Chris Kenner is almost a lost figure in the world of R&B and rock ‘n’ roll, and yet, the song he wrote and orignally recorded, “Land of 1000 Dances,” was covered so much in the ’60s by garage groups and bar bands that it almost ranks with “Louie Louie.”
Kenner’s magic is that he’s hard to pin down. The worlds of soul, beach music, New Orleans, funk & dance grooves all claim him, but he has created his own force beyond categories. Kenner has stood the test of time because he is a true original.
Kenner’s only album, which is essentially a collection of all his singles several years after they were hits, was released in 1966 without his photo on the cover. The abstract art of the cover design replaces the image of the soul man that Kenner so wanted to become. Even though he wrote every song on this album (something few soul men could do), he got lost in the mix of mid-60s richness.
Here at Popkrazy, we are always listening to Land of 1000 Dances. It helps the workflow.
