I first heard Finis Henderson when he appeared as a guest vocalist on Bill Wolfer’s criminally underappreciated 1983 album, Wolf, but it wasn’t long after that Finis had his own Motown contract and a self-titled debut album, produced by Earth, Wind & Fire guitarist Al McKay, no less, and with contributions from Stevie Wonder.
Unfortunately, Motown in the mid-80s wasn’t the same as the Motown of 10 years earlier, and the album failed to reach the audience it deserved. However, the bouncy first single from the disc is a song that has grown into an underground club classic, revered more three decades later than it was when originally released.
“Skip to My Lou” flows from its nursery rhyme origins into a beat-filled, beautifully arranged dance number, with Henderson’s falsetto gliding and soaring beautifully. The song is a complete triumph and is deserving of the extended life it has received from deep soulheads.
Check out “Skip to My Lou” below and tell us what you think.
By Chris Rizik
