and OMG - It looks like all the blogz are kickin' butt for the weekend!!! sigh!!!
Everything they have is so good .... sigh!!! And I juss don't wannabe a taker ...
I wanna share tooo .....
WHAT to do???? I'm just starting out .... I think I got some good stuff .... ????? AND I wanna give people a weekend treat too ....
HMMMMMMM ......
I KNOW !!! I'll juss go and get the GIRLz -
FIRST - I'll take a BIG liberty and put up MY own compilation of a few of my fav Blues tunes I put together in 2005 for another group I belong to where every so often we ALL put together a CD of our favorite blues tunes based on a theme and we trade them .... IT doesn't have to be someone classified as 'blues' it could be a soul, jazz, country singer - singing the blues.
If you are not into blues - it doesn't matter - blues crosses many genres Rock, Country, Hip Hop, Soul, Jazz. And there are many types - The Delta, Chicago, Texas, White Boy, Electric, Acoustic, Soul, Cajun, Zydeco, Jump, Jive ... ... blah .. blah! SSSOOOOOO - You might still enjoy this ...
The only criteria for the compliation is - it has to fit on a CD so it can be played in the car ...
LOL - THIS one of mine just happened to be a FEW of my fav girlz tunes ... And the only reason I have the nerve to put this up - is because it has been 'road tested' by about 100 other people - and they all seemed to enjoy it ....
If the cover art looks familiar - WELL you are not seeing things ...
GO ahead live on the wild side and take it down - you might meet someone you don't know .... LOL ... or hear something by somebody you already know but haven't heard that tune before .... or run into one of your fav's ... LOL
... and the beauty of this world is we all recycle - SSSSOOOO if you don't like it .....
.... ENJOY your weekend!! - MM
Friday, May 30, 2008
LORRAINE ELLISON
Lorraine Ellison is best known for her hit ballad "Stay With Me" and her cover of Jerry Butler's "I Dig You Baby." She originally recorded "Just a Little Bit Harder," later covered by Janis Joplin. She's also a favorite with U.K. Northern soul devotees. Born in 1943 in Philadelphia, PA, the deep soul vocalist first recorded with the gospel groups the Ellison Singers (who recorded for Sharp/Savoy in 1962) and the Golden Chords (who recorded for CBS in 1963). By 1964, she began recording R&B music, and her first hit was the 1965 R&B hit "I Dig You Baby" (later made into a pop smash by Jerry Butler).
One year later, she released her signature song — the intense, symphonic-drenched ballad "Stay With Me," written and produced by Jerry Ragovoy and issued by the Warner label. It hit number 11 on the R&B charts in the fall of 1966. Some of her other singles were "Heart Be Still," "Don't Let It Go to Your Head," "Try," and "I've Got My Baby Back." Songs that she wrote with her manager Sam Bell (of Garrett Mimms & the Enchanters) were recorded by Mimms and Howard Tate. Ellison's Warner LPs include Heart and Soul (1966), Stay With Me (1969), and Lorraine Ellison (1974) and the compilation The Best of Philadelphia's Queen (1976). Lorraine Ellison died on August 17, 1985.
Biography by Ed Hogan (Allmusic)
One year later, she released her signature song — the intense, symphonic-drenched ballad "Stay With Me," written and produced by Jerry Ragovoy and issued by the Warner label. It hit number 11 on the R&B charts in the fall of 1966. Some of her other singles were "Heart Be Still," "Don't Let It Go to Your Head," "Try," and "I've Got My Baby Back." Songs that she wrote with her manager Sam Bell (of Garrett Mimms & the Enchanters) were recorded by Mimms and Howard Tate. Ellison's Warner LPs include Heart and Soul (1966), Stay With Me (1969), and Lorraine Ellison (1974) and the compilation The Best of Philadelphia's Queen (1976). Lorraine Ellison died on August 17, 1985.
Biography by Ed Hogan (Allmusic)
IRMA THOMAS
The unrivaled Soul Queen of New Orleans — a title officially bestowed by local officials, no less — Irma Thomas ranks among Crescent City R&B's greatest and most enduring musical ambassadors, never enjoying the coast-to-coast commercial success of contemporaries like Aretha Franklin and Etta James but nevertheless breathing the same rarified air in the minds of many soul music aficionados. Born Irma Lee in Ponchatoula, LA, on February 18, 1941, as a teen she sang with a Baptist church choir, even auditioning for Specialty Records as a 13 year old. A year later, she gave birth to her first child, marrying the baby's father and subsequently giving birth to another child before the union dissolved. At 17 she wed again, this time to one Andrew Thomas, having two more babies before she again divorced, all before the age of 20. Keeping her second ex-husband's surname, Thomas went to work as a waitress at New Orleans' Pimlico Club, occasionally sitting in with bandleader Tommy Ridgley. When the club's owner dismissed her for spending more time singing than waiting tables, Ridgley agreed to help her land a record deal, setting up auditions with the local Minit and Ronn labels. The latter issued her saucy debut single, "You Can Have My Husband (But Don't Mess with My Man)," in the spring of 1960, and the record quickly reached the number 22 spot on the Billboard R&B chart. However, Thomas accused Ronn of withholding royalties and after one more effort for the label, "A Good Man," she briefly landed with the Bandy label, releasing 1961's "Look Up" before relocating to Minit.
Thomas' first Minit release, "Girl Needs Boy," inaugurated a collaboration with songwriter and producer Allen Toussaint that would continue throughout her tenure with the label; although none of her six Minit singles were significant hits, each was brilliant, in particular 1962's "It's Raining" (memorably revived by filmmaker Jim Jarmusch for his cult classic Down by Law) and the following year's "Ruler of My Heart," reworked by Otis Redding as "Pain in My Heart." Imperial Records acquired Minit in 1963, and Thomas' contract was included in the deal. Her first single for the label, the starkly intimate "Wish Someone Would Care," capitalized on Imperial's deep pockets to vault into the Billboard pop Top 20, while its Jackie DeShannon/Sharon Sheeley-penned B-side, "Break-a-Way," proved a massive hit on New Orleans radio, later accumulating cover versions by singers from Beryl Marsden to Tracey Ullman. The follow-up, "Anyone Who Knows What Love Is (Will Understand)," was even better, a magnificent ballad featuring one of Thomas' most finely wrought vocals, but was not a hit. Likewise, its Jerry Ragovoy-penned B-side, "Time Is on My Side," had its fans, not the least of them the Rolling Stones, who scored a massive hit with a virtual note-for-note cover version. Thomas closed out 1964 with a pair of minor chart entries, "Times Have Changed" and "He's My Guy," both of them written by Van McCoy; for subsequent efforts including "I'm Gonna Cry Till My Tears Run Dry" and "The Hurt's All Gone," she even traveled to New York City to record with hitmaker Ragovoy, but despite the pedigrees of those involved, her commercial momentum dissipated, and following the chart failure of 1966's James Brown-produced "It's a Man's-Woman's World," Imperial terminated her contract.
Thomas next signed with Chess Records, traveling to Rick Hall's legendary Muscle Shoals studio Fame to cut 1967's "Cheater Man." Neither that record nor its follow-up, "A Woman Will Do Wrong Charted," had much success, but her third Chess single, a reading of Redding's "Good to Me," was a minor R&B chart entry in 1968. It was not enough to extend Thomas' relationship with Chess, however, and she spent the next several years outside the studio. In the aftermath of the devastating Hurricane Camille, she relocated her family to Oakland, CA, in 1969, later settling in Los Angeles. During this time Thomas supported her children by working at retailer Montgomery Ward, resurfacing on record with 1971's Cotillion label release "Full Time Woman." Later that year, she also issued "Save a Little Bit" on the tiny Canyon label, followed in 1972 by "I'd Do It All for You." Thomas returned in 1973 with "These Four Walls" on Roker, followed by three singles on the horribly named Fungus label: "You're the Dog (I Do the Barking Myself)," "In Between Tears," and "Coming from Behind." She relocated back to New Orleans in 1976, a year later issuing "Hittin' on Nothin'" and a re-recorded "Breakaway" on Maison de Soul; in 1980, Thomas surfaced on the RCS label with Safe with Me, an ill-conceived LP that sought to update her sound to approximate disco-era R&B. It was the last record she would make for six years.
In the interim Thomas accelerated her live schedule. With husband/manager Emile Jackson, she opened the Lion's Den, a New Orleans club where she regularly headlined, and she also toured Europe, where her records still merited regular airplay. In 1985, she was approached by Rounder Records producer Scott Billington to make a comeback record. The New Rules appeared the following year, earning solid reviews and selling respectably. The Way I Feel hit stores in 1988, and with 1991's Live! Simply the Best, Thomas earned her first-ever Grammy nomination. The following year she issued True Believer, and in 1993 released her first gospel effort, Walk Around Heaven. She waited until 1997 to release her next secular record, The Story of My Life, blaming the delay in interviews on her difficulty in finding material appropriate to her age and sensibility. Thomas shifted gears radically for 1998's Sing It!, which paired her with devout fans Marcia Ball and Tracy Nelson; two years later saw the release of My Heart's in Memphis: The Songs of Dan Penn, with Thomas tackling both Penn classics ("I'm Your Puppet," "Woman Left Lonely") and original compositions. After the Rain, released in 2006, was nominated for a Best Contemporary Blues Album Grammy.
Biography by Jason Ankeny (Allmusic)
Thomas' first Minit release, "Girl Needs Boy," inaugurated a collaboration with songwriter and producer Allen Toussaint that would continue throughout her tenure with the label; although none of her six Minit singles were significant hits, each was brilliant, in particular 1962's "It's Raining" (memorably revived by filmmaker Jim Jarmusch for his cult classic Down by Law) and the following year's "Ruler of My Heart," reworked by Otis Redding as "Pain in My Heart." Imperial Records acquired Minit in 1963, and Thomas' contract was included in the deal. Her first single for the label, the starkly intimate "Wish Someone Would Care," capitalized on Imperial's deep pockets to vault into the Billboard pop Top 20, while its Jackie DeShannon/Sharon Sheeley-penned B-side, "Break-a-Way," proved a massive hit on New Orleans radio, later accumulating cover versions by singers from Beryl Marsden to Tracey Ullman. The follow-up, "Anyone Who Knows What Love Is (Will Understand)," was even better, a magnificent ballad featuring one of Thomas' most finely wrought vocals, but was not a hit. Likewise, its Jerry Ragovoy-penned B-side, "Time Is on My Side," had its fans, not the least of them the Rolling Stones, who scored a massive hit with a virtual note-for-note cover version. Thomas closed out 1964 with a pair of minor chart entries, "Times Have Changed" and "He's My Guy," both of them written by Van McCoy; for subsequent efforts including "I'm Gonna Cry Till My Tears Run Dry" and "The Hurt's All Gone," she even traveled to New York City to record with hitmaker Ragovoy, but despite the pedigrees of those involved, her commercial momentum dissipated, and following the chart failure of 1966's James Brown-produced "It's a Man's-Woman's World," Imperial terminated her contract.
Thomas next signed with Chess Records, traveling to Rick Hall's legendary Muscle Shoals studio Fame to cut 1967's "Cheater Man." Neither that record nor its follow-up, "A Woman Will Do Wrong Charted," had much success, but her third Chess single, a reading of Redding's "Good to Me," was a minor R&B chart entry in 1968. It was not enough to extend Thomas' relationship with Chess, however, and she spent the next several years outside the studio. In the aftermath of the devastating Hurricane Camille, she relocated her family to Oakland, CA, in 1969, later settling in Los Angeles. During this time Thomas supported her children by working at retailer Montgomery Ward, resurfacing on record with 1971's Cotillion label release "Full Time Woman." Later that year, she also issued "Save a Little Bit" on the tiny Canyon label, followed in 1972 by "I'd Do It All for You." Thomas returned in 1973 with "These Four Walls" on Roker, followed by three singles on the horribly named Fungus label: "You're the Dog (I Do the Barking Myself)," "In Between Tears," and "Coming from Behind." She relocated back to New Orleans in 1976, a year later issuing "Hittin' on Nothin'" and a re-recorded "Breakaway" on Maison de Soul; in 1980, Thomas surfaced on the RCS label with Safe with Me, an ill-conceived LP that sought to update her sound to approximate disco-era R&B. It was the last record she would make for six years.
In the interim Thomas accelerated her live schedule. With husband/manager Emile Jackson, she opened the Lion's Den, a New Orleans club where she regularly headlined, and she also toured Europe, where her records still merited regular airplay. In 1985, she was approached by Rounder Records producer Scott Billington to make a comeback record. The New Rules appeared the following year, earning solid reviews and selling respectably. The Way I Feel hit stores in 1988, and with 1991's Live! Simply the Best, Thomas earned her first-ever Grammy nomination. The following year she issued True Believer, and in 1993 released her first gospel effort, Walk Around Heaven. She waited until 1997 to release her next secular record, The Story of My Life, blaming the delay in interviews on her difficulty in finding material appropriate to her age and sensibility. Thomas shifted gears radically for 1998's Sing It!, which paired her with devout fans Marcia Ball and Tracy Nelson; two years later saw the release of My Heart's in Memphis: The Songs of Dan Penn, with Thomas tackling both Penn classics ("I'm Your Puppet," "Woman Left Lonely") and original compositions. After the Rain, released in 2006, was nominated for a Best Contemporary Blues Album Grammy.
Biography by Jason Ankeny (Allmusic)
MARVA WRIGHT
Down in Louisiana, Marva Wright is called the Blues Queen. Fans of her energy-filled performances, both live and recorded, call her a lot of other things, too, like "Marvalous Marva." The "bluesiana" numbers she favors are a strong showcase for her dynamic, gospel-rooted voice. One listen would be enough to convince any newcomer of her strengths, which is surprising in light of the fact that the vocalist was a late bloomer who didn't turn professional until 1987, when she was creeping up on 40. Even then, she only began singing as a way to support her family with a second job. Bourbon Street in the Big Easy led to more than she had dreamed, ultimately landing her gigs in Europe and across the world, with stops in France, Italy, Germany, Belgium, Holland, Russia, Norway, Sweden, and Brazil. Her appearances in the U.S. include Chicago, Philadelphia, and New York, as well as Texas, California, Vermont, Colorado, and Florida.
Although she made a career out of music late in life, Wright actually began to sing much earlier, when she was nine years old. Like many artists, her first public singing efforts were heard in church, with her mother as her accompanist. Top honors in a school-sponsored singing competition followed. Later in life, she credited her mother, a piano player and singer in a gospel quartet, as one of her main influences. Mahalia Jackson, the esteemed gospel singer, was an early friend of the family. Early in 1989 during a live set at Tipitina's in New Orleans, Wright made her first recording, "Mama, He Treats Your Daughter Mean." She made her debut on national television in 1991 when her hometown was the setting for a special that revolved around the Super Bowl. Heartbreakin' Woman, Wright's first full-length release, appeared later that year and garnered honors from the Louisiana Music Critics Association as Blues Album of the Year. The Times-Picayune placed it among the year's Top Ten albums in the city.
Wright's 1993 album Born with the Blues was originally released in France. Then three years later the major-label imprint Virgin picked it up for the rest of the world. A 2006 U.K. reissue on Shout! retitled the album Do Right Woman. Her 2007 effort After the Levees Broke addressed the devastation of Hurricane Katrina by repurposing songs like Willie Nelson's "Crazy," Sam Cooke's "A Change Is Gonna Come," and Bruce Hornsby's "The Way It Is." She has sung backup for such artists as Allen Toussaint, Glen Campbell, and Joe Cocker. The long list of others Wright has performed with includes Harry Connick, Jr., Bobby McFerrin, Aaron Neville, Fats Domino, Lou Rawls, and Marcia Ball.
Biography by Linda Seida (Allmusic)
Although she made a career out of music late in life, Wright actually began to sing much earlier, when she was nine years old. Like many artists, her first public singing efforts were heard in church, with her mother as her accompanist. Top honors in a school-sponsored singing competition followed. Later in life, she credited her mother, a piano player and singer in a gospel quartet, as one of her main influences. Mahalia Jackson, the esteemed gospel singer, was an early friend of the family. Early in 1989 during a live set at Tipitina's in New Orleans, Wright made her first recording, "Mama, He Treats Your Daughter Mean." She made her debut on national television in 1991 when her hometown was the setting for a special that revolved around the Super Bowl. Heartbreakin' Woman, Wright's first full-length release, appeared later that year and garnered honors from the Louisiana Music Critics Association as Blues Album of the Year. The Times-Picayune placed it among the year's Top Ten albums in the city.
Wright's 1993 album Born with the Blues was originally released in France. Then three years later the major-label imprint Virgin picked it up for the rest of the world. A 2006 U.K. reissue on Shout! retitled the album Do Right Woman. Her 2007 effort After the Levees Broke addressed the devastation of Hurricane Katrina by repurposing songs like Willie Nelson's "Crazy," Sam Cooke's "A Change Is Gonna Come," and Bruce Hornsby's "The Way It Is." She has sung backup for such artists as Allen Toussaint, Glen Campbell, and Joe Cocker. The long list of others Wright has performed with includes Harry Connick, Jr., Bobby McFerrin, Aaron Neville, Fats Domino, Lou Rawls, and Marcia Ball.
Biography by Linda Seida (Allmusic)
BARBARA CARR
(CHITLIN CIRCUIT)
Biography:
After decades of toiling in obscurity (including a low-profile stint on Chess), Barbara Carr finally began to make a name for herself in the late '90s as a brassy, often X-rated belter in the Southern soul-blues vein. A native of St. Louis, Carr was born Barbara Crosby on January 9, 1941, and began singing in church as a choir girl, eventually forming a family gospel group called the Crosby Sisters. She joined a singing/dancing troupe in grade school and went on to sing in the high school choir, around which time she also helped start a singing group called the Comets Combo that played popular material at local clubs. In 1963, she joined a locally popular group called the Petites, which opened for Smokey Robinson & the Miracles. She met St. Louis-based saxophonist/bandleader Oliver Sain through her brother-in-law (she adopted her husband's last name, Carr) and successfully auditioned to join Sain's band.
Helped by her connection with Sain, Carr signed a solo contract with Chess in 1966 and recorded soulful singles like "Don't Knock Love," "I Can't Stop Now," and "Think About It Baby" over the next few years. Initially excited just to have a record deal, Carr grew frustrated with Chess' seeming lack of interest in promoting her; she stopped recording for a period in the late '60s to raise her children, and then returned to Chess circa 1970, albeit still without much recognition. She left Sain's band in 1972, and sang with a number of other, mostly short-lived groups around the St. Louis area. Carr recorded another single for Gateway in the late '70s, "Physical Love Affair," but again found little promotional support. She and her husband eventually formed their own label, Bar-Car, in 1982, and Carr issued a number of singles over the next few years, many recorded at the legendary Muscle Shoals studios in Alabama. This material helped form the basis for Carr's first full-length album, 1989's Good Woman Go Bad, which was later reissued on the Shreveport-based Paula label in 1994. A second collection, Street Woman, was released on Bar-Car on cassette in 1992, then upgraded to CD in 1994.
Word of Carr's recordings began to spread, and she wound up signing with the Ecko label in 1996, releasing her label debut, Footprints on the Ceiling, in 1997. The follow-up firmly established Carr's new tough, bawdy blues-mama persona; issued in 1998, both the title and the lyrics of Bone Me Like You Own Me left little to the imagination. Carr was becoming popular on blues and retro-soul radio stations around the South, positioning herself as something of a female counterpart to Marvin Sease; her success finally enabled her to quit the day job she'd held for over 20 years at an electronics company. Having hit upon a winning formula, Carr stuck to it for a succession of follow-ups, which included 1999's What a Woman Wants, 2000's Stroke It, 2001's The Best Woman, 2002's On My Own, 2003's Talk to Me, and 2006's Down Low Brother.
By Steve Huey (Allmusic)
Biography:
After decades of toiling in obscurity (including a low-profile stint on Chess), Barbara Carr finally began to make a name for herself in the late '90s as a brassy, often X-rated belter in the Southern soul-blues vein. A native of St. Louis, Carr was born Barbara Crosby on January 9, 1941, and began singing in church as a choir girl, eventually forming a family gospel group called the Crosby Sisters. She joined a singing/dancing troupe in grade school and went on to sing in the high school choir, around which time she also helped start a singing group called the Comets Combo that played popular material at local clubs. In 1963, she joined a locally popular group called the Petites, which opened for Smokey Robinson & the Miracles. She met St. Louis-based saxophonist/bandleader Oliver Sain through her brother-in-law (she adopted her husband's last name, Carr) and successfully auditioned to join Sain's band.
Helped by her connection with Sain, Carr signed a solo contract with Chess in 1966 and recorded soulful singles like "Don't Knock Love," "I Can't Stop Now," and "Think About It Baby" over the next few years. Initially excited just to have a record deal, Carr grew frustrated with Chess' seeming lack of interest in promoting her; she stopped recording for a period in the late '60s to raise her children, and then returned to Chess circa 1970, albeit still without much recognition. She left Sain's band in 1972, and sang with a number of other, mostly short-lived groups around the St. Louis area. Carr recorded another single for Gateway in the late '70s, "Physical Love Affair," but again found little promotional support. She and her husband eventually formed their own label, Bar-Car, in 1982, and Carr issued a number of singles over the next few years, many recorded at the legendary Muscle Shoals studios in Alabama. This material helped form the basis for Carr's first full-length album, 1989's Good Woman Go Bad, which was later reissued on the Shreveport-based Paula label in 1994. A second collection, Street Woman, was released on Bar-Car on cassette in 1992, then upgraded to CD in 1994.
Word of Carr's recordings began to spread, and she wound up signing with the Ecko label in 1996, releasing her label debut, Footprints on the Ceiling, in 1997. The follow-up firmly established Carr's new tough, bawdy blues-mama persona; issued in 1998, both the title and the lyrics of Bone Me Like You Own Me left little to the imagination. Carr was becoming popular on blues and retro-soul radio stations around the South, positioning herself as something of a female counterpart to Marvin Sease; her success finally enabled her to quit the day job she'd held for over 20 years at an electronics company. Having hit upon a winning formula, Carr stuck to it for a succession of follow-ups, which included 1999's What a Woman Wants, 2000's Stroke It, 2001's The Best Woman, 2002's On My Own, 2003's Talk to Me, and 2006's Down Low Brother.
By Steve Huey (Allmusic)
BARBARA LYNN
Singer/guitarist Barbara Lynn was a rare commodity during her heyday. Not only was she a female instrumentalist (one of the very first to hit the charts), but she also played left-handed — quite well at that — and even wrote some of her own material. Lynn's music often straddled the line between blues and Southern R&B, and since much of her early work — including the number one R&B hit "You'll Lose a Good Thing" — was recorded in New Orleans, it bore the sonic imprint of the Crescent City. Lynn was born Barbara Lynn Ozen in Beaumont, TX, on January 16, 1942; she played the piano as a child before switching to guitar, inspired by Elvis Presley. In junior high, Lynn formed her own band, Bobbie Lynn and the Idols; at this point, her musical role models veered between bluesmen (Guitar Slim, Jimmy Reed) and female pop singers (Brenda Lee, Connie Francis). After winning a few talent shows and playing some teen dances, the still-underage Lynn started working the local clubs and juke joints, risking getting kicked out of school if she had been discovered. Singer Joe Barry caught her live act and recommended her to his friend, producer/impresario Huey P. Meaux, aka the Crazy Cajun.
With her parents' consent, Meaux brought Lynn to New Orleans to record at the legendary Cosimo's studio. Lynn cut a few singles for the Jamie label with the understanding that if none hit, she was to attend college instead of pursuing music right off the bat. In 1962, her self-penned ballad "You'll Lose a Good Thing" became a national hit, reaching the pop Top Ten and climbing all the way to number one on the R&B charts. Her first album (of the same name) was also released that year, featuring ten of her originals among its 12 tracks. Lynn continued to record for Jamie up through 1965, producing follow-up R&B hits like "You're Gonna Need Me" and "Oh Baby (We Got a Good Thing Goin')," the latter of which was recorded by the Rolling Stones in 1965. In 1966, Lynn switched over to Meaux's Tribe label and cut "You Left the Water Running," which became something of an R&B standard and was covered by the likes of Otis Redding. In 1967, she signed with Atlantic and had another R&B hit with "This Is the Thanks I Get" early the following year; she also issued another album, Here Is Barbara Lynn, in 1968. Lynn scored one last hit for Atlantic in 1972's "(Until Then) I'll Suffer," but by this point, she had several children to worry about raising; dissatisfied with her promotion anyway, she wound up effectively retiring from the music business for most of the '70s and '80s, though she did play the occasional low-key tour.
Lynn returned to music in the mid-'80s, touring Japan for the first time in 1984; she later cut a live album there, called You Don't Have to Go, which was eventually issued in the States by Ichiban. Lynn had managed to retain a cult following among connoisseurs of American soul and blues in several different pockets of the world, and toured internationally during the early '90s. In 1994, Bullseye Blues issued her first full-fledged studio album in over two decades, So Good; Until Then I'll Suffer followed in 1996. Lynn later caught on with the respected blues label Antone's, and in 2000 she cut Hot Night Tonight, which featured a couple of raps by her son Bachelor Wise.
Biography by Steve Huey (Allmusic)
Review by Ron Wynn
Barbara Lynn Ozen's smoky voice and fine guitar playing was one of the better blends of soul vocals and blues embellishment. Huey P. Meaux produced this early-'60s record, which featured the classic title track. Other Lynn numbers, like "I'll Suffer," were equally outstanding; Lynn was sometimes tough and confrontational, and tender, inviting or anguished at other times. Meaux didn't clutter the works with unnecessary firepower; his arrangements and charts were just enough to augment Lynn's sturdy vocals. Lynn also wrote ten of the 12 songs.
**Note there were 12 songs on the Album and 18 on the re-mastered CD.
With her parents' consent, Meaux brought Lynn to New Orleans to record at the legendary Cosimo's studio. Lynn cut a few singles for the Jamie label with the understanding that if none hit, she was to attend college instead of pursuing music right off the bat. In 1962, her self-penned ballad "You'll Lose a Good Thing" became a national hit, reaching the pop Top Ten and climbing all the way to number one on the R&B charts. Her first album (of the same name) was also released that year, featuring ten of her originals among its 12 tracks. Lynn continued to record for Jamie up through 1965, producing follow-up R&B hits like "You're Gonna Need Me" and "Oh Baby (We Got a Good Thing Goin')," the latter of which was recorded by the Rolling Stones in 1965. In 1966, Lynn switched over to Meaux's Tribe label and cut "You Left the Water Running," which became something of an R&B standard and was covered by the likes of Otis Redding. In 1967, she signed with Atlantic and had another R&B hit with "This Is the Thanks I Get" early the following year; she also issued another album, Here Is Barbara Lynn, in 1968. Lynn scored one last hit for Atlantic in 1972's "(Until Then) I'll Suffer," but by this point, she had several children to worry about raising; dissatisfied with her promotion anyway, she wound up effectively retiring from the music business for most of the '70s and '80s, though she did play the occasional low-key tour.
Lynn returned to music in the mid-'80s, touring Japan for the first time in 1984; she later cut a live album there, called You Don't Have to Go, which was eventually issued in the States by Ichiban. Lynn had managed to retain a cult following among connoisseurs of American soul and blues in several different pockets of the world, and toured internationally during the early '90s. In 1994, Bullseye Blues issued her first full-fledged studio album in over two decades, So Good; Until Then I'll Suffer followed in 1996. Lynn later caught on with the respected blues label Antone's, and in 2000 she cut Hot Night Tonight, which featured a couple of raps by her son Bachelor Wise.
Biography by Steve Huey (Allmusic)
Review by Ron Wynn
Barbara Lynn Ozen's smoky voice and fine guitar playing was one of the better blends of soul vocals and blues embellishment. Huey P. Meaux produced this early-'60s record, which featured the classic title track. Other Lynn numbers, like "I'll Suffer," were equally outstanding; Lynn was sometimes tough and confrontational, and tender, inviting or anguished at other times. Meaux didn't clutter the works with unnecessary firepower; his arrangements and charts were just enough to augment Lynn's sturdy vocals. Lynn also wrote ten of the 12 songs.
**Note there were 12 songs on the Album and 18 on the re-mastered CD.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
MILLIE JACKSON & ISAAC HAYES
Royal Rappin (1979)
Back in '79 I payed a bundle for this album!! I remember it well - it WAS $39.98
and there was only ONE in THE store. Other places weren't even carrying Millie. Nor would they let you special order it ... only the one store - he understood music freaks!!
It had been special ordered for someone, had taken 6 months to arrive and the person never picked it up - SSSOOO - being slightly insane - I bought it. I figured the price was the issue !! Of course, that was almost my whole music budget for the month ....
They gave this crap reviews .... and everyone is entitled to their opinion ....
Back in '79 I payed a bundle for this album!! I remember it well - it WAS $39.98
and there was only ONE in THE store. Other places weren't even carrying Millie. Nor would they let you special order it ... only the one store - he understood music freaks!!
It had been special ordered for someone, had taken 6 months to arrive and the person never picked it up - SSSOOO - being slightly insane - I bought it. I figured the price was the issue !! Of course, that was almost my whole music budget for the month ....
They gave this crap reviews .... and everyone is entitled to their opinion ....
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
JOHNNY ADAMS
Think I will change the pace a little and move over to the soul side of the BLUES ....
This poor album then CD has been worn out over the years from constant playing, when in doubt or you can't figure out what mood you are in - START HERE .... mellow down easy ... YUP!!
Review
Although calling Johnny Adams a blues singer is far too confining, he's certainly among the finest to perform in that idiom. He's equally brilliant at slow or uptempo numbers, can effectively convey irony, heartache or triumph, and is a masterful storyteller. These ten blues numbers covered every emotional base, allowing Adams a chance to show his proficiency. With great support from an instrumental corps that included guitarists Walter "Wolfman" Washington and Duke Robillard, keyboardist Dr. John, and saxophonists Red Tyler and Foots Samuel, plus Ernie Gautreau on valve trombone, Adams didn't just cut a blues album, he made unforgettable blues statements.
by Ron Wynn (Allmusic)
This poor album then CD has been worn out over the years from constant playing, when in doubt or you can't figure out what mood you are in - START HERE .... mellow down easy ... YUP!!
Review
Although calling Johnny Adams a blues singer is far too confining, he's certainly among the finest to perform in that idiom. He's equally brilliant at slow or uptempo numbers, can effectively convey irony, heartache or triumph, and is a masterful storyteller. These ten blues numbers covered every emotional base, allowing Adams a chance to show his proficiency. With great support from an instrumental corps that included guitarists Walter "Wolfman" Washington and Duke Robillard, keyboardist Dr. John, and saxophonists Red Tyler and Foots Samuel, plus Ernie Gautreau on valve trombone, Adams didn't just cut a blues album, he made unforgettable blues statements.
by Ron Wynn (Allmusic)
What is: CHITLIN CIRCUIT SOUL
Seems I'm not the only person in the world who didn't know what the Chitlin Circuit was/is ...
Back in the early 70's I happened to meet Mighty Joe Young and Willie Dixon in my home town. We (the band and 2 of my girlfriends) - were just sitting around in the bar having a coctail or two and some conversation ...
When I asked Joe if he had been to my Country/City before he said no - he usually "just played the Chitlin Circuit."
And with that the band went back on stage ..
I was sure I had heard that ALL wrong ... he couldn't have said 'chitlin' .... must be the American accent I'm thinking ....
I scratched my head and looked at my 2 friends and said "What did he say" They looked sort of dumbfounded as well.... So I thought I had heard wrong ...
At the end of the set a couple of the younger band members came and sat back down ...
And I was laughing saying - so how is the Chitlin Circuit. (Just didn't want to say that I couldn't believe my ears - is all - nor admit that my U.S. geography was that bad or that I was that stoopid!!) - and Butch Dixon (Willie's son) explained it all in great detail .... IT sure wasn't an expression I had ever heard before - I was still grossed at what chitlin's were and the fact that people ate them ..... Probably because my first full time job was in a meat packing plant - and after the tour of the place I didn't eat meat again for about 3 years ....
Anyway, here is a handy link if you want to do some research:
http://www.southernsoulrnb.com/
Back in the early 70's I happened to meet Mighty Joe Young and Willie Dixon in my home town. We (the band and 2 of my girlfriends) - were just sitting around in the bar having a coctail or two and some conversation ...
When I asked Joe if he had been to my Country/City before he said no - he usually "just played the Chitlin Circuit."
And with that the band went back on stage ..
I was sure I had heard that ALL wrong ... he couldn't have said 'chitlin' .... must be the American accent I'm thinking ....
I scratched my head and looked at my 2 friends and said "What did he say" They looked sort of dumbfounded as well.... So I thought I had heard wrong ...
At the end of the set a couple of the younger band members came and sat back down ...
And I was laughing saying - so how is the Chitlin Circuit. (Just didn't want to say that I couldn't believe my ears - is all - nor admit that my U.S. geography was that bad or that I was that stoopid!!) - and Butch Dixon (Willie's son) explained it all in great detail .... IT sure wasn't an expression I had ever heard before - I was still grossed at what chitlin's were and the fact that people ate them ..... Probably because my first full time job was in a meat packing plant - and after the tour of the place I didn't eat meat again for about 3 years ....
Anyway, here is a handy link if you want to do some research:
http://www.southernsoulrnb.com/
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
O. B. BUCHANA
I've been looking at the other soul blogs and everyone is into the ole school stuff -don't get me wrong it's my fav - BUT there are some new guys around that deserve to be heard. So I think I'll move in and out of the Chitlin Circuit .....
O.B. Buchana - Brother of Luther Lackey:
Born in Mound Bayou, Mississippi, Buchana spent his childhood in Clarksdale. O.B. began singing when he was only 8 in the gospel choir at his Baptist church. By the time he was a teenager the gospel group Mighty Suns Of God selected him to be their lead singer. In the early 1990's O.B. signed with the record label Blue River and he recorded his first hit single "Back Up Lover".
His first disc "It's Over" followed to critical acclaim. Next he signed with Suzie Q Records for "I Got Caught". His career has truly taken off after signing with Ecko Records.
REVIEW: "I Can't Stop Drinkin" (Ecko 2005)
** Only 6 months after his last hit-filled disc for Ecko, "Shake What You Got", we get a new one that includes his heartfelt ode to Tyrone Davis ("Stage In The Sky"). The song is a slow "Soul Heaven"-type ballad where O.B. talks about how the man's music affected his life. It's the best jam here on a project that seems put together for the sake of this tribute song. Unfortunately, the material just isn't in the same league as previous Ecko Records releases and especially his fabulous last album. "I Can't Stop Drinkin'" is a decent upbeat dancer where O.B. professes his
love for booze and "Girl I Need Your Love" is an okay slow number, but the album is marked by some lame lyrics in "I'm Ready To Get Nude", an otherwise fun, funky groover, and "Lap Dance". The cover is also jivey, but Buchana's vocal prowess seems to overcome the obstacles.
**This is worth taking down even just for "Stage in the Sky" - Of course I don't agree with the review - but ah well ...
O.B. Buchana - Brother of Luther Lackey:
Born in Mound Bayou, Mississippi, Buchana spent his childhood in Clarksdale. O.B. began singing when he was only 8 in the gospel choir at his Baptist church. By the time he was a teenager the gospel group Mighty Suns Of God selected him to be their lead singer. In the early 1990's O.B. signed with the record label Blue River and he recorded his first hit single "Back Up Lover".
His first disc "It's Over" followed to critical acclaim. Next he signed with Suzie Q Records for "I Got Caught". His career has truly taken off after signing with Ecko Records.
REVIEW: "I Can't Stop Drinkin" (Ecko 2005)
** Only 6 months after his last hit-filled disc for Ecko, "Shake What You Got", we get a new one that includes his heartfelt ode to Tyrone Davis ("Stage In The Sky"). The song is a slow "Soul Heaven"-type ballad where O.B. talks about how the man's music affected his life. It's the best jam here on a project that seems put together for the sake of this tribute song. Unfortunately, the material just isn't in the same league as previous Ecko Records releases and especially his fabulous last album. "I Can't Stop Drinkin'" is a decent upbeat dancer where O.B. professes his
love for booze and "Girl I Need Your Love" is an okay slow number, but the album is marked by some lame lyrics in "I'm Ready To Get Nude", an otherwise fun, funky groover, and "Lap Dance". The cover is also jivey, but Buchana's vocal prowess seems to overcome the obstacles.
**This is worth taking down even just for "Stage in the Sky" - Of course I don't agree with the review - but ah well ...
Monday, May 26, 2008
O. V. WRIGHT
- THE COMPLETE BACKBEAT BOX SET (1973)
The name should be enuf: However ....
A truly incendiary deep soul performer. O. V. Wright's melismatic vocals and Willie Mitchell's vaunted Hi Rhythm Section combined to make classic Memphis soul during the early '70s. Overton Vertis Wright learned his trade on the gospel circuit with the Sunset Travelers before going secular in 1964 with the passionate ballad
"That's How Strong My Love Is" for Goldwax in Memphis. Otis Redding liked the song so much that he covered it, killing any chance of Wright's version hitting. Since Wright was already under contract to Houston-based Peacock as a gospel act, owner Don Robey demanded his return, and from then on, Wright appeared on Robey's Backbeat
subsidiary. Wright's sanctified sound oozes sweet soul on the spine-chilling "You're Gonna Make Me Cry," a 1965 smash, but it took Memphis producer Willie Mitchell to wring the best consistently from Wright. Utilizing Mitchell's surging house rhythm section, Wright's early-'70s Backbeat singles "Ace of Spades," "A Nickel and a Nail," and "I Can't Take It" rank among the very best Southern soul of their era. No disco bandwagon for O. V. Wright — he kept right on pouring out his emotions through the '70s, convincing his faithful that "I'd Rather Be (Blind, Crippled & Crazy)" and that he was "Into Something (Can't Shake Loose)." Unfortunately, he apparently was — drugs have often been cited as causing Wright's downfall; the soul great died at only 41 years of age in 1980.
Bill Dahl - (Allmusic)
The name should be enuf: However ....
A truly incendiary deep soul performer. O. V. Wright's melismatic vocals and Willie Mitchell's vaunted Hi Rhythm Section combined to make classic Memphis soul during the early '70s. Overton Vertis Wright learned his trade on the gospel circuit with the Sunset Travelers before going secular in 1964 with the passionate ballad
"That's How Strong My Love Is" for Goldwax in Memphis. Otis Redding liked the song so much that he covered it, killing any chance of Wright's version hitting. Since Wright was already under contract to Houston-based Peacock as a gospel act, owner Don Robey demanded his return, and from then on, Wright appeared on Robey's Backbeat
subsidiary. Wright's sanctified sound oozes sweet soul on the spine-chilling "You're Gonna Make Me Cry," a 1965 smash, but it took Memphis producer Willie Mitchell to wring the best consistently from Wright. Utilizing Mitchell's surging house rhythm section, Wright's early-'70s Backbeat singles "Ace of Spades," "A Nickel and a Nail," and "I Can't Take It" rank among the very best Southern soul of their era. No disco bandwagon for O. V. Wright — he kept right on pouring out his emotions through the '70s, convincing his faithful that "I'd Rather Be (Blind, Crippled & Crazy)" and that he was "Into Something (Can't Shake Loose)." Unfortunately, he apparently was — drugs have often been cited as causing Wright's downfall; the soul great died at only 41 years of age in 1980.
Bill Dahl - (Allmusic)
Saturday, May 24, 2008
LUTHER LACKEY
How about some new soul - in the ole school style? Here ya go ===
LUTHER LACKEY - I'M TALKING TO YOU (2005)
Daddy B. Nice's #97 ranked Southern Soul Artist
Luther Lackey is one of the most intriguing of the new generation of Southern Soul artists, a singer-slash-songwriter of the first order. And the best part is that his stuff has a power that hints at great things to come.
--Daddy B. Nice
About Luther Lackey
Luther Lackey is the brother of O. B. Buchana (now that's a talented family)and hails from the same home town as Buchana, blues-rich Clarksdale, Mississippi.
Lackey first arrived on the scene when he logged an important songwriting credit via Mr. Zay's 2003 chitlin' circuit hit, "She Only Wants To See Me On Friday." But he had already been recording music since 1998, self-produced albums that never found labels or distribution: among them, My Woman Has 5 Babies But None Of Them Are Mine, I Thought I Married A Fool (which marked the first appearance of "She Only Wants To See Me On Friday")and Down South Funk.
Lackey finally made a big splash with chitlin' circuit insiders with his solo debut, I'm Talking To You (Goodtime, 2005). Two songs from the album--"Scared Of Getting Caught" and "Call Your Outside Woman"--received substantial airplay on the Stations of the Deep South, establishing Lackey as one of the most promising of the new generation of Southern Soul artists.
LUTHER LACKEY - I'M TALKING TO YOU (2005)
Daddy B. Nice's #97 ranked Southern Soul Artist
Luther Lackey is one of the most intriguing of the new generation of Southern Soul artists, a singer-slash-songwriter of the first order. And the best part is that his stuff has a power that hints at great things to come.
--Daddy B. Nice
About Luther Lackey
Luther Lackey is the brother of O. B. Buchana (now that's a talented family)and hails from the same home town as Buchana, blues-rich Clarksdale, Mississippi.
Lackey first arrived on the scene when he logged an important songwriting credit via Mr. Zay's 2003 chitlin' circuit hit, "She Only Wants To See Me On Friday." But he had already been recording music since 1998, self-produced albums that never found labels or distribution: among them, My Woman Has 5 Babies But None Of Them Are Mine, I Thought I Married A Fool (which marked the first appearance of "She Only Wants To See Me On Friday")and Down South Funk.
Lackey finally made a big splash with chitlin' circuit insiders with his solo debut, I'm Talking To You (Goodtime, 2005). Two songs from the album--"Scared Of Getting Caught" and "Call Your Outside Woman"--received substantial airplay on the Stations of the Deep South, establishing Lackey as one of the most promising of the new generation of Southern Soul artists.
JOHNNIE TAYLOR
Biography by Steve Huey (Allmusic)
Young gospel phenom, gritty Stax/Volt soulster, lady-killing balladeer, chart-topping disco king, Southern soul-blues stalwart — Johnnie Taylor somehow always managed to adapt to the times, and he parlayed that versatility into a recording career that lasted nearly four decades.
Nicknamed the "Philosopher of Soul" during his Stax days, that version of Taylor is best remembered for his 1968 R&B chart-topping smash "Who's Making Love," but far and away his biggest success was 1976's across-the-board number one "Disco Lady," the first single ever certified platinum (which at the time meant sales of over two million copies). When the national hits dried up, Taylor wound up as one of the most prolific artists on the Malaco label, a refuge for many Southern soul and blues veterans whose styles had fallen out of popular favor by the '80s. Taylor called Malaco home for over 15 years and kept on recording and performing right up to
his passing in 2000.
She's Killing Me (1979) - REMASTERED 2008
They gave this album a crappy review - but I say - How can any JT album be so bad?
Of course, the tune that I find most interesting is Baby Lay down - which is very similiar to a country song by John Conley - Lady Lay Down .... Don't know who had it first - but I like the tune by either artist.
Young gospel phenom, gritty Stax/Volt soulster, lady-killing balladeer, chart-topping disco king, Southern soul-blues stalwart — Johnnie Taylor somehow always managed to adapt to the times, and he parlayed that versatility into a recording career that lasted nearly four decades.
Nicknamed the "Philosopher of Soul" during his Stax days, that version of Taylor is best remembered for his 1968 R&B chart-topping smash "Who's Making Love," but far and away his biggest success was 1976's across-the-board number one "Disco Lady," the first single ever certified platinum (which at the time meant sales of over two million copies). When the national hits dried up, Taylor wound up as one of the most prolific artists on the Malaco label, a refuge for many Southern soul and blues veterans whose styles had fallen out of popular favor by the '80s. Taylor called Malaco home for over 15 years and kept on recording and performing right up to
his passing in 2000.
She's Killing Me (1979) - REMASTERED 2008
They gave this album a crappy review - but I say - How can any JT album be so bad?
Of course, the tune that I find most interesting is Baby Lay down - which is very similiar to a country song by John Conley - Lady Lay Down .... Don't know who had it first - but I like the tune by either artist.
Friday, May 23, 2008
PRINCE PHILLIP MITCHELL
A veteran composer, vocalist, guitarist, and pianist, Prince Phillip Mitchell's roots are in vintage R&B, although he's better known for soul tunes. Mitchell sang with both The Premiers and The Checkmates in the late '50s and early '60s. He was also a dancer with The Bean Brothers in Los Angeles. Mitchell had hits recorded by Mel & Tim, Millie Jackson, Norman Connors, Joe Simon, and Candi Staton, but hasn't had as much luck on his own as a vocalist. His only moderate hit was "One On One" for Atlantic in 1978, and it only cracked the R&B Top 40. Mitchell has also recorded for Event and Ichiban
Ron Wynn, All Music Guide
Ron Wynn, All Music Guide
Thursday, May 22, 2008
NAPTOWN - Vol 01 [320]
There seems to be a mystery going on with a 3 set volume of something called Naptown.
I saw it over at doctorokeh.blogspot. I also have a set called Naptown - and we sort of have the same tracks but not quite. I also have no information on this set or any covers. Personally, I think these came from "The Lost Lamp Sessions" ... but so far ... we are all still searching ...
If anyone can tell me what Track 21 and 22 are - I would really appreciate the help!!
Enjoy ....
I saw it over at doctorokeh.blogspot. I also have a set called Naptown - and we sort of have the same tracks but not quite. I also have no information on this set or any covers. Personally, I think these came from "The Lost Lamp Sessions" ... but so far ... we are all still searching ...
If anyone can tell me what Track 21 and 22 are - I would really appreciate the help!!
Enjoy ....
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
THE MODULATIONS
The Modulations were formed in Philadelphia, U.S.A., although they originated from Jacksonville, Florida, U.S.A.
Glenn Jones was the original member of the group that he formed at the tender age of fourteen.
They worked with the mainstay of the city's 'Philly sound' musicians / arrangers / producers including Norman HarrIs and M.F.S.B. during the mid-70's.
Their recordings include 'It's Rough Out Here' for the Buddah label (1975).
This album included the popular title track and 'I'm Hopelessly In Love', popular on the U.K. soul scene.
Glenn Jones was the original member of the group that he formed at the tender age of fourteen.
They worked with the mainstay of the city's 'Philly sound' musicians / arrangers / producers including Norman HarrIs and M.F.S.B. during the mid-70's.
Their recordings include 'It's Rough Out Here' for the Buddah label (1975).
This album included the popular title track and 'I'm Hopelessly In Love', popular on the U.K. soul scene.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
THE DELLS
For the boyz at 4BB and all the great tunes they share:
Biography by Steve Huey
The Dells are one of the finest and longest-lived R&B vocal groups in history, and what's most amazing is that they've done it with nearly all the same members — they haven't changed personnel since 1960. They were one of the very few doo wop outfits to successfully update their sound, finding their strongest commercial niche in the late '60s and '70s as a polished smooth soul harmony group. While their chart fortunes have certainly fluctuated over the years, they remained a viable act right up into the '90s, by which time they had long since achieved legendary status in the R&B community.
The Dells were formed in 1953 in southern suburbs of Chicago, specifically the town of Harvey, IL, where all the members attended high school together. The original lineup featured lead baritone Marvin Junior, lead tenor Johnny Funches, tenors Verne Allison and Lucius McGill, second baritone Mickey McGill, and bass Chuck Barksdale. Initially called the El-Rays, the group recorded their first single, "Darling I Know," for Chess Records subsidiary Checker that year; it flopped. Lucius McGill departed not long after, and wasn't replaced, cutting the group down to a quintet. Newly christened the Dells, they got another shot in 1955 when they signed to Vee Jay. They had a minor R&B hit with the ballad "Dreams of Contentment" that year, but really scored big in 1956 with the doo wop classic "Oh What a Nite," which featured Funches singing lead and went Top Five on the R&B charts. Thus established, the Dells hit the road, although they found it difficult to duplicate their chart success. Tragedy nearly struck in 1958; on their way to a gig in Philadelphia, the body of the group's station wagon failed, resulting in a serious accident which lacerated Junior's larynx (slightly altering his voice thereafter) and nearly cost McGill the use of his leg. The Dells went on hiatus to recover; in the meantime, Barksdale became a temporary member of the Moonglows, where he sang alongside Marvin Gaye.
The Dells reconvened in 1960 and successfully auditioned to tour with Dinah Washington, as both her opening act and backup group. Funches, however, was tired of touring and decided to stay home with his family, which would be the last time any member left the group. He was replaced by lead/falsetto tenor Johnny Carter, a former member of the Flamingoes. Working with vocal coach Kirk Stewart, the Dells perfected the more challenging art of jazz harmony singing. They toured with Washington for two years, subsequently signing with the Chess subsidiary Argo and releasing four jazz-flavored singles, all of which tanked. They returned to Vee Jay in 1964 and began recording R&B again, though their local nightclub act centered more around jazz; 1965 brought them a Top 30 R&B hit with "Stay in My Corner," their biggest success since "Oh What a Nite." However, Vee Jay went bankrupt in 1966, and the Dells returned to Chess for a third time, this time the Cadet subsidiary; their first two singles, "Thinking About You" and "Run for Cover," became local hits. Also in 1966, the Dells became Ray Charles' touring vocal backup, giving them an opportunity to sing in some of their biggest concert venues yet.
Cadet was where the Dells' career really started to take off. In 1967, the label assigned producer Bobby Miller and arranger Charles Stepney to handle the group, and they began to exploit the striking contrast between Junior's earthy baritone and Carter's luminous falsetto, adding lush orchestrations and plenty of horn charts. The Dells' first album under the Miller-Stepney aegis, There Is, was a smashing success, spawning no less than four hit singles including an expanded remake of "Stay in My Corner" that topped the R&B charts and went Top Ten pop. Suddenly the group was bigger than they'd ever been; their follow-up album, 1968's Always Together, spun off another four singles. 1969's Love Is Blue gave them another R&B number one and pop Top Ten with a remake of their '50s classic "Oh What a Nite." Miller moved on to other projects in early 1970, and Stepney became the Dells' producer on the following year's Freedom Means, which featured the hit ballad "The Love We Had (Stays On My Mind)." After a Dionne Warwick repertory album in 1972, Cadet hired Don Davis as the group's new producer, which paid immediate dividends in the form of the Dells' first certified million-selling single, 1973's "Give Your Baby a Standing Ovation." After a few more hits with Davis, the Dells left Cadet in favor of Mercury in 1975.
Although the group's production kept pace with the times, incorporating nods to disco, their Mercury stint wasn't as successful, and they switched labels again in 1978, jumping to ABC for a couple of albums. It seemed their career momentum had stalled, at least until 1980's I Touched a Dream LP, recorded for 20th Century. Produced by the Chi-Lites' Eugene Record, I Touched a Dream recaptured the Dells' old magic, and was greeted with enthusiastic reviews. The follow-up, Whatever Turns You On, wasn't quite as successful, though, and the Dells wound up spending a number of years off record, returning with a little-noticed old-style soul album in 1988's The Second Time. It looked as though they might be consigned to the oldies circuit until filmmaker Robert Townsend approached them to serve as consultants on his movie about a fictional vocal group, The Five Heartbeats. The Dells recorded a song called "The Heart Is a House for Love" for the soundtrack, which became a left-field R&B chart hit when it was released as a single in 1991. That led to a new album for Zoo in 1992, I Salute You, which attempted to mate the Dells' sound with urban contemporary and new jack swing production; however, it wasn't a hit, and the group returned to touring. Former lead singer Johnny Funches passed away in 1998, and Verne Allison underwent a successful triple bypass in 2000, the same year the Dells released Reminiscing on the revived Volt label; it was their first album of new material in eight years.
There is (1968)
Review by Andrew Hamilton
Other than their greatest-hits compilations, this by far is the Dells' finest LP release. Bobby Miller excelled in assembling this strong package. The six-minute-plus "Stay in My Corner" remains a live show staple and R&B classic. Written by Wade Flemons, Bobby Miller, and Barrett "Money" Strong, the epic ballad shattered the belief that pop songs had to be three minutes or less to get airplay; it was a remake of a shorter version by the Dells released on Vee Jay in 1965. Miller uses the idea of the quick hook on "Wear It on Our Face," the opening rhythms explode like firecrackers on this driving, high-energy singalong. Few realize it, but the Dells cut and released "Your Love Keeps Lifting Me Higher" before Jackie Wilson did. A good remake of "Close Your Eyes," and the enthralling "Love Is So Simple" proved the guys hadn't forsaken their doo wop roots. The beautiful "O O I Love You" began the longest run on the charts in the Dells' history; originally Cadet released it with "There Is" on the flip side, and it went to Number 22 on the R&B charts and to Number 61 on the popcharts. "There Is" followed with a different flip, "Show Me," and became their biggest pop recording to date, nesting at Number 20. Ironically, the Dells hated "There Is" when Bobby Miller first played it for them, it had a marching beat, and they couldn't see recording it. Marvin Junior, Johnny Carter, Chuck Barksdale, Verne Allison, and Mickey McGill never sounded better then they do on these 12 tantalizing entrees
Give Your Baby a Standing Ovation (1973)
Review by Andrew Hamilton
Named after their million-selling salute to women, Give Your Baby a Standing Ovation is a tight, nine-song creation of the legendary Don Davis. A mellow "You Don't Care" provides a good vehicle for the guys to display their blending skills; Marvin Junior's ear-popping baritone enhances the biting lyrics. They shine on "Closer," a smooth, aggressive number with a slick production; it could have been a hit, but Cadet decided to slap it on the back of "Give Your Baby a Standing Ovation." They update "The Glory of Love" in a '70s, Dells style, and do a credible job with "Ain't No Sunshine." For some reason this LP has never been easy to find.
The Dells Vs. The Dramatics (1974)
A fine set from both parties. The Dells and Dramatics were quite similar in their style, except that The Dells' signature soul sound came from the interaction of two, rather than three great singers. Each group took some songs on its own, and they also teamed on the single "Love Is Missing From Our Lives," the only song that proved a hit. The overall results were outstanding, although the album didn't do as well as anticipated.
Biography by Steve Huey
The Dells are one of the finest and longest-lived R&B vocal groups in history, and what's most amazing is that they've done it with nearly all the same members — they haven't changed personnel since 1960. They were one of the very few doo wop outfits to successfully update their sound, finding their strongest commercial niche in the late '60s and '70s as a polished smooth soul harmony group. While their chart fortunes have certainly fluctuated over the years, they remained a viable act right up into the '90s, by which time they had long since achieved legendary status in the R&B community.
The Dells were formed in 1953 in southern suburbs of Chicago, specifically the town of Harvey, IL, where all the members attended high school together. The original lineup featured lead baritone Marvin Junior, lead tenor Johnny Funches, tenors Verne Allison and Lucius McGill, second baritone Mickey McGill, and bass Chuck Barksdale. Initially called the El-Rays, the group recorded their first single, "Darling I Know," for Chess Records subsidiary Checker that year; it flopped. Lucius McGill departed not long after, and wasn't replaced, cutting the group down to a quintet. Newly christened the Dells, they got another shot in 1955 when they signed to Vee Jay. They had a minor R&B hit with the ballad "Dreams of Contentment" that year, but really scored big in 1956 with the doo wop classic "Oh What a Nite," which featured Funches singing lead and went Top Five on the R&B charts. Thus established, the Dells hit the road, although they found it difficult to duplicate their chart success. Tragedy nearly struck in 1958; on their way to a gig in Philadelphia, the body of the group's station wagon failed, resulting in a serious accident which lacerated Junior's larynx (slightly altering his voice thereafter) and nearly cost McGill the use of his leg. The Dells went on hiatus to recover; in the meantime, Barksdale became a temporary member of the Moonglows, where he sang alongside Marvin Gaye.
The Dells reconvened in 1960 and successfully auditioned to tour with Dinah Washington, as both her opening act and backup group. Funches, however, was tired of touring and decided to stay home with his family, which would be the last time any member left the group. He was replaced by lead/falsetto tenor Johnny Carter, a former member of the Flamingoes. Working with vocal coach Kirk Stewart, the Dells perfected the more challenging art of jazz harmony singing. They toured with Washington for two years, subsequently signing with the Chess subsidiary Argo and releasing four jazz-flavored singles, all of which tanked. They returned to Vee Jay in 1964 and began recording R&B again, though their local nightclub act centered more around jazz; 1965 brought them a Top 30 R&B hit with "Stay in My Corner," their biggest success since "Oh What a Nite." However, Vee Jay went bankrupt in 1966, and the Dells returned to Chess for a third time, this time the Cadet subsidiary; their first two singles, "Thinking About You" and "Run for Cover," became local hits. Also in 1966, the Dells became Ray Charles' touring vocal backup, giving them an opportunity to sing in some of their biggest concert venues yet.
Cadet was where the Dells' career really started to take off. In 1967, the label assigned producer Bobby Miller and arranger Charles Stepney to handle the group, and they began to exploit the striking contrast between Junior's earthy baritone and Carter's luminous falsetto, adding lush orchestrations and plenty of horn charts. The Dells' first album under the Miller-Stepney aegis, There Is, was a smashing success, spawning no less than four hit singles including an expanded remake of "Stay in My Corner" that topped the R&B charts and went Top Ten pop. Suddenly the group was bigger than they'd ever been; their follow-up album, 1968's Always Together, spun off another four singles. 1969's Love Is Blue gave them another R&B number one and pop Top Ten with a remake of their '50s classic "Oh What a Nite." Miller moved on to other projects in early 1970, and Stepney became the Dells' producer on the following year's Freedom Means, which featured the hit ballad "The Love We Had (Stays On My Mind)." After a Dionne Warwick repertory album in 1972, Cadet hired Don Davis as the group's new producer, which paid immediate dividends in the form of the Dells' first certified million-selling single, 1973's "Give Your Baby a Standing Ovation." After a few more hits with Davis, the Dells left Cadet in favor of Mercury in 1975.
Although the group's production kept pace with the times, incorporating nods to disco, their Mercury stint wasn't as successful, and they switched labels again in 1978, jumping to ABC for a couple of albums. It seemed their career momentum had stalled, at least until 1980's I Touched a Dream LP, recorded for 20th Century. Produced by the Chi-Lites' Eugene Record, I Touched a Dream recaptured the Dells' old magic, and was greeted with enthusiastic reviews. The follow-up, Whatever Turns You On, wasn't quite as successful, though, and the Dells wound up spending a number of years off record, returning with a little-noticed old-style soul album in 1988's The Second Time. It looked as though they might be consigned to the oldies circuit until filmmaker Robert Townsend approached them to serve as consultants on his movie about a fictional vocal group, The Five Heartbeats. The Dells recorded a song called "The Heart Is a House for Love" for the soundtrack, which became a left-field R&B chart hit when it was released as a single in 1991. That led to a new album for Zoo in 1992, I Salute You, which attempted to mate the Dells' sound with urban contemporary and new jack swing production; however, it wasn't a hit, and the group returned to touring. Former lead singer Johnny Funches passed away in 1998, and Verne Allison underwent a successful triple bypass in 2000, the same year the Dells released Reminiscing on the revived Volt label; it was their first album of new material in eight years.
There is (1968)
Review by Andrew Hamilton
Other than their greatest-hits compilations, this by far is the Dells' finest LP release. Bobby Miller excelled in assembling this strong package. The six-minute-plus "Stay in My Corner" remains a live show staple and R&B classic. Written by Wade Flemons, Bobby Miller, and Barrett "Money" Strong, the epic ballad shattered the belief that pop songs had to be three minutes or less to get airplay; it was a remake of a shorter version by the Dells released on Vee Jay in 1965. Miller uses the idea of the quick hook on "Wear It on Our Face," the opening rhythms explode like firecrackers on this driving, high-energy singalong. Few realize it, but the Dells cut and released "Your Love Keeps Lifting Me Higher" before Jackie Wilson did. A good remake of "Close Your Eyes," and the enthralling "Love Is So Simple" proved the guys hadn't forsaken their doo wop roots. The beautiful "O O I Love You" began the longest run on the charts in the Dells' history; originally Cadet released it with "There Is" on the flip side, and it went to Number 22 on the R&B charts and to Number 61 on the popcharts. "There Is" followed with a different flip, "Show Me," and became their biggest pop recording to date, nesting at Number 20. Ironically, the Dells hated "There Is" when Bobby Miller first played it for them, it had a marching beat, and they couldn't see recording it. Marvin Junior, Johnny Carter, Chuck Barksdale, Verne Allison, and Mickey McGill never sounded better then they do on these 12 tantalizing entrees
Give Your Baby a Standing Ovation (1973)
Review by Andrew Hamilton
Named after their million-selling salute to women, Give Your Baby a Standing Ovation is a tight, nine-song creation of the legendary Don Davis. A mellow "You Don't Care" provides a good vehicle for the guys to display their blending skills; Marvin Junior's ear-popping baritone enhances the biting lyrics. They shine on "Closer," a smooth, aggressive number with a slick production; it could have been a hit, but Cadet decided to slap it on the back of "Give Your Baby a Standing Ovation." They update "The Glory of Love" in a '70s, Dells style, and do a credible job with "Ain't No Sunshine." For some reason this LP has never been easy to find.
The Dells Vs. The Dramatics (1974)
A fine set from both parties. The Dells and Dramatics were quite similar in their style, except that The Dells' signature soul sound came from the interaction of two, rather than three great singers. Each group took some songs on its own, and they also teamed on the single "Love Is Missing From Our Lives," the only song that proved a hit. The overall results were outstanding, although the album didn't do as well as anticipated.
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