Poppa Willie: The Hi Years, 1962-1974 (2001)

About this title: A two-disc, 51-song set, with one disc devoted to Mitchell originals and one to covers he made between 1962 and 1974. This is an extensive collection of trumpeter/producer Mitchell's dance-inducing, funky brand of soul music. Like fellow instrumentalists of the day -- Booker T., Jr. Walker, King Curtis, and the JBs -- Mitchell was helping to define a groove that created some of the best instrumental soul ever made. His cover of the Ousley/Dixon-penned "Soul Seranade," which rivals that of King Curtis, is here, as well as his first Hi single, "The Crowd, Part 1," and his first chart-topper, ... read more

Tracks:

1. The Champion, Pt. 1 [Mitchell]
2. Everything's Gonna Be All Right [Mitchell]
3. 30-60-90 [Hodges/Mitchell]
4. The Crawl, Pt. 1 [Mitchell]
5. Percolatin' [Arnold]
6. Buster Browne [Young/Mitchell]
7. That Driving Beat [Mitchell]
8. Bad Eye [Mitchell]
9. Wiggle Rock [Young/Mitchell]
10. Pinhead [Young/Chalmers]
11. Poppin' [Chalmers]
12. Bum Daddy [Hodges/Mitchell]
13. Up Hard [Miller]
14. Toddlin' [Miller/Love/Mitchel]
15. Willie Wam [Grimes/Mitchell]
16. 20-75 [Mitchell]
17. Chilly, Chilly [Hodges/Mitchell]
18. Young People [Love/Jackson]
19. Six to Go [Mitchell]
20. Tails Out [Hodges/Mitchell]
21. On the Other Side [Hodges/Mitchell]
22. Teenie's Dream [Hodges/Mitchell]
23. Kitten Korner [Hodges/Mitchell]
24. Mercy [Harris]
25. The Champion, Pt. 2 [Mitchell]
26. Intro From "It's Dance Time"
27. Woodchopper's Ball [Bishop/Herman]
28. Soul Serenade [King Curtis/Dixon]
29. Have You Ever Had the Blues? [Logan/Price]
30. You Can't Sit Down [Clark/Mann/Muldrow]
31. San-Ho-Zay [King/Thompson]
32. In the Mood [Garland/Razaf]
33. Ram-Bunk-Shush [Millinder/Mundy/Glo]
34. Last Night [Mar-Keys]
35. Hot Cha [Woods]
36. Honky Tonk [Butler/Doggett/Scot]
37. Pearl Time [Williams]
38. Groovin' [Cavaliere/Brigati]
39. Watermelon Man [Santamaria]
40. Hideaway [King/Thompson]
41. Since I Met You Baby [Hunter]
42. One Mint Julep [Toombs]
43. Grazing in the Grass [Elston/Hou]
44. Sticks and Stones [Turner]
45. Cleo's Mood [DeWalt/Fugua/Woods]
46. Turn Back the Hands of Time [Daniels/Thompson]
47. My Babe [Dixon]
48. Robbin's Nest [Jacquet/Russell/Tho]
49. Take Five [Desmond]
50. Wade in the Water [Traditional]
51. Last Tango in Paris [Barbieri/Previn]

Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is further described below.