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Hailing from Winston-Salem, NC, The "5" Royales were a VERY important group in the evolution of soul music- their recorded output in the 1950's combined their gospel roots into secular R&B, much in the same way that Ray Charles (more famously) did as well. James Brown acknowledged his debt to the influence of The "5" Royales, going so far as to say he modelled his own Famous Flames on the group, and also recording their song "Think" several times.
The group released a few gospel records in the early 50's as The Royal Sons, but by 1952 they began recording secular music and changed their name to The "5" Royales and continued with more or less the same lineup until 1965. This smouldering hot R&B side was released twice- first on VJ Records in 1961, then again on the Home Of The Blues label in 1962 (the same recording was used for both).
Christmas arrived early this year, in that I found a copy of this record (that I've been chasing for many years) back last July.
Issued both in 1976 (to the fan club in limited numbers) and again in 1986 (this copy), this single hardly ever turns up for sale because both pressings were so limited, and most people tend to hang onto them. I have no idea where the '86 release was even SOLD, as I was both a Monkees fan and reading Goldmine magazine as a youngster during this era and I never remember seeing it for sale, and certainly have never seen it in any record stores. Perhaps producer Chip Douglas repressed it for the fan club only, I'm simply not sure. I've had both sides of this 45 on a lo-fi bootleg LP for over 20 years, but nothing beats having this copy with the uber-cool picture sleeve showing the fellas in the studio, reunited.
Chip Douglas and (Turtle) Howard Kaylan wrote the song back in 1968, and it was issued as a single by a group calling themselves The Christmas Spirit, which was made up of several Turtles and Linda Ronstadt. While the song was revisited for The Monkees version, it was completely re-arranged in a far superior way for their track, which is pure magic.
The group was unable to use the name Monkees due to legal restrictions, so the record was cleverly released as We Three Monkees. Michael Nesmith chose not to participate, but the rumor mill claims that it's none other than Nez playing pedal steel guitar on both sides. Micky and Davy take turns on the lead vocal, which is heartfelt and lovely, and the song itself is a wonderful thing. What's in the grooves makes it obvious that everyone involved was having a ball when they made the record. Davy takes the lead for a very moving, country flavored version of "White Christmas" on the flip side, which shows how this man could croon with the best of them and how missed he is.
The words written on the back of the picture sleeve, "An expression of friendship and togetherness to make the holidays a little brighter for all of us" couldn't be more spot on.
Whatever it is that you celebrate, I wish you peace, love, and happiness today, tomorrow and everyday.
One of the prettiest, yet little known soul Christmas singles.
I'm not sure if this Betty Lloyd is the same singer who was a member of the east coast girl group The Percells; Thomas Records was a Chicago label, and this track certainly has an indelible Chicago stamp on it.
The lyrics brilliantly capture the feeling of being alone at Christmas, but without self pity. Oozing with quality, this song should be a holiday standard.
While I don't generally pick favorites, as each year passes this record
has gotten deeper and deeper into my soul, and I could probably say that
it's my favorite rock n roll Christmas single.
One area that wasn't explored very deeply by US garage bands was the
Christmas record; however, Chicago's Saturday's Children were way too
sophisticated to be called a garage band.
Here, the band (deeply
influenced by the Beatles) melds "Deck The Halls" with Dave Brubeck's
jazz standard "Take Five' and turns it into a jazzy, quasi-psychedelic
number that I almost guarantee will bring on some holiday cheer. This
group had an incredible knack for harmonies, and tackle the tricky 5/4
time signature with ease making for the most hypnotic Christmas record
I've ever heard. The other side ("Christmas Sounds") is an exceptional
holiday original
showcasing their excellent group harmonies and songwriting skill.
I also put together a holiday 'mixtape' this year for Aquarium Drunkard- check it out here!
Chicago vocalist Johnny Moore had a powerful, appealing voice and released several great records. For whatever reason, his records charted locally in Chi-town but never made a mark in any other markets. Several of (producer) Jack Daniels' other records were picked up by the then massive Mercury Records family for national distribution, and it's a real head scratcher why they wouldn't have picked up this one.
This excellent track may bear a striking resemblance to The Temptations "(I Know) I'm Losing You", but I certainly don't mind. When a groove hits this hard, it just doesn't matter.
from 1968...
JOHNNY MOORE - CALL IT WHAT YOU WANNA (I CALL IT LOVE)
Aretha's youngest sister had a chance to WAIL on this record, and in my opinion it's the strongest of all of her solo records (thanks in a big part to the excellent song - written by the great Van McCoy - which is so strong it should have been a hit).
Carolyn's greatest successes were as a songwriter for several Aretha tracks, and she also contributed some superb backing vocals to Aretha records, occasionally with older sister Erma in tow.
Sadly, Carolyn died way too young; she was only 43 when she passed away from breast cancer.
Phew... the close harmonies on this record drive ME mad, in the best possible way!
The 3 Degrees formed in Philadelphia in 1963 and went through a few
lineup changes before settling into their hit making mid '70's soul-disco
sound. Their early records for Swan feature some of my all-time favorite girl group vocals, and this another Richard Barrett production that takes the Motown blueprint and adds some Philadelphia seasoning to the pot; a recipe which eventually morphed into the very distinctive, string driven (but still rhythmic) Philly soul sound.
Gorgeous male/ female vocals and a lovely groove highlight this record that seems to be a one off from Bits And Pieces.
If you know any more info about this group, please write!
Yeah, I'm getting much deeper into early to mid '70's soul than I've ever been! With the exception of a few dozen ultra rare '60's 45's that remain on my want list, I think I've exhausted the wellspring of '60's soul sounds (although occasionally I hear something "new" that makes me go hmmmmm)
The Ascots were a group made up of four singers, three of whom were brothers (Archie, Eddie and Jerome Powell, plus Irving Haywood) from Washington, DC. The group took some serious cues from The Impressions on this record, but the more aggressive style of drumming is pushed to the front of the mix, giving the record a very unique sound.
The harmonies are earthy and gorgeous, and the swinging and propulsive groove are gonna make you feel mighty fine.
Georgia born Arthur Conley started recording in 1959 with his group Arthur & The Corvets (whose small handful of singles didn't make much of an impression commercially). In '64, Arthur struck out on his own to cut his solo debut. Otis Redding heard the record and was so impressed that he had Arthur re-record both sides for release on his own Jotis label, which had national distribution.
While it took the Arthur-Otis collaboration two more years to strike gold with the massive "Sweet Soul Music", this brilliant double sider shows that Arthur Conley was equally adept at a deep soul ballad ("I'm A Lonely Stranger") or an uptempo stomper ("Where You Lead Me").
On this day (and every other), I'm most definitely THANKFUL for all those amazing folks (that we celebrate here) who bared their hearts, souls, and talent onto vinyl.
Phew; there's some SERIOUS depth on this record from bay area soul singer Claude Huey. "Still Love You" is a slow burner that takes its time building up in a subtle, understated arrangement, but completely overwhelms the listener with pure soul; a masterful vocal from Mr. Huey. Equally excellent is the groovin' flip side- "If You'll Be My Witness" has a super cool fade in and the kind of bubbling bass line that Bernard Reed was laying down on lots of late 60s-early 70s Chicago soul classics. It's all over in a too-quick 2:02.
The "Osborne" listed as the writer and producer is Jesse Osborne, aka Ozz of Ozz
& The Sperlings legend (his "Can You Qualify b/w Daddy Rollin'
Stone" is probably my all time fave bay area soul 45). Ozz helped Claude
(a lifelong pal) begin a career in music after Claude's time in the Air
Force. Claude Huey released 5 singles before calling it quits in 1970 (this was his final release).
Nashville born singer-songwriter Bobby Hebb followed up his smash '66 jazzy soul hit "Sunny" with his cover of the country standard "A Satisfied Mind", interpreted with a dash of soul. Probably not the wisest decision in a commercial sense, and in my opinion the flip side is the TRUE gem. "Love, Love, Love" chugs along with a stomping Motown beat, infectious piano and beautifully optimistic lyrics delivered with true conviction by Bobby. Should'a been the a-side, if you ask me!
This record seems to be a one off from this group, and I'm assuming that they were from Atlanta, as producer Calvin Arnold was based in Georgia.
Both sides are excellent! "He's The One" is an uptempo number that, while secular, has a bit of a gospel sound. "Live In Maid" slows the tempo and gets funky, funky, FUNKY! The lead singer (whoever she is) has a very sexy, saucy delivery for super results.
Thanks to the success of the "She Came This Way" 45 (sold out in 3 weeks!), we're doing another Derek See 45! This time around, he's joined by The Gentle Cycle for a new version of "U Line", backed with "Love Is The Plan". Colored vinyl, limited to 200 copies.
The TSU Toronadoes have the distinction of being the uncredited as the backing of "Tighten Up" by Archie Bell & The
Drells. Their name came from Texas State University, and that veritable
road kind sport sedan, the Oldsobile Toronado.
This single (cut and released shortly before "Tighten Up") features a gorgeous soul ballad on the a-side, and a super-groovy instrumental on the flip.
I'm still on a massive high from DJ'ing in Seattle @ The Emerald City Soul Club Weekender, two nights in a row. Met tons of cool folks, many of whom have been digging this site for years. It was a righteous time!!!
Cymnade were a group formed in London, made up of folks hailing from Jamaica, Guyana and Saint Vincent; their name is a calypso term for dove; the symbol of peace. Their music is a lovely mixture of island rhythms and steady grooving funk.
This particular song is what it's all about, to me. TOGETHER is where it's at.
Aquarium Drunkard is one of the greatest music blogs out there, and I'm pleased as punch to have put together another downloadable "mixtape" for the site. This time, it's all on the psychedelic-garage-freakbeat tip, and it's guaranteed to light up your next party and cause you to get a speeding ticket if you listen to it in the car.
I started The Daily 45 six years ago (I think it was April of 2007), and over those six years I've featured nearly 2000 45's. It's given me great pleasure to share these sounds with you, and I've made many friends around the world through it, and even connected with some of the artists, songwriters, musicians, and producers of the music who reached out because they were so pleased that someone still enjoyed what they did all those years ago. Very soul satisfying, if I do say so myself!
While there are still a few elusive 45's that are still on my want list (which I'll post up either here or on my youtube page as they come into my collection), I can say that I've featured practically everything I wanna share at this point. Sure, there's hundreds of great singles that have never been featured here, but those are high-profile releases that just about everybody knows anyhow because of their popularity and staying power; I've always steered clear of featuring those.
SO, for the month of October, I'm gonna highlight some of the big ones; namely, my all time favorite 45's, and also post up some artist profiles that will feature several favorite sides from them in one post.
I'd also love to hear from YOU! What are some of your favorites that have been featured? Tell me who you are and where you are, 'cause I'd love to share your words as well.
Although it's not QUITE goodbye at this time, I would like to thank each and every person who has written to thank me for doing this; your words helped me keep on, practically every day, for these last six years. It's been a helluva ride!
Here's some ways to keep in touch:
My youtube channel (subscribe to catch rare music I'll upload there in the future)
For some inexplicable reason, the final single on Cameo Records (before they moved to the Scepter label) by Philadelphia girl group Candy & The Kisses found them billed as Honey Love and The Love Notes. The song is gorgeous, and I almost wonder if part of the problem with this song not reaching its hit potential was the loss of momentum with a new name.
Candy & The Kisses, made up of sisters Candy & Suzanne Nelson
along with friend Jeanette Johnson, seemed destined to break out
nationally. Their single 'The 81" (a glorious former 45 of the day) was a
smash in their hometown area (Philadelphia). They continued on releasing some more excellent singles for Scepter and Decca, but none of them reached any level of (deserved) success.
from 1965...
HONEY LOVE AND THE LOVE NOTES - WE BELONG TOGETHER
Clarence Reid (misspelled as Ried here) was quite possibly THE most important figure on the Miami soul scene that blossomed in the late '60's and became massive throughout the '70's. Although he was very prolific as an artist himself (both on his own and later as Blowfly), Clarence saw far greater success as a brilliant songwriter (Betty Wright's "Clean Up Woman" being a shining example).
Clarence turns in a superb performance here that is wrought with emotion, and the expressive drumming pushes the song into a mini-masterpiece of souther soul.
One piece of info has surfaced about UK group Truth since I last featured a 45 from them back in 2009 (their cover of The Young Rascals "Sueno"); they were a vocal duo (with studio musician backing, most likely Jimmy Page on guitar) made up of Frank Aiello and Steve Jameson.
Here we find the group taking Donovan's amazing early composition "Hey Gyp" and turning it into a freakbeat rave up, dropping the parenthetical "(Dig The Slowness)" from Donovan's original. There's also an American raveup version of "Gyp" by The Soul Survivors that I featured here back in 2007, and The Truth's version predates it by about a year. I'm thinking that The Soul Survivors were definitely influenced by this (obscure) single.
Ladies, are you having trouble with the fellas? Let Patti guide the way! This jam rates a SOLID 10 on the cool scale.
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.
Little Bob (Camille Bob) has been active on the New Orleans music scene for over fifty years!
A
few years back I featured his genius boozin' anthem "I Got Loaded", and
I have been hot on the trail of this particular 45 for YEARS. Very
tricky to find, but I recently scored a copy. It's a lovely rollicking
summertime groove that showcases Bob's sweet vocals in the most raw,
direct way possible. I love the stripped to the bone sound of this
record, straight out of the basement.
Coming across like an even rawer Wilson Pickett, Chris Bernard apparently only had one shot to record. I can't find any evidence that he cut any other records. Johnny Cameron was a Chicago based producer, so it's safe to say this is a Chicago record- the band sure sounds like the Brunswick house band (who eventually became Pieces Of Peace) as well.
As was common for the funkier sounds that were developing (under the guidance of James Brown) at the time, the emphasis here is less on a song than the groove; and what a bad ass groove it is, punctuated by some raw emotion from the vocalist.
Vocalist/ actress Vivian Reed is known far more for her long time career as a Broadway performer (WHAT a voice!), and "The Shape Of Things To Come" is known more for the version by the faux-group Max Frost And The Troopers (as heard in the teen exploitation flick Wild In The Streets).
While the "Max Frost" version is lots of fun, Vivian's take allows the song to truly reach the potential of the lyrics without any irony or cornball factor. Considering the year that it was released (which was full of turmoil, unrest and horrifying assassinations), this version completely levels the original.
From Miami, All The People released three 45's, lead singer Robert Moore a few solo sides, and also a few with a group called Miami. All of these records sank without a trace, although one of All The People's other 45's has been sampled several times.
I really dig the easy groovin' sound of this record, the lyrics are clever, and Robert Moore turns in an excellent vocal performance.
Sir Douglas is (of course) the late, great Doug Sahm from Austin, TX. Doug was a musical melting pot who absorbed country music (he was a child prodigy musician), blues, rock n roll, soul, Tejano, and Tex Mex musics, sliced it all up and cooked up a career that was one of the most diverse in the history of music. I'm a massive fan of this man's music and spirit; his love of diversity in music AND people is a guiding light.
By 1967, the original Sir Douglas Quintet had broken up, thanks to an unfortunate pot bust in Texas; Most of the band was landlocked in Texas on probation, but Doug himself split for San Francisco; California became his home base for many years, and was the site for SDQ MK II (the group which scored their second massive hit, "Mendocino' in '68). The freakout guitar intro was undoubtedly influenced by Doug's new home in San Francisco, and the vocal is one of Doug's most upfront and raw.
As for THIS record, I'm guessing that Doug went back to Texas to record with Huey P Meaux one last time; although it's not a quintet record, Augie Meyer's unmistakable organ is present, and the two-step beat (ala "She's About A Mover") was probably also bashed out by Johnny Perez.
This song came on my ipod shuffle play, and I had all but forgotten how great it is; I had to double check my archives to make sure I didn't feature it at some point on this site. I thought I did, back in 2008 or so, but NOPE, it's making its debut here. This is a VERY scarce record, and even though it hardly ever turns up, it's usually quite inexpensive when it does.
Entering into SERIOUS soul stomping territory with this jam...
Little Archie (Himons) only cut two 45's, but his life in music extends far beyond that; he began as a drummer while still a teenager, and eventually made his way to the attention of Dial Records chief Buddy Killen, who saw his potential as a lead singer. Not only did Archie show off a husky vocal style, but he wrote the track as well. Archie has lived around the world, started reggae and blues bands, busked, and apparently now performs acoustic soul in West Virginia (which I'd love to hear).
It's a sad realization at this point to realize that I've just about exhausted all of the records from this era in this style; there's still a FEW wants on my list, but at this point I've just about filled every gap in my collection of records in this style (which happens to be a real favorite kind of sound). Sure, there's more out there, but some of them I could never afford or they just don't move me personally, for whatever reason. It sure has been fun sharing them here, though!
What this song lacks in lyrics (they are nearly as simple as a haiku) it more than makes up for that deficiency in its hard hitting groove and the amazing, vibrato laden vocals of Chicagoan Larry Houston. Larry released most of his records on his own, and hasn't been heard from since the early '80's.
I've had the greatness of Jackie Lomax on my mind practically non-stop for the last 24 hours, and it makes me sad to think that this man was oozing so much talent but (for the most part) went unnoticed during his lifetime.
This gorgeous ballad (covered by Percy Sledge) showcases not only his excellent vocal stylings, but also his songwriting chops. Even though Jackie had a glowing endorsement from the Beatles (as well as superb production from George Harrison), he may have done better on another label, as the drama of the looming Beatles breakup had a negative effect on the promotion of other artists on the Apple roster.
I'm also a big fan of the simple, elegant graphic design of the Apple Records picture sleeves, and this one is a stellar example.
(originally posted 11/12/08)
One of the most soulful English voices of the '60's (and beyond) has passed away; you were fabulous, Jackie Lomax.
As part of the Mersey Beat scene, it's no surprise that Jackie Lomax and George Harrison rubbed shoulders early on in their careers (Jackie was in the Undertakers at the time). Jackie was one of the first artists signed to Apple Records, and his brilliant Apple album "Is This What You Want" was produced by George Harrison, and all the Beatles except John Lennon appear on the record. The first single from that LP, "Sour Milk Sea" is stellar, but the b side is a CRACKING piece of psychedelic English soul (I recommend listening to 'The Eagle Laughs At You" first). Jackie released several other (some excellent) solo LP's (as well as a non-LP 45 on Apple), and was also a member of the groups Heavy Jelly and Badger in the '70's. Percy Sledge also notably covered Jackie's beautiful ballad 'I Fall Inside Your Eyes" in 2004.
The American Breed are best known for their '67 worldwide smash hit "Bend Me Shape Me", and this Chicago based band wore their soul influence so well that they eventually evolved into funk superstars Rufus in the '70's.
"Green Light" was one of several follow up singles to "Bend", and while it made only a slight impression on the charts, is a fine example of an interracial group laying down some fantastic, stomping soul sounds on top of a catchy-veering-into-bubblegum territory song. Basically, a perfect single.
I've been on a serious hard driving r&b kick lately, as evidenced by yesterday and today's posts.
This
is one WILD record, from a group known more for smooth vocal harmonies.
The Uncle Willie dance was a massive sensation in Chicago during
'63-'64, and spawned many records related to the craze. Out of all of
them that I've heard (I have a handful of them) this is by far my
favorite and it's so much more EXTREME than the other Uncle Willie
records! The Uncle Willie itself is a cool, simple step that involves
shuffling the feet heel to toe; dancing the Uncle Willie to this song is
sure to be a great way to lose weight and have fun in the process.
from 1964...
THE DAYLIGHTERS - OH MOM (TEACH ME HOW TO UNCLE WILLIE)
No, it's not a gospel record (although the duo name could easily leave that impression), and while there may not be any brimstone in the grooves, there's plenty of fire!
Moses is Moses Dillard, a very talented man who formed a touring r&b revue called The Dynamic Showmen in South Carolina while he was still a teenager c1963, and had a long career as both vocalist and hot shot session guitarist in Muscle Shoals.
By '66, he was paired up as a duo with James Moore ("Joshua") for a few singles released during '66-'68, of which this was their peak, in my opinion. "Get Out Of My Heart" is an uptempo stormer with some fabulous dual vocals, undoubtedly influenced by Sam & Dave; however, these two are not mere copyists as they perform with their own identities. The flip side, "They Don't Want Us Together" is a heart melting, gorgeous deep soul track that showcases the crooning ability of these fine singers.
The Lost Weekend were a group from Gary, IN (25min or so outside of Chicago) that are best known for their (minor hit) group harmony 45 "The Bridge Of Love". This side is something else entirely; a fuzz guitar leads a jazzy soul track (punctuated by driving congas), alongside the social commentary delivered by some top notch vocals.
This record is one of the most heartfelt, soulful tributes ever cut to wax.
William Bell wrote this song days after Otis' tragic death in 1967 and sent it to Otis' widow Zelda more as a private message of sympathy. Legend has it that Zelda loved the track so much she insisted that Stax release it, immediately. Thankfully, they did.
The beautiful picture sleeve shown here is a French issue.
from 1968...
WILLIAM BELL - A TRIBUTE TO OTIS (A TRIBUTE TO A KING)
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