York for a record that became a firm favourite on Britain's original soul scene.

The artists are Brooks and Jerry, Brooks O'Dell and Jerry Williams Jr., the man who would later reinvent himself as the extraordinary Swamp Dog.

Their record, I've Got What It Takes, appeared on the American Dynamo label in 1967 with a British release on Direction, remember Direction Records, the following year.

Yeah.

I've been reading this book, which is Swamp Dog's book.

Oh.

If you can kill it, I can cook it.