The Bigger Picture

45 Insert: Classics IV

by Bob Moses

Classics IV: Soul Train (1968)

When The Classics, a popular cover band in Jacksonville, Florida, moved to Atlanta in 1967, they took the first step on their way to #3 on the charts with “Spooky.”

But our first 45 Insert, courtesy of whopfrog’s YouTube channel, displays the irresistible urge to replicate success with a near-sound-alike follow-up. “Soul Train” has “Spooky”’s unmistakable stop-and-start structure, a nearly identical guitar riff, and Dennis Yost’s voice immediately seals the connection. Though “Soul Train” (did Don Cornelius approve?) didn’t make the charts, Classics IV came back strong with “Stormy,” which had a title similar to “Spooky” but a more distinctive sound, all in the same year.
Classics IV
Two members of Classics IV and their producer, Buddy Buie, joined some members of Roy Orbison’s backing band to form the Atlanta Rhythm Section in 1974. They became the house band at Atlanta’s Studio One, contributing to many of the era’s Southern-rock recordings while creating a few hits of their own.

Dennis Yost died on December 7, 2008.

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