PATTI DREW - HE'S THE ONE

Both in her solo career and (earlier) as a member of The drew-Vels, Patti Drew's lovely voice is heard on nearly two dozen singles before she left the music biz in 1971.

One obvious difference with the music business in the '60's was that labels gave many great artists time to grow and prosper; while Patti only had one major hit (1968's sublime "Workin' On A Groovy Thing') yet Capitol believed in her talent enough to keep her signed to the label for many years. Lucky for us! In my opinion, the downfall of the music industry was completely brought on by their about face which focused more on the quick buck and less on the longevity of artists.

While this isn't a "major" record by any stretch, it's the type of record that I could see having appeal until the end of time, as it is just so charming. Precisely the type of record that doesn't get made very often in today's climate. But they were cut literally EVERY DAY back in the day, by labels large and small. And I feel damn fortunate that they were.

from 1969...

PATTI DREW - HE'S THE ONE


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BEAUREGARD AND THE TUFFS - RAMBLIN' ROSE

I know nothing of Beauregard And The Tuffs (who were probably a one-ff, studio concocted group), other than that this is probably the version of "Ramblin' Rose" (originally cut by Ted Taylor) that influenced the MC5's version. While it's very possible that the soul fans that made up the 'Five heard the Ted Taylor record (which is brilliant and a past 45 of the day), this one ups the ante...

My guess is that this was cut after June '65, as the fuzztone intro definitely takes a cue from the Rolling Stones "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" which was released in June of '65 and of course a massive hit. The catalog number puts this as being around September or October of '65.

So while this song/ version wasn't a huge hit, in my speculation the aggresive, hard r&b sound was a pungent ingredient in the stew that made up the sound of the MC5, making this a very important proto-punk record. All this and easy to dance to.

from 1965...

BEAUREGARD AND THE TUFFS - RAMBLIN' ROSE


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THE KELLY BROTHERS - HOW CAN TRUE LOVE BE THIS WAY b/w IF THAT WILL HOLD YOU

The Kelly Brothers were made up of three real brothers (Curtis Kelly, Andrew Kelly, Robert Kelly), along with T. C. Lee and Offie Reese.

Beginning as a gospel family group in Chicago in the fifties, the Kelly Brothers spent most of the sixties recording secular material that is deeply rooted in the call and response of gospel music.

This release shows that the group was equally adept at ballads ("If That Will Hold You", written by Curtis Kelly) as well as all-out r&b stormers ("How Can True Love Be This Way", written by Robert Kelly) with sublime vocals.

from 1966...

THE KELLY BROTHERS - HOW CAN TRUE LOVE BE THIS WAY

b/w IF THAT WILL HOLD YOU


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COLETTE KELLY - CITY OF FOOLS

A very non-Stax Stax record. In fact, this record is unlike anything else I've ever heard! The production is quite sparse, and has a haunting sound that reminds me of a Martha & The Vandellas track as if it were played by phantoms (or perhaps, say, the minimalist style of The Velvet Underground). The lyrics read like a diary entry, or perhaps the plot to romantic film noir. And just DIG that intro organ hook.

Colette Kelly herself is a complete mystery, and a mystery with a gorgeous voice; this seems to be her only release. Web searches for the production company listed on the sleeve don't reveal any info either, nor do the songwriters names.

Perhaps it WAS cut by ghosts. This record kinda freaks me out.

from 1969...

COLETTE KELLY - CITY OF FOOLS


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THE SHOWMEN - THE WRONG GIRL

Led by the incredibly powerful vocals of Atlanta native General Johnson, The Showmen scored one national hit with their debut single (the anthemic "It will Stand", which hit the charts twice- once in '61 then again in '64). The music of the Showmen played a very important role in the "beach music" craze of the Carolina coast.

This equally transcendent number was the followup single to "It Will Stand", and it's not difficult to imagine the image of college kids dressed in their finest 1962 casual wear dancing in the ocean breeze, lit by the moon to this track.

from 1962...

THE SHOWMEN - THE WRONG GIRL

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DEE DEE GARTRELL - SECOND HAND LOVE b/w WOULD IT BREAK YOUR HEART

Unfortunately, the cocktail jazz scene lost a great singer when in Dee Dee (Delia) Gartrell, but the soul world gained her for some incredible records (which is the world that her big voice truly belonged in.) Dee Dee's voice SOARS on this track! The flip side is a gorgeous ballad, well worth hearing as well.

Delia was a cocktail jazz singer in Atlanta where soul hero THE MIGHTY HANNIBAL caught a performane and was enchanted with her voice. She was in a relationship with his friend, who Hannibal tried to partner with to make records with Delia. That partnership never materialized, but Delia and Hannibal DID find a partnership together; both on wax and later as husband and wife.

Info on the web shows that Delia still performs the occasional gig in the Atlanta area.

from 1969...

DEE DEE GARTRELL - SECOND HAND LOVE

WOULD IT BREAK YOUR HEART


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PAT LUNDY - MAKE IT FOR THE DOOR

Goodness gracious, this record is so sexy it's downright salacious!

From new York City, Pat Lundy had a long career which lasted from the early sixties well until the seventies. For some insanely unjust reason, she never scored a national hit of note (although this one and "It's Rainin' Outside" should have been massive).

from 1965...

PAT LUNDY - MAKE IT FOR THE DOOR


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NEWBY & JOHNSON - I WANT TO GIVE YOU MY EVERYTHING

This record was predicted by Billboard Magazine upon review that it had big hit potential for a debut, and I would agree! Why it slipped through the cracks is anyone's guess.

Excellent Chicago male/ female duet soul in the mode of Marvin Gaye/ Tammi Terrell, but with a distinctive windy city twist.

from 1970...

NEWBY & JOHNSON - I WANT TO GIVE YOU MY EVERYTHING


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BETTY GREEN - LONELY GIRL b/w HE'S DOWN ON ME

Betty Green recorded in New York City, and her massive, soul dripping voice apparently only appears on two 45's!

Both sides of this record are extraordinary- the top side, "Lonely Girl" is an excellent uptempo r&b track with amazing vocals and a drop flat on the ground killer guitar break. The FLIP, however, is a deep soul jam that has a sublime 3AM feel and is somewhat similar to Bobby Bland's "I'll Take Care Of You" but remains wholly unique.

Amazing stuff.

from 1964...

BETTY GREEN - LONELY GIRL

b/w HE'S DOWN ON ME


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ETTA JAMES - SOMETHING'S GOT A HOLD ON ME

Rest in peace, Etta. One of the finest (perhaps THE finest) ladies of soul that ever laid it all out on the microphone. We are very lucky to be able to enjoy this music, and the heroes who gave their all to perform it for us are fleeting. May they NEVER be forgotten.

from 1962...

ETTA JAMES - SOMETHING'S GOT A HOLD ON ME



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SOMEBODY'S IMAGE - HUSH

Australia was a virtual musical mirror of the northern hemisphere during the 60's; talented groups sprouted up in all the major cities, most of which were waxing excellent cover versions of American and English soul and rock n roll records.

Somebody's Image was fronted by a then-teenage singer named Russell Morris who, by 1969, had risen to prominence as a major solo star in Australia.

This version of the ubiquitous "Hush" was released before the most famous one cut by Deep Purple, and takes its arrangement from Billy Joe Royal's version. However, this version wiped the floor with the Billy Joe Royal version in my opinion as it seems less rushed, cuts a deeper groove (dig that bass breakdown) and has a far better lead singer in Russell Morris. Since finding it on my Australian trip last year, it's become my favorite version of this tune.

from 1967...

SOMEBODY'S IMAGE - HUSH


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Daily 45 supports the web blackout.

THE CHAINS - I CAN LEARN

While there's a certain derivative element drawn from Sam Cooke's "Wonderful World" on this record, it is incredibly charming and the influence merely works in its favor. Sure, the backing vocals go out of tune at times, but in this day and age of vocal pitch correction ad infinitum, this just adds an even sweeter human element to the record. While I don't really know any hard facts about the group, I believe this was (Ruben &) The Chains debut 45 (they cut 3 for Peacock Records), and they sing with all the enthusiasm one would expect out of a group that's so excited to cut a record.

from 1963...

THE CHAINS - I CAN LEARN



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LAURA NYRO - STONEY END

It always surprises me when I meet people who are deep music fans and they don't know (or worse yet, don't like) Laura Nyro. Thankfully, Laura received posthumous accolades when she was FINALLY inducted into the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame last year. Certain "critics" rolled their eyes that Laura was NOT rock n roll, and used her induction as another example of why the Hall Of Fame is a sham. I am very proud to say that a very good friend of mine, a recent inductee himself, was able to vote for Laura in the first year that he was eligible to vote.

I'm not here to deride the merits of the hall of fame, but as a trailblazing woman in music, Laura Nyro was the epitome of the rock n roll spirit.

While Laura's more confessional work (basically, everything recorded beyond her first album) tends to receive the most attention, her first LP is chock full of r&b influence, and this track (recorded in the era when more innocent girl group sounds were going into extinction) is never even THOUGHT of as one of the great girl group tracks, although it most certainly IS. Laura's music, to my ears, always retained a very strong backbone of soul influence.

I have a very strong bias towards Laura; I was raised in a very musical household, and some of my greatest memories as a toddler are of my mom playing Laura Nyro records. Something about them made a very deep impact on my psyche, and the fact that mom is also a songwriter and musician has always made me deeply interested in women in music and the plight that they face by chauvinistic men.

Pardon my tirade, and just enjoy this song. It's downright glorious. Perhaps I can even encourage you to play it five times in a row as I just have.

from 1967...

LAURA NYRO - STONEY END


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Very new, and very groovy!

Two new items have recently arrived in my mailbox, and they are both so fabulous I have to share them, as they are truly in the spirit of this site.

First off, Dave over at Rare Byrds Prints put together this excellent poster of some great record label designs (many of which will be familiar to those of you who frequent these parts!). The print is very high quality and looks GREAT! Ready to frame and hang on the wall of your record room. Check it out HERE.



I often get emails from 'street teams' working with bands/ artists, and most of the time (actually, nearly 100% of the time) I check out the music and it has absolutely nothing to do with what I feature. As I musician myself, I know that it's important to find listeners, but most of the time these folks are just looking at sites that list music blogs and don't even bother looking at the format and spamming those sites. Not so with New Jersey's The One & Nines. This fabulous new soulful group just cut a KILLER single in Memphis and were kind enough to send a copy my way. The vibe of the record is just what one would want out of a 45, and the picture sleeve is swell, as well. while I dig the A side, it's the B side, 'Make It Easy" that just slays me, sung very sensually by Vera Sousa. I HIGHLY recommend buying this single, STAT. Here's "Make It Easy".

LOVEHORN - IF

Here's a very pretty Chicago sweet soul track by a group that appears to be a one-off. If you know any more about it, please write!

from c1970...

LOVEHORN - IF


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PERCY WIGGINS - IT DIDN'T TAKE MUCH (FOR ME TO FALL IN LOVE)

Anthem alert! If the chorus to this gorgeously sweet tune doesn't get stuck in your head for the rest of the day, I'd be very surprised.

From Memphis, Percy Wiggins grew up singing gospel in church and also graduated in the same class as soul legends David Porter and Maurice White. (Read an excellent in depth piece on Percy here).

While attending college in Nashville, Percy hooked up with guitarist Larry Lee (who went on to play Woodstock with Jimi Hendrix, where he was practically written out of history in this role as his guitar work was all but mixed out of the recording and he wasn't seen in the film. Thankfully for bootleg recordings we can hear Larry's beautiful tune "Mastermind" performed by Larry, Hendrix and band at the festival, along with a lovely version of 'Gypsy Woman").

Percy and Larry's group became quite active on the Nashville scene, and their success brought them into Bradley's Barn studio for sessions that were released on this RCA single. After a few more years of recording (he also cut sides for Atco and Abet Records), Percy went back to his Memphis high school where he continued his career as a history teacher.

Thankfully, his incredible voice has been preserved forever on a handful of 45's.

from 1966...

PERCY WIGGINS - IT DIDN'T TAKE MUCH (FOR ME TO FALL IN LOVE)


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THE ELECTRIC PRUNES - YOU'VE NEVER HAD IT BETTER

Ranking right up there with the mighty "I Had Too Much to Dream (Last Night)", this obscure, single-only track finds one of Los Angeles' finest groups of the era in excellent form. This track was also The Prunes last gasp of freaky, danceable garage psych before they were guided into the massive failure that was their Mass In F Minor LP; a record whose pretentious nature was truly the antithesis of a garage rock band (although it DID yield the excellent track "Kyrie Eleison", as heard in Easy Rider). Sadly, the group itself was basically shut out of the recording of that LP (with the exception of the "Kyrie"); the groove the band cuts here (and also on the incredible Live In Sweden '67 recording, which was commercially issued in the 90's) shows what a mistake that was, as the group is so tight they're downright ferocious.

from 1968...

THE ELECTRIC PRUNES - YOU'VE NEVER HAD IT BETTER


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THE EMOTIONS - BLIND ALLEY

Comprised of the Hutchinson sisters (Sheila, Wanda and Jeanette), these Chicago ladies released over two dozen singles before crossing over in 1977 with the massive "Best of My Love" (including the excellent 1976 single "Flowers", which was a reprisal of the girl group sound through a 70's filter).

On this track, cut in Memphis with the Stax crew, we find the ladies lending those glorious harmonies to a track so lowdown and funky that it practically HURTS. In the best possible way. If the intro to this song doesn't get your blood pumping straight away, time to visit a new website!

from 1972...

THE EMOTIONS - BLIND ALLEY


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THE PROFILES - A LITTLE MISUNDERSTANDING

Here's yet another gorgeous representation of the group soul revival that happened in late 60's Chicago, masterfully produced by Gene Chandler.

While The Profiles released a handful of records, I am afraid that I don't have any biographical info about the group. But what a sound.

from 1969...

THE PROFILES - A LITTLE MISUNDERSTANDING


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BABY RAY - THE HOUSE ON SOUL HILL

Something about this track shouts "record label exploitation" but I dig it just the same.

The singer, Baby Ray (Eddlemon, co-writer of the track) sure had a fine voice, and after one LP release (from which this 45 was drawn) he disappeared from sight in the music biz, apparently. Judging from the names on the label, I'm assuming this was a Nashville session, and the Nashville cats capture a cool groove that leans more towards a marriage of mod beat, folk rock and pop soul than PURE soul, but in its own way, this little record shows that even many of the records that were purely studio concoctions designed to latch on to the musical trends of the 60's could turn out mighty fine.

from 1966...

BABY RAY - THE HOUSE ON SOUL HILL



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THE FASCINATIONS - HOLD ON

Originally formed in 1960 (and counting the great Martha Reeves as an original member), The Fascinations, like so many other girl groups, went through a number of changes between their beginnnings in the early 60's, their reformation in '66, and their break up in '68.

Curtis Mayfield took a special interest in the group, and worked with them in 1962, and also signed them as one of his first A&R ventures with his (then) newly-formed Mayfield label in '66.

This side, their second-to-last release, finds Shirley Walker (aka Shirley Lawson, a name she used for a few solo singles while the Fascinations were on hiatus) showcasing her powerful vocals over a smooth, slow burning track that oozes pure soul and sensuality.

from 1967...

THE FASCINATIONS - HOLD ON


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PEPPERMINT HARRIS - WAIT UNTIL IT HAPPENS TO YOU

As a guitarist myself, an intro like we hear on this song is the type of thing that just brings me to my knees. Simple, direct and authoritative, the opening riff establishes the fact that this jam means BUSINESS.

Texas bluesman Peppermint Harris was born Harrison Nelson Jr, and allegedly given the nickname Peppermint when record producer Bob Shad forgot his name and released his debut record under the name, which stuck with him throughout his career. Harris relocated to Los Angeles in the early 50's, and released a long string of records (including the original version of "I Got Loaded", which has become a standard).

On this track, Harris takes his deep blues sound and mates it to then-current (and always fresh) uptempo soul sounds; a combination that almost always yielded a great record. This one is no exception, and perhaps one of the greatest ever.

from 1966...

PEPPERMINT HARRIS - WAIT UNTIL IT HAPPENS TO YOU


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THE SAVAGE RESURRECTION - THING IN "E"

Bay area psychedelic teens The Savage Resurrection cut only one LP, but what an album it is! This single is also the lead off track, and establishes a hypnotic groove that grooves along relentlessly for a mere 40 minutes. Unlike many of their plodding contemporaries, these youngsters were waxing cuts like this that can light up a ballroom dance floor into a swaying, grooving amoeba.

Sadly, the band only lasted one year, imploding after two key members quit. The group fulfilled some tour dates with replacement members but completely folded by the end of '68. The group HAS had a resurrection of sorts, as they are known to play the occasional gig here in the bay area.

from 1968...

THE SAVAGE RESURRECTION - THING IN "E"



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NEWSOUND - BET YOU NEVER THOUGHT ABOUT IT

Thankfully the label shows that the record is from Chicago, as other than that, I cannot find any info whatsoever about this talented group. What a vocal blend, and what a glorious falsetto lead.

I'm guessing the year.

from c1971...

NEWSOUND - BET YOU NEVER THOUGHT ABOUT IT


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MARK MURPHY - WHY DON'T YOU DO RIGHT?

Poised for massive success as a jazz crooner (he was predicted to be a contender to Sinatra's fame), New York vocalist Mark Murphy snuck out this incredible jazzy r&b number on the flip side of his schmaltzy rendition of "Fly Me To The Moon", that, Frankly, is no match at all for Sinatra.

The song itself has a long and interesting history and started life in 1936 titled "The Weed Smoker's Dream", and was re-vamped by writer Kansas Joe McCoy in 1941 as "Why Don't You Do Right" (as recorded by Lil Green). The song's initial reading is meant to be sung by a woman, and was made most famous through Peggy Lee's sultry version. It's a bit odd for these lyrics to be sung by a man, but all socio-political connotations aside, this track flat out cooks, in a finger snapping "come here chick" kinda way.

from 1962...

MARK MURPHY - WHY DON'T YOU DO RIGHT?


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WILLIE HIGHTOWER - BECAUSE I LOVE YOU

From rural Alabama, Willie Hightower was "discovered" by a local radio DJ that hooked him up with Bobby Robinson (of Fire and Fury Records fame) in New York City. After the release of three singles for the Fury label, Bobby Robinson sold Hightower's contract to Capitol Records and this incredible single was the first result.

Willie shows off his remarkable voice in what is perhaps his greatest performance here, absolutely soaring over an excellent arrangement from Robert Banks. Especially interesting on the label is the production credit of (Richard) Gottehrer and (Seymour) Stein as Sire Productions; The following year, Stein and Gottehrer launched their Sire Records label that went on to be THE most important label for American punk and new wave in the 70's.

from 1967...

WILLIE HIGHTOWER - BECAUSE I LOVE YOU


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THE CONTINENTAL 4 - THE WAY I LOVE YOU

Still, after all the time I've spent studying records and the history of groups it blows my mind to know that a group containing this much talent never scored much in the way of national chart action.

On this debut recording from Philadelphia-area group The Continental 4, the vocalist show off an extraordinary blend, led by smooth falsetto singer Freddie Kelly. While some of the other falsetto led groups of the era can be a bit cloying, the Continental 4 were full of earthy richness that oozes pure soul.

Good way to start off the year, I'd say!

from 1970...

THE CONTINENTAL 4 - THE WAY I LOVE YOU


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