It's A Sad Thing
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Album Summary
Ollie Nightingale, the Memphis-bred soul man with a voice that could melt the paint right off the walls, brought this intimate two-track offering to the world in 1971 on the Paula Records label out of Shreveport, Louisiana — a house that knew how to nurture deep Southern soul. Recorded in that rich, earnest tradition of Memphis and Gulf Coast soul, 'It's A Sad Thing' captured Nightingale at his most vulnerable, wrapping his raw emotional delivery around arrangements that felt like late nights and hard truths. The production leaned into that classic early-seventies Southern soul aesthetic — warm, unhurried, and built for feeling every single word.
Reception
- Released as a regional soul single and small-format release, 'It's A Sad Thing' circulated primarily through the Southern soul circuit, where Nightingale had a devoted and passionate following.
- The title track gained enough traction in regional markets to affirm Nightingale's reputation as a deeply soulful interpreter of heartache and longing.
- Mainstream chart documentation for this release is limited, reflecting the broader commercial landscape that often underserved deep soul artists of this era despite their genuine talent and impact.
Significance
- This release stands as a testament to the enduring power of Southern soul in the early 1970s, a moment when raw emotional authenticity was holding its ground against the rising tide of slicker, more produced sounds.
- 'It's A Sad Thing' showcases Ollie Nightingale's gift for conveying genuine heartbreak — his vocal style rooted firmly in the gospel-soaked tradition that defined the Memphis soul lineage.
- The pairing of the title track with 'Standing On Your Promise' reflects the classic soul tension between secular sorrow and spiritual resolve, a duality that gave deep soul its timeless, transcendent quality.
Tracklist
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A It's A Sad Thing —
2:50
-
B Standing On Your Promise —
3:05
Artist Details
Ollie Nightingale was a Memphis-bred soul man whose velvet voice and irresistible grooves made him a beloved figure in the fertile funk and soul scene of the 1970s, recording for the legendary Fretone and Pride labels. His silky delivery and smooth, danceable tracks like Who's Foolin' Who earned him devoted fans across the chitlin circuit and beyond, cementing his place as one of the unsung architects of Southern soul. Though the mainstream spotlight may have passed him by, true believers in deep soul always knew that Ollie Nightingale was carrying the flame for the real thing.
