This Is Clarence Carter

Even though This Is Clarence Carter is the singer’s full-length debut, he was 32 at the time of its recording, and imparts himself to the listener with all the hard-won wisdom and vocal fortitude of an R&B veteran. This album remains a blueprint example of the Muscle Shoals sound, which encompasses heart-wrenching ballads like “I Can’t See Myself” and “Set Me Free” in addition to the greasy country soul of “I’m Qualified” and “Part Time Love.” The album also shows that the foundation of Muscle Shoals sound was the songwriting. Dan Penn and Spooner Oldham contributed “Slippin’ Around” and “She Ain’t Gonna Do Right,” two blues laments disguised as dance songs, while “Do What You Gotta Do” is a Jimmy Webb original masterfully interpreted by Carter. In some ways, Carter was the most workaday soul singer of his era — he had no outstanding or unusual characteristics that made him easily distinguishable from his peers. But that only speaks to Carter’s generosity as a performer. His debut record is not all about him, but about his voice as one component in a premier alliance between singer, studio band, and producer.