The Soundtrack of Our Lives: “Grindhouse” Reminds Us of the Smooveness of Joe Tex

Sure, Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino’s geek-fest ode to crappy quality, sticky-floored shlock was a bomb at movie theaters, but it’s been a hit on our iPods–particuarly the soundtrack to Tarantino’s half, Death Proof. Those who stuck around long enough for the film’s closing-credits sequence have no doubt already bubble-gum popped their eardrums out with April March’s “Chick Habit”; but the real musical highlight comes courtesy of our man Joe Tex, an underrated Southern soul singer if ever there was one. Before he joined the Nation of Islam and when he wasn’t clowning around on late career tracks like “Ain’t Gonna Bump No More (With No Big Fat Woman)” or laying down the spoken-word, storytelling bricks that would later influence rap, he was pumping out sublime late 60’s slow dancers like “The Love You Save (May Be Your Own).” Smooth ain’t the word.

Apparently he was also fond of (clarifying his song titles like so).

Joe Tex – The Love You Save (May Be Your Own) [MP3, link expired] Joe Tex – One Monkey Don’t Stop No Show [MP3, link expired] April March – Chick Habit [MP3, link expired]