Rhetta Hughes: Re-light My Fire (1969)

A decent, if derivative, soul vocalist, Chicagoan Rhetta Hughes seemed about ready to move into the spotlight in 1969, when her remake of the Doors' ‘Light My Fire’ made the R&B Top 40. Later, in 1983, she would have a hit on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart with ‘Angel Man (G.A.)’. But she never sustained any momentum, and Hughes was soon on the supper club circuit. She starred in the Broadway musicals Dreamgirls, Don't Play Us Cheap, and Amen Corner, for which she was nominated for a Tony Award in the category Best Actress in a Musical in 1984. She appeared in the films Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song, The Wiz (as a member of the choir), as well as the film version of Don't Play Us Cheap. She was also seen in the TV version of the musical Purlie, and appeared in an episode of Law & Order. This 1969 album, with arrangements by Mike Terry and lots of tasty original tracks written by Jo Armstead, includes that Rhetta’s funky cover of ‘Light My Fire’, but there are lots of other nice ones, like ‘Gimme Some Of Yours (I’ll Give You Some Of Mine)’, ‘Giving Up My Heartaches’, ‘Sooky’, ‘I Can’t Stand Under This Pressure’, and ‘Cry Myself To Sleep’. Hard to find, too! .~ http://www.dustygroove.com/, http://www.answers.com/

ee

ee

Judy Clay & Veda Brown: Private Numbers (1993)

This superb 1993 compilation brings together most of the solo recordings that Judy Clay and Veda Brown cut for Stax in the late '60s (Clay) and early '70s (Brown). Although neither of these formidable soul sisters enjoyed much chart action, they both deserve to be more than footnotes in the history of Soul. Judy Clay’s deep, potent voice never translated to commercial success, but the impact of her collaboration with Billy Vera as the first interracial male/female duo to record for a major label should not be understated. At Stax she was also teamed with William Bell, whose recording of 'Private Number' reached #17 in the R&B chart and #75 on the U.S. pop chart, and had even greater success in the UK, reaching #8 on the UK Singles Chart. The follow-up, 'My Baby Specializes' made the R&B chart too, unlike Judy's fantastic solo 'Bed Of Roses', which fell on deaf ears. As for Veda Brown, she is one of the lesser-known singers on Stax's roster in the early '70s. She did manage to crack the lower regions of the charts with two of her four singles on the label, 'Short Stopping' and the ballad 'Don't Start Lovin' Me (If You're Gonna Stop)’ (both included here); but after a couple of subsequent singles on the Raken label, nothing was heard from her again. Kent released a similar compilation in 2008 titled The Stax Solo Recordings. That British CD is notably different from this 1993 anthology, including 16 cuts by Brown (where this has just eight), and nine by Clay (where Private Numbers has ten which included four duets with William Bell and a song from the Uptight soundtrack, ‘Children, Don't Get Weary’, that are not on The Stax Solo Recordings). Similarly, The Stax Solo Recordings has four tracks not on Private Numbers. Hopefully both comps will help to illustrate why these great vocalists deserved far more than they got in their respective careers.

zz

y

Listen Here

Jean DuShon: Feeling Good and other Soul gems from the '60s

It is not well known, but Detroit native, Jean DuShon was the very first artist to record the legendary Ron Miller/Orlando Murden classic, ‘For Once in My Life’. Others have claimed to be the first, but it was DuShon who was invited to Miller's home to interpret the tune. So pleased with her ideas and dynamic rendition, he allowed her to record the song first, which came out in early 1966 to great acclaim, especially in her hometown of Detroit. Miss DuShon was signed by Ahmet Ertegun to Atlantic Records, where she was produced by Phil Spector. Later, she contracted with Lenox Records, Columbia, ABC-Paramount and then Chess, where she released her firs album Make Way for Jean DuShon, in 1964. This record was met with critical acclaim leading to a second album in 1965, You Better Believe Me, with the Ramsey Lewis Trio. By the time she recorded her third album, Feeling Good, in 1966, she was famous. Miss DuShon has performed in hundreds of legendary nightclubs, theatres, concert halls and most of the great show palaces of Europe, South America and the United States. There is nothing that Jean SuShon hasn't mastered: blues, jazz, ballads, show tunes and pop. On all of them, she puts her uniquely distinguishable mark on the music. If someone deserves her work being reissued on CD, that is Ms. DuShon. I hope we can see that soon! .~ http://www.soul-patrol.com/, http://www.allaboutjazz.com/

ee

tt

1. Feeling Good
2. How Long Can I Go On
3. For Once in My Life
4. Hitch Hike
5. As I Watch You Walk Away
6. Second Class Lover

BAD NEWS... I received one Blogger DMCA takedown notification

My posting of Aretha Franklin has been removed because of the copyright violation thing. I hope this is not the beginning of the end of this blog ...
Does anybody know how many notifications of this kind are necessary to make the Blog Team takes action against one Blogger account?
Anything I should know about this matter??

Thanks to everybody

Kim Weston: Greatest Hits & Rare Classics (1998)

Best known as a duet partner of Marvin Gaye, Kim Weston also charted with some of her own solo sides during the '60s, although she never had the breakout success of a Martha Reeves or Diana Ross. She enjoyed her biggest solo hit in 1965 with ‘Take Me in Your Arms (Rock Me a Little While)’ and followed it up in 1966 with the equally soulful ‘Helpless,’ both of which helped make her reputation among soul collectors. Also in 1966, she cut an entire album of duets with Gaye, Take Two, which produced the Top Five R&B classic ‘It Takes Two.’ By the time it was peaking on the charts in early 1967, however, Weston had already left Motown and moved to MGM, but a pair of albums there proved to be commercial failures. Weston subsequently recorded for Volt (Kim Kim Kim), People (Big Brass Four Poster, an album of jazz standards with the Hastings Street Jazz Experience), and Johnny Nash's Banyan Tree, all without much success. She did, however, chart with her version of the anthem ‘Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing’ in 1970. Weston largely disappeared from the music industry during the ‘70s and reappeared in the late-‘80s, releasing two albums for Motorcity in the early-‘90s. There are 20 tracks in this collection, including all of the hits refered above. Other standouts are ‘A Love Like Yours (Don't Come Knocking Everyday)’, ‘Don't Compare Me With Her’ and ‘Go Ahead And Laugh’. Most of Kim's forgotten singles and B-sides are compiled here, including several duets with Marvin Gaye. Kim never got her own solo Motown album back in the day, so this is a real treat for her fans and a great addition to the collections of all Motown/soul fans who might not be especially familiar with her. ~ http://www.allmusic.com/

Kim Weston singing 'A Little More Love':

Sugar Pie DeSanto: Down in the Basement - The Chess Blues Original Recordings (1989)

This is a sizzling collection of stunning R&B from one of Oakland's finest soul singers, Sugar Pie DeSanto, a pint-sized hellraiser who had a wild, bluesy snarl and a great set of pipes. She didn't have huge success on the charts, but you can tell from the raw energy on these recordings –and the video below!– that she must have blown the roof off any gig she played live. Although typecast as a blues singer, she also takes care of business on the soul end of things and is a convincing jazz vocal stylist as well. That would be enough to gain most singers a reasonable slice of glory, but DeSanto also happens to be a hilarious comedienne, a show-stopping dancer, and a superb and highly original songwriter whose compositions have been cut by Fontella Bass, Billy Stewart, Little Milton and Minnie Riperton, among others. This 12-song set was originally an LP that came out in 1989 and it is, amazingly, still the only above-board collection of her vintage material for the Chess and Checker labels. There are half-a-dozen songs, including the slinky, joyful ‘Down in the Basement’ and the explosive ‘Do I Make Myself Clear’ (both with cousin Etta James). I added myself 12 bonus tracks (including the sassy funk classics ‘Git Back’ and ‘Do the Whoopie’), which makes a total of 24 songs. If you like raw, pure, rockin' blues, you owe it to yourself to discover what Sugar Pie DeSanto sounded like in her prime .~ http://www.answers.com/

ee

ee

Sugar Pie DeSanto performing Rock Me Baby. Live in England, 1964.

Barbara Lewis: Hello Stranger - The Best of (1994)

Some soul singers run hot, some run cool. Barbara Lewis ran cool, and thrillingly so. She was classy and sophisticated, even in the early to mid-'60s, a time where smooth pop-soul was the standard. Her voice was as soft as silk, and Atlantic gave her productions to match, resulting in an alluring body of work that still sounds seductive, yet comforting, years after their relief. The Michigan native had been writing songs since the age of nine, and began recording as a teenager with producer Ollie McLaughlin, who'd also had a hand in the careers of Del Shannon, the Capitols, and Deon Jackson. Lewis wrote all of the songs on her debut LP (including ‘Hello Stranger’), and confidently handled harmony soul numbers (some with backing by the Dells) and more pop-savvy tunes, some of which were driven by an organ and a bossa nova-like beat. In the mid-'60s, she began doing some recordings in New York City, with assistance from producers like Bert Berns and Jerry Wexler, that employed more orchestral arrangements and pop-conscious material. The approach clicked, both commercially and artistically: ‘Baby I'm Yours’ and ‘Make Me Your Baby’ were both big hits, and both among the best mid-'60s girl group style productions. Those three songs along with the bulk of her R&B hits, are all on this Rhino's excellent compilation, released in 1994. Since her work was so consistently good, there are inevitably some fan favorites missing, but everything here is excellent, representing her at her very best, and that means it's among the very best pop-soul of its time. To make it more complete, I added 9 more songs to the set, which make a total of 29.
ee

ee

Barbara Lewis sings 'Make Me Your Baby' (1965):

The Fascinations: ...Out to Getcha! (1962-1968)

The Fascinations were a girl group with a dazzling family tree, a distinctive sound, and a hook-up with one of the great artist-producers of the ’60; yet, in one of the great mysteries of the soul music boom of the mid-decade, they never made it in America, but sold lots of records in England. The group's origins can be traced back to Martha Reeves, (later of the Vandellas), Shirley Walker Bernadine and Joanne Boswell. Before the girls could get a foot in the industry's door, Martha left over some disagreements with the others. The remaining Fascinations persevered, and by late 1962 they had been introduced to a man who would change their lives. Curtis Mayfield, a member of the Impressions, got the group signed to ABC-Paramount, where they released a trio of singles (written and/or produced by Mayfield) over the next year that failed to sell in significant numbers. The label dropped them, but Mayfield did not forget the group and in 1966, when he started his own Mayfield label, he signed the Fascinations, eventually releasing five singles by the group. Of those, three made the US R&B charts, with the second of those, ‘Girls Are Out To Get You', rising to number 13. When the Fascinations’ contract came up for renewal in 1969, Mayfield did not sign them again, and the Fascinations disbanded. In 1971, they reunited for a tour of England but split permanently after that tour. The Fascinations weren't much more than an odd footnote in the history of Detroit-based R&B, in terms of their sales impact and their early history as Martha Reeves' first group. They never recorded steadily or successfully enough to justify an album release during the time they were together, but they turned in some delightful and intensely passionate soul performances. I have compiled here most of the singles they recorded between 1962 and 1968 (14 tracks); all of them, but the first two, appeared in the much sought after Sequel compilation ‘…Out to Getcha!’, in 1997. I hope you enjoy it.

ee

eeeeeeee

Listen Here

Truly Smith - I Wanna Go Back There Again (1967)

An underrated singer, with a style not so different from early Kiki Dee, Truly Smith is now remembered for a number of fantastic Northern Soul anthems issued by Decca, such as Chris Clark 'I Wanna Go Back There Again' (see the clip below), Smokey Robinson's 'My Smile is Just a Frown Turned Upside Down' and Gerry Goffin/Carole King 'The Boy From Chelsea'. The quality of her vocals and her choice of material should have made the Warrington lass a star in the UK – and despite TV and live promotion, an attempt to launch the singer in the rest of Europe also stalled. I believe there is enough material hidden somewhere to release a decent compilation by this great blue-eyed soul artist, so I would like to know why is it that nobody has done it yet!!

ee

'My Smile is Just a Frown (Turned Upside Down)' Here

'The Boy from Chelsea' Here

Mavis Staples: Mavis Staples / Only for the Lonely (1993)

Mavis Staples began her career with her family group in 1950. With Mavis' earthy contralto voice and Pops' songs, singing, and guitar playing, the Staple Singers evolved from enormously popular gospel singers to become the most spectacular and influential spiritually-based group in USA. The group signed to Stax Records in 1968 and hit the Top 40 eight times between 1971 and 1975, joining their gospel harmonies and deep faith with musical accompaniment from members of Booker T. and the MGs. Mavis also recorded two solo albums for Stax Records. The first one, ‘Mavis Staples’, released in 1969, was a fine collection of pop standards like Dionne Warwick's ‘A House Is Not a Home,’ Sam Cooke's ‘You Send Me’ and a pair of Otis Redding songs. The follow-up, 1970's ‘Only for the Lonely’, was even better, yielding the heartbreaking R&B hit ‘I Have Learned to Do Without You,’ the exquisite slow blues ‘How Many Times’, the best version ever recorded of the classic ‘Since I Fell For You’ and the finger-snapping Memphis soul of ‘It Makes Me Wanna Cry.’ The 20 tracks from those two albums were combined on this 1993 CD entitled ‘Only for the Lonely’ and supplemented with ‘That's the Way Love Is,’ a duet with Johnny Taylor from Boy Meets Girl, a Stax collection of male-female duets. I added myself five more songs from the 1988 compilation ‘Don’t Change Me Now’, which makes a total of 26 tracks. This is an invaluable glimpse at the first solo steps by one of the best - and one of my favourite- soul singers.

ee
Listen Here

ee

Mavis Staples singing with The Staple Singers 'I'll Take You There' (1972):

ee