A cloudy sunday ... maybe the right day to dig deep into the crate. Out came a HOB 45 released in June 1973 (according to the stamp on both labels; it actually says »June 27 1973«).
HOB # 1379 has two songs by the Greater St. Paulettes. Reference is to the Greater St. Paul Baptist Church in Durham, North Carolina. The former local pastor, Dr. W.T. Bigelow, is mentioned as arranger of »He Touched Me« on the A side; the song itself is the famous hymn written by William (Bill) J. Gaither and first recorded in 1964. Now, Durham is known not only as the birthplace of Pigmeat Markham and John D. Loudermilk but also of Clyde McPhatter and Shirley Caesar (few names, but what a bunch of artists!). Unfortunately, by 1973 black gospel (and not only black gospel) had already started to move into its »mass choir-phase«. This may have reflected changes in the forms of worship and may have been due to enhanced technology as well, but musicallywise it proved a disaster (it still does). Anthony Heilbut lamented bitterly, and oh so justly, that by taking this turn gospel music buried the vocal qualities of individual singers. What is more, mass groups are pretty much unfitted to perform quieter and less frantic (indeed less frenzical) songs; some also said, correctly I think, that the mass-choir style tends to stress rhythm over harmony and thus resembles the development from soul to disco during the early to mid-1970s. You'll hear all this on this 45. The B side is a prime example of what went wrong (at least if you're looking for vocal artistry). However, there is still a recognizable individual voice that stands out on the A side, a voice I find quite intriguing.
For the record, I have no idea to whom the voice belongs (is she Dorothy Fox, mentioned on the labels as arranger of the group?). Nor do I know anything about the Greater St. Paulettes. This was their only 45, but in early 1974 Scepter-HOB also released a LP entitled Gospel Train (HBX-2166) and containing ten songs in all, including those two you can hear now. Happy Sunday all!
The Greater St. Paulettes: »He Touched Me« / »Working In The Vineyards« on HOB # 1379 (1973):
Today some more saxophone on this blog! Played by Clarence Wheeler, who in 1972 recorded his Atlantic album The New Chicago Blues (Atlantic LP # SD 1636, released in January 1973).
ad from Jet magazine, Feb. 22, 1973
Although entitled The New Chicago Blues, there is little on this album that would qualify as »blues« in the more conventional sense; most of the tunes on this LP are actually jazz numbers. Two songs, however, stand out: »Oblighetto« featuring Buddy Guy & Junior Wells, and »How Could I Let You Get Away«, featuring Brenda Lee Eager & Peaches as background vocal group. It's just the right song for a relaxed evening (in case your life offers any of those, mine does rarely ...).
»How Could I Let You Get Away« was recorded at Paragon Studios, Chicago, on Sept. 19, 1972. Brenda Lee Eager was at that time still teamed up with Iceman Butler (before they broke up, with considerable noise, in autumn 1973). »Peaches« was a female quartet orga- nized by Jerry Butler whose line-up consisted of Brenda Lee Eager (billed separately), Carolyn Johnson, Diedra Tig and Mattie Butler (Butler's youngest sister). The names are quoted in an article in JET; over on Sir Shambling I found the following: »David Cole ... kindly writes to say that in his interview with Brenda Lee Eager she gave the names of the women in Peaches as Mattie Butler (Jerry's sister), Diedre Tigs and Carolyn Johnson. Davie Gordon has written to confirm the group members and by reference to an interview with Jerry Butler in Blues & Soul in 1972 adds that Butler said ""I formed the group about two years ago because I found I needed to use background singers all the time and that if I were to use the same girls all the time I could create a definite sound."«
A number of known session players took part in recording The New Chicago Blues; the group normally appeared as »The Enforcers«. I'd like to single out here organist Sonny Burke and bass player Louis Satterfield who in the '60s was one of the musicians associated with »The Chess Sound«. (You can hear him also on the Checker albums of the Meditation Singers.)
Clarence Wheeler (feat. Brenda Lee Eager & Peaches): »How Could I Let You Get Away« from the Atlantic LP # SD 1636 (1973):
Some weeks ago I played a song by Lula Collins, »Hold Me Jesus«. Now, under the title »Rock Me« this tune (and actually the very same recording) was re-issued in the same year (1973) on Michal # 05-23-73 and Hub-City # 5-26-73, on the latter 45 as A-side. Billing on both sides of the Hub-City single says »Lula Collins & The Stars of Nightingales« and adds »Recorded at Allied Studio Memphis«. Very strange, though, that the B-side of Hub-City # 5-26-73 to my ears (a) doesn't sound much like Lula Collins, to say the least, and (b) the backing vocals could be done by different groups if compared to the A-side. I don't have a clue why this is so. All I can do here is play the song, »I've Got Shoes«. Happy Sunday All!
Lula Collins & The Stars of Nightingales: »I've Got Shoes« on Hub-City # 5-26-73 (1973):
Gotta slow down some! Yesterday I couldn't remember one of Aretha's own songs and mixed it up with another tune. How much worse than this can it get? On the other hand, if I wait for my gray cells to be wired up better I might well close this blog. So I have to put up with it. And so do you, be warned.
Musicallywise, slowing down doesn't appeal to me much. Should I speed up instead? Let's see. Today we make a test whether this works. We can do the testing thanks to Lula Collins.
There is next to nothing I know about her apart from a few notices scattered over the net. Not that the net offers much; the only substantial information you'll likely to find is on Just Moving On, read it here. (There's also a page, little helpful, on MySpace) In the early '70s, Lula Collins recorded for a number of small labels (H-B, Hub-City et al.), Luna Records being among those.
Luna was established in spring 1972. In the Billboard April 22, 1972, issue we read (p. 32):
»John Richbourg, president of Seventy-7 Records, has announced in Nashville the formation of a subsidiary label, Luna Records, to be encompassed with Seventy-7 under the parent complex, JR Enterprises, Inc.« The first singles on Luna were then released in May 1972.
Now, for all we know, in 1973, Luna # L-807 was released, Lula Collins's one-and-only single release on that label. This 45 regales us with two awesome soul-wreckers, »Hold Me Jesus« and »What Is This«. You could call them church wreckers as well, but what Lula in these tunes really does, with all the intensity of her performance, is wreck your soul. The first song, »Hold Me Jesus«, is a rockin' plea. Lula implores the Lord and as her plea intensifies she winds up by shouting come on and rock me, rock me, Jesus rock my tears away rock my troubles away
rock my trials and all o'my tribulation
rock me Jesus
rock me Jesus
rock me Jesus
I know you can
I believe you will
Lord, I'm waitin'
Yes I am
Lord, I'm waitin'
I'm waitin' on you ...
and then you're just out and done as is the song.
The B-side is »What Is This«. A conversion song, telling of the workings of the Holy Spirit. (You can hear a related song, entitled »Something's Got A Hold On Me« and performed by Geraldine Jones of the Ward Singers, here) ... I know somethin' got a hold on me. Settin' my soul on fire! Keep upsettin' me. Whatever it is! This thing I'm talkin' about. What is this I can feel inside? Somebody tell me. Won't let me hold my peace! I got it all over me. The Holy Ghost! Make me live right. The Holy Ghost! Treat my neighbor right ... and you'll notice that Lula is going out of her breath early in the song and keeps on hissing for air ... as well she might:
Lula Collins: »Hold Me Jesus« / »What Is This« on Luna # L-807 (1973):
For the record: The billing on the A-side is »Lula Collins and The Stars of Nightin- gale«; the female background singers on the B-side are uncredited. Production of the 45 is credited to (Bishop) Bobby King, a known gospel producer from Memphis.
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POSTSCRIPT 04/12/2011
The song (and actually the very same recording) »Hold Me Jesus« was also re-issued under the title »Rock Me« on Michal (# 5-23-73) and Hub-City # 5-26-73. On the Hub-City single it is explicitly marked as »Side 1«, the billing on the label is »Lula Collins & The Stars of Nightingales«. On a white-orange promo issue of Luna # 807, the billing runs »Lula Collins and the Nightingale Stars«. I here include a pic of both labels (left: Luna # L-807A, right: Hub-City # 5-26-73-A):
There is much to be learned from the Gospels [!] as an art form, just as the same is true of the Blues and the Spirituals. (S.D. Plumpp)
When funk and other urban forms evolved from soul music during the mid- 1970s and 1980s, they retained the energy, rhythms, textures, and stylings of gospel music. ... Many components of gospel music have been incorporated into popular music, where they have intermingled with new techniques and expressions and then recycled back into gospel. This cyclical process has ex- panded the foundations of gospel and popular forms, generating new styles in both traditions. (P.K. Maultsby)
In 1973, nobody was any longer able to tell gospel from soul or pop, musicallywise at least. The development within the gospel field which was to lead to the new forms of »contemporary« gospel was well under way by then. And after the musicologists discovered the obvious fact that much of r&b, soul and funk had evolved out of gospel music, some others started to realize how gospel in its turn was influenced by the trends in secular music. This was plain as well by 1973, and indeed the more important phenomenon: Many gospel artists were looking towards contemporary soul and funk in order to further developing their style. However, influences were mutual in many cases, and the best illustration for this I could think of is an ad from the EBONY October '73 issue. There, a chocolate brown lace-up platform stepper is offered to the benevolent regard of stylish customers under the soulful name of »Holy Moses«, and it comes with similar examples of deviant shoe fashion called »Wattstax« and »Knocked Out«:
There is a rumor that the shoe firm advertising guy was sacked after he proposed other models called »Unto Thy Lace« and »My Sole's Salvation«. (Unfortunately, he hadn't thought of »Rubber Soul« what might have saved him his job.)
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However, funky gospel was the call of the day in 1973. The Loving Sisters heard that call eagerly, around the same time, and so did the Meditation Singers. They released two albums on Stan Lewis's Jewel Records between 1971 and 1973, the second of which was entitled »Alright« (Jewel # LPS 0071). This album fea- tures nine songs. They are a mixed bag, but all closely modelled, as to rhythm, harmonies and instrumentation, on contemporary soul and funk music. The one exception from that is the longest song on the LP, »A Mother's Prayer« (aka »If I Could Hear My Mother Pray Again« or similarly), which has some more traditional churchy feel to it. Apart from this, we have soft soul gospel (»Jesus Is Always On My Side«, »Everything Is Gonna Be Alright«) and bluesier tunes (»He Will Take Care Of You«, »Trouble Will Be Over«).
The funkiest piece on the album is, without any doubt, »I Love My Jesus«. It was the obvious choice for the single that was released some weeks before the album (Jewel # 205, B-side »Trouble Will Be Over«). The bluesiest song of the LP, on the other hand, is arguably »Why«. Both songs feature the forceful voice of Ernestine Rundless prominently. Especially her strong and dynamic performance in »Why« reminds much of her '60s recordings, without sounding dated in any way. »Why« is clearly the house-wrecker on this album.
Happy Sunday all!
My thoughts today go to the people at the East Coast who have suffered from the terrible hurricane.
The Meditation Singers: »I Love My Jesus« / »Why« from the Jewel LP »Alright« (1973):
Plumpp, Sterling D.: »On Record: The Gospel Sound«, in: Black World / Negro Digest, Jan. 1973, pp. 66 f. (quote from p. 67).
... and just as an afterthought: If you have wondered whose brush created the front cover portrait of Jewel LP 0071, little flattering as it is, I can tell you that the artist named on the back cover was a certain Cynthia Rodrigues ... didn't find anything out about her, though. I couldn't even determine whether she did other covers for Jewel or another record label.
Here we go again ... back to The Loving Sisters from Arkansas. Last time, on Easter Sunday, I presented the group for the first time and you could listen to two songs from their 1974 LP »The Sisters And Their Sons«. Today, I would like to introduce one of their albums released in 1973 on Peacock / ABC Dunhill.
Peacock LP # PLP-187
The album is called »A New Dimension« and as was usual with the group, all songs were composed and arranged by lead singer (and driving force behind the Loving Sisters) Gladys Givens McFadden. Once more we have here a wonderful album, with ten songs of different moods, styles and flavours. The LP was released, for all I know, in September 1973 and shortly (though with almost lavishing praise) reviewed in the September 22, 1973, issue of BILLBOARD (see below). In particular, the reviewer stresses the gospel-soul crossover appeal of this album: »... one of those rare sets that manages to capture a true gospel flavour while also incorporating strong traces of soul which can move the LP into other areas besides the somewhat limited gospel field. ... This set ... could easily provide one of the few gospel-soul crossover sets.«
This is true, and in some ways it isn't. It all depends on how you define »soul«. My guess is that the reviewer took »soul« here to mean »secular black music« in general, because half of the songs on the album are not in the Soul-mould at all. I'd rather stress the variety of musical styles on this LP: The first song, »It's Jesus, Y'All«, is »cold funk«, a mid-tempo funky piece of however detached vocals (mixed into the background with a noticeable, »distancing« hall effect). Then, there are some downright blues-gospel songs, two of which you can hear below. There is one shout-song at a frenzied speed, aptly entitled »Cry Loud«, with much light-speed tambourine-shaking and manic hand-clapping, just the type of song which, unfortunately, came to dominate a large part of contemporary gospel music (today rendered the more a nuisance by being performed by giant choirs which leave you with a »wall-of-sound« experience of undistinguished vocal chaos - well, it's a matter of personal taste ...). Finally, there are several soul-gospel ballads with a more or less funky undercurrent, one of these with the voice of Gladys's son Leonard Givens.
On the whole, this album is remarkable for its variety. There may not be a single song that stands out but the complete package is quite an achievement. It didn't go anywhere near commercial success, to my knowledge. What is more, the Loving Sisters went about very programmatically in creating different shades of »the right sound of today«, as the sleeve notes proudly proclaim, and that explains the equally proud title of the LP: »A New Dimension«. Well, it was right that but people wouldn't notice much at the time. Maybe this was due to the fact that Aretha Franklin in 1972 had given gospel a great push by returning to religious tunes in her widely acclaimed »Amazing Grace« album. For one thing, this may have overshadowed other gospel recordings issued at the time. For another thing, Aretha stuck to a very »classical« mode of gospel: the old songs, the old ways of performing them. She did it very well all right but she didn't dare attacking convention. Actually she avoided to make gospel sound like soul or r&b-tunes and rather tried to keep her distance from the secular field. This is, of course, easily explained by her previous »secular« career, and the many who criticized her for returning to gospel at all could only be pacified by offering them the conventional package. Not so the Loving Sisters.
One word about the album as such: It was released on the Peacock label (# 187). Peacock since May '73 belonged to ABC-Dunhill. Then, in late 1978, ABC was sold to MCA. The entry on Peacock/ABC on www. discogs.com gives some further details about what happened then: »MCA reissued 100-plus Peacock and Songbird gospel LPs in the early Eighties on with references to Peacock and Songbird eliminated from the covers and new MCA catalog numbers stamped in gold.« In fact, the LP I possess has that golden MCA-stamp on the front cover, but the Peacock and/or ABC references are not in any way removed. So I guess all the remaining original releases were »re-branded« as well, not only the re-issues. I don't even know whether this LP of the Loving Sisters was ever re-issued.
The two songs I would like to present here are the two »bluesy« songs of the album. The first, »Why«, is as good an example of blues-gospel as you are ever likely to hear. And the song is not a religious song in the proper sense but laments the selfishness of people: »So many nights, I was all alone. I didn't have no one to call my own. I even tried to call a friend of mine. I just couldn't reach them on the line ... I wanna know why do I understand everybody and no one understand me now ...« She listens to others' problems, but nobody would listen to her when she's in trouble ... »people nowadays seem so selfish you can't find a friend«. The song is beautifully performed, with a very touching message. The lead voice and the backing vocals are mixed separately to the right and left channel, respectively, something which I until now can't make my mind up whether this was a happy idea or not. Judge for yourself! The second song, »I Owe It All To The Lord«, is rather similar, in its »bluesy« mood and overall harmonies, to the first song. It is introduced with a pretty »Hawaiian« sounding steel guitar which continues to crop up throughout the song, giving it a slightly exotic flavour. And the song is more overtly religious: »Of all the good things that I have I like to say: I owe it to the Lord ...«
The Loving Sisters (feat. Gladys McFadden):
»Why« / »I Owe It All To The Lord« from the Peacock LP 187 (1973):
Fred Leroy Robinson was born in 1939 in Memphis and grew up in Arkansas. From 1956 onwards, he was living in Chicago. He played for some years as member of Little Walter's band, then he gigged with Howlin' Wolf. The latter, however, didn't get along too well with Freddie (or the other way round) because Freddie had taken up studying at the »Chicago School of Music«. Freddie was to say later: »I worked with Wolf very briefly, because he's the only guy ... that I couldn't get along with too well. ... He didn't realise that I really did love his music ... He thought that just because I was studying that I didn't want to play the blues.«
Enterprise LP # 1035
From 1963 to 1967 Freddie was playing behind Vee-Jay recording star Jerry Butler, and in 1968 he briefly worked in the band of Ray Charles. Then, in 1971, we find him as a member of John Mayall's Blues Band (see the BILLBOARD ad from June 10, 1972 where he is billed as »Freddy Robinson«). In 1972 he recorded his first album for Enterprise (a sub-label of Stax Records), »At The Drive-In« (# 1025) (see the ad in JET-magazine as of Sept. 21, 1972). In the following year his second Enterprise-album, entitled »Off The Cuff« (Enterprise LP # 1035), hit the market. Finally, Freddie converted to Islam in 1975 and took on the name Abu Talib three years later. I gathered most of this information from the liner notes of ACE CD # CDCHD 728 (»Freddy Robinson: Bluesology«, 1999). This CD also includes some of the songs from his 1972 Enterprise-album. However, the two songs you can hear in the following have been ripped directly from his album »Off The Cuff«.
The first song, »You Never Ever Miss Away (!)«, is downright funky, the second, »Changing Dreams«, may best be described as an after-hours-blues in the best Chicago-Tradition. You can hear several female background voices on the first tune, among them the voice of Darlene Love (former member of The Blossoms and The Crystals, but recording under her own name as well during the 60s).
Freddie Robinson (feat. Darlene Love):
»You Never Ever Miss Away« / »Changing Dreams« from the Enterprise LP »Off The Cuff« (1973):
I am interested in the music, not in the relative rarity of discs. I also listen with great pleasure to Aretha Franklin, because she has the voice of the century. Music is no Faith and therefore has no heretics.
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No music downloads on this site. All mp3s (with very few exceptions where noted) are ripped from original vinyl discs. If something on this blog is objectionable to anyone or should, for valid reasons, be re- moved from the net please let me know; it will be removed. And to reiterate: This is a non-profit blog.
