Wilson Pickett – 634-5789 (Soulsville, U.S.A.)

This is probably my favorite Wison Pickett song. This song was written by Eddie Floyd and Steve Cropper. This was recorded at Stax with Cropper playing guitar.

Cropper has said they beefed this recording up more than Pickett’s other recordings. He also said that he talked to producer Tom Dowd while writing this song…Dowd gave him some great advice. Cropper was wondering why Motown sold more records and Dowd told him to “start writing your lyrics on the downbeat, on the beat, you’ll get more of a singalong effect instead of just telling a story and singing it where the words fall.’” So when he wrote this he wrote the numbers of the song on the downbeat and it was pure gold.

Soulful and catchy… a great song. This song was written by Eddie Floyd and Steve Cropper. The song peaked at #13 on the Billboard 100, #1 on the R&B Charts, and #36 on the UK Chart in 1966.

The song was on the album m The Exciting Wilson Pickett released in 1966. It peaked at # 21 on the Billboard Album Charts, and #3 on the R&B Charts. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991. He passed away of a heart attack in 2006 at the age of 64.

Steve Cropper:  “We were so excited to have the song. Eddie and I went into the studio late and did a demo. I couldn’t hardly sleep waiting for Wilson Pickett to get to the airport. I went out and picked him up – usually when I pick up Wilson, we go straight to the hotel and I let him check in and we go to the studio, but this time I was so excited about the song I went straight to the studio. I had Eddie there and had the tape ready to play for him. We brought him into the control room, handed him a set of lyrics and played the tape.

Maybe a verse and a half in, Wilson wads up the piece of paper, throws it on the floor, and starts to walk out. About that time, I see Eddie flying across the room. He did a flying, block tackle on Wilson Pickett and there are these two big guys scuffling in the control room floor. I thought, I’m gonna get killed this day and I’ll never get out of here.And I couldn’t believe Wilson hated this great song. Well, come to find out that later, they had been putting me on, and that Wilson and Eddie had been doing antics for many, many years, scuffling on the road and stuff like that, so both of them were pulling my leg.”

634-5789 (Soulsville, U.S.A.)

If you need a little lovin’
Call on me….(alright)
If you want a little huggin’
Call on me baby….(mmhmm)

Oh I’ll be right here at home.
All you gotta do is pick up the telephone and dial now

6-3-4-5-7-8-9 (that’s my number!)
6-3-4-5-7-8-9

And if you need a little huggin’
Call on me…(that’s all you gotta do now)
And if you want some kissin’
Call on me baby….(all right!)

No more lonely nights, when you’ll be alone.
All you gotta do is pick up your telephone and dial now…

6-3-4-5-7-8-9 (that’s my number!)
6-3-4-5-7-8-9

Oh. I’ll be right there.
Just as soon as I can. (oh)
And if I’ll be a little bit late now,
I hope that you’ll understand (whoa-yah…allright)

And if you need a little lovin’
Call on me….(Lord have mercy)
And if you want some kissin’
Call on me baby….(that’s all you got to do now…)

No more lonely nights, when you’ll be alone.
All you gotta do is pick up your telephone and dial now…

6-3-4-5-7-8-9 (that’s my number!)
6-3-4-5-7-8-9
6-3-4-5-7-8-9 (that’s my number!)
6-3-4-5-7-8-9
6-3-4-5-7-8-9 (that’s my number!)
6-3-4-5-7-8-9
6-3-4-5-7-8-9 (that’s my number!)
6-3-4-5-7-8-9
6-3-4-5-7-8-9 (that’s my number!)
6-3-4-5-7-8-9

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Author: Badfinger (Max)

Power Pop fan, Baseball, Beatles, Alternative music, old movies, and tv show fan. Also anything to do with pop culture in the 60s and 70s... I'm also a songwriter, bass and guitar player. Not the slightest bit interested in politics at all.

26 thoughts on “Wilson Pickett – 634-5789 (Soulsville, U.S.A.)”

  1. Steve Cropper- anyone who had a hand in ‘Dock of the Bay’ has my musical respect.
    This is a good one you seldom here. Everytime I try to phone him up though, I’m dialing 867-5309 by mistake LOL

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  2. While a decent song, I wouldn’t rate it among the best work of any of the three. (Hint: my browser points me to two others you’ve already written about that I find better; as for Cropper, there are also Green Onions, Mr Pitiful, The Hunter, Dock of the Bay…)

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  8. This song is a winner. I’ll have to think about that words on the downbeat thing, because it works. I love that anecdote about them pulling Steve’s leg. Wilson Pickett has one of the best voices out there. Total command of it.

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  11. So not 867-5309? 🙂

    On a more serious note, I love Stax music, especially their ’60s output, and this Wilson Pickett tune is one of the gems. Steve Cropper was a great songwriter and guitarist, and Booker T & the M.G.s were a terrific backing band. Pickett had great tunes. I think if I had to pick one, I might go with “In the Midnight Hour,” which Cropper also co-wrote, together with Pickett!

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    1. I like Midnight Hour as well…but this one you don’t hear as much and it stuck with me. His version of Hey Jude is great.
      Booker T & the M.G.s are close to a perfect instrument band.

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      2. Yes it is…both of them. In school….every grade where there were cheerleaders…Land of 1000 dances was heard loud and clear.

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  13. I never associated this song with Wilson Pickett. Okay, so I’m uneducated. I’m too busy dancing to the tune.

    Ry Cooder does a great version of this.

    I gotta disagree about Dave’s comment: Steve Cropper- anyone who had a hand in ‘Dock of the Bay’ has my musical respect. Mr. Cropper’s respect starts with Time Is Tight and grows (enormously) from there.

    I gotta add to The Punk Panther (what a great name) comment: Max, pretty much everything you pick oozes quality. You know your onions, as we say. They are fresh, GREEN onions.

    I gotta thank the folks of this blog community for their intelligence and the freedom to make comments like the previous two paragraphs. I got respect for all of ya!!!

    THANK YOU

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