Chubby Checker - Chequered!

It was fairly common by the beginning of the seventies to see surviving blues artist experiment with psychedelia and heavier sounds to varying degrees of success. More surprising is this slab by Twist enthusiast Chubby Checker, both in the fact of its mere existence and in the fact that it's pretty damned good. Backed by a group of anonymous hippies, Chubby branches out from his usual cookie-cutter dance rehashings and gets far out, mostly in soul territory but occasionally bordering on the heavy stylings of Blue Cheer or Captain Beyond. The album has been disowned by the man himself, not only for its content but also because he was ripped off by the sketchy producer, Ed Chalpin, who made a living recording anonymous young bands performing covers of popular songs in various styles (such as the Thin Lizzy "Funky Junction" album of Deep Purple covers). It was all a big scam, but it sometimes produced good records anyway. Still, Checker probably didn't write any of these songs, and judging by the majority of his output he's no authority on the subject anyway. He sure as hell sounds like he means it, though, especially the numerous songs about drug use, such as the killer album centerpiece "Stoned in the Bathroom." Also notable is the Swamp Dogg-like dystopian future dirge "If the Sun Stops Shinin'."
My Mind Comes From A High Place