Roy Head Still Treats 'Em Right

I saw Roy Head and Archie Bell Friday night at the Continental Club. I'd never seen either before. It was quite a thrill to see them both on the same bill. After all, "Treat Her Right" and "Tighten Up" are two of the best hit singles to ever come out of Texas.

Roy Head is one of the great blue-eyed soul singers of all time, but he's equally adept at country and swamp pop. My mom grew up in Victoria and saw him play back in the Sixties. He also played her high school reunion several years back. Before "Treat Her Right" went to #2 in 1965, the South Central Texas dance hall circuit was Head's bread and butter. Mom said he was an amazing performer.

Even at age sixtysomething, Head was a ball of pure energy, doing splits and somersaults off the stage. However, I'm not sure I realized just how suggestive some of Head's dance moves are. He had more groin area grabs going on than Michael Jackson. That's not something you want to think about your mom watching.