Released in 1968, I Wish I Knew found Solomon Burke battling with the changing times, which in turn led to changing musical styles and sounds, which is why your first thought upon listening to the LP may be to question some of the production choices. Indeed, it’s arguably a little more psychedelic at times than Burke’s material deserved, but the performances found within its grooves are still just as solid as you’d expect from an artist of his reputation.

The song you’re most likely to already know is, perhaps unsurprisingly, the title track, “I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free,” which did manage to hit the Hot 100. Other singles on the album included “Save It,” “Get Out of My Life, Woman,”.

While there’s definitely an unabashed ’68 sound to them, you still can’t go wrong with Solomon Burke.

I Wish I Knew is available as a numbered limited edition of 750 copies on gold vinyl

The small print:
• Due to rights restrictions, this item is only available in Europe.[info sheet from distr.]